"Breathe down someone’s neck" nghĩa là gì?

Theo dõi sát sao* như này không khó chịu chút nào cả. Photo courtesy US Army Africa.

'Breathe down someones’s neck' có một từ mới là neck, nghĩa là cái cổ. Thành ngữ này nghĩa đen là thổi vào cổ một người nào, và nghĩa bóng là theo dõi sát người đó khiến người đó khó chịu.

Ví dụ
Not long ago my girlfriend got into a big argument (cãi vã dữ dội). According to her, she had asked her husband to clean up the yard (sân nhà) because his parents were coming over. After a while, she checked to see what kind of progress he was making. But the way he tells the story, she was breathing down his neck (theo dõi sát khiến anh hết sức khó chịu)!!

During the 1920s and early 30s, Bonnie and Clyde committed (nhúng tay) several robberies and murders (nhiều vụ cướp của giết người) as they traveled across several states. But law authorities (nhà chức trách) were never far behind (luôn theo dõi sát) them. They kept breathing down their necks before finally trapping (giăng bẫy) the gangsters, who died (thiệt mạng) in a gunfight (cuộc đọ súng).

Huyền Trang
VOA



* Pfc. Kendra Hines, a medic assigned to the Army Reserve's 7225th Medical Support Unit (MSU), uses a Pinnard Horn - a wooden listening device not often seen in America that is used to hear the baby's heartbeat. The expectant mother arrived at Pajimo Clinic in the rural Kitgum district and gave birth 90 minutes later to a healthy 5.5 lb. baby boy. (Photo credit Maj. Corey Schultz, Army Reserve Communications.)
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