PETS－2语法讲解(150)

Kittens are always playful.
　　对话
　　Sam: Look at your brother playing with the kitten.
　　Lara: Yes, he really enjoys teasing her with that piece of string.
　　Sam: He's holding it up so she has to jump for it.
　　Lara: Kittens are always playful, aren't they?
　　Sam: Yes they are, that's why they're such fun.
　　Lara: It's a pity they seem to lose much of their playfulness when they get older.
　　山姆：看你弟正在和小猫玩耍。
　　拉腊：不错，他很喜欢拿那根细绳逗弄小猫。
　　山姆：他高高拿起绳子，诱小猫跳跃。
　　拉腊：小猫一般都很顽皮，你说是吗？
　　山姆：不错。所以它们才会那么有趣。
　　拉腊：可惜它们长大后，似乎就不这样爱玩了。
　　拉腊说：Kittens are always playful。Kitten是‘小猫’，儿语略作kitty，兼用来说成年的猫，例如："Here, kitty." cried the child（那孩子大叫：‘猫猫，来这里！’）雌猫总是非常关心小猫的安全，有时甚至不许主人走近。所以，to have kittens（有小猫）即‘十分紧张或烦恼’，例如：She was having kittens until her husband was reported safe（她听到丈夫安全，才放下心头大石）。拉腊的弟弟喜欢逗弄小猫。‘逗弄’英文叫tease，例如：(1) Stop teasing the cat by pulling its tail（不要再拉猫儿尾巴逗弄它了）。(2) Tom teased the dog with a bone held just out of its reach（汤姆拿着一根骨头，在狗儿刚刚构不着的地方逗它）。以‘所欲可望而不可即’手法逗弄人家，英文叫tantalize。这个字有一个典故：古时里底亚(Lydia)国王坦塔罗斯(Tantalus)获罪于天，解送冥府受刑，站在深及脖子的水中，悬在面前的是一硕果累累的树技。但他每次伸手取果子充饥，树枝就会自动升到他刚刚构不着的地方；每次低头要喝水，水就会自动退下去，使他一滴不能沾唇。这就是tantalize一字的来源，例如：(1) He held the bone tantalizingly before the dog/He tantalized the dog with the bone（他拿着骨头，可望而不可即的逗那只狗）。(2) She was so much tantalized by the sight of chocolate that she almost abandoned her diet plan（她看见巧克力，食指大动，几乎放弃节食大计）。