【英语早间课堂】Better Left Unsaid

 Good morning , my buddies¹. I'm so glad to see you via network. I'm hoping that we could spend a wonderful morning together. 大家早上好，我是Juliet，很高兴今天又和大家在空中见面了。希望和您能在此度过一个美好的清晨。

【直击主题】

This morning I would like to share an expression with you. It's like saying "Don't talk about it or you'll be upset someone." What's it?" Let's listen to a simple situational dialogue.

A : Should we tell Jane why people don't like her party?

B : No, that's better left unsaid.

【答疑解惑】

Now have you found it? It is "better left unsaid ". 在这个短句中,better 作为副词，是“更好地”意思，left 是leave的过去式，在这里作为系动词unsaid是unsay的过去分词，但是随着语言的发展，已经成了独立的形容词了，better left unsaid 直译就是更好地留着不说出口，so the most pure translation of it in Chinese is: 还是不说为好，还是闭嘴的好。

【三言两句话人世】

Sometimes even if what you'er gonna to say in all good faith to someone, which is of good help for him, you know, a saying goes, unpleasant advice is a good medicine,good medicine for health tastes bitter to the mouth. However , it goes the other way round. He would hate you to the guts², not be grateful for you . 我们常说呀:" 良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行。" 虽然你是出于好意告诉你的朋友发生在他身上不好的事情的原因或是提出有利于他的一些意见，可是事情往往相反，他不但不感谢你，反而恨你。因此， better left unsaid.

【学以致用】

As usual, let's put it into practice. Please make a dialogue with this short sentence " Better left unsaid. " Think it hard and a suggestive dialogue will be given latter. Now have you done? The suggestive dialogue is as follows:

A : Hey , guys , our boss would like to your opinions on the present situation of our company. B : That's better left unsaid, or we'll get fired.

A： 伙计们，老板想征集大家对公司目前状况的意见。

B : 还是闭嘴的为好，弄得不好，我们会被炒鱿鱼的。

Yes , I agree with B. In reality , a boss as a leader often want to listen to the word said to praise him. Sometimes, a boss will hold a meeting or give you a form to get your opinions , which is a gloss³ to represent he's enlightened⁴ ruler. But if you don't know your boss inside out, "Better left unsaid. " is the good mammar. 我非常同意B的观点，现实中，有些领导会开个会儿，或是发意见表给你，想征集大家的意见以显示他是个明君，可是很多时候这是个假象，在你不熟悉你的领导的工作作风，性格等等方面的情况下，还是“最好不说的为好。”Silence is gold.

 

转自可可英语

 

1 buddies   

n.密友( buddy的名词复数 )；同伴；弟兄；（用于称呼男子，常带怒气）家伙v.（如密友、战友、伙伴、弟兄般）交往( buddy的第三人称单数 )；做朋友；亲近（…）；伴护艾滋病人

参考例句：

• We became great buddies. 我们成了非常好的朋友。 来自辞典例句
• The two of them have become great buddies. 他们俩成了要好的朋友。 来自辞典例句

2 guts   

v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠

参考例句：

• I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。
• Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gloss   

n.光泽，光滑；虚饰；注释；vt.加光泽于；掩饰

参考例句：

• John tried in vain to gloss over his faults.约翰极力想掩饰自己的缺点，但是没有用。
• She rubbed up the silver plates to a high gloss.她把银盘擦得很亮。

4 enlightened   

a.开明的，有知识的

参考例句：

• The teacher's words made me at once become enlightened. 老师的一席话使我顿开茅塞。
• What she said enlightened all of us. 她一讲，大家心里都亮堂了。