第一， 情景對話

A: Do you know the low-down on this exam?

你知道關于這次考試的內幕嗎？

B: What do you mean by saying the low-down?

你說“內幕”是什么意思？

A: You are still kept in the dark?

你還被蒙在鼓里嗎？

B: Tell me what on earth is the matter.

告訴我到底什么事。

第二， 詞匯拾貝

low-down

exp. The truth, facts, or most pertinent information about something. （實情，內幕消息）

e.g. OK, here's the low-down: I've got a great business opportunity lined up, but I need to borrow a few thousand dollars to get it off the ground.

好吧，下面是我的一些真實情況：我有一個很好的商業機會，但是我需要借幾千美元來啟動這個項目。

e.g. This is Jane—she'll give you the low-down on day-to-day tasks around the office.

這是簡，她會告訴你辦公室日常工作的基本情況。

e.g. I need to get the lowdown on John. Is he still an accountant?

我需要了解約翰的真實情況，他還是會計嗎?

e.g. Sally wants to get the lowdown on the new pension plan.

莎莉想知道新退休金計劃的真實情況。

第三， 語匯積累

1. keep somebody in the dark about something：隱瞞某人，不讓某人知道，使某人蒙在鼓里

Exp. To keep someone uninformed (about something).

e.g. Keeping taxpayers in the dark about how their money is being spent is not how government should operate.

讓納稅人不知道他們的錢是怎么花的，政府不該這樣做。

e.g. I don't fully trust John to keep our plan a secret, so I think it best that we keep him in the dark for now.

我并不完全相信約翰會把我們的計劃保密，所以我認為我們最好先不讓他知道為好。

She now resolved to keep Harriet no longer in the dark.

現在她決定不再把赫蕊埃特悶在葫蘆里了。

2. on earth：究竟

e.g. “What on earth are you so grave about? “ she suddenly demanded.

她突然問道：“你因為什么事情這么愁眉苦臉啊？”

e.g. Why on earth did they bother to get married?

他們干么費那么大事去結婚？

其它：low-down on：關于……的內幕，關于……的實情

第四， 口語句型

What do you mean by…？（你…….是什么意思？）

e.g. What do you mean by acting like this?

你這樣做是什么意思？

e.g. What do you mean by coming between me and Edward?

你離間我跟愛德華到底是什么意思呢？

e.g. What do you mean by that?

你說的那是什么意思？