我们讲的英语第175期:Take it with a pinch of salt 半信半疑
Neil: Hello Helen. Thanks for inviting me here. It's a lovely cafe, isn't it?
尼尔:你好,海伦。谢谢你邀请我来这里。这家咖啡店真不错,对吧?
Helen: Yes, it is, Neil. Actually, I wanted to ask you a favour. I know you play the piano and I'd like you to teach me.
海伦:是啊,尼尔。实际上,我想请你帮个忙。我知道你会弹钢琴,我想让你教我弹钢琴。
Waitress: Here is your tea. Madam, sir...
服务员:这是你们点的茶。女士,先生……
Helen: Thank you. I'll pour it.
海伦:谢谢你。我来倒吧。
Neil: I'd be happy to teach you the piano. Are you buying one?
尼尔:我很乐意教你弹钢琴。你打算买钢琴吗?
Helen: No. Our colleague John is giving me one.
海伦:不。咱们的同事约翰会给我一架钢琴。
Neil: Giving you a piano?
尼尔:给你一架钢琴?
Helen: Yes. He said he's moving to Australia and will give me his piano. Sugar in your tea?
海伦:对。他说他要移民去澳大利亚,所以他会把他的钢琴给我。茶里要加糖吗?
Neil: I'd take that with a pinch of salt!
尼尔:我可不太相信。
Helen: Oh... OK.
海伦:哦……好吧。
Neil: What are you doing?!
尼尔:你在做什么?!
Helen: You said you would take that with a pinch of salt, so I am putting some in your tea.
海伦:你说你要加一点盐,所以我在为你的茶加盐啊。
Neil: No, I didn't mean put salt in my tea! I was talking about our colleague John. You need to take what John says with a pinch of salt.
尼尔:不, 我的意思并不是说在茶里加盐!我是在说我们的同事约翰。你不能完全相信约翰说的话。
Helen: I'm confused.
海伦:我很困惑。
Neil: In English, when we say 'take it with a pinch of salt', we mean don't believe in it completely because it might not be true.
尼尔:在英语中,我们用take it with a pinch of salt这个短语表示不完全相信某件事,因为那件事可能不是真的。
Helen: Oh. So, John's not going to give me his piano?
海伦:哦。所以,约翰不会给我他的钢琴了?
Neil: John's always planning to move abroad and promising things. I'm still waiting for a sofa he promised me last year. He said he was going to Peru!
尼尔:约翰一直在计划移民去外国,而且总是承诺很多事情。他去年就说要把沙发给我,我到现在还在等呢。当时他说他要去秘鲁!
Helen: Oh, I see.
海伦:哦,我明白了。
Neil: 'With a pinch of salt' is today's expression in The English We Speak. Here are some examples of how it's used.
尼尔:With a pinch of salt就是今天地道英语节目要讲的表达。下面是有关这个短语的例句。
When my cousin says he has absolutely no money, you have to take that with a pinch of salt. He's just mean.
我表哥说他一点钱都没有,你不能完全相信那句话。他非常吝啬。
I take everything Mary says with a pinch of salt. She tends to exaggerate things.
我对玛丽说的所有事情都半信半疑。她往往会把事情夸大。
Helen: Thank you for warning me, Neil. John is a good person but he can't make up his mind.
海伦:尼尔,谢谢你提醒我。约翰是个好人,可是他就是拿不定主意。
Neil: That's right. But if you ever want to learn to play the piano, I can teach you. I'm not very good at it but I can teach you what I know. And you don't need to take that with a pinch of salt.
尼尔:没错。不过如果你想学钢琴,我可以教你。虽然我弹得也不是很好,不过我可以把我知道的都教给你。你完全可以相信我的话。
Helen: Oh, you're such a sweetie!
海伦:哦,你真是太体贴了!
Neil: A sweetie who likes his tea with sugar rather than salt.
尼尔:一个喜欢在茶里放糖而不是盐的甜心。
Helen: I'm sorry about that!
海伦:我很抱歉!
Neil: Bye.
尼尔:再见。
Helen: Bye.
海伦:再见。
相关文章
- 我们讲的英语第275期:To fall at the first hurdle 倒在第一关
- 我们讲的英语第274期:Pain in the neck 令人讨厌的人或事
- 我们讲的英语第273期:Burn a hole in your pocket 花钱如流水
- 我们讲的英语第272期:To turn something upside down 把……翻个底朝天
- 我们讲的英语第271期:Going forward 从今以后
- 我们讲的英语第270期:A recipe for disaster 后患无穷
- 我们讲的英语第269期:Crash course 速成班
- 我们讲的英语第268期:You've sold it to me 你说服我了
- 我们讲的英语第267期:Full of the joys of spring 非常高兴
- 我们讲的英语第266期:A leopard can't change its spots 江山易改本性难移