Donny在北京學漢語,他的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞,就會來請教他。今天是Jimmy要問的:火爆脾氣。
Donny: Jimmy, 瞧瞧你的熊貓眼!
JIMMY: 哼!這都要怪對門宿舍的一個瘋子。夜里不睡覺,在樓道里唱歌! 害得我一宿沒法睡!
Donny: Dude, that sucks!
Jimmy: Donny, 你今天可別惹我,我這一肚子火恐怕得點火就著! I'm easy to burn!
Donny: Easy to burn? Jimmy, I have to say, you've got a talent for making up English phrases.
JIMMY: 好,那你說,“火爆脾氣”在美語里怎么說?
Donny: You say I have a short fuse. fuse is spelled f-u-s-e. To say someone has a short fuse is to say he or she has a bad temper.
JIMMY: fuse是導火線的意思,a short fuse,很短的導火線,那還真是“一點就著”, 所以have a short fuse就是形容脾氣差。
Donny: That's correct. If I were you, I'd go give that guy who sings in the middle of the night a piece of my mind!
JIMMY: give him a piece of your mind?
Donny: Yes! You can also tell him off, 都是“罵他一頓”的意思。
JIMMY: Actually, I was about to rush out of the door and tell him off, but my dorm mates stopped me.
Donny: Why?
JIMMY: 我室友們說,這人平時挺好的,最近失戀了,要靠夜里唱歌來療傷,讓我別往心里去。
Donny: Your dorm mates are so nice not to take it personally.
JIMMY: take it personally? 就是往心里去,計較,對么?
Donny: Exactly. For example, your boss has a short fuse and often yells at people when they make minor mistakes......
JIMMY: 哎,我來猜猜! 你說,老板脾氣火爆,人家犯個小錯他就大嚷大叫。那...If he gives me a piece of his mind for something minor, 同事們就會說"don't take it personally. " 對不對?
Donny: Bingo! Let's see what you've learned today!
JIMMY: 第一,火爆脾氣是have a short fuse;
第二,口頭教訓別人是 give someone a piece of my mind, 或者tell someone off
第三,別往心里去是Don't take it personally.