英語成語分享3 - 糾纏不清

(英語成語談) 4: Badger someone, 此語中之badger是及物動詞, 指(半開玩笑地) 欺負, 惹, 糾纏, 使困惱, 還價。

1. A child who has first learned to talk will badger his parents with "whys" and "whats".
(初學說話的孩子會不停地問"為甚麼" 和 "是甚麼", 令雙親困惱。)
Badger A with B = tease A with B.

2. A man of weak will is the target of criticism; even his friends would badger him into correcting his defects.
(意志薄弱的人是受批評的目標, 連他的朋友都會半開玩笑地去糾正他的弱點。)

A man of weak will, 意志薄弱的人
A woman of kindness, 親切的女人
Badger A into doing something, 唆使A去做某事

3. Even a rabbit, if badgered into a corner, will fight back.
(即使一隻兔子, 誰惹到走投無路, 也會反擊的。)

Badger 原是名詞, 獾也。 英國伊利沙伯時代, 人們將獾裝在桶中, 嗾使狗去追逐, 稱作badger baiting。由此而來的 a badger game, 以獾誘犬轉指美人計。 美國威斯康辛州別名 the Badger State, 大概是說該州多獾出沒。