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2025.10.26 15:57
第十叁部 第七课: let off steam , oops
- 这是一个星期五的晚上，Larry 和李华两个人经过一个星期紧张学习以后都很累，现在正在一起吃晚饭。今天李华会学到两个常用语： let off steam 和 oops。
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- Wow, it's nice to relax and let off some steam after a long week at work.
- 就是啊，放鬆一下，感觉真好！ Larry，你说要 let off steam？ Steam 是蒸气，啊？你还会放气呀？
- No, not literally. To let off steam can mean to relax or it can mean to express pent-up feelings, usually of anger.
- 原来如此。To let off steam 就是放鬆，也可以是发洩积压在心里的感情，通常啊是指火气。所以你是在说一个星期紧张地学习和工作以后啊，放鬆一下，感觉很好。 Larry，这个常用语跟 steam， 蒸气有什麼关係啊？
- It's a metaphor. One has to ease the pressure in a steam engine by releasing - or letting off - steam. Otherwise the engine might overheat and explode.
- 原来是从蒸汽机的原理来的。没错，蒸汽机如果不定时释放一下蒸气，那就有可能会爆炸。 Larry，如果你一直不放鬆的话，你该不会爆炸吧？
- No, I'm not going to explode. However, letting off steam is important to a person's mental health.
- 嗯，我同意，一个人啊如果没有放鬆的机会，那对心理健康有很大影响耶。我啊通常就是用跑步运动来让自己放鬆。
- A lot of people exercise to let off steam. Other people prefer quiet activities like reading.
- 对，每个人啊疏解压力的方法都不一样。所以 Larry，你是通过看书来让自己放鬆的啊？
- I like to do exactly what we're doing now. I let off steam by relaxing and having a nice meal with a friend.
- 和朋友吃吃饭，聊聊天是挺放鬆的。可是如果你真的很生气，非常生气，那你怎麼发洩你的怒气呢？
- Sometimes it helps to talk to someone. It's usually better to let off some steam before dealing with the issue directly.
- 那倒是，先跟别人谈一谈。火气很大的时候啊，最好还是别去处理那事儿。
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- Oops! I forgot that I have to work on Sunday. That just ruins my whole weekend.
- Oops? 我常听到人们这麼说耶， Larry，那是什麼意思啊？
- People usually say oops to acknowledge that they have made a mistake or have had a minor accident. I mistakenly thought I had the whole weekend off, when I actually have to work on Sunday. Oops.
- 原来 oops 就是发现自己犯了个小错误或者出了一点没有意料到的小插曲的时候说的，就好像中文里啊 “哎呀，糟了”。所以你是说，你差点忘了你星期天还得上班。哎，还好，现在只是星期五，你啊要是到星期一才想起来，那可真是糟了。恐怕到时候说 Oops 都太晚囉。
- That's true. Oops! I just dropped my fork on the floor.
- 叉子掉在地上不是什麼大事儿，叫服务员再拿个乾净的就好啦。
- That's okay. There's an extra one on the next table. I'll just take that one.
- 拿那个桌子的叉子也行，反正啊哪儿没人坐。 Oh no，这回轮到我要说 oops 了。我想起来了，今天晚上我该给我妈打电话耶。
- You still have time. We should be finished here soon and you can go right home to call your mom.
- Oops! 吃完饭赶回家也没用啊，我忘了买电话卡了。没有电话卡，我怎麼打电话呢？
- I have a calling card. You can use it to call your mom. I don't mind at all.
- 啊～，幸好你有张电话卡，Larry，真是太谢谢你囉！
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- 今天李华学到了两个常用语。第一个是： let off steam，这是指发洩怒气或者是其他情绪。另外一个常用语是： oops，这是一种语气词，通常是一个人犯了一些小错误的时候说的。
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