"give sb. the cold shoulder"是一个常用的口语化短语,核心含义是:冷落某人;对某人态度冷淡、爱答不理(故意表现出不欢迎或不想交往的态度)。
这个短语的起源有说法称,过去人们会用“冷肩膀”(cold shoulder)招待不受欢迎的客人——比如给客人端上冷的羊肩肉(而非热菜),暗示对方“该走了”。后来逐渐引申为“用冷淡的态度对待某人”。
该短语的结构灵活,常见两种表达:
1、 give sb. the cold shoulder(直接接“某人”作宾语)
2、 give the cold shoulder to sb.(用“to”引出对象,更正式一点)
She gave me the cold shoulder at the party because I forgot her birthday.
(她在派对上冷落了我,因为我忘了她的生日。)
Don’t give him the cold shoulder—he’s just shy.
(别冷落他,他只是害羞而已。)
He gave the cold shoulder to his ex-girlfriend when they ran into each other.
(他和前女友偶遇时,对她很冷淡。)
I felt hurt when I got the cold shoulder from my best friend.
(当我最好的朋友冷落我时,我很受伤。)
New students often receive the cold shoulder at first, but it gets better.
(新生一开始常被冷落,但情况会好转。)
She was given the cold shoulder by the entire team after she quit.
(她辞职后,整个团队都冷落了她。)
snub(冷落;怠慢,更正式):He snubbed me by not inviting me to his wedding.
ignore(忽视,侧重“故意不关注”):She ignored me all day after our fight.
brush sb. off(敷衍某人;打发走,更口语):He brushed me off when I tried to talk to him.
"give sb. the cold shoulder"是描述“故意冷淡对待”的生动表达,适用于日常对话中朋友、同事、恋人之间的小矛盾或人际关系中的疏离场景,比“ignore”更有“故意为之”的情感色彩。