迷你對話學地道口語第2073期:至少可以說

情景對話：

A: What are you doing here, Tom?

湯姆，你在幹什麼？

B: playing games.

玩遊戲。

A: Playing?

玩遊戲？

B: Why not?

不行麼？

A: You failed the exam, Tom. Could you tell me the reason?

你考試不及格，湯姆，你能告訴我是什麼原因麼？

B: I'm sorry.

對不起。

A: Sorry? For what? You did not study hard?

對不起？爲什麼說對不起？你學習沒有用功麼？

B: No. The test was difficult, to say the least.

不是，只是這次的考試題太難了。

一， 詞海拾貝

to say at the least：至少可以說

e.g. I was surprised at what he said, to say the least.

毫不誇張地說，我對他的話感到吃驚。

e.g. His conduct that evening was, to say the least, curious.

他那天晚上的舉動可說是夠古怪的了。

e.g. Her remarks were ill-advised, to say the least.

她的話不夠謹慎，至少可以這麼說。

e.g. The appearance of Frank Cowperwood at this time was, to say the least, prepossessing and satisfactory.

Frank Cowperwood這個時候的相貌, 至少可以說是討人歡喜和令人滿意的。

二， 語彙積累

be sorry for

釋義1：對……感到抱歉，因……而說對不起

e.g. I'm sorry for what I said; I never meant to insult you.

我爲我所說的話道歉，我不是有意要侮辱你。

e.g. I'm sorry for taking it out on you.

對不起，我遷怒於你了。

釋義2：對……感到難過，替……感到難過

e.g. They were sorry for the poor, especially for the dear little children.

他們都爲窮人難過，特別是爲那些親愛的孩子們感到難過。

e.g. In the midst of her own trouble Winifred was sorry for him.

維妮佛梨德儘管滿腔心事，也替他難過起來。

其它：play a game：玩遊戲

fail the exam：考試不及格