名人教英文:令人气恼
to get my goat
令我气恼
aari: look at the litter in our front garden!
阿里﹕看我们前花园的垃圾!
mi-yun: oh no! i only cleaned up there yesterday.
米芸﹕啊,怎么又来!我昨天才清理了那个地方。
aari: i think i must have picked up half a dozen empty drink cans from there over the past week.
阿里﹕过去一个星期,我在那里拾起的空饮料罐,应有半打左右。
mi-yun: people just throw their rubbish over our wall as they pass by.
米芸﹕不少人走过这里,就把垃圾抛过我们墙头。
aari: i know. it really gets my goat.
阿里﹕是啊,真令我气恼。
mi-yun: why don't they put it in the nearest litter bin?
米芸﹕为什么他们不把垃圾抛进路上见到的垃圾箱?
aari: or take it home if they can't find one and put it in their own trash can.
阿里﹕假如找不到垃圾箱,也应带回家,丢进自己的垃圾桶。
to get one's goat是美国成语,二十世纪初才见于文字,直译是「取去某人的山羊」,意思则是「使人气恼」。气恼和山羊有什么关系?目前唯一较合理的解释是﹕从前美国赛马,马廐会有山羊陪伴参赛马匹。据说,有山羊为伴,马匹的紧张情绪会消减。心怀不轨者有意令某匹马表现失色,就会在比赛之前一晚,偷去其山羊,令牠烦躁不安。所以,to get one's goat即「使人气恼」,例如﹕whatever they may say to you, don't let them get your goat(无论他们跟你说什么,都不要为他们动气)。