The english we speak(BBC教學)第318期:Bottle 勇氣

Feifei has to give a big presentation at work, and she's feeling a bit nervous. She plans to deal with her fear by slowing down and drinking water... but this doesn't help. Learn a phrase involving bottles that describes when you're too afraid to do something.

菲菲要在公司做一個重要的報告，她感到有些緊張。她計劃通過放慢速度和喝水來緩解她的不安，但是這並沒有什麼用。我們來學習一個與bottle有關的短語，這個短語用來形容某人太害怕以致於不敢做某事。

Neil: So, big presentation today, Feifei! How are you feeling?

尼爾：菲菲，今天你要做一個重要的報告！感覺怎麼樣？

Feifei: Yeah, I'm ok, Neil. All prepared. I do feel a bit nervous... I just need to remind myself to slow down and take a sip of water when I feel anxious!

菲菲：對，我還好，尼爾。一切準備就緒。不過我確實感覺有一點緊張……我感到緊張的時候，我要提醒自己放慢速度，喝口水！

Neil: Good plan! OK, I'll see you later. Good luck... Hey! So how did it go?

尼爾：這計劃很好！好，稍後見。祝你好運！嘿！報告進行得怎麼樣？

Feifei: Not great.

菲菲：不太好。

Neil: What happened? You lost your bottle?

尼爾：怎麼了？你失去勇氣了？

Feifei: Actually, I took a glass of water.

菲菲：實際上，我喝了一瓶水。

Neil: Oh right. You know the phrase 'to lose your bottle' means 'to lose your confidence and fail to do something, or decide not to do it'.

尼爾：哦，好吧。你知道lose your bottle這個短語的意思是你因爲失去信心而未能做某事，或是決定不做某事。

Feifei: Thanks for teaching me this phrase when I'm feeling awful.

菲菲：謝謝你在我感覺很難受的時候教給我這個短語。

Neil: Yes, sorry. You can also simply say 'to bottle it' which also means 'to lose your courage and fail to do something'. Err, examples time?

尼爾：抱歉。也可以簡單地說“搞砸了”，意思也是“失去勇氣，做某事沒能成功”。呃，現在來看例句？

Examples

例句

He was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him but lost his bottle at the last minute. She asked him instead.

他本打算向女友求婚，但是他在最後一刻失去勇氣沒能求婚。反而是他女友向他求婚了。

I thought about painting my front door bright green but I bottled it. I went for a conservative grey instead.

我本想把我的前門塗成亮綠色，但卻因爲沒勇氣，沒有塗。我把它塗成了保守的灰色。

Feifei: Anyway Neil, aren't you giving a presentation this afternoon?

菲菲：不管怎樣，尼爾，你今天下午不是要做個報告嗎？

Neil: Err... I was going to.

尼爾：呃……我本來是要做的。

Feifei: Oh? You mean, you're not going to do it now?

菲菲：哦？你是說你現在不打算做了？

Neil: Well, you see, I just had so much work on this week, and I've not really had time at all...

尼爾：嗯，你看，我這周有很多工作要做，我真的完全沒有時間……

Feifei: Yeah, yeah, I get it. You bottled it.

菲菲：是的，是的，我明白了。你沒勇氣，所以決定不做了。

Neil: You got me. I just hate presentations!

尼爾：你懂我。我只是討厭做報告！

Feifei: Well, that makes two of us! Bye.

菲菲：嗯，我也一樣！再見。

Neil: Bye.

尼爾：再見。

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重點講解：
1. slow down (使)放慢；(使)減速；
例句：Slow down a little, you're muddling me.
說慢點兒，你都把我搞糊塗了。
2. bottle it （在最後時刻）因膽怯而放棄，打退堂鼓；
例句：He was scheduled to appear on the Russell Harty Show, but bottled it at the last minute.
他原定參加拉塞爾·哈蒂主持的節目，但在最後時刻打了退堂鼓。
3. not at all 用於否定句、條件句、疑問句等的句末）全然，一點，根本，究竟；
例句：I am not at all satisfied with the present situation.
我對現狀根本不滿意。
4. that makes two of us 我也一樣；我也有同感；
例句：I'm finding this party extremely dull. ' 'That makes two of us! '
‘我覺得這個聚會沉悶極了。’‘我也有同感！’