評論
打印
女:各位聽眾，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 948講。我是楊琳。<美國習慣用語>
M:我是 Douglas Johnson.
女:我有個朋友最近想買車，她看中了一輛敞篷車，可是這車的車評并不好。我給她看了關于這輛車耗油和需要維修的車評，可她竟然聽都不聽，就想買這輛車！忽略這些可是買車的大忌，這也讓我想到一個習慣用語，那就是:
M:Brush off. Brush is spelled b-r-u-s-h, and off, o-f-f. Brush off.
女:Brush是刷的意思，Brush off, 刷掉，引伸出來就是“忽略，不理睬”的意思。上面的例子中， My friend shouldn't BRUSH OFF the poor ratings of the convertible. 我朋友不應該忽略這輛敞篷車很差的車評。在下面的例子里，這對夫婦可真不應該忽略檢查人員給他們的忠告！到底發生了什么呢? 我們來聽一聽:
M:"The homeowners were told by inspectors that they ought to move their home further from the river. Instead, they went ahead with plans to add a second story. When a terrible storm hit a year later, the river flooded. And the house was destroyed. If the couple hadn't BRUSHED OFF those safety warnings, they wouldn't have lost their property."
[這段話是說: 檢查人員告訴屋主說，他們應該把屋子建在離河邊更遠的地方。但是屋主非但沒有聽取這個意見，還又加蓋了第二層。一年之后下了一場暴雨，河水上漲淹沒了房屋。如果這對夫婦沒有忽略那些安全警告，他們也許不會失去自己的財產。]
女:俗話說，小心使得萬年船，千萬不能忽略任何可能發生的危險隱患。不過有的時候，又要有主見，不能人云亦云，受別人影響。比如我有個好朋友，是個服裝設計師，特有才，但是剛開始創業的頭幾年，很多人都說她肯定不會成功，好在，She brushed off all the bad reviews. 她對這些負面評論根本不予理睬，結果才有了今天。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"The homeowners were told by inspectors that they ought to move their home further from the river. Instead, they went ahead with plans to add a second story. When a terrible storm hit a year later, the river flooded. And the house was destroyed. If the couple hadn't BRUSHED OFF those safety warnings, they wouldn't have lost their property."
女:誰都希望有個體貼，疼你的丈夫或者男朋友，不過啊，可不是每個人都那么幸運。要是碰上下面例子里的這位Phil，可就倒霉嘍! 我們來聽聽看Phil是個什么樣的人:
M:"Phil hasn't had many steady girlfriends. That's because they don't like the way he treats them. After a couple of nice dates, he expects them to always be available for him. Yet he rarely makes the effort to return their calls or text messages. Why should they want to stay with a guy who BRUSHES them OFF? "
[這段話是說: 菲利普一直沒有什么穩定女友，這是因為她們都不喜歡他對待她們的方式。幾次約會之后，他就認為這些女孩子應該隨叫隨到，可他自己卻很少盡快回她們的電話或短信。為什么要跟一個經常忽略自己的人在一起呢?]
女:這些女孩子做得對！不值得跟一個整天不把自己當回事的人在一起。大家可能已經發現了，這句話中說 Phil often brushes them off. Brush somebody off, 就是忽略某人的意思。比如，I've been telling my husband to see a dentist for his bad teeth, but he keeps brushing me off. 我讓我老公趕緊去看看那顆爛牙，可他卻把我的話當耳邊風。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"Phil hasn't had many steady girlfriends. That's because they don't like the way he treats them. After a couple of nice dates, he expects them to always be available for him. Yet he rarely makes the effort to return their calls or texts. Why should they want to stay with a guy who BRUSHES them OFF? "
女:各位聽眾，今天我們學習的習慣用語是brush off，意思是“忽略，不理睬”。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束。
A:我有個做生意的朋友，他創業的時候，大家都不看好他，都勸他放棄，but he brushed off all the pessimistic buzz, and stayed focused on the business.最后人家還真成功了！
B:Good for him!
A:而且他很大度，知道那些當初勸他放棄生意的人也是出于好心，所以沒有嫉恨這些人。
B:He has a big heart!
A:對！心胸開闊，不小心眼兒！
B:what's 心眼兒？
A:啊？這個還真不好解釋，大概就是thoughtfulness, 或者consideration for others.
B:So小心眼兒就是lack of consideration for others?
A:差不多！聽聽下面的“美語怎么說”，你就更明白了！
How to say it:petty
Jessica 在北京學漢語，她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞，就會來請教她。今天是吳瓊要問的：小心眼。
Jessica:吳瓊, are you coming to my birthday party tomorrow?
WQ:En...I'm afraid not.
Jessica:Why not? You're my best friend!
WQ:我不是不想去參加你的生日派對，可是你請了王貝貝，我可不想見她。
Jessica:Why? I thought you two were friends.
WQ:你不知道，兩年前，我們去唱K。 她走調了，我心直口快說了出來，結果她記仇，這兩年沒少說我壞話！太小心眼了！小心眼在英文里怎么說？
Jessica:You can say a person is petty. petty is spelled p-e-t-t-y, petty. It means narrow-minded and mean.
WQ:哦，petty 就是心胸狹窄，小心眼。You have no idea, Jessica, you don't know how petty she is. 她一定還在記仇, hold... hold... 記仇是 hold 什么來著？
Jessica:hold a grudge. grudge is spelled g-r-u-d-g-e. hold a grudge 記仇。but 吳瓊, I don't think Beibei still holds a grudge against you.
WQ:Hmm, I don't know. 她表面上也和我過得去，but I think she still has a secret grudge against me! 她還在心里暗暗記仇呢!
Jessica:Oh, come on! It's been two years! I'm sure she has gotten over it!
WQ:Get over it 就是“不再計較”的意思，對不對?
Jessica:Exactly. To get over it means to forget about it.
WQ:You know what, Jessica, you're right. 我決定明天去參加你的party! I want to show Beibei that I'm not a petty person and it's time for her to get over it, too.
Jessica:That's the spirit! Now let's see what you've learned today.
WQ:第一: 形容某人小心眼，用 petty;
第二: 記仇則是hold a grudge against someone;
第三: 不計較了，可以說 get over it;
B:Oh, 小心眼兒就是petty! 楊琳， did you know petty can also mean "small, trivial"?
A:知道。Petty也可以表示微小。比如，petty cash就是零錢。
B:That's right!
A:話說回來，我經常聽見男生抱怨，Oh, my girlfriend is petty sometimes! 我女朋友有時候心眼兒特小！I'tired of her petty jealousy. 她心胸狹窄的嫉妒真讓我煩惱。
B:Yeah. Guys complain about us, but they have to admit sometimes it's their fault!
A:對啊，怪女朋友愛生氣，心眼兒小，不如反省一下你們自己的行為。
B:Exactly! Remember the terrible boyfriend who spent 1000 dollars on his own suit but only set a 20-buck budget for his girlfriend' birthday gift?
A:對！就是美語三級跳里面的那個Kevin!說到他，今天咱們就來聽聽他的女朋友看到這些廉價的生日禮物會是什么反應。
