难度：****

When my four-year-old is acting up and ignoring my increasingly desperate pleas for her to get dressed, leave the playground or do something else very important, I have, on occasion, resorted to desperate promises of ice-cream.

acting up: 调皮捣蛋，resort to 求助于 get dressed 穿衣服

当我四岁孩子调皮捣蛋不听从我越来越急切的恳求：穿衣服，别玩了，干点正事的时候，有时我会不得不承诺给她买冰淇淋吃。

Obviously, I know it's counterproductive to respond to suboptimal behaviour with sugar-based bribes.

显然，我知道用这种买甜点的贿赂来回应这种不够好的行为会适得其反的。