舌尖上的美國(71):地道的拒絕(下)
5. I can't handle it.
我應付不來.
這個handle跟afford的區別要分清楚, handle指的是事情上應付不來,而afford多半指金錢上無法負擔.像是你說"I took too many courses, I can't afford it." "You mean you can't handle it?"所以很明顯的, handle這個字和afford是不太一樣的.再舉一個例子,例如工作很多作不完,你就可以這麼說"There's too much workload here. I can't handle it."
6. I am really not in the mood.
我真的沒有什麼心情.
Mood解釋成心情,沒有心情你可以說成"I don't have the mood."或是"I am not in the mood."比如考試期間,別人還找你出去玩,你就可以這麼拒絕他, "I am sorry. I am really not in the mood."
7. There is nothing to talk about.
沒什麼好說的
當別人問你的問題你不想回答或懶得回答時就可以回答, "There is nothing to talk about."例如有人問你考試考幾分?你自己考得太差而不想講,就可以說, "There is nothing to talk about."另外一個類似的用法叫"No comment."就是說無可奉告的意思.
8. I really want to, but I got hundreds of things to do.
我想去,可是我有好多好多事情要做.
別人邀請你參加他們的活動,就算你不想去,也不要直接了當地說"No, I don't want to."這樣子別人下次可能就不會找你了.試著用這種比較好的說法.先說"I really want to" ,或是"I really love to",再來才接著說"but I got hundreds of things to do".這樣感覺上比較禮貌,也比較不會讓別人覺得沒面子.
9. I don't want to go and that's that.
我不想去,就是這樣.
That's that通常是接在否定句後,意思是,就這樣了,不必再多說了.這樣的語氣是很強烈的,通常聽的人可能會不太高興.有時電話推銷員很煩人你也可以跟他說"That's that."也許一開始你只是很客氣地說, "I am not interested."可是有些人就會不識相地一直說, "What do you want me to do to change your mind?"這時我就會不客氣地說, "I don't want it, and that's that."通常他就會知道你是真的煩了.
"That's that."這句話跟"That's it."不太一樣, "That's it."的意思是就這樣吧,就這些吧,在點餐時會用的到. That's that則是表示不想再跟對方談下去了,同樣的情況,你也可以這麼說, "The conversation is over."我想這個意思也很明顯了.
10. That's enough, anymore is just overkill.
那就夠了,再多一點也是多餘的.
Overkill這個字在美國的口語就是多餘的意思,它跟kill是一點關係也沒有.在字典上是查不到多餘這個意思的,只是口語中的習慣用法。像是吃東西時你問別人還要不要再吃,如果別人吃不下了他就可以說, "No, thanks. That's overkill."
