又中又英｜Bang their heads against a brick wall

Environmentalists have their work cut out for them. They often bang their heads against a brick wall trying to convince skeptics that reducing waste and fossil fuels can slow climate change. Their hearts are in the right place even though they have a tough job. But sometimes the methods they use to warn about climate change are too extreme. If you have your work cut out for you, it means you have a very difficult job. To bang your head against a brick wall means to try to do something so hard or almost impossible that you get frustrated. If your heart is in the right place, it means you have good intentions.

Two protesters from an environmental group recently threw pumpkin soup at the Mona Lisa painting at the Louvre in Paris. They were demanding healthy and sustainable food. Many people, including me, support healthy and sustainable food production and other measures to protect our planet from climate change. But insulting art by throwing soup at the world’s most famous painting is too childish a way to promote a sustainable environment. I have seen the Mona Lisa several times. It is a beautiful painting. The two protesters selfishly prevented visitors from enjoying the painting because security had to close the room containing the Mona Lisa for nearly two hours. 

Luckily, the Mona Lisa is protected by bulletproof glass. It is not clear how the protesters smuggled the soup into the Louvre, which has strict bag controls. Environmentalists have done many childish things before, including throwing a custard pie at the Mona Lisa in 2022, and tomato soup and mashed potatoes at other world-famous paintings.

环保人士要面临艰巨的任务（have their work cut out for them）。他们努力游说怀疑论者，减少废物和减少使用化石燃料可以减慢气候变化，但常常白费心机（bang their heads against a brick wall）。即使他们工作艰巨，但他们的出发点是好的（hearts are in the right place）。然而，有时他们用以警告气候变化的方法太极端了。若你 have your work cut out for you，那是指你有着非常艰巨的工作。To bang your head against a brick wall是指你尝试做一样极难或近乎不可能的事，往往是徒劳无功的，令你感到气馁。若 your heart is in the right place，那即是你的用意是好的，你心怀善意。

两名来自环保团体的示威者，最近在巴黎罗浮宫向着画作《蒙罗丽莎》投掷南瓜汤。他们的诉求是健康与可持续发展的食物。许多人，包括我，亦支持健康与可持续发展的食物制造，以及其他保护我们地球，逆转气候变化的措施。可是，向世上最知名的画作投掷汤汁，用来推广环境可持续发展，这种侮辱艺术的方式实在是太幼稚去了。我见过《蒙罗丽莎》几次，那是一幅很美的画作。那两个示威者自私地令参观人士无法欣赏画作，因为保安需要关闭那放着《蒙罗丽莎》的整个房间接近两小时。

幸而，《蒙罗丽莎》有着防弹玻璃的保护。现在还不清楚示威者到底是如何偷运汤品进入罗浮宫的，因为展馆对于搜查参观人士的随行手袋一向有着严密的措施。环保人士此前也做过许多幼稚的事，包括于二零二二年向《蒙罗丽莎》掷奶油批，以及向其他世界知名的画作掷番茄汤和薯蓉。

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻