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第13輯 第4課 I'm about to go now.
到別人家拜訪,到達的時間很重要,最好是先預約(make an appointment),離開的時間也是大學問。例如你到人家拜訪,下午茶也喝完,主人家開始準備晚飯,你仍然未離開,通常主人家會禮貌地叫你留下來吃 晚飯,不管你真的想留下還是借故離開,也該客氣地回答:I´m about to go now.(我即將離開)或I´m just about to leave。About、Just about是「差不多」、「快將」的意思,例如:I´m just about twenty.就是「我差不多20歲」。
A:I´m about to go now. Yeah, I really like this place. I don´t want to leave. It´s really comfortable and nice and this couch, do you mind if I sit down on again? ............
甲:我差不多走了。我真的很喜歡這裡,不想離去。這裡真的很舒服,這沙發很舒服,可否再次坐下?............
B:When will you be leaving?
乙:你何時離開?
A:Well, I´m about to go now.
甲:好啦,我快要走了。
B:Look at the clock, you said that two hours ago.
乙:看看鐘吧,你兩個鐘頭前已經這麼說。
A:Clock? Yes, it is an interesting clock...........
甲:鐘?對呀,很可愛的鐘...
我要告辭了
I´m about to go now(我要告辭了)的about to是「即將」、「正打算」的意思。要強調,可加just一字,例如:We must hurry. The train is (just) about to leave.(快點,火車要開出了)。
留意not about to往往不是說「不會很快」,而是「不願意」的意思,例如:I´m not about to do your work for you(我不會為你代勞)。
有些客人說話喋喋不休,才說I´m about to go now.,又絮絮叨叨說這說那,這英文稱為long-winded,直譯是「氣息長的」。聽演講,一般人最怕的是a long-winded speaker(喋喋不休的講者)或a long-winded speech.(長篇大論的講詞)。
總之,到親友家裡作客,切勿逗留太久,否則徒討人厭。英文成語to outstay / overstay one´s welcome直譯是「逗留超過了歡迎期」,那是說逗留長得不受歡迎了,例如:Although they asked me to stay "a few more days", I decided to take leave, not wanting to overstay my welcome.(雖然他們邀我「多住幾天」,我還是決定告辭,恐怕逗留太久,徒討人厭)。
英文諺語說:A guest and a fish after three days are poison.(魚過三天不新鮮,客過三天討人厭),又說:The first day a guest, the third a pest.(第一天是客人,第三天只惱人)。現代人生活繁忙,客人逗留不要說三天,就是三小時,恐怕已經成為poison(毒藥)或pest(害蟲、討厭 的人)了。

 

 


 資料來源:生活美語(點我看真人對話)

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