The english we speak(BBC教學)第61期: tread on eggshells如履薄冰

Li: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Li and with me is Rob. Hi Rob.

李：大家好，歡迎來到我們所說的英語。我是李，和我一起的是羅伯。你好，羅伯。

Rob: Hi Li. It looks like you've been busy.

羅伯：你好，李。你看起來很忙。

Li: I've just picked up some groceries from the local shop, you know - milk, eggs, bread, flour - I'm going to make a cake.

李：我剛纔在當地的商店買了一些食品雜貨，你知道的——牛奶，雞蛋，麪包，麪粉——我將要做一個蛋糕。

Rob: Oh good. So how was Mr Brown, the shopkeeper? Hasn't he just split up with his wife?

羅伯：哦好的。那麼布朗先生怎麼樣，那個店長？他和妻子離婚了嗎？

Li: He has. It was tricky in the shop. I didn't want to say anything to him just in case I mentioned his wife. I only said: "Good morning", and he just said: "Is it?"

李：離了。店裏很棘手。我不想和他說任何話以防提到他的妻子。我只說了：“早上好”，然後他說：“好嗎？”

Rob: Hmm, it sounds like you've been treading on eggshells.

羅伯：嗯，聽起來你像走在雞蛋殼上。

Li: Oh no, the shop was very clean, nothing on the floor - I don't really think he's the sort of person to throw food around!

李：哦不，商店很乾淨，地面上沒有東西——我真的覺得他不是把食物到處扔的那種人！

Rob: No Li - I mean you were trying very hard not to upset him - that's what treading on eggshells means.

羅伯：不李，我的意思是你努力試着不去讓他難過，這纔是走在雞蛋殼上的意思。

Li: Oh! So it's about being nice - it's about being sensitive to the situation?

李：哦！所以它是說做的好，對情況很敏感？

Rob: Yes.

羅伯：是的。

Li: Well, I was very sensitive. But what have eggshells got to do with it?

李：我很敏感。但是和雞蛋殼有什麼關係？

Rob: Well, if there were eggshells on the floor literally you would have to be very careful where you put your feet!

羅伯：從字面上說，如果地面上有地蛋殼你走路就會非常小心！

Li: OK, but this phrase means you are being careful about what you say. Let's hear some examples:

李：好的，但是這個詞組意思是你對你說的話很小心。讓我們來聽一些例子吧：

I had to be so careful with what I said to my ex-girlfriend. The smallest thing made her angry: it was like treading on eggshells.

我得小心跟我的女朋友說話。很小的事都會惹怒她：我如履薄冰。

Ever since my argument with my neighbour about parking, I feel like I've been treading on eggshells.

自從我和鄰居在停車問題上爭吵了，我變得如履薄冰。

Since my friend's father died, I don't know what to say to him: it's like treading on eggshells.

自從我朋友的父親去世了，我不知道和他說什麼：我如履薄冰。

Li: So, treading on eggshells can be awkward because you don't know what to say and you don't want to offend someone. So Rob, what should I have said to Mr Brown?

李：所以，行走在雞蛋殼上可能回很尷尬因爲你不知道說什麼而且你不想冒犯他人。那麼羅伯，我應該和布朗先生說什麼？

Rob: You could have said 'plenty more fish in the sea!'

羅伯：你本可以說“大海里有好多魚！”

Li: What?!

李：什麼？！

Rob: Or... 'I didn't like her much anyway'?

羅伯：或者，“我本來也不喜歡她”？

Li: Rob, I think that's the opposite of treading on eggshells.

李：羅伯，我覺得這是如履薄冰的反面。

Rob: Really? Anyway let me help you with your shopping... oops.

羅伯：真的嗎？不管怎樣讓我來幫你提着吧...喔。

Li: Rob! You've dropped the eggs all over my kitchen floor.

李：羅伯！你把我的廚房地板掉的滿是雞蛋。

Rob: Now you really will be walking on eggshells!

羅伯：現在你真的要在雞蛋殼上行走了！

Li: That's not funny.

李：這並不搞笑。

Rob: I didn't like your cakes much anyway.

羅伯：反正我也不喜歡你的蛋糕。

Both: Bye.

一起：再見。