Lesson50

11. Don’t Beat around the Bush不要拐弯抹角

BACKGROUND 背景

One friend is telling another bad news.
一个人在向他的朋友讲述坏消息。


A: I’ve been waiting for an hour! Where have you been?
我都等了一个小时了！你去哪了？

B: I got stuck in traffic on the way back from Joe’s office.
我在从乔的办公室回来的路上遇到了塞车。

A: Okay. Tell me exactly what Joe said. Don’t beat around the bush. Give it to me straight.
好吧。确切地告诉我乔都说了些什么。别拐弯抹角，直截了当地说出来。

B: Hold your horses! I’ll tell you in a minute. Let me catch my breath. I just got here and I told you traffic was terrible.
耐心地等一下！待会儿就告诉你。让我先缓口气。我刚到这儿，而且我告诉你了，交通阻塞。

A: You can do that later. Tell me. What did Joe say?
你待会儿再休息。告诉我，乔说了什么？

B: Do you really want to know? Even if it’s bad news?
你真想知道吗？连坏消息也想知道？

A: Of course I do. Just tell me.
当然。你就说吧。

B: Okay. If you really want to know. He said you always try to pull the wool over his eyes. He thinks you are dishonest.
好。如果你真想知道的话。他说你总是试图欺骗他。他觉得你不够诚实。

A: What? That’s not true! Perhaps I exaggerate a little. But that’s all. I’ve never tried to deceive him.
什么？那不是真的！也许我是夸张了点，仅此而已，但我从未试图要骗他的。

B: Why don’t you do what I do?
为什么不学学我呢？

A: What’s that?
什么？

B: Take his remark with a grain of salt.
对他的话半信半疑。

A: That’s easy for you to say, he’s not your boss!
你说起来容易，他又不是你的老板！

B: Yeah, but I’ve known him for ten years. I’m telling you, his comment isn’t worth worrying about.
对，但是我跟他交往有十年了。我告诉你，他的话不值得你担心。

A: I hope you’re right.
我希望你是对的。

额外成就感

beat around the bush: speak indirectly, evasively
说话拐弯抹角☆☆☆☆☆
* I wish you would say what he really means and not always beat around the bush.
我希望你说出他的真正意思，不要总是拐弯抹角的。
* You don’t have to beat around the bush. Just tell me what the problem is so I can fix it.
你不必跟我兜圈子。直接说出你的问题，我好解决。

hold one’s horses: wait patiently instead of going forward
耐心等待☆☆☆☆☆
* My boss told me to hold my horses about my promotion.
我的上司告诉我要耐心等待升职的机会。
A: Give me the money. I want to pay the bill.
把钱给我，我要买单。
B: Hold your horses. Let’s have another cup of tea first.
先别急。我们再喝杯茶。

catch one’s breath: rest for a moment 休息一会儿；缓口气☆☆☆
* When I reached the top of the hill, I was so tired that I had to stop for a minute and catch my breath.
当我爬到山顶时累极了，就停下来休息了一会儿。
* I need to stop and catch my breath for a minute before I tell you the story.
我要先停下来喘口气，再告诉你发生的一切。

pull the wool over someone’s eyes: deceive someone
蒙蔽；欺骗某人☆☆☆☆
* I’m sure that she is pulling the wool over my eyes when she says she’s been in the library studying all day.
她说她一整天都在图书馆学习，我肯定她是在骗我。
* Don’t think you can pull the wool over my eyes. I know all your tricks.
别蒙人了。我知道你的把戏。

take something with a grain of salt: only half believe something someone has said 半信半疑；不全盘接受☆☆☆☆
* Jim is a very nice guy, but I’ve learned to take everything he says with a grain of salt.
吉姆这人不错，但是我渐渐意识到他的话只能信一半。
* The salesgirl told me I looked nice in this dress, but I take her compliment with a grain of salt because I’m sure she works on commission.
售货员小姐说我穿这件衣服特别好看，但是对她的奉承话我只信一半，因为我敢肯定她卖衣服是有佣金的。