第一，迷你對話

A: It is great to meet you, Susie. I've been longing to meet a sociology student on the campus. I'd love to have a talk with you and pick your brains.

Susie, 遇到你真是太好了。我一直渴望在校園里遇到一個社會學的學生。我很想和你談談并且向你請教。

B: It's my pleasure to meet a psychology student, actually. There are many things I seem to to be unable to understand. For instance, why should we sometimes be down in the mouth while at other times we are in the seventh heaven?

實際上，遇到一個心理學系的學生也是我的運氣。我有很多事情難以理解。比如：什么我們有時垂頭喪氣，而有時卻十分高興？

A: That's a good question. This usually has something to do with self-satisfaction. If you are not satisfied with something, you are down in the mouth and in low spirits. And if you are satisfied with something, you may become excited or be beside yourself.

問得好。這通常和自我滿足有關。如果你對某事并不滿意，你就會垂頭喪氣，情緒低落。而如果你對某事感到滿意，你就會情緒高漲，不能自已。

B: But that depends on how you look at things, doesn't it? So it's personal rather than social.

這就看你凡事怎樣想了，對嗎？所以這個問題是個體的，而不是社會的。

第二，地道表達

be down in the mouth

1. 解詞釋義

Be down in the mouth的意思是“垂頭喪氣”。其英文解釋為：to be visibly sad or depressed。

2. 拓展范例

Paul looks down in the mouth because she failed in the attempt.

保羅因為嘗試失敗看起來很沮喪。

Molly's been moping around all week, and I have no idea why she's so down in the mouth.

Molly整個星期悶悶不累，我也不知道她為何這樣垂頭喪氣。

Rob has been down in the mouth ever since Gloria broke up with him.

自從Gloria和Rob分手后，Rob就一直郁郁寡歡的。

第三，視野拓展

be longing to do something：渴望做......

E.g. Ever since then I've been longing to meet him face to face.

從那時起我一直渴望和他面對面地聚會。

E.g. Nothing could quench her longing to return home again.

她重返家園的念頭怎么也打消不掉。

on the campus：在校園里

E.g. I see some Chinese national flags on the campus and in front of the main building.

我看見校園里和主教學樓前有些中國國旗。

E.g. I take a walk on the campus every morning.

我每天早晨在校園里散步。

have a talk with：和......談話

E.g. He looks like he's got an axe to grind. Better have a talk with him.

他看來是牢騷滿腹, 你最好找他談談。

E.g. He was going to have a talk with me about this matter and attempt to get the thing in perspective.

他準備和我談談這件事，設法弄出個頭緒來。

pick one's brain：征求別人的看法

E.g. I'd better go see Doctor Rogers at the medical school and pick his brain; maybe he can make it clear to me.

我還是到醫學院去請教羅杰斯大夫吧，沒準他能把問題給我解釋清楚。

at other times：在其他時候，平時

E.g. She seldom goes out at other times, except when she sings.

她除了演唱外，其余時間則深居簡出。

E.g. Sometimes he's fun to be with; at other times he can be very moody.

有時候他很有風趣, 可也有時候脾氣一上來就喜怒無常。

in the seventh heaven：非常高興，在無比的幸福中

E.g. I was in the seventh heaven of delight.

這使我高興得要飛上天了。

E.g. He was in the seventh heaven because he got a gold medal of winning the800 - metre race.

他贏得了800米賽跑的金牌，開心極了。

in low spirits：情緒低落，意志消沉

E.g. He is in low spirits and won't buckle down to anything.

他情緒低落，干什么事都不認真。

E.g. I sat on the bunk in low spirits and dozed a little.

我心情沮喪地坐在床鋪上，打了一會盹。

be satisfied with：對......感到滿意

E.g. I' m not at all satisfied with the present situation.

我對現狀一點也不滿足。

E.g. I am sorry to say I am not satisfied with your homework.

很遺憾我對你的家庭作業不滿意。

beside yourself：形容某人的一種極端的情緒

E.g. I see you're beside yourself.

我看得出你有點心煩意亂。