You're a wet blanket可不是说你是条湿毯子

昨天赶上周末，老板提议大伙去K个歌，顺道儿聚个餐，但公司的大美女Katherine借故不想去，这下可把外教Tony给急坏了，脱口就冒出一句:"You're really a wet blanket!" 身边儿的会计小刘没明白就问我:“这Tony是啥意思，怎么说人家姑娘是条湿漉漉的毯子？！”

其实，这是一句典型的口语表达，Tony刚才说的意思是“你真是太让人扫兴啦！”也许您就奇怪了，这个湿淋淋的毯子跟扫兴怎么扯上关系了呢？原来，wet blanket 这个习惯用语是来自扑灭大火的一种老办法。你想啊，当着火了而你手头儿又没有其它灭火用具的时候，那你就可以用打湿的毯子来扑灭火苗。所以 “to throw a wet blanket on something”就是消除别人的热情或者是破坏别人的享受，这个说法相当于中文里的一句俗语： 给人当头泼凉水。后来就逐渐引申出这个说法，用“a wet blanket”来比喻把周围兴高采烈的人们都弄得热情冷却的一个不受人欢迎的人或者事情。

同时，在英语里，还有另外一种关于“令人扫兴”的地道表达，就是"party pooper"， poop作为动词讲，有"累垮（某人）; 使筋疲力尽"的意思，如果一个人或一件事儿让大家都累得筋疲力竭的话，那肯定就是大煞风景喽！

好啦，词义明白了，就先来听几个例句吧，穿梭君始终认为，在生动的语境中来学习，是最为高效的学习方法！

• You're really a wet blanket.

你真是太让人扫兴了。

• I hate to be a party pooper, but I am really tired.

我不想扫大家的兴，但我真的很累了。

• Let's not invite Dick to the dance--he is such a wet blanket with that sour look on his face and his boring talk.

我们可别请迪克去舞会。他老是愁眉苦脸，说话也很没意思，真让人扫兴。

• Bad news today: the government says that corporate earnings weren't as good as expected the last quarter. That'll throw a wet blanket over plans of investors to get into the stock market.

今天的消息可不好：政府说上个季度私营企业的收益并没有预期的那么好。这个消息对那些想在股票市场投资的人来说就像泼了一盆冷水一样。

• I can't decide whether I should invite my girlfriend's brother Tom to the party. After all he is her brother. But he's such a wet blanket I'm afraid he'll spoil the party for all my other guests.

我决定不了要不要邀请我女朋友的弟弟汤姆来参加聚会。他毕竟是她的兄弟。但是，他是个令人生厌的人，我怕他会破坏其他客人的兴致。

• My friends and I were going to the beach this weekend for some sun and swimming. But the weather forecast threw a wet blanket on our plans - it says it'll be rainy and cold.

这个周末我和朋友们打算去海边晒太阳、游泳。可是，天气预报给我们的计划泼了一瓢冷水，说明天要下雨，而且很冷。

wet blanket

n.〈非正式〉令人扫兴的人或事; 扫兴的家伙；

to throw a wet blanket on sth.

na. 对…泼冷水；使...扫兴；给人当头泼凉水

【En】If you say that someone is a wet blanket, you are criticizing them because they refuse to join other people in an enjoyable activity or because they want to stop other people enjoying themselves. 如果你说某人是wet blanket，你是在批评他们，因为他们拒绝加入其他人一起愉快的活动，或者因为他们想阻止其他人自我享受。Someone who seems to want to spoil other people’s fun, for example by refusing to join them in something enjoyable that they are doing. 一个似乎想破坏他人乐趣的人，例如拒绝加入他们正在做的令人愉快的事情。A person whose low spirits or lack of enthusiasm have a depressing effect on others. 一个情绪低落或缺乏热情的人对他人有令人沮丧的影响。A person or thing whose presence or influence lessens the enthusiasm or joy of others. 一个人或事物，其存在或影响会削弱他人的热情或快乐。

• Why be a wet blanket now?

为什么现在要扫大家的兴呢?

• He's a wet blanket at every party.

每次聚会他都令人扫兴。

• They thought he was a middle aged wet blanket.

他们认为他是个令人扫兴的中年人。

• But there was no large wet blanket to be had.

但是并没有什么扫兴的事。

• Morose Michell wins the wet blanket award.

孤僻的米歇尔获得“令人扫兴奖”。

• Roy is just like something you'd find in a baby's pram-a wet blanket.

罗伊就像你在婴儿车里找到的东西一样——一条湿漉漉的毯子 (一个令人扫兴的家伙)。

party pooper

na.〈美俚〉(社交场合)令人扫兴的人；让人很扫兴的人或事儿；煞风景的人

【En】You describe someone as a party pooper when you think that they spoil other people's fun and their enjoyment of something. 当你认为某人破坏了其他人的乐趣或享受某件事时，你可以把某人描述为party pooper。A person whose behaviour or personality spoils other people's enjoyment. 其行为或个性破坏他人享受的人。Someone who spoils other people's fun. 破坏别人乐趣的人。Someone who spoils other people's enjoyment by disapproving of or not taking part in a particular activity. 通过不赞成或不参加某一特定活动而破坏他人享受的人。

• Don't be such a party pooper , the party has just started.

不要那么扫兴嘛，聚会才刚刚开始。

• I'm sorry to be a party pooper, but I have to go home now.

真抱歉要扫大家的兴了，可我现在就得回家了。

• Come out of your room and don't be a party-pooper, after all it is your birthday party.

快出来吧，别扫大家的兴，怎么说今天也是你的生日聚会啊。

• Let's not invite Joe. He's a real party pooper. He puts on this sour look like his stomach hurts, has nothing good to say about anybody, doesn't even smile at other people's jokes and always looks like he'd rather be any place else.

我们别请乔了。他真是个扫兴的人。他老是愁眉苦脸的，装出一副胃疼的样子，而且他和别人无话可谈，听了别人说的笑话甚至连笑都不笑。他自始至终看起来总是好像是宁可不来赴会的样子。