李阳疯狂英语突破对话(40)-不要拐弯抹角

 

  11. Don’t Beat around the Bush不要拐弯抹角

 

BACKGROUND 背景

 

One friend is telling another bad news.

一个人在向他的朋友讲述坏消息。

 

 

A: I’ve been waiting for an hour! Where have you been?

我都等了一个小时了！你去哪了？

 

B: I got stuck in traffic on the way back from Joe’s office.

我在从乔的办公室回来的路上遇到了塞车。

 

A: Okay. Tell me exactly what Joe said. Don’t beat around the bush. Give it to me straight.

好吧。确切地告诉我乔都说了些什么。别拐弯抹角，直截了当地说出来。

 

B: Hold your horses! I’ll tell you in a minute. Let me catch my breath. I just got here and I told you traffic was terrible.

耐心地等一下！待会儿就告诉你。让我先缓口气。我刚到这儿，而且我告诉你了，交通阻塞。

 

A: You can do that later. Tell me. What did Joe say?

你待会儿再休息。告诉我，乔说了什么？

 

B: Do you really want to know? Even if it’s bad news?

你真想知道吗？连坏消息也想知道？

 

A: Of course I do. Just tell me.

当然。你就说吧。

 

B: Okay. If you really want to know. He said you always try to pull the wool over his eyes. He thinks you are dishonest.

好。如果你真想知道的话。他说你总是试图欺骗他。他觉得你不够诚实。

 

A: What? That’s not true! Perhaps I exaggerate a little. But that’s all. I’ve never tried to deceive him.

什么？那不是真的！也许我是夸张了点，仅此而已，但我从未试图要骗他的。

 

B: Why don’t you do what I do?

为什么不学学我呢？

 

A: What’s that?

什么？

 

B: Take his remark with a grain of salt.

对他的话半信半疑。

 

A: That’s easy for you to say, he’s not your boss!

你说起来容易，他又不是你的老板！

 

B: Yeah, but I’ve known him for ten years. I’m telling you, his comment isn’t worth worrying about.

对，但是我跟他交往有十年了。我告诉你，他的话不值得你担心。

 

A: I hope you’re right.

我希望你是对的。

 

额外成就感

 

beat around the bush: speak indirectly, evasively

说话拐弯抹角☆☆☆☆☆

* I wish you would say what he really means and not always beat around the bush.

我希望你说出他的真正意思，不要总是拐弯抹角的。

* You don’t have to beat around the bush. Just tell me what the problem is so I can fix it.

你不必跟我兜圈子。直接说出你的问题，我好解决。

 

hold one’s horses: wait patiently instead of going forward

耐心等待☆☆☆☆☆

* My boss told me to hold my horses about my promotion.

我的上司告诉我要耐心等待升职的机会。

A: Give me the money. I want to pay the bill.

把钱给我，我要买单。
B: Hold your horses. Let’s have another cup of tea first.

先别急。我们再喝杯茶。

 

catch one’s breath: rest for a moment 休息一会儿；缓口气☆☆☆

* When I reached the top of the hill, I was so tired that I had to stop for a minute and catch my breath.

当我爬到山顶时累极了，就停下来休息了一会儿。

* I need to stop and catch my breath for a minute before I tell you the story.

我要先停下来喘口气，再告诉你发生的一切。

 

pull the wool over someone’s eyes:  deceive someone

蒙蔽；欺骗某人☆☆☆☆

* I’m sure that she is pulling the wool over my eyes when she says she’s been in the library studying all day.

她说她一整天都在图书馆学习，我肯定她是在骗我。

* Don’t think you can pull the wool over my eyes. I know all your tricks.

别蒙人了。我知道你的把戏。

 

take something with a grain of salt: only half believe something someone has said 半信半疑；不全盘接受☆☆☆☆

* Jim is a verynice guy, but I’ve learned to take everything he says with a grain of salt.

吉姆这人不错，但是我渐渐意识到他的话只能信一半。

* The salesgirl told me I looked nice in this dress, but I take her compliment with a grain of salt because I’m sure she works on commission.

售货员小姐说我穿这件衣服特别好看，但是对她的奉承话我只信一半，因为我敢肯定她卖衣服是有佣金的。