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For Life
2007.09.10(Review of 2005.01.25 edition)

Greetings!

We all cherish our children and want to do everything we can to make them happy. But this week's series reminds us that the best way to ensure our children's long-term happiness is to help them become better human beings and that sometimes this requires the judicious use of loving discipline.

This week the WordMaster explores “tough love”!

Today's Lesson
SPOIL (a child)   (子供を)甘やかしてだめにする

Explanation

  • To spoil someone (usually a child) is to harm their character by letting them do or have anything they want.
  • spoil は、(たいていは、子どもについて使います)したいことを何でもさせたり、欲しがるものを何でも与えたりすることによって、子どもの人格を損なう、つまり、甘やかしてだめにする、という意味です。

SPOIL (a child)

examples

  1. BETSY'S MOTHER: Mom, you don't have to give Betsy a present every time we come to visit. You're spoiling her.
    BETSY'S GRANDMOTHER: But grandmas are supposed to spoil their grandchildren.
  2. You're going to spoil your kids if you don't say “no” to them once in a while.
  3. My boyfriend acts just like a spoiled child when he doesn't get his way.
  4. (Lucy's mother to Lucy's father)
    You really should stop carrying Lucy around all the time. She's getting spoiled.

英会話レッスンThanks for joining us!