今天我们要讲的一个和 monkey 有关的俗语是:to make a monkey out of somebody。 Somebody 是指某个人。To make a monkey out of somebody 这个俗语的意思是:把某人弄得好像一个傻瓜一样。下面我们来举一个例子:
"My friend Pete made a monkey out of me the other day. He told me the party Saturday night was formal, so I wore a suit and tie. But everybody else there was wearing a tee-shirt and blue jeans. It sure made me feel like a fool."
这个人说:“我的朋友皮特那天真把我弄得像个傻瓜一样。他告诉我星期六晚上的聚会是很正式的,所以我就穿上西装,戴上领带。可是其他人都穿园领衫和牛仔库。我真感到自己好像是个傻瓜一样。”
在一般情况下,人们总是设法把别人弄得很傻,但是也有人由于自己的行为不当而把自己弄得像个傻瓜蛋一样。例如,下面这个人在说的这个孩子就是如此:
"Tom made a monkey out of himself by jumping up and down and yelling when his father wouldn't let him go to the movie."
这个人说:“汤姆因为他爸爸不让他去看电影就一个劲地上下乱跳,嘴巴里还大声乱叫,简直把自己弄得像个傻瓜一样。”