迷你对话学地道口语第724期:一坏不可收拾

 Subject: Go to hell¹ in a hand basket.

迷你对话A: Last week, your basketball team rebuilt. How was it?

上个星期你们的篮球队重组了，现在怎么样？

B: Oh, go to hell in a hand basket. Don’t mention that.

哦，一坏不可收拾，别提了。

地道表达go to hell in a handbasket1. 地道表达Go to hell in a hand basket的字面意思是：坐在吊篮下地狱，比喻为“一坏不可收拾”或“迅速地恶化，堕落或衰退”。其英文解释为：get rapidly² worse and worse or become ruined rapidly。

短语中的hell和handbasket压头韵，读起来琅琅上口。因为手篮轻便易于携带，故“乘着手篮下地狱”形象地表达了“情况极易变糟”的意思。和普通的表达方式go to hell相比，go to hell in a handbasket（或其变体go to hell in a bucket³）更生动有趣。

2. 拓展例句e.g. The school system in this district is going to hell in a bucket, and no mistake.

这个地区的学校体制突然下降。

e.g. His health is going to hell in a handbasket ever since he started drinking again.

自从他再次饮酒以来，他的身体急剧恶化。

e.g. This old house is just going to hell in a handbasket. It's falling apart everywhere.

这座老宅子迅速倒塌了，土崩瓦解了。

e.g. This food will go to hell in a handbasket on contact with air.

这种食物一接触到空气即迅速变坏。

Ps ：rebuild a team：重组队伍

1 hell   

n.地狱，阴间；用以咒骂或表示愤怒，不满

参考例句：

• It's a hell of a hike from Sydney to Perth.从悉尼到珀斯的徒步旅行简直苦死了。
• The boss really gave me hell today.老板今天着实数落了我一通。

2 rapidly   

adv.快地，迅速地

参考例句：

• The company has grown rapidly in the last five years.这家公司近五年来迅速地发展壮大。
• Ice changes into water rapidly on a hot day.天气炎热的时候，冰很快就化为水。

3 bucket   

n.水桶，一桶之量，吊桶

参考例句：

• The bottom of the bucket has worn through after all this time.经过这么长时间，这只桶的底部终于磨穿了。
• Can you fill me a bucket of water,please?请给我打一桶水好吗？