第一， 迷你對話

A: The woman is difficult to please.

那個女人真難取悅。

B: Don’t speak of her, Mary!

別說她的壞話，Mary。

A: No, I just call a spade. She never follows the rules. She does things off again, on again and nobody here thinks much of her.

我說的是實情，她總是不守規矩，一下做這樣，一下做那樣，所以看得起她。

B: Don’t speak unkindly of others. She has her own life. We have no right to make irresponsible remarks.

別說得那么刻薄，她又她自己的生活方式，我們無權說三道四。

第二， 地道表達

off again, on again

1. 解詞釋義

Off again, on again的意思是“斷斷續續地”，相當于on and on.

2. 拓展范例

e.g. He has been working here, on again, off again, for two years.

他在這兒斷斷續續工作了兩年。

e.g. On again, off again he had been worrying about it all day.

他一整天總是為此感到擔心。

e.g. I have been studying English on again, off again for ten years.

我斷斷續續學了十年英語。

e.g. It showered on again, off again all afternoon.

整個下午斷斷續續地下著陣雨。

第三， 咬文嚼字

speak of：談及，說道

e.g. Reading is the only hobby I can speak of.

讀書是我唯一值得一提的愛好。

e.g. In accordance with her request, he began to speak of other matters.

但是為了順從她的請求，他開始談起其他的事來。

call a spade a spade：直言不諱；實話實說

e.g. Why don't you call a spade a spade? He's a rude, uncaring, selfish man!

你何不有話直說呢？他是粗魯、不懂得別人，而且自私的人！

e.g. He liked, in his grandiloquent way, to call a spade a spade.

他喜歡夸夸其談地談出事實的真相來。

think much of：對……重視，對……很不錯

e.g. She didn' t think much of him as a painter.

她對他作為一位畫家評價不高。

e.g. I don' t think much of your English weather.

我對你們英國的天氣可不太欣賞。

speak unkindly of：刻薄地說……

e.g. Mr Bennet, how can you speak so unkindly of your own children?

班納特先生，你怎么能這樣無情地說自己的親生女兒？

make a remark：批評，發表看法，意見

e.g. He made a snide remark about Aunt Martha's figure.

關于瑪莎阿姨的身材,他說的話真刻毒。

e.g. Having made this rash remark, he braced himself for a polite rebuff.

他說這冒昧話，準備碰個軟釘子。