迷你对话学地道口语第257期:忍心做某事

　　迷你对话：
A: What did you say when she told you the news?
当她告诉你这个消息时，你说什么？
B: I clammed² up. And finally, I asked her to chew the cud for such an important decision. I could not have the heart to disappoint her with a blunt refusal.
我没说话，最后，我叫她仔细考虑这个重要的决定。我不忍心直接拒绝她，让她失望。
A: But I put my foot down and insisted on her forgetting that.
但是我坚决反对她，坚持要她忘了那件事情。
B: How could have the heart to do that? She needs warmth and help.
你怎么忍心这样做呢？她需要关心和帮助。
地道表达：
have the heart to do something
解词释义：
not have the heart to do something的本义是“没有勇气去做某事”，现在多用来表示“不忍心去做某事”。此语的肯定式是have the heart to do something（忍心做某事）。
支持范例：
She didn't have the heart to break the bad news to her daughter.
她不忍心把这个坏消息告诉她的女儿。
I didn't have the heart to tell my daughter we couldn't keep the puppy.
我不忍心告诉女儿我们不能收留那只小狗。
I did not have the heart to refuse the child's request.
我不忍心拒绝孩子的要求。
I'm serious. How can you have the heart to laugh at me?
我跟你说正经话，你倒笑我，真没有良心。
词海拾贝：
1. clam¹ up
讲解：If someone clams³ up, they stop talking, often because they are shy or to avoid giving away secrets. 翻译成中文为： (常因害羞或避免说漏嘴)不再开口，闭口不言。
例句：As soon as I told her my name, she clammed up.
我告诉她我的名字后，她就什么也不说了。
You should not clam up on him.
你不应该拒绝跟他谈话。
Whenever John walked by, Mary got so nervous she would just clam up.
每当约翰走过时，玛丽总是紧张得说不出话来。
The secret for successful marriage is to clam up during a disagreement.
成功婚姻的秘诀,就是当双方意见不合时，闭上嘴巴。
2. chew the cud：反刍，深思
Eg. After retirement⁴, he has enough time to chew the cud of his past.
退休以后, 他有足够的时间来回想回想过去。
Eg. We needed a few more meetings to chew the cud on some tough decisions.
我们需要再召开一些会议，深思一些艰难的决定。
Eg. I will no longer chew the cud of misfortune that fate ekes⁵ out to us.
我将不再反复地思考命运给我们的不幸。
Eg. I chewed the cud for a couple of days before deciding to refuse your offer.
我反复思考了二三天后才决定拒绝你的提议。
3. with a refusal：以拒绝的方式
Eg. My plan met with a refusal.
我的计划遭到拒绝。
4. put one’s foot down：坚决反对
Eg. The boy wanted to quit school, but his father put his foot down.
男孩想退学但他的父亲坚决反对。
Eg. John didn't want to practice his piano lesson, but Mother put her foot down.
约翰不想练钢琴，但母亲坚持要他练。
Eg. The father didn't like his son staying out at night, so he put his foot down and forbade him to do it again.
父亲不喜欢儿子在外夜宿不归，所以他斩钉截铁地禁止他再那样做。
4. insist on：坚持，坚决要求
Eg. If you insist on leaving now , please go ahead.
你一定要走, 那就请便吧。
Eg. The tourists insist on keeping to their plan.
旅行者坚持按旅行计划行事。
Eg. I must insist on your giving me a straightforward⁶ answer.
我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。
Eg. We must insist on strict compliance⁷ with the regulations.
我们必须坚持不违反规定。

1 clam   

n.蛤，蛤肉

参考例句：

• Yup!I also like clam soup and sea cucumbers.对呀！我还喜欢蛤仔汤和海参。
• The barnacle and the clam are two examples of filter feeders.藤壶和蛤类是滤过觅食者的两种例子。

2 clammed   

v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He always clammed up when we asked him about his family. 我们一问到他的家庭时，他总是闭口不言。 来自辞典例句
• The suspect clammed up and wouln't answer the police officer's questions. 嫌疑犯保持沉默，不回答警官的问题。 来自辞典例句

3 clams   

n.蛤；蚌，蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The restaurant's specialities are fried clams. 这个餐厅的特色菜是炸蚌。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We dug clams in the flats et low tide. 退潮时我们在浅滩挖蛤蜊。 来自辞典例句

4 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

5 ekes   

v.（靠节省用量）使…的供应持久( eke的第三人称单数 )；节约使用；竭力维持生计；勉强度日

参考例句：

• This year book ekes out souvenir of my life in the university. 这本年鉴帮助我追忆大学生活。 来自辞典例句
• I will no longer chew the cud of misfortune that Fate ekes out to us. 我将不再反复地思考命运给我们的不幸。 来自辞典例句

6 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

7 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。