Subject：There is going to be the devil to play.

迷你对话

A: I have a question that I cannot understand. I want to ask the professor for an explanation.

我有一个问题弄不懂，我想去问问教授。

B: I think you had better not; there is going to be the devil to pay.

我想我还是最好不要去问，这将会给你带来很大的麻烦。

地道表达

the devil to pay

1. 解词释义

Devil的意思是“魔鬼”，the devil to pay的字面意思是“魔鬼付账”。发挥一下想想，让魔鬼付账给别人确实是个大麻烦，而且还有点恐怖。所以，这个短语的意思就是“很大的麻烦”。其英文解释为：trouble to be faced as a result of an action。
“There is going to be the devil to pay.”是个习惯用语，字面意思是“如果你和魔鬼做交易，你最终会自讨苦吃。”引申义为“你敢的事情将会给你带来很大的麻烦。”

2. 拓展例句

e.g. There' ll be the devil to pay if you scratch my car !

你要是划坏了我的汽车你就有麻烦了!

e.g. And when we start digging there’ll be the devil to pay.

咱们一开挖，那就要命了。

e.g. There’ll be the devil to pay if you allow him inside the house.

如果你让他进入房子就会有很大的麻烦。

e.g. You'd better persuade him not to do so, otherwise, he'll have the devil to pay.

你最好劝他不要这么干，否则他会出漏子的。

Ps 1：ask sb for an explanation在对话中的具体意思是“向某人请教不懂的问题”“弄清楚不懂的或存在疑惑的问题”。

Ps 2：had better的意思是“最好”，表达“最好不要做某事”，在better后面加上not，即为：had better not do something。例如：

We had better inspect the premises first, and examine the servants afterwards.

我们还是先到现场踏勘，回头再向佣人进行调查。

I'm not clear about this matter, so I had better keep quiet.

我对这个问题不清楚, 只能不置一词。

You had better not count on an increase in your salary this year.

你今年最好别指望长工资。

The weather is such that we had better not plant out the flowers for some time.

这样的天气,我们还是暂缓把花移种出去。