英語口語練習小對話 第877期:據不開口,三緘其口

第一， 迷你對話

A: When Joe and Lisa were splitting in each one’s throat, why did you clam up without speaking up for Lisa?

當Joe和Lisa吵得不可開交時，你爲何沉默不語，不幫Lisa說話了。

B: I could not put in a word in edge ways. They come on each other like a ton of bricks.

我根本不想插嘴，他們吵得那麼激烈。

A: But you should stand up for Lisa. You should be fair and square.

但你應該站出來爲Lisa說話，你應該主持公道。

B: I do not take side with anyone unless I am sure of what I’m doing.

除非我清楚我在做什麼，否則我不會站在任何一邊。

clam up

1. 解詞釋義

Clam up是用蚌遇到危險時合上的動作來形容人在某種場合下“閉嘴不言語”“拒不開口”“ 三緘其口”“保持沉默”等等意思。

2. 拓展範例

e.g. You can't talk with those peasants. They can clam up as well as the Foreign Office.

你不能跟那些農民談話. 他們象外交部一樣,可能一點口氣也不漏。

e.g. Whenever Bev walked by, Roy got so nervous that he would just clam up.

每當Bev走過時, Roy總是緊張得說不出話來。

e.g. I used to clam up when the talk turned to politics or economics.

當話題轉到政治或經濟問題時，我常沉默不語。

e.g. She could clam up for days when she is angry with my father.

你媽媽跟你爸爸生氣的時候幾天不說話。

1. speak up：大聲講(毫無顧慮地說出)

e.g. It's time to speak up for those who are suffering injustice.

現在該爲蒙受不公正對待的人們大聲疾呼了。

e.g. She's no shrinking violet, always ready to speak up for herself.

她可不膽小--任何場合都能爲自己說話。

2. put in a word：插嘴

e.g. She asked him to put in a word of sympathy for her son.

她請他替她兒子美言幾句。

e.g. His superior put in a word for him justly and he got the job.

他的上級爲他說了句公正的話，他得到了那份工作。

e.g. She was not powerful enough in the family to put in a weighty word so her wife fumed unrestrictedly.

她在家裏沒有力量說一句有份量的話。所以她的丈夫就隨心所欲地發脾氣。

3. like a ton of bricks：來勢兇猛

e.g. He came down on me like a ton of bricks when I arrived late.

我遲到時他對我大發脾氣。

e.g. When the boss found me goofing off, he came down on me like a ton of bricks.

當老闆發現我偷懶時，他氣勢洶洶地訓斥了我一頓。

e.g. I had been wondering what to do for several days and the answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

我考慮了好幾天怎麼辦，後來頭腦中突然出現了答案。

2. stand up (for sb.)：支持，擁護

e.g. You need strength of mind to stand up for yourself.

你需要用精神力量來支持自己。

e.g. Always stand up for your principles.

要一貫堅持你的原則。

3. fair and square：公平公道，光明正大，誠實地

e.g. I'm obliged to ask you a few questions; just answer up fair and square, and don't be afraid.

我不能不問你幾樁事情；你得老老實實地回答我，別害怕。

e.g. I like doing business with that new firm because they are fair and square in all their dealings.

我喜歡同那家新公司做生意，因爲他們在所有的買賣中都很光明正大。

e.g. He won the game fair and square.

他正大光明地贏了這場比賽。

e.g. I try to be fair and square.

我盡力做到公正。

4. take side with someone：支持，擁護，站在某人一邊，向着某人

e.g. The children all take side with the mother when she leave her husband.

當她離開丈夫時，孩子們都向着她。

e.g. I can't expect you to take side with me against Boswell.

我不敢期望你站在我這一邊來對抗Boswell。

5. be sure of：肯定，確定

e.g. One thing I am sure of was that she was scared.

有一點我能肯定，那就是她當時被嚇到了。

e.g. I am not sure of what he has said at the meeting.

他在會上說了些什麼我不太清楚。

4. come down on sb. like a ton of bricks：嚴厲懲罰

e.g. After enlisting in the army, I didn't know if I'd survive basic training. My sergeant was really strict. Anytime one of us in the platoon made the slightest mistake, he'd come down on us like a ton of bricks. He thought by disciplining us in such a severe way, we'd become better soldiers.

剛入伍的時候，我真不知道能不能挺得下來。我們排長要求特別嚴。我們哪怕是犯了一丁點兒的錯誤，他都會嚴加懲罰。他覺得只有嚴格要求我們，我們才能成爲更加出色的軍人。

e.g. I really disliked my fifth grade teacher. She used to come down on me like a ton of bricks. Once I was sent to the principal's office just for chewing gum in class. I couldn't wait to finish that school year!

我特別不喜歡我五年級時的老師。她經常罰我。有一次，就因爲上課吃口香糖，她就讓我到校長辦公室去。我每天都盼着那個學年快點結束。

5. split in each one’s throat：爭吵

e.g. My parents are always splitting each other’s throat so that I cannot concentrate on my study.

我的父母總是吵個不停，我沒法安心學習。

e.g. Two of them was about to split each other’s throat , but I headed it off.

兩個人正要爭吵，我給岔開了。