口语：徒劳无功 beat a dead horse
<p> 今天我们要讲的美国习惯用语是：<span word="beat">beat</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>。大家都知道，<span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>是死马的意思，动词<span word="beat">beat</span>是打的意思。<span word="Beat">Beat</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>连在一起是徒劳无功的意思。</p><p> 最近办公室洗手间的水龙头漏水，我跟维修部门反映了好几次，一直没人来修。我显然是在<span word="beat">beat</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>。</p><p> 下面让我们看看这名热心的选民为什么会觉得自己是在<span word="beat">beat</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>。</p><p> 例句-1：<span word="Again">Again</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="Ive">Ive</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="senators">senators</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ban">ban</span> <span word="smoking">smoking</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="restaurants">restaurants</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="hopeless">hopeless</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="far">far</span>; <span word="they">they</span> <span word="havent">havent</span> <span word="listened">listened</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="hate">hate</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="beat">beat</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="feel">feel</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pass">pass</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="improve">improve</span> <span word="public">public</span> <span word="health">health</span>.</p><p> 这个选民说：我三番五次想让我们州的参议员设法禁止在餐馆里吸烟，但至今毫无进展，他们根本不理会我。我不想白费劲儿，但是又觉得他们应该通过禁烟的法案，让大众健康受益。</p><p> 美国很多人都承认，二手烟危害健康。现在美国越来越多的城市，甚至州都已经开始立法，禁止在公共场所吸烟。但是想让烟民戒烟，无异于<span word="beating">beating</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>。</p><p> 想让一个人改变自己的习惯确实不是一件容易的事。一名家长抱怨说，</p><p> 例句-2：<span word="My">My</span> <span word="sons">sons</span> <span word="room">room</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="constant">constant</span> <span word="mess">mess</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="knows">knows</span> <span word="hes">hes</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="tidy">tidy</span>. <span word="My">My</span> <span word="wife">wife</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="pleading">pleading</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="threatening">threatening</span> <span word="him">him</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="waste">waste</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="time">time</span>. <span word="Were">Were</span> <span word="simply">simply</span> <span word="beating">beating</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="horse">horse</span>. <span word="Hell">Hell</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="change">change</span>.</p>
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