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2025.10.26 15:57
第十叁部 第一课: a can of worms , cut one's losses
- Larry 和李华正在商量如何帮助他们的朋友 Jane，因為 Jane 在工作上碰到了困难。今天李华会学到两个常用语： a can of worms 和 cut one's losses。
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- I think that maybe we should just be supportive of Jane. It's been best not to open a can of worms by trying to give her advice.
- 我们当然应该支援 Jane 啊。你说我们不要什麼啊？ Open a can of worms? Worms 是虫子，这支持 Jane，给她提建议和一罐虫子有什麼关係啊？而且哪有什麼罐子里装虫子的啊？
- "To open a can of worms" means to do something that results in a complicated situation full of problems.
- 我说呢，open a can of worms 是个比喻，不是真的开一罐虫子。所以 To open a can of worms 就是指啊做了某件事会把问题弄得更复杂。可是，Larry， 我不懂耶！為什麼给 Jane 提些建议反而会造成更多问题呢？
- Well, if she follows your advice and it doesn't solve her problem, then she might blame you.
- 这倒也是耶！如果 Jane 听了我们的建议，可是问题解决不了，她可能会反过来怪我们。还有啊，我们也可能因為不了解情况给了她错误的建议啊！
- Right. There are so many things that could go wrong when you give people advice that I usually avoid opening that can of worms.
- 这是没错，给人提建议啊是很可能会出问题的，因為你毕竟不了解他的情况。可是，你也不能因為这样就避免给人提建议，不能因咽废食啊。给朋友出主意也是应该的嘛。对了，Larry, 你还不知道，那天在课堂上啊，我才真的是 opened the can of worms.
- What did you do?
- 我啊问教授為什麼不讨论第 13 章，结果你知道吗，教授啊要全班回家读第 13 章，而且星期一啊还要考试呢！
- I bet that everyone in your class is unhappy with you right now.
- 就是啊，现在啊全班同学呀一定在骂我。更惨的是，连教授也生我的气，因為啊这本来是他的疏忽，可是啊给我指明了。所以囉，我啊真的是招惹了更多的麻烦。
- Wow, that's a tough situation. You really did open a can of worms.
- 就是啊，所以我现在很后悔，早知道啊什麼都别说就好了。
- Unfortunately, sometimes keeping your mouth shut is the only way to avoid opening a can of worms.
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- Well, Jane decided to cut her losses and quit her job. She's going to start looking for a new job tomorrow.
- 真的啊？Jane 决定要辞掉那个工作啦？Larry，什麼是 cut her losses?
- To cut one's losses means to give up and withdraw from a losing situation.
- Cut one's losses 就是看到形势对自己不利，就决定改变方向，这样呢可以减少损失。所以 Jane 决定寧可辞职，也不要再浪费时间去解决工作上的问题。是这个意思吗？
- Exactly. She didn't see any way to improve her relationship with her co-workers, so she decided to cut her losses and leave.
- 嗯，要是啊根本就没有希望改善她和同事的关係，那还不如趁早离开，免得啊再继续受罪呢。
- Sometimes, there's nothing you can do to improve a situation. All you can do is cut your losses and try to find a better situation.
- 说的也是。人生啊有许多事情，真的是你再怎麼努力啊，也没办法改善的。像我啊有一位朋友，她呢是研究生化专业的博士生，可是啊她和她的指导教授啊关係很差喔。
- What happened?
- 她跟了那个教授叁年以后啊，决定不能再浪费时间了。所以她就决定 cut her losses，拿了个硕士学位就走人。博士学位啊也不要了。
- She gave up on her PhD?
- 她啊实在没别的选择，就只能放弃囉！
- ………………………………………………………………………………
- 今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是： to open a can of worms，意思是做了某件事会造成更多的问题。另一个常用语是： to cut one's losses，这是指及时从对自己不利的局面里面撤出来，以减少损失。
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