close
第9輯 第8課 It's a long story. |
總有些人喜歡問一些尷尬的問題,例如:女人的年齡問題、或問 你為甚麼失業、為甚麼跟男朋友分手。當你被問及一些尷尬的問題時,你可以這樣回答:"It´s a long story."「這是說來話長。」但是人家說完這句話之後,你可千萬別等著聽故事,因為"It´s a long story."之後有弦外之音:其實我不想告訴你。"It´s a long story."雖然是說來話長,但並不代表一定沒有下文。"Let me make it short."「說來話長,但讓我長話短說。」 也許人家會說:"It´s a long story, you won´t like it."「這個說來話長,我想你不喜歡聽。」如果你想窮追猛打或想作弄一下他的話,你可以說:"I have plenty of time."「我可是有很多時間。」 |
對話 A:If I were Ronald, I would have found a new job. 甲:如果我是羅奈爾得,我已經換了一份新工作。 B:What do you mean? 乙:你是甚麼意思? A:It´s a long story. Anyway, if he had changed his job, he wouldn´t have broken up with Susan. 甲:這說來話長。無論如何,如果他有轉工的話,他就不會跟蘇珊分開了。 B:I don´t agree. Things are not that simple. 乙:我不同意,事情不是這樣簡單的。 |
簡而言之 It is a long story的story指「事情的原委」,全句等於中文的「說來話長」。It is a long story, but if you are interested I will tell it to you.即「說來話長,但假如你想聽,我就原原本本告訴你。」「說來話長」一般不如「長話短說」或to cut / make a long story short,例如:To cut a long story short, their affair is over.(總之,他們的那段情已成過去。)以上兩句成語,一說long,一說short,還有一句long、short兼說:the long and the short of it,意思是「總而言之」,和to cut a long story short差不多,例如:The long and the short of it is that their affair is over. (= Their affair is over. That is the long and the short of it.)「總而言之」或「簡而言之」英文還有另一些說法,常見的有in a word,直譯是「用一個字來說」,只是說起來往往不止一個字,例如:In a word, Tom and Mary have fallen out.(總之,湯姆和瑪麗鬧翻了。)To fall out是成語,意思是「爭吵」。此外,你還可以說in a nutshell。這直譯是「在堅果殼?」,以堅果之小比喻說話之精簡,例如:To put it in a nutshell, Tom and Mary have fallen out.鬧翻了,可以言歸於好, 這英文叫做to make it up,例如:Tom has made it up with Mary.(湯姆已經和瑪麗言歸於好。) |
資料來源:生活美語(點我看真人對話)
全站熱搜
留言列表