VOA流行美語 Unit 371:格格不入,不自在&流露本色,作自己

Larry和李華一起去Larry的老闆家，參加公司同事派對。他們會用到兩個常用語：out of place和show your true colors.

Larry: Lihua, are you feeling OK? You're so quiet tonight.

LH: 哦，我沒事兒。不過，和這麼多辦公室白領在一起，有點不自在。

Larry: Ah, I see. You're always surrounded by young students when you're on campus. I can see why you feel a little out of place here.

LH: Out of place，是什麼意思？

Larry: "Out of place" - It's an English phrase. If you're feeling out of place, you don't feel like you belong. You're not used to your current surroundings.

LH: Out of place， 就是覺得和周圍的環境格格不入，不自在。我現在的確感覺out of place， 因爲我平時都是和同學在一起，現在突然和這些上班族在一起，不知道該和他們聊些什麼。

Larry: It's OK, Lihua. It's a natural reaction. Everyone feels that way when in unfamiliar places.

LH: 是嘛？你也會覺得out of place - 不自在？

Larry: No, I work with these people every day, so I'm pretty comfortable in this kind of setting. But, there are some places where I do feel out of place - like when I go to parties with your friends on campus.

LH: 啊? You feel out of place at student parties? 你參加我同學的派對時覺得不自在？你才畢業沒多久啊! 已經不習慣校園生活了麼？

Larry: I was a student...a couple years ago. To be honest, whenever I go back to campus now, I feel really old - and all the students look so young! I hate to admit it, but I feel out of place when I'm surrounded by students.

LH: 原來，你一回學校就覺得自己老，哈哈，沒關係，你看，現在這一屋子的人裏，除了我，你是最年輕的了! 不過，你和這些中年人在一起倒不感覺feel out of place，真奇怪! 我可是渾身不自在! I feel so out of place!

Larry: I'm not used to seeing you acting so shy. You're usually so outgoing and friendly. Don't be afraid to show your true colors.

LH: Show my true colors? 給他們點顏色看看？!

Larry: (Chuckle) No! To show your true colors means to be how you truly are. You know, to just be your normal self.

LH: To show my true colors， 就是作我自己，本色流露。你剛纔說，我自自然然作自己，是個非常outgoing - 外向的人？

Larry: Sure! I'm always amazed by how easily you can make new friends at a party. When you are relaxed and your true colors are showing, you are very friendly - and fun!

LH: 呵呵，你誇得我真不好意思! 不過，和你的這些同事在一塊兒，我不知說些什麼好。我擔心，my true colors - 我的本色，會讓他們不喜歡。

Larry: Lihua, eventually you will be out in the work force, too. Maybe if you try interacting with these people now, you won't feel so out of place later after you get a real job. Just show your true colors and be your friendly self.

LH: 你說得對。我早晚要參加工作，所以現在就應該試着和上班族相處。我應該輕鬆地和他們聊天。

Larry: Right! Just follow my lead. I will introduce you to my colleague Annie over there. And when you get the chance, ask her something about her job - like how long she has been working here and what she does.

LH: 問問Annie在這個公司工作了多久，都幹些什麼。好! 沒問題!

Larry: See? I think you're feeling less out of place already.

LH: 是啊，我沒有剛纔那麼不自在了。我覺得，我已經開始放鬆，作自己了! I'm already showing my true colors!

Larry: Great. Let's go! Oh! One more thing. Don't ask her age, her income or how much she paid for her clothes. Oh, and don't ask if that's her real hair color, either.

LH: 啊？不能問年齡，收入，衣服的價錢，也不能問她有沒有染髮？這麼多地雷，我又開始覺得緊張了!

Larry: Just relax. You'll do fine! Just show your true colorsout any offensive questions.

今天李華學了兩個常用語，一個是out of place，意思是“格格不入，不自在”。另一個是show your true colors，意思是“流露本色，作自己”。