“眼中钉”，字面意思指“眼中的钉子（a sting in the eye）”，用来比喻心中最看不惯或恨之入骨的人。“某人的眼中钉”指一个人或一件事像“眼中的钉子”一样不断地惹恼你或使你痛苦（a person or thing that repeatedly annoys you or causes you pain）。
“眼中钉”常与“肉中刺（thorn in one’s flesh）”一同出现，指心中最痛恨和厌恶的人。
- 除去眼中钉
Remove the thorn in the flesh - 约翰曾是我的眼中钉、肉中刺。
John was a thorn in my flesh. - 我的教授年轻时是一名环保活动家，因此他当时显然是石油公司的眼中钉。
My professor was an environmental activist when he was younger, and, apparently, he was quite a thorn in the oil companies' sides at the time.
