Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - a tough nut to crack|又中又英
2022/04/19 04:12:19 網誌分類: 生活
A kernel is the soft inside part of a nut which is edible. Most nuts have hard shells, such as walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds. They are tough to crack even with a nutcracker but a walnut is an especially tough nut to crack. The literal meaning of a tough nut to crack means it is very hard to crack the nut. But a tough nut to crack is also a phrase with a very different meaning. If something is a tough nut to crack it means it is a problem that is very hard to solve. It can also mean a person who is difficult to deal with, hard to understand, or difficult to defeat. The expression “a hard nut to crack” has the same meaning.
When I was in school, mathematics was a tough nut to crack. I found it very hard to understand. Many people say Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor is a tough nut to crack because she is difficult to deal with. Many media reports said President Vladimir Putin thought his Russian military could defeat Ukraine in a few days. He has now found out Ukraine is a tough nut to crack.
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堅果富含營養(nutritional),但也有很高的脂肪和卡路里,因此你應該適量地(in moderation)進食堅果。若某一種食物是 nutritional,意即它蘊含對健康和發育有益的營養。薯片和曲奇就沒甚麼營養(nutritional)了。To eat something in moderation意思是有節制地進食某物,不宜過量地吃。若你喝酒,你也應有節制地(in moderation)喝。我愛吃堅果,但我從不會吃太多,因為它們有很高的卡路里。我多年前住在西雅圖的時候,經常會買一些帶殼的生堅果,那時我有一個胡桃鉗去開生堅果,能吃到硬殼中的果仁(kernels)。
A kernel就是堅果中可以食用、較軟身的果仁。大部份堅果都有硬殼,例如核桃、榛子和杏仁。即使用上胡桃鉗,它們都硬得難以夾開,但核桃尤其是tough nut to crack。按字面解a tough nut to crack就是堅果非常堅硬,很難夾開;但 a tough nut to crack也是一個片語,有着迥然不同的意思。若某事物是 a tough nut to crack,意即那是難以解決的棘手問題;它也可以解作一個難相與、難以理解又或不好對付的人。習語“a hard nut to crack”亦有相同的意思。
我從前在學的時候,數學是 a tough nut to crack——它對我來說很棘手,我實在很難理解。許多人說特首林鄭月娥是 a tough nut to crack,因為她是個很難打交道的人。許多傳媒報道,俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾‧普京以為他的軍隊可以在幾天內擊敗烏克蘭,但他現在發現,烏克蘭並不那麼好對付(a tough nut to crack)。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - a tough nut to crack|又中又英
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