AEE：学英语并非难如拔牙

这是All Ears English播客。

This is the All Ears English podcast.

学习英语不像拔牙那么痛苦。

Learning English is not like pulling teeth.

欢迎收听All Ears English播客，已下载超过两亿次。

Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200,000,000 times.

你是否觉得自己的英语进步停滞了？

Are you feeling stuck with your English?

我们将教你如何通过注重交流而非完美，变得自信而流利，与你的美国主持人Lindsey McMahon（英语冒险家）和Michelle Kaplan（纽约电台女孩）一起，从科罗拉多和纽约市为你带来内容。

We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection with your American hosts, Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, USA.

要在手机上实时获取字幕并创建你的个性化词汇表，请尝试All Ears English的iOS和Android应用。

To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android.

前往allearsenglish.com/app开始你的七天免费试用。

Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com/app.

今天，学习一种有用又有趣的方式来表达某事很难做。

Today, learn a useful and fun way to say that something is hard to do.

此外，还能学到一些额外的表达，让你能分享生活中遇到的困难，建立联系。

Plus, get bonus phrases so that you can share what you are struggling with in life and connect.

嘿，林赛。

Hey, Lindsay.

你怎么样？

How are you?

我很好，米歇尔。

Good, Michelle.

你呢？

How are you?

最近怎么样？

How's it going?

我很好。

I'm good.

我觉得我还没祝你新年快乐。

I don't think I wish you happy new year yet.

哦，那祝你新年快乐，米歇尔。

Oh, happy new year in that case, Michelle.

很高兴能来这里。

Glad to be here.

令人兴奋。

Exciting.

你。

You.

天哪。

Oh my gosh.

我觉得今年会是美好的一年。

It's gonna be a good year, I think.

是的。

Yes.

对。

Yeah.

林赛，你上次去看牙医是什么时候？

Lindsey, when was the last time you went to the dentist?

真巧，米歇尔，你问这个。

Well, funny you asked, Michelle.

我其实昨天刚去过。

I actually just went yesterday.

我很高兴我能给出一个好答案，而不是像五年前那样。

I'm glad that I have a good answer for that instead of like five years ago or so.

没关系。

That's alright.

是啊。

Yeah.

我昨天也去了。

I went yesterday.

你很有责任感。

You're very responsible.

嗯。

Yep.

对这个感觉不错。

Feeling good about that.

所以，是的。

So, yeah.

嗯。

Yeah.

我通常一年去三到三次。

I try to go three or three times a year usually.

三次？

Three?

很好。

That's good.

哇。

Wow.

那就是个‘嗯’。

That's a Yeah.

多做一点清洁从来没什么坏处，你知道的？

Just a little extra cleaning never hurt, you know?

嗯。

Yeah.

所以你不害怕看牙医，是吧？

Are you so you're not afraid of the dentist, are you?

我不太喜欢，因为通常当你洗牙时，会碰到神经什么的。

I don't love it because usually, you know, when they clean your teeth, it hits nerves and stuff.

所以可能会有点疼。

So that can be a little painful.

但我知道去看牙医对我有好处，所以我去。

But I know that it's good for me to go, so I go.

而且我去的时候不需要拔牙什么的。

And I don't have to get teeth pulled or anything when I go.

谢天谢地。

Thank goodness.

对吧？

Right?

没错。

Yep.

没错。

Yep.

今天我们聊的是一个有趣的小小表达。

And that's what we're talking about today is a fun little expression.

我们教听众这些非常地道自然的表达时，我特别喜欢，因为这能让他们像获得了一个快速的

Love when we teach our listeners these super native natural expressions, because it gives them like a quick

我不知道。

I don't know.

这就像一个秘密。

It's like a secret.

他们可以把这些表达记在心里，随时拿出来用，听起来会很地道。不过这个表达到底是什么？

They can put in their back pocket and pull these out anytime they wanna And sound what is the expression though?

当然。

Sure.

这个表达是‘像拔牙一样’。

So the expression is it's like pulling teeth.

对。

Yes.

我的意思是，这是一个非常老派的表达。

This is I mean, this is a super this is old school one.

对吧？

Right?

是啊。

Yeah.

有点老套，但你觉得现在还常用吗？

It's cheesy, but would you say it's still common?

嗯。

Yeah.

我说我常用这个。

I say I use this.

我喜欢这个。

I like this one.

这是我个人常用表达中的一部分。

This is part of my repertoire, my personal repertoire.

挺有趣的。

It's fun.

很形象。

It's descriptive.

嗯。

Yeah.

嗯。

Yeah.

我觉得这很好。

I think it's good.

我支持这个。

I endorse this.

当然。

For sure.

非常好。

Very good.

所以是的。

So yeah.

basically，这意味着某件事非常难做。

I I it so basically, this means that something is very difficult to do.

这就是它的意思。

That's what it means.

嗯。

Mhmm.

但这很有趣，因为我的丈夫是一名牙医。

And so but it is funny because so my husband is a dentist.

没错。

And Yep.

他总是提到这个表达，因为他总说，对牙医来说，拔牙并不难。

He always talks about this expression because he always says, for a dentist, it's not that hard to pull a tooth.

所以他不理解，这个表达到底指的是谁？

So he doesn't, he feels, he's like, who is the expression talking about?

是指正在拔牙的人吗？

Is it for the person getting their teeth pulled?

因为如果从牙医的角度来看，这其实并不难。

Because if it's from the dentist perspective, like, that's actually not that difficult.

这很有道理。

That's a good point.

我觉得他有点想太多了。

He's really overthinking that, I think, a little bit.

他确实如此，没错。

He definitely, yeah.

这个想法就是这么来的，因为我们当时在讨论这个，他说：我不明白这个表达到底是针对谁的。

That's where this idea came from because we were having this talk about that, and he's like, I don't understand who this expression is meant for.

对于牙医来说，拔牙是我们受训要做的工作。

Pulling teeth for a dentist, like, that's what we're trained to do.

这并不难。

That's not that hard.

这就像，

That's like,

哦，这真有趣。

oh, that's funny.

我喜欢这个说法。

I love that.

我的意思是，在我看来，这个表达更偏向于那些正在拔牙的人的角度。

I mean, I in my mind, it's for it's more from the perspective of the person whose teeth are being pulled.

你这么认为吗？

You think so?

我也这么认为。

I think so.

因为想想看有多疼，我的意思是，现在我们有奴佛卡因了。

Because think about how painful I mean, now we have Novocaine.

当然，我们现在有各种药物和手段，但我相信几百年前，他们就是直接把你的牙拔出来。

Obviously, we have all the drugs and all the things, but I'm sure there was a time, you know, hundreds of years ago when they just yanked your tooth out.

你知道吗？

You know?

是啊。

Yeah.

对。

Right.

没错。

True.

也许是因为吧。

Maybe it's because yeah.

我的意思是，如果从拔牙的人的角度来看，那不就是像把你的牙齿拔出来一样吗？

I mean but if it was from the perspective of the person getting their teeth pulled, wouldn't it be it's like It's like having your teeth your pulled.

对吧？

Right?

我一直觉得是从牙医的角度来看的。

It I I always thought of it as, the dentist perspective.

但，嗯，我不知道。

But, yeah, then from I don't know.

我觉得我们想得太复杂了。

I think we're thinking too much into this.

basically，伙计们，这意味着某件事很难做。

Basically, guys, this means something is difficult to do.

对。

Yeah.

是的。

Yeah.

我超爱这个。

I love this.

今天这期节目会很有趣。

This is gonna be a fun episode today.

朋友们，点个关注吧，这样你就能收到更多来自All English的有趣节目。

Guys, hit the follow button so you can get more fun episodes from All English.

我们确实会发布像这样的‘俏皮星期六’节目，但我们也每周一到周四更新，每周更新四次。

We do publish our sassy Saturday episodes like this one, but we also publish four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

所以别错过我们节目的任何一期。

So don't miss a single episode of our show.

确保你不会错过的方法是，在你收听的平台点击关注按钮，把All English加入你的收听列表，迎接2026年。

The way to make sure you don't, you get Allers English into your listening queue for 2026, is to hit the follow button wherever you are listening.

如果你在YouTube上，就直接点击订阅。

And if you're on YouTube, just hit subscribe.

好吧？

Okay?

是的。

Yes.

有趣的是，就在我眼前，我刚注意到窗台上有一个巨大的钩针编织的牙齿，有眼睛和嘴巴。

And you know what's funny is that right now, right in front of me, I just realized that there is on the window sill, a giant crocheted tooth with eyes and a mouth.

我总是有这么多乱七八糟的东西。

I always have all this random yeah.

有这么多乱七八糟的东西，现在我就盯着它看，嘿。

Have all this random and so now I'm just looking at it like, hello.

我们就像，别拉我。

And we're it's like, don't pull me.

嗯。

Yeah.

别拉我。

Don't pull me.

天啊。

Oh my gosh.

真有趣。

That's funny.

我太喜欢了。

I love it.

嗯。

Yeah.

我太喜欢了。

I love it.

不过，当我想到这个表达时，我会想到给听众的第一个例子：想让我的孩子们告诉我他们的一天过得怎么样，简直像拔牙一样困难。

When I think about this expression though, I think about this first example we have for our listeners, which is trying to get my kids to tell me about their days is like I do is like pulling teeth.

嗯。

Yeah.

所以我觉得孩子们就是不想说话。

So I do think about like kids just not wanting to to, like Talk.

做点什么，说说，分享一下。

Do something or talk or share.

嗯。

Yeah.

对，没错。

To yep.

这就像拔牙一样。

It's like pulling teeth.

我觉得这种情况最常出现。

I feel like that's where it comes up the most.

你不觉得吗？

Don't you think?

嗯。

Yeah.

我会说。

I would say.

我的意思是，这还挺搞笑的。

I mean, even it's funny.

我儿子一下校车，首先，他是全世界最可爱的孩子。

With my son, I when he gets off the bus first of all, he's the most loving boy in the whole world.

简直不可思议。

Like, unbelievable.

他特别温柔。

He's so loving.

但当他一下校车，几乎都不理我

But when he gets off the bus, he barely acknowledges that I

存在。

exist.

真有意思。

Interesting.

是啊。

Yeah.

然后我甚至都不怎么问他问题。

And then I don't even really bother asking him any questions.

我只是等着事情自然流露出来，你知道的，当一切在晚上躺下时才说出来。

It just I just wait for things to come out naturally, and then, you know, when it comes when everything comes out, lying down at night.

所以，你只能耐心等待。

So, you know, you just kinda have to wait.

作为父母，你知道什么时候该问什么、该怎么问吗？

And know as a parent, you know, when are you what should you ask and how should you ask?

因为你只想知道一切。

And because all you want to do is know everything.

我真希望能了解你的一切，你总是想。

I wish I could know everything about you You want

想知道所有事情。

know it all.

所以你得退后一步，别逼得太紧。

So you have to back off and not pull the teeth.

对吧？

Right?

是的。

Yes.

没错。

Exactly.

你得装得淡定一点。

You have to play it cool.

我喜欢这样。

I love it.

装得淡定一点。

Play it cool.

再举个例子。

Here's another example.

让我乐队成员每天练习简直像拔牙一样难。

Getting my bandmates to practice every day is like pulling teeth.

所以很明显，他们不想练习。

So they clearly they don't wanna practice.

也许他们懒，或者只是忙什么的。

Maybe they're lazy or they're just busy or something.

所以这非常困难。

So it's very hard.

所以你总是催促他们练习。

So you're always nagging them to practice.

‘催促’这个词用得很好。

That word nag is a good one.

催促。

Nag.

是的。

Yes.

给我朋友挑合适的节日礼物也像拔牙一样难。

Or finding the right holiday gifts for my friends is like pulling teeth.

所以他们很难挑选礼物。

So they're hard to shop for.

林赛，你擅长知道该给人们买什么礼物吗？

Lindsay, are you good at knowing what gifts to get people?

不擅长。

No.

我真的很差劲。

I'm really bad

在这方面，我也总是拖到最后一刻。

at that, and I also leave things to the last minute.

是啊。

Yeah.

我总是拖到最后一刻，然后就慌了。

I leave things to the last minute, and then I panic.

结果总是不尽如人意。

And then it just never turns out well.

所以今年我得早点开始。

So I've gotta get started early this year.

我们是在十二月初录制的，所以还有机会。

We're recording this in early December, so there's still a chance.

还有时间，林赛。

There's still time, Lindsay.

是的。

So yeah.

但这本质上是你必须付出的努力。

But this is about it's basically about an effort that you have to put in.

可能是试图让某人做某事或说某事。

Something maybe trying to get someone to do something or say something.

所以，就像某种形式的提取，你试图从别人那里得到什么。

So, like, an extraction of some sort for the most You're try we're trying to get something from somebody.

所以是拔牙吗？

So pulling teeth?

嗯。

Yeah.

不。

No.

那真是个很好的描述。

That that's that's a good description.

这就是为什么我总是想到，比如，试图让你的孩子告诉你些什么，或者分享些什么，或者去倒垃圾之类的。

That's why I always think of, like, trying to get your kids to tell you something or share something or take out the garbage or something.

对吧？

Right?

嗯。

Yeah.

对。

Yep.

就像拔牙一样。

It's like pulling teeth.

嗯。

Yeah.

你能不能想到生活中有什么事像拔牙一样难搞？

Would you say there's anything in your life that comes to mind that's like pulling teeth?

我觉得有。

I think so.

天啊。

Jeez.

我现在想不起来有什么。

I can't think of anything right.

我想这样也行。

I guess That's okay.

让自己去做家务。

Getting myself to do my chores.

你知道吗，有时候星期天我就是不想吸尘或者打扫。

You know, like, you know, sometimes I just don't feel like vacuuming on a Sunday or cleaning.

这确实像拔牙一样艰难。

That can be like pulling teeth.

这种用法挺有意思的。

And that's an interesting use of it.

对吧？

Right?

对自己而言。

On yourself.

我们就是这样用的，但这是我自己说的，没错。

It's how we use it, but it's my own Yeah.

但英语就是这样。

But English is like that.

你可以用，你知道的，可以玩弄语言。

You can you can use it, you know, you can play with the language.

所以对我来说，我要点名批评我弟弟。

So for me, I'm gonna call out my brother.

我的意思是，这相当于让我弟弟回答一个关于计划的问题。

I mean, it's getting my brother to answer a question about planning.

他向来以这个闻名。

And he's notorious for this.

我的爸爸问他问题时，我们根本得不到答复，哦，他总是拖到最后一刻。

I mean, my dad will ask him questions and then we can't get an answer and oh, he's very wait until the last minute.

我某种程度上也是这样，但他却到了极致。

And I am in a sense, but he is to the extreme.

比如，我们之前想计划我爸爸的生日，我打算和嫂子一起唱歌，他负责弹钢琴。

If you try and ask him, like we were trying to plan my dad's birthday, and I was gonna sing a song with my sister-in-law and he was gonna play piano.

那最后结果怎么样？

Like, how did that turn out?

哦。

Oh.

你们最后有没有

Did you end up

做这件事？

doing it?

还不错，但那是提前两天，我终于给他打了电话。

It was good, but like, it was two days before, and I finally got him on the phone.

我说，也许我们可以先聊聊我嫂子和我唱哪一部分。

And he's like, oh, I said, maybe we can just talk about which part my sister-in-law and I are singing.

他说，我觉得没必要这么严肃。

And he's like, I don't think it needs to be that serious.

我说，这我觉得是很正常的对话啊。

And I'm like, this is I I think this is a normal conversation.

谁唱哪一段？

Who's singing what?

比如

Like

是啊。

Yeah.

所以你只是想做个计划。

So you just you just wanna plan.

听起来他不是一个有计划的人。

So he's not a planner, it sounds like.

不是。

No.

极端地不是。

To the extreme.

但没错。

But yeah.

所以我觉得这简直像拔牙一样。

So I would say that's like pulling teeth.

但没错。

But Yes.

我们之前稍微聊过这个。

We talked about this a little bit.

所以你看起来并不觉得这个表达已经过时了。

So you don't seem you don't it doesn't sound like you think this is outdated, this expression.

我对这个不太担心。

I'm not too worried about that.

嗯。

Yeah.

不。

No.

我仍然在用它。

I I still use it.

我的意思是，也许我才是过时的。

I mean, maybe I'm outdated.

我不知道。

I don't know.

不。

No.

我不这么认为，不。

I don't think it No.

我不认为它是。

I don't think it is.

你知道，因为我们有时会谈到一些像‘下猫下狗’之类的表达，那种类型的

It's you know, because we talk sometimes about, like, oh, raining cats and dogs and those type of

我觉得挺过时的。

pretty outdated, I think.

对吧？

Right?

这很有趣，因为这个表达似乎还能保持流行，我不知道它是什么时候开始被使用的，但它一直都在用，我觉得它经受住了时间的考验。

It's funny because this one seems to kind of hold up because it's still, I don't know when it started being used, but it just, it's still kinda, it's kinda stood the test of time, I think.

我也这么认为。

I think so.

而且我觉得这是一个很好的连接短语。

And I think it's a good connection phrase.

我的意思是，你为什么觉得它有助于建立联系呢？

I mean, why do you think it would

米歇尔，为什么它有助于建立联系呢？

be good for connection, Michelle?

因为你正在谈论你的困境。

Because you're talking about your struggles.

这有助于产生共鸣，哦，比如想让孩子做点什么简直像拔牙一样。

It's good for relating Oh, to yeah, trying to get my kids to do this is like pulling teeth.

我也是。

Oh, mine too.

你知道，人们会开始对你那些让他们感到困难的事情产生共鸣。

You know, people can start to relate to you on their on, like, things that are difficult for them.

没错。

Yep.

尤其是当你

Especially if you're

和别人处于相似的人生阶段。

at a similar life phase as someone else.

也许你在托儿所接孩子时，正经历着同样的困扰，这正是建立联系和友谊的秘诀。

Maybe you pick up your kids at day care or something and you're struggling with the same things, that is the recipe for building connection and friendships.

对吧？

Right?

没错。

Exactly.

嗯。

Mhmm.

好吧。

Alright.

所以还有其他说法可以表达同样的意思，而且也很有趣。

So there are other ways to say the same thing, which are very funny too.

这些是有趣的习语。

These are fun little idioms.

比如，这就像赶猫一样。

For example, it's like herding cats.

你听过这个说法吗？

Have you heard that one?

我当然听过这个说法。

I've heard this one, of course.

嗯。

Yeah.

我的意思是，这里的关键是，这很难吗？

I mean, and and the idea here, I mean, is this hard?

对啊。

Like Yeah.

因为猫才不会按我们说的去做呢。

Because the well, the cats aren't gonna do what we said.

它们就是会。

They're yeah.

你没法赶着它们走。

You can't herd them.

你不能只是说，哦，我们都往同一个方向走。

You can't just say, oh, we're all going in

同样的方式。

the same way.

对吧？

Right?

不行。

No.

牛，你可以赶着走。

Cows, you can herd.

牛可以赶，但猫不行。

Cows, can herd, but cats, you can't.

我的狗是牧羊犬品种。

My my dog is like a herding breed.

他有一部分边境牧羊犬的血统。

He is a part border collie.

所以这种行为已经融入了他的基因。

And so it's like in his it's in his genes.

比如，他看到别的狗就会蹲下，

Like, he'll see a dog and he'll crouch and

然后开始潜行靠近。

start to stalk it.

但然后

And then but

他并不想伤害它。

he doesn't wanna hurt it.

他只是想驱赶它。

He wants to herd it.

他并不想伤害它。

He doesn't wanna hurt it.

啊，疼。

Ah, hurts.

不疼。

Does not hurt.

是的。

Yes.

然后他会做

And then he'll do

这些转圈，这是他放牧习惯的一部分。

these spins, and it's part of his herding routine.

真的很有趣。

It's just really funny.

真可爱。

That's cute.

我的天。

My god.

我爱她。

I love her.

真的很可爱。

It's really cute.

举个例子呢，米歇尔，赶猫吗？

What would be an example, Michelle, herding cats?

我的生活就是这样。

My life exactly.

每天早上催孩子们出门，就像赶猫一样。

Trying to get my kids out the door in the morning is like herding cats.

是啊。

Yeah.

因为猫会往各个方向跑。

Because cats will run-in all directions.

对吧？

Right?

他们就会那样做。

That's what they'll do.

他们会，你知道的，喵喵叫、跑开、躲起来，根本没办法。

They'll, you know, meow and run and hide, and it's impossible.

对吧？

Right?

没错。

Yep.

这就是我们总是这样，这就是你的现实。

That's why we're always That's your reality.

是的。

Yes.

没错。

Yep.

下一个。

Next one.