A: Do naughty boys upset you?

你讨厌调皮的孩子吗？

B: Oh, no. On the whole, I would rather see children active.

喔，不讨厌。总的来说，我更为喜欢活泼的孩子。

A: What about the trouble they made.

如果他们闯祸了怎么办？

B: They are annoying sometimes.

那确实有点烦人。

地道表达：

on the whole

解词释义：

此语的意思是“大体上说来，总的看来”，其中的whole是名词，也可以做upon the whole。与之相似的on whole是表示“整个地，全部地”的意思。

支持范例：

My opinion is on the whole the same as yours.

我的意见大体上同你的差不多。

On the whole it's a good plan and we shouldn't nitpick.

总的来说，这个计划是好的，我们不应过于挑剔。

On the whole she had lived modestly, with a notable lack of ostentation.

大体上说，她生活俭朴，不事张扬。

Journalists on the whole don't create public opinion. They can help to nourish it.

大体说来记者不制造舆论。他们会助长舆论。

词海拾贝：

1. would rather：宁可，宁愿

Eg. I would rather go out tonight, if you don't mind.

如果你不介意的话，我宁愿今晚出去。

Eg. They want a house, whereas we would rather live in a flat.

他们想要一座房子, 而我们宁愿住在一套房间里。

联想记忆：would rather...than...宁可.......也不......

Liu Hulan would rather die than surrender before the enemy.

刘胡兰在敌人面前宁死不屈。

He would rather die than live in dishonor.

他宁死不愿忍辱偷生。

2. make trouble：招来麻烦，闯祸

Eg. We decided not to implead them in case of make trouble.

我们决定不起诉他们，免得惹事生非。

Eg. It is typical of him to make trouble.

制造麻烦是他的特点。

联想记忆：

make the worst of one’s trouble：朝最坏的地方想，往最坏处想

make light of one’s trouble：对麻烦是满不在乎

make trouble by spreading rum ours：造言生事

make trouble on every hand：横生事端

口语句型：

What about...?

释义：......如何？......怎么样？

用法：用于征询别人的意见如何。使用时，about后面能接名词或动名词短语。

例句：What about the salary? 薪水怎么样？

They are very splendid. What about the price? 这些非常不错。价格怎么样呢？

What about washing the car on Sunday? 礼拜天洗车怎么样？

What about going for a row? 一起去划船好吗?

更多信息请查看生活口语