VOA流行美語 Unit 359:從好的方面講&明擺着的事
Larry和李華在公園裏散步，今天我們要學兩個常用語： on the bright side和no-brainer.
LH: Larry, 週末在公園裏走走，真舒服啊!
L: Normally I would agree with you Lihua, but when it's 100 degrees out like it is today, I might prefer my air-conditioned apartment.
LH: 天是夠熱的。不過你知足吧，起碼今天公園裏人不多，難得這麼清靜!
L: That's true. It may be hot, but if we look on the bright side, the park isn't crowded at all.
LH: Look on the bright side? 這是什麼意思？
L: Lihua, when you look on the bright side, you try to see something good in a bad situation.
LH: 哦，on the bright side就是從好的方面講。你是說，雖然今天天氣很熱，但是從好的方面看，正因爲天熱，人們都不願意出來，所以公園裏纔會這麼清靜。
L: Right! Here is another example. There is supposed to be a big rain storm later today, but looking on the bright side, that will help cool down the weather.
LH:哦，今天晚上可能會下大雨，可是從好的方面看，這可以讓氣溫降下來，天氣能涼快些!
L: You got it!
LH: 對了，Larry，天這麼熱，你幹嘛穿長衣長褲啊？
L: Yeah, I am pretty hot in these clothes. But on the bright side, I won't get a sunburn.
LH: 老土! 你不知道世界上有種東西叫防曬霜麼？
L: Very funny. Yes I do, but on the bright side, I can save a little money by wearing long clothes instead.
LH: 可是Larry, 你們美國人不是喜歡把皮膚曬得黑黑的麼？你幹嘛要把自己捂起來呢？
L: Yes, lots of Americans like to get a tan in the summer, but there is a really big downside: skin cancer.
LH: A downside?
L: That's right. If you want to point out something bad about a situation, you can tell people to consider the downside.
LH: 明白了，downside就是“缺點”，不好的方面。和the bright side正好相反。Larry，你看那隻小狗，正在和主人玩兒接飛盤的遊戲，真好玩兒！我真希望自己也有條小狗！
L: Yeah, dogs are a lot of fun, but there is a big downside: you have to spend lots of time and money taking care of them.
LH: 那倒是，那養只貓咪怎麼樣？
L: Well, I don't think cats are as much fun to play with as dogs. But on the bright side, they are much more independent.
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LH: Larry, 我們今天除了散步還要乾點什麼呢？玩兒扔飛盤怎麼樣？
L: Lihua, if I do any running around in the sun today, you're going to have to take me to the hospital with heat stroke.
LH: 這倒也是。這麼大熱的天，我們還是不要跑跑跳跳的了。
L: Yeah, that's a no-brainer.
LH: A no-brainer? 什麼意思啊？
L: When you think something is really obvious, you can say that it's a no-brainer.
LH: 哦，no-brainer就是不用動腦子就知道的事，也就是明擺着的事情。你是說，天氣這麼熱，明擺着，咱們不能跑跑跳跳。
L: Exactly! Here is another example. Some people don't like to buckle their seatbelt in the car, but to me, that's a no brainer.
LH: 是啊，坐車系安全帶，這是一定要的啊。就跟在戶外要防曬一樣。沒什麼可說的。
L: Yeah, you would have to be really stupid to risk getting skin cancer.
LH: 哎， Larry, 看樣子馬上就會下雨了，咱們趕快走吧，省得挨澆。
L: Of course, Lihua, that's a no-brainer. We definitely wouldn't want to stay outside in a thunderstorm!
今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是on the bright side 表示“從好的方面講”。另一是no-brainer, 意思是“明擺着的事情”。
