迷你对话学地道口语第567期:硬性的,毫无回旋余地的

　　Subject: It is a hard and fast rule.
迷你对话
A: The topic of the paper you gave us is too difficult for me. Could I change for another topic.
你给的论文题目对于我来说太难了，我可以换一个题目吗？
B: Of course, you cannot. You know, it is a hard and fast rule.
当然不可以。你要知道这是硬性规定。
地道表达
hard and fast
1. 解词释义
Hard在这里的意思是“严格的”，fast在这里的意思是“固定的”。Hard and fast是习语，最初出现在1850年前后，用来描绘搁浅的船或者是在码头上代修的船，无论是这两种情况中的哪种情况，这船反正动弹不得，毫无回旋的余地。因此，hard and fast引申为“严格的，不可松动的而且毫无通融余地的”。比如，国家的规定，学校的制度，法律等等都是不允许随意改动的，这时候就可以用这个词语了，It is a hard and fast rule.
2. 例句拓展
e.g. You can' t lay down hard and fast rules.
规则不能定得太严太死。
e.g. There is no hard and fast rule about dilution¹.
至于稀释程度，没有严格的规定。
e.g. We must make it a hard and fast rule against smoking in the office.
我们必须严格规定：办公室里不准吸烟。
e.g. He stuck hard and fast to his principles.
他严守自己的信条。
Ps：be difficult for somebody的意思是“对于某人来说难”，注意解词用for，不要用to。
e.g. His haughtiness² makes it difficult for the masses to approach him.
他的高傲神气使群众难以接近。
e.g. It was difficult for me to pin down the subject.
对我来说，要弄清楚这个问题很困难。
e.g. Total dispensation of cigarettes can be difficult for a habitual³ smoker⁴.
吸惯烟的人要做到完全不吸烟不是一件容易的事。
e.g. In these days of rising prices it is difficult for many people to keep body and soul together.
物价上涨这些日子许多人难以维持生活。

1 dilution   

n.稀释，淡化

参考例句：

• There is no hard and fast rule about dilution.至于稀释程度，没有严格的规定。
• He attributed this to a dilution effect of the herbicide.他把这归因于除草剂的稀释效应。

2 haughtiness   

n.傲慢；傲气

参考例句：

• Haughtiness invites disaster,humility receives benefit. 满招损，谦受益。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Finally he came to realize it was his haughtiness that held people off. 他终于意识到是他的傲慢态度使人不敢同他接近。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 habitual   

adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的

参考例句：

• He is a habitual criminal.他是一个惯犯。
• They are habitual visitors to our house.他们是我家的常客。

4 smoker   

n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室

参考例句：

• His wife dislikes him to be a smoker.他妻子不喜欢他当烟民。
• He is a moderate smoker.他是一个有节制的烟民。