第一， 迷你对话

A: My son used to hang around with a gang. But my husband saw the writing on the wall and we nipped it in the bud.

我儿子过去经常和一帮坏孩子在一起，被我丈夫瞧出了端倪，把它扼杀在萌芽状态了。

B: That is what parents always take care to do. We can’t let them go astray.

这是父母经常关心的事情，我们不能让他们误入歧途。

A: No, we can’t. We must make sure that the kids do not go off the beans.

是的，不能。我们必须看清楚，不能让他们做坏事。

第二， 地道表达

hang around with someone

1. 解词释义

Hang around with someone可以表示“在到处闲逛，闲呆着”，还可以表示“和某人厮混在一起”的意思。

2. 拓展范例

e.g. I don't want you to hang around with those roughnecks.

我不希望你和那些粗鲁的人混在一起。

e.g. He hobnobbed with them, drank with them, and loved to hang around with them.

他与这些人密切交往，在一块喝酒。他很爱同他们一起鬼混。

第三， 咬文嚼字

1. writing on the wall：不祥之兆，灾难降临的预兆

e.g. The increase in electricity prices is the writing on the wall for many small businesses.

电费的提高对许多小企业来说是个不祥之兆。

e.g. Bill saw the writing on the wall and resigned from office before he was dismissed.

比尔看到了不祥之兆，因而在被开除以前他辞去了工作。

2. nip … in the bud：防患于未然；把它消灭在萌芽状态

e.g. Nip the evil in the bud.

坏事应当在一开始就加以根除。

e.g. Guessing his intentions, she had resolved to nip them in the bud.

她猜到他的用意之后，就决定防患于未然，使之不能实现。

3. take care：注意，小心

e.g. Take care not to deviate.

当心不要出偏差。

e.g. I will take care to have it put into the proper channel.

我会负责这件事，通过正常的途径来处理。

4. go astray：走入歧途

e.g. We will be very vulnerable to the devil's temptation and go astray.

很容易被恶魔诱惑而误入歧途。

5. make sure：一定，确定

e.g. Make sure you are firm1y strapped in before the plane takes off.

飞机起飞前务必系好安全带。

e.g. I'll make sure he doesn't put his foot in his mouth again.

我必须确信他不再胡说八道。

6. off the beam：做错事，误入歧途

e.g. She prayed that she would never be off the beams.

她祈祷但愿永远不做错事。