At the wheel在这里是指开车,这是一种非常口语的说法。比如说,一个父亲对他儿子的行为很生气,正在盘问他:
"You not only came back home after midnight last night, but you also wrecked my car. Let me ask you something: How many people were in the car and who was at the wheel on your way home?"
在上面的例子里,hell on wheels这个俗语是含有褒意的用法,是称赞一个人的工作态度和能力。
可是,下面我们还要给大家介绍hell on wheels 的另一种含义。
在某种情况下,hell on wheels是指某个人脾气很坏,对别人要求特别苛刻,在处理和别人的关系的时候也很粗鲁。这似乎跟我们上面讲的hell on wheels的含义有很大不同。
我们举个例子看看含贬意的hell on wheels是怎么用的。这是一个学生在谈论她一个好朋友的父亲:
"Jane's dad is certainly hell on wheels with her and her brother. Nothing they do pleases him. He scolds them for this and that every day. He won't let them go out on weekends and takes away their allowances on the slightest excuse. I really feel sorry for them."