今天我们要讲的美国习惯用语是:breathe down someone's neck. Breathe是呼吸的意思;neck是脖子的意思。Breathe down someone's neck 连在一起,是对某人盯得特别紧的意思。
前不久,我朋友Jenny跟她老公Jeff大吵了一架。Jenny说,她的公公和婆婆星期天要来吃饭,所以她让Jeff去收拾一下院子。过了一会,她去看看Jeff干得怎么样了。但是Jeff却说,Jenny is breathing down his neck, 他觉得Jenny盯他盯的太紧了。嗨,这算什么?他要真想知道被人盯的滋味,就应该去听听下面这个汽车修理工是怎么说的。
例句-1:I have this one customer who constantly watches me while I'm repairing his car. Finally, I told him that if he continues to breathe down my neck, he's going to have to find another mechanic. I can't concentrate on my work with him around all the time.
例句-2:During the 1920s and early 30s, Bonnie and Clyde committed several robberies and murders as they traveled across several states. But law authorities were never far behind them. They kept breathe down their necks before finally trapping the gangsters, who died in a gunfight.