美国之音《流行美语》 371 out of place

　　Larry和李华一起去Larry的老板家，参加公司同事派对。他们会用到两个常用语：out of place和show your true colors.
Larry: Lihua, are you feeling OK? You're so quiet tonight.
LH: 哦，我没事儿。不过，和这么多办公室白领在一起，有点不自在。
Larry: Ah, I see. You're always surrounded by young students when you're on campus. I can see why you feel a little out of place here.
LH: Out of place，是什么意思？
Larry: "Out of place" - It's an English phrase. If you're feeling out of place, you don't feel like you belong. You're not used to your current surroundings.
LH: Out of place， 就是觉得和周围的环境格格不入，不自在。我现在的确感觉out of place， 因为我平时都是和同学在一起，现在突然和这些上班族在一起，不知道该和他们聊些什么。
Larry: It's OK, Lihua. It's a natural reaction. Everyone feels that way when in unfamiliar¹ places.
LH: 是嘛？你也会觉得out of place - 不自在？
Larry: No, I work with these people every day, so I'm pretty comfortable in this kind of setting. But, there are some places where I do feel out of place - like when I go to parties with your friends on campus.
LH: 啊? You feel out of place at student parties? 你参加我同学的派对时觉得不自在？你才毕业没多久啊! 已经不习惯校园生活了么？
Larry: I was a student...a couple years ago. To be honest, whenever I go back to campus now, I feel really old - and all the students look so young! I hate to admit it, but I feel out of place when I'm surrounded by students.
LH: 原来，你一回学校就觉得自己老，哈哈，没关系，你看，现在这一屋子的人里，除了我，你是最年轻的了! 不过，你和这些中年人在一起倒不感觉feel out of place，真奇怪! 我可是浑身不自在! I feel so out of place!
Larry: I'm not used to seeing you acting² so shy. You're usually so outgoing and friendly. Don't be afraid to show your true colors.
LH: Show my true colors? 给他们点颜色看看？!
Larry: (Chuckle) No! To show your true colors means to be how you truly are. You know, to just be your normal self.
LH: To show my true colors， 就是作我自己，本色流露。你刚才说，我自自然然作自己，是个非常outgoing - 外向的人？
Larry: Sure! I'm always amazed by how easily you can make new friends at a party. When you are relaxed and your true colors are showing, you are very friendly - and fun!
LH: 呵呵，你夸得我真不好意思! 不过，和你的这些同事在一块儿，我不知说些什么好。我担心，my true colors - 我的本色，会让他们不喜欢。
Larry: Lihua, eventually you will be out in the work force, too. Maybe if you try interacting³ with these people now, you won't feel so out of place later after you get a real job. Just show your true colors and be your friendly self.
LH: 你说得对。我早晚要参加工作，所以现在就应该试着和上班族相处。我应该轻松地和他们聊天。
Larry: Right! Just follow my lead. I will introduce you to my colleague Annie over there. And when you get the chance, ask her something about her job - like how long she has been working here and what she does.
LH: 问问Annie在这个公司工作了多久，都干些什么。好! 没问题!
Larry: See? I think you're feeling less out of place already.
LH: 是啊，我没有刚才那么不自在了。我觉得，我已经开始放松，作自己了! I'm already showing my true colors!
Larry: Great. Let's go! Oh! One more thing. Don't ask her age, her income or how much she paid for her clothes. Oh, and don't ask if that's her real hair color, either.
LH: 啊？不能问年龄，收入，衣服的价钱，也不能问她有没有染发？这么多地雷，我又开始觉得紧张了!
Larry: Just relax. You'll do fine! Just show your true colors......without any offensive⁴ questions.
今天李华学了两个常用语，一个是out of place，意思是“格格不入，不自在”。另一个是show your true colors，意思是“流露本色，作自己”。

1 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 interacting   

adj.相互影响的；相互作用的

参考例句：

• The interacting surfaces were lubricated with a mineral oil. 相互作用表面是用矿物油润滑的。
• Proteins which have two separate but interacting sites are called allosteric proteins. 这种具有两个不同而又相互作用位置的蛋白质叫做变构蛋白质。

4 offensive   

adj.令人不快的，侮辱的，攻击用的；n.进攻

参考例句：

• His mode of doing business is offensive to me.他干事情的方式叫我很不喜欢。
• If all else fails,I will take the offensive.如果其他方法不行，我将采取攻势。