英语短语的真正含义 ⏲️ 6分钟英语：英语精读讲义

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com 的六分钟英语。

Hello,

大家好，

this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

这里是 BBC Learning English 的六分钟英语。

I'm Pippa.

我是皮帕 (Pippa)。

And I'm Beth.

我是贝丝 (Beth)。

In English,

在英语中，

what we say and what we mean 語法

我们说的话和我们表达的意思

are sometimes two very different things.

有时是截然不同的两码事。

We often use exaggeration for emphasis 短語搭配

我们经常使用夸张来强调

or for humour

或是为了幽默

something known as hyperbole. 用詞

这种修辞被称为夸张法 (hyperbole)。

For example, people say,

例如，人们会说，

I am so hungry I could eat a horse. 習語

我饿得能吃下一匹马。

But of course,

但毫无疑问，

no one really could.

没人真的能吃下。

Here's presenter Michael Rosen and linguist Derek Bousfield

接下来主持人迈克尔·罗森 (Michael Rosen) 和语言学家德里克·鲍斯菲尔德 (Derek Bousfield)

discussing one example of hyperbole

将讨论一个夸张的例子

on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth.

在 BBC 广播 4 台的《Word of Mouth》节目中。

People do say absolute nightmare. 短語搭配

人们确实会说“绝对是个噩梦”。

Yeah,

对的，

or as my daughters would say,

或者像我女儿会说的，

I've had a mare today. 用詞

我今天遇到了一场“mare”。

And when they say mare,

当她们说“mare”时，

which is obviously shortened from nightmare,

这显然是“nightmare”(噩梦) 的缩写，

what it basically means is they've had a

它基本上意味着她们经历了一次

a mild and potentially slightly humorous occurrence at work.

在工作中轻微且可能有点搞笑的插曲。

You might call an unpleasant or difficult experience a nightmare.

你可能会把不愉快或困难的经历称为一场噩梦。

Derek's daughter used the word mare,

德里克的女儿用“mare”这个词，

short for nightmare, 短語搭配

也就是噩梦的简称，

to describe her terrible day at work.

来形容她在工作中糟糕的一天。

But she was exaggerating.

但她其实是在夸张。

Her day wasn't really terrible,

她的一天并没有真的那么糟糕，

more like strange or annoying. 短語搭配

更像是遇到了奇怪或烦人的事。

Can you remember a time when 語法

你能想得起有什么时候

what you said wasn't really what you meant, Beth?

你说的和你想表达的并不一致吗，贝丝？

Well, sometimes

嗯，有时候

we say,

我们会说，

Hi, y'alright? 語氣意圖

嗨，你还好吗？

Which means,

这通常意味着，

Hi,

嗨，

are you alright?

你还好吗？

Like, are you OK?

也就是，你没事吧？

But actually,

但实际上，

we don't really want to hear the answer.

我们并不真的想听答案。

It just means hello,

它只是意味着你好，

doesn't it? 語法

不是吗？

Mm, yeah.

嗯，是的。

I have a friend who actually just says,

我有个朋友其实只说，

Alright?

还行？(Alright?)

And they just mean,

而他们真正的意思只是，

hello.

你好。

They don't mean,

他们的意思并不是，

are you OK?

你还好吗？

They don't want to hear about my day.

他们不想听我今天过得怎么样。

No.

不想。

If you're having a bad day,

如果你今天过得很糟，

they don't want to know.

他们不想知道。

They're just saying,

他们只是在说，

hello.

你好。

In this episode,

在本集节目中，

we'll be finding out more about 短語動詞

我们将进一步了解

how the meaning of words changes in English.

英语单词的意思是如何改变的。

As usual, 表達脈絡

像往常一样，

we'll be learning some useful new words and phrases.

我们将学习一些实用的新单词和短语。

And remember,

请记住，

you'll find all the vocabulary from this episode

你可以找到本集所有的词汇

on our website,

在我们的网站上，

bbclearningenglish.com.

即 bbclearningenglish.com。

But first, 表達脈絡

但首先，

I have a question for you, Beth.

我有个问题想问你，贝丝。

The word hyperbole comes from two ancient Greek words,

“hyperbole”(夸张) 这个词来自两个古希腊单词，

huper and ballo.

huper 和 ballo。

But what is their literal meaning? 用詞

但它们的字面意思是什么呢？

Is it A,

是 A，

to overthrow?

推翻？

B,

B，

to over speak?

过度言语？

Or C,

还是 C，

to overthink?

过度思考？

I have no idea, 短語搭配

我完全不知道，

Pippa.

皮帕。

I'm going to say, 語氣意圖

我猜是，

to over speak.

过度言语。

Okay,

好的，

we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.

我们将在节目的最后揭晓答案。

It's not just hyperbole 語法

不仅仅是夸张

that changes the meaning of words.

会改变单词的意思。

It's opposite,

它的反义词，

something called understatement,

也就是所谓的保守陈述 (understatement)，

has the same effect too.

也有着相同的效果。

Understatement involves de-emphasising something. 用詞

保守陈述涉及对某事的弱化处理。

For example,

例如，

imagine you were served an awful meal in a restaurant,

想象你在餐厅吃到了一顿极其糟糕的饭，

but instead of saying how bad the food was, 語法

但你没有说食物有多难吃，

you just said it was less than perfect. 習語

你只是说它“不够完美”。

Here's linguist Derek Bousfield discussing understatement

接下来是语言学家德里克·鲍斯菲尔德讨论保守陈述

on BBC Radio 4's Word of Mouth.

在 BBC 广播 4 台的《Word of Mouth》节目中。

We love understatement

我们喜欢用保守陈述

as a way of kind of signalling that something much more serious has gone on. 講解

作为一种暗示发生了一些严重得多的事情的方式。

And it's a kind of performative

而且这是一种表演性质的、

sardonic,

带点冷嘲热讽的、

not-taking-oneself-too-seriously

不太把自己当回事的

identity when you do that.

身份展现。

Because, you know,

因为，你也知道，

taking yourself too seriously 習語

太把自己当回事

is a no-no in British culture. 用詞

在英国文化中是个禁忌。

Yes.

是的。

And so linguistically

所以在语言上

not taking yourself too seriously

不太把自己当回事

is is really the done thing. 習語

确实是合乎礼仪的做法。

Understatement is valued in British culture,

保守陈述在英国文化中备受推崇，

unlike taking yourself too seriously.

不像太把自己当回事那样。

If you take yourself too seriously,

如果你太把自己当回事，

you think you're more important than you really are.

你会觉得你比实际上更重要。

In Britain,

在英国，

this is a no-no,

这是一个禁忌 (a no-no)，

a way of behaving that is not socially acceptable.

一种在社交上不被接受的行为方式。

In other words, 表達脈絡

换句话说，

it's not the done thing,

这不是“该做的事”(the done thing)，

meaning it's not what you're expected to do in a particular social situation.

意思是这不是你在特定社交场合下应该做的事。

Another area where the meaning of words can be easily misunderstood is apologising. 表達脈絡

另一个单词含义容易被误解的领域是道歉。

Here,

在这里，

Michael Rosen responds to an imaginary situation

迈克尔·罗森回应了一个想象的情境，

where his toe gets accidentally stepped on by Derek Bousfield 語法

即他的脚趾不小心被德里克·鲍斯菲尔德踩到了，

for BBC Radio 4 programme Word of Mouth.

是在 BBC 广播 4 台的《Word of Mouth》节目中。

Imagine

想象一下

I stepped on your toe

我踩到了你的脚趾

and I said,

然后我说，

Oh, Michael, I'm really sorry. 語氣意圖

噢，迈克尔，我真的很抱歉。

And you said,

然后你说，

It's all good. 語氣意圖

一切都好 (It's all good)。

Oh, right.

哦，好吧。

That probably means it isn't.

那多半意味着实际上并不好。

Yes,

是的，

I'm actually a bit miffed, 用詞

我其实有点生气 (miffed)，

a little bit annoyed.

有一点点恼火。

But then I don't want to have a barney with you. 用詞

但此时我不想和你吵架 (have a barney)。

You're a stranger.

你是个陌生人。

So,

所以，

I don't want to get into a whole thing. 習語

我不想把事情闹大。

So, I say,

所以我说，

yeah, it's all good.

是的，没关系。

It's all good.

一切都好。

Exactly.

确实如此。

It's a bit like,

这有点像，

yeah, I mean,

是的，我的意思是，

that's a British English one.

那是英式英语的说法。

And an equivalent American English one would be, 文化背景

而同等的美式英语说法会是，

no worries. 語氣意圖

别担心 (no worries)。

If someone tells you it's all good,

如果有人告诉你“一切都好”，

they could actually be feeling miffed,

他们可能实际上感觉有点生气 (miffed)，

an adjective meaning slightly annoyed or hurt by someone's behaviour.

这是一个形容词，意思是对某人的行为感到稍微恼火或受伤。

But no matter how annoyed you are, 語法

但无论你有多恼火，

you probably don't want to get into a barney,

你可能都不想陷入一场争吵 (barney)，

a loud argument or quarrel.

即大声的争辩或吵架。

So, you say something like,

所以，你会说一些类似

it's all good,

一切都好，

or no worries,

或者别担心之类的话，

and move on. 短語動詞

然后继续做别的事。

As an English learner,

作为英语学习者，

unclear word meanings are a challenge.

不明确的词义是个挑战。

A lot depends on the situation 短語搭配

很大程度上取决于具体情况

and on the relationship between speaker and listener.

以及说者与听者之间的关系。

So, don't be shy, 語氣意圖

所以，不要害羞，

get talking to others in English. 語法

去用英语和其他人交谈吧。

And if you make a mistake,

如果你犯了错，

say,

就说，

no worries,

别担心，

and carry on. 短語動詞

然后继续。

Okay, Pippa,

好了，皮帕，

I think it's time to reveal the answer to your question. 短語搭配

我觉得是时候揭晓你问题的答案了。

Yes,

是的，

you thought the ancient Greek words huper and ballo meant overspeak.

你认为古希腊单词 huper 和 ballo 意思是过度言语。

But the answer was actually A,

但答案实际上是 A，

to overthrow.

推翻。

Huper means beyond,

Huper 的意思是“超越”，

and ballo means I throw.

而 ballo 的意思是“我扔”。

Oh, well.

噢，好吧。

Okay,

好的，

let's recap the vocabulary we've learnt, 表達脈絡

让我们复习一下我们学过的词汇，

starting with mare, short for nightmare,

从 mare 开始，它是 nightmare (噩梦) 的缩写，

meaning an unpleasant or difficult experience.

意思是一段不愉快或困难的经历。

If you take yourself too seriously,

如果你太把自己当回事 (take yourself too seriously)，

you consider yourself and your actions more important than they really are.

你会认为你和你的行为比实际上更重要。

In Britain,

在英国，

this is a no-no,

这是一个禁忌 (a no-no)，

a way of behaving that is not socially acceptable.

一种在社交上不被接受的行为方式。

The done thing,

另一方面，该做的事 (the done thing)，

on the other hand, 表達脈絡

是指你在特定社交场合下被期望做的事。

is what you are expected to do in a particular social situation.

如果你感到 miffed，

If you're miffed,

说明你对某人的行为稍微感到恼火。

you're slightly annoyed by someone's behaviour.

最后，

And finally,

a barney 是指大声的争吵或口角。

a barney is a loud argument or quarrel.

再一次，

Once again,

我们的六分钟时间到了。

our six minutes are up. 短語搭配

但如果你渴望练习这些新单词和短语，

But if you're keen to practise these new words and phrases, 用詞

去查看我们的网站，

then check out our website, 短語動詞

bbclearningenglish.com，

bbclearningenglish.com,

在那里你会找到本集节目的练习表和测验。

where you'll find a worksheet and quiz for this episode.

很快再见，

See you again soon,

但现在，

but for now, 表達脈絡

再见啦。

goodbye.

再见。

Bye.

bbclearningenglish.com 的六分钟英语。

6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com.

bbclearningenglish.com 的六分钟英语。