流行美語 第187課

这是一个星期五的晚上，Larry和李华两人经过一个星期紧张学习后都很累，现在正在一起吃晚饭。今天李华会学到两个常用语：let off steam和oops。

LL: Wow, it's nice to relax and let off some steam after a long week at work.

LH: 就是啊，放松一下，感觉真好！Larry，你说要let off steam？Steam是蒸气，你还会放气呀？

LL: No, not literally¹. To let off steam can mean to relax or it can mean to express pent-up feelings, usually of anger.

LH: 原来如此。To let off steam就是放松，也可以是发泄积压在心里的感情，通常是火气。所以你是说一个星期紧张地学习和工作后放松一下，感觉很好。Larry，这个常用语跟steam， 蒸气有什么关系呢？

LL: It's a metaphor². One has to ease the pressure in a steam engine by releasing - or letting off - steam. Otherwise the engine might overheat and explode.

LH: 原来是从蒸汽机的原理来的。没错，蒸汽机如果不定时释放一下的蒸气，那就可能会爆炸。 Larry，如果你一直不放松的话，你该不会爆炸吧？

LL: No, I'm not going to explode. However, letting off steam is important to a person's mental health.

LH: 嗯，我同意，一个人如果没有放松的机会，那对心理健康有很大影响。我通常就是用跑步运动来让自己放松的。

LL: A lot of people exercise to let off steam. Other people prefer quiet activities like reading.

LH: 对，每个人疏解压力的方法都不一样。所以Larry，你是通过看书来让自己放松的？

LL: I like to do exactly what we're doing now. I let off steam by relaxing and having a nice meal with a friend.

LH: 和朋友吃吃饭，聊聊天是挺放松的。可是如果你真的很生气，非常生气，那你怎么发泄你的怒气呢？

LL: Sometimes it helps to talk to someone. It's usually better to let off some steam before dealing³ with the issue directly.

LH: 那倒是，先跟别人谈谈。火气很大的时候，最好别去处理那事。

******

LL: Oops! I forgot that I have to work on Sunday. That just ruins my whole weekend.

LH: Oops? 我常听到人们这么说，Larry，这是什么意思啊？

LL: People usually say oops to acknowledge⁴ that they have made a mistake or have had a minor⁵ accident. I mistakenly thought I had the whole weekend off, when I actually have to work on Sunday. Oops.

LH: 原来oops就是发现自己犯了小错误或出了一点没有意料的小插曲时说的，有点像中文里的“哎呀，糟了”。所以你是说，你差点儿忘了星期天还得上班。还好现在是星期五，你要到星期一再想起来，那可真是糟了。恐怕说Oops都太晚了。

LL: That's true. Oops! I just dropped my fork on the floor.

LH: 叉子掉在地上不是什么大事，叫服务员再拿个干净的就是啦。

LL: That's okay. There's an extra one on the next table. I'll just take that one.

LH: 拿那个桌上的叉子也行，反正哪儿没人坐。Oh no, 这回轮到我要说oops了。我想起来了，今天晚上我该给我妈妈打电话了。

LL: You still have time. We should be finished here soon and you can go right home to call your mom.

LH: Oops! 吃完饭赶回家也没用，我忘了买电话卡了。没电话卡，我怎么打电话呢？

LL: I have a calling card. You can use it to call your mom. I don't mind at all.

LH: 啊，幸好你有张电话卡，Larry，真是太谢谢你喽！

今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是let off steam，是指发泄怒气或其他情绪。另一个常用语是oops，这是一种语气词，通常是在当一个人犯了小错误时会说的。
 

1 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

2 metaphor   

n.隐喻，暗喻

参考例句：

• Using metaphor,we say that computers have senses and a memory.打个比方，我们可以说计算机有感觉和记忆力。
• In poetry the rose is often a metaphor for love.玫瑰在诗中通常作为爱的象征。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 acknowledge   

vt.承认...的权威，告知，收到，报偿

参考例句：

• With so much evidence against him he had to acknowledge his error.在这么多的证据面前，他不得不承认错误。
• It is ungracious of me not to acknowledge your help.你大力帮助而我尚未表示谢意，十分失礼。

5 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。