When we speak or write negatively about an activity, we often say, “That was like watching paint dry!” 我们经常会听到或看到like watching paint dry这个俗语。 谁会看油漆慢慢变干呢？

俗语的意思：

When the walls are painted in your room, no one actually stays around to watch “paint dry. 上油漆时，大家努力干活。 涂刷完后，没有人会想留在屋里看油漆慢慢变干。If it was you who worked hard to paint the walls, you want to quickly clean up your tools and go to another place to relax.如果是你自己涂刷的功劳，你一定会想尽快收拾工具，溜到另一个地方放松一下。Maybe have a cup of tea. 也许泡一壶茶。

But, let’s pretend that we don’t leave the room. 但是，假装我们暂时不离开刚刚刷漆的房间。 Instead, we stay in the newly-painted room, watching the paint as it slowly dries, minute after minute, hour after hour. 相反，我们留在新刷的地方，瞪着眼睛看油漆逐步变干。。。一分又一分，一小时又一小时。That would be excruciating painful—painfully boring!。这样花工夫会多么痛苦，会多么无聊！

 http://s13/bmiddle/4532c70cgc2db3e6d726c&690watching paint dry" TITLE="美国俗语：like watching paint dry" /> ---> 看伯格曼的电影，太没意思了！

So, we use this metaphor to describe something very tedious and S-L-O-W. 因此我们用这个比喻来形容一个很没趣的，很慢长的过程。In English when we say that watching a movie or sports program was “like watching paint dry,” we mean that it was very slow-paced and very boring.，我们如果用英语说我们看了某一片电影或运动节目感觉上简直像“watching paint dry,”我们意味着那片电影（运动会，公司里开的会等等）进展慢，内容乏味，让人烦不胜烦。

To make a sentence, usually we will say something like: 造句一般如下措辞：

“X was about as interesting as watching paint dry.” 看X跟看油漆变干一样有趣。

“X was as exciting as watching paint dry.” “看X跟看油漆变干一样精彩。”

Example sentences: 例句：

1．          看电影

Man: 男Do you like movies made by the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman? 你喜欢由瑞典导演英格玛·伯格曼拍的电影吗？

Woman: 女 You couldn’t pay me to watch his movies! I saw The Seventh Seal and it was like watching paint dry.他的电影， 你付我钱，我也不看！我看了《第七封印》的时候，感觉上 简直像看油漆变干。

2．          看高尔夫球比赛

Wife: 妻子Let’s watch the golf tournament. 咋们看高尔夫球比赛吧！It’s on Channel 5.是五号台。

Husband: 丈夫Please don’t make me watch golf. 摆脱了！请你不要强迫我看高尔夫球阿！Watching golf on TV is about  as exciting as watching paint dry. 看电视上的高尔夫球跟看油漆变干一样精彩。