a sting in the eye 眼中钉

“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。

例句：

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.