BBC地道英语:Sheepish 局促不安，难为情

Neil: Hi, I'm Neil and this is Helen!

Helen: Hello.

Neil: What's wrong Helen? You're looking rather sheepish.

Helen: Sheepish? 像只羊？我的毛衣是羊毛的。

Neil: I don't mean you look like a sheep. I mean you look sheepish, which is quite different!

Helen: 当然了，looking like a sheep 和 looking sheepish 是完全不同的两件事儿！

Why is Helen looking sheepish today?

Neil: Yes. If I say you look like a sheep, it means, well, you look like a sheep. But if I say you look sheepish, it means you look embarrassed or ashamed about something.

Helen: To look sheepish 意思是看起来难为情，局促不安，好像做了什么亏心事一样。

Neil: Yes!

Helen: Ah, yes.

Neil: Listen to some examples:

Neil: So, come on, why are you looking sheepish today?

Helen: Ah, well...

Neil: Yes?

Helen: Well, 你还记得你借我的那本书？

Neil: My favourite book of all time – the original edition of The Private Lives of the Greatest Cats in History?

Helen: Yes.

Neil: OK Helen, now you're looking very sheepish indeed, so you'd better hurry up and tell me what happened to it.

Helen: 我不小心掉了。

Neil: You dropped it? Well I hope it's not damaged, otherwise I'll have to -

Helen: ...掉在河里了。

Neil: In the river! You dropped it in the river!

Helen: 我不是故意的。

Neil: Oh no!

Helen: 非常抱歉。I'm so sorry! That's why I'm looking sheepish.

Neil: You should be looking even more sheepish than that. In fact, I expect you to look sheepish for several days. It was the best book in the world! 'Sheepish' doesn't do it justice...