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对 话

Bob：Well, Anne is late for practice again. I guess a leopard can’t change its spots.

鲍伯：唉，小安练习又迟到了。我想是江山易改，本性难移吧。

Jeff：The worst thing is how she gives excuses.

杰夫：她找的藉口才是最糟糕的。

Bob：It’s like she thinks it’s our fault that she’s late!

鲍伯：就像她觉得会迟到都是我们的错一样。

Jeff：I know. I kept telling her to warm up by walking before practice.

杰夫：我知道。我一直跟她说练习前要先走走路作为暖身。

Bob：Still, maybe it’s too much for her to walk all the way from her house.

鲍伯：不过，对她来说，从她家一路走过来可能太远了。

Jeff：You think so?

杰夫：你觉得是这样吗？

Bob：No, she should probably just leave an hour earlier.

鲍伯：倒也不是，或许她应该提早一个小时出门。

[多学一点点]

★leopard是“豹”，spot指豹身上的“斑纹”，a leopard can’t change its spots字面意指“一只豹无法改变身上的斑纹”。此俚语源自《圣经》：“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”（古实人可以改变他的肤色吗，还是花豹可以改变身上的斑纹？这些答案是否定的，就像你们这些习惯为恶的人没办法行善。）本俚语引申指一个人积习难改。