Donny 在北京學(xué)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。今天是吳瓊要問的:糾結(jié)。
Donny: Hey 吳瓊, congratulations! I heard you got a job offer.
吳瓊: 沒錯,我昨天剛接到的通知! 這可是我夢寐以求的工作。
Donny: That's great! You must be very excited.
吳瓊: 不過啊,我還真有點猶豫。公司要我去美國待兩年,我舍不得離開這的朋友,可又不愿意放棄這個難得的機會, 實在很糾結(jié)。Donny, 糾結(jié)英文怎么說?
Donny: 你可以說,I am torn, t-o-r-n, torn.
吳瓊: Torn? 那不是被撕裂的意思?
Donny: Well, 一邊是熟悉的生活,另一邊是難得的機會,兩個你都不想放棄,it's like your heart is being torn in two different directions, right? 你也可以說 I'm on the fence.
吳瓊: Fence? 籬笆?
Donny: 對,中文里說舉棋不定,英語里說 on the fence 就好像騎在一堵圍墻上,不知道該向哪邊倒。
吳瓊: 我明白了。那你覺得我該怎么做呢?
Donny: Maybe you should ask yourself which is the lesser of two evils. Is it worse to give up your dream job or be away from your family and friends?
吳瓊: The lesser of two evils? 兩害相權(quán)取其輕?
Donny: That's right. Maybe when you think about it that way the answer will dawn on you.
吳瓊: Dawn on me? D-a-w-n,不是“黎明”的意思么?
Donny: dawn on me 好象黎明驅(qū)走黑夜,讓你把問題看清楚。
吳瓊: 啊,所以我可以說 it suddenly dawned on me. 恍然大悟。
Donny: Bingo. Now let's see what you've learned today.
吳瓊: 第一:糾結(jié),拿不定主意可以說 I'm torn. 或是 I'm on the fence;
第二, 兩害相權(quán)取其輕是 the lesser of two evils.
第三:恍然大悟是 It suddenly dawned on me.