The Shop Around the Corner · 1940 — 第 1 / 19 章 · 2'57" · B2

清早到店同事互相打趣:make something out of nothing

清早的布达佩斯小店,伙计们一个接一个进门,有人抱怨跑腿、有人晒新皮草。有人一句 It doesn't hurt to be too early(早一点总没坏处),有人说自己鹅肝吃多了,同事立刻 make something out of nothing(没事找事)。想在闲聊里听懂弦外之音,这段很合适。

发生了什么

这是《街角的商店》开场:天刚亮,布达佩斯一家皮革店的伙计陆续到店。有人来得最早,被同事打趣 It's none of your business(不关你的事、少管闲事);有人给生病的儿子请了贵医生,只能说 I'd cut down on my cigars(少抽点雪茄、削减开支);有人炫耀新买的银狐皮草,说 I couldn't take my eyes off it(把目光移开、看不够)。最热闹的是有人提到和老板吃了顿饭,另一位却 make something out of nothing(无中生有、没事找事),把一句普通的「鹅肝吃多了」挑成话柄。想在办公室闲聊里听懂同事的玩笑和试探,这几组表达都能直接用上。

职场 · 同事闲聊社交 · 寒暄破冰调侃抱怨同事B2快速美音无脏话
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  • 听出夸张抱怨不是字面
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留意这几个短语

none of your businessmake something out of nothingcut down ontake my eyes off

00:00 / 02:57
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此刻
  1. ❝ 独白佩皮的跑腿抱怨4 句专题跟读 ↗
  2. ❝ 独白鹅肝辩护陈词8 句专题跟读 ↗
点一句台词就从那里放

本章短语

make something out of nothing

无中生有、没事找事to blow something trivial out of proportion

瓦达什在话里暗示克拉利克和老板夫人关系不一般,克拉利克当场警告他别把没事说成有事。

Don't make something out of nothing; nobody said a word about you.别无中生有了,根本没人说过你什么。

本章还有

  • none of your business

    不关你的事、少管闲事

  • cut down on

    减少、削减用量

  • take my eyes off

    把目光移开、看不够

本章全部批注

81 句台词里标了 35 处

短语 · A2be none of someone's business

不关你的事、少管闲事

- Always the first one, huh? - It's none of your business.
语法 · B1it doesn't hurt to be too early

形式主语 it 加不定式:句首的 it 是形式主语,真正的主语是后面的不定式短语。作者想说的是早到这件事没坏处,却把重心放在「没坏处」上,语气比直接说早到是好的更轻。这种结构在给建议、讲道理时很常见,能让批评听起来不那么直接。

And let me tell you, it doesn't hurt to be too early.
短语 · B1what ... for

为了什么、图什么

What for and why? Who sees you? Me.
短语 · B1what does it get someone

这能给我们带来什么好处

And who sees me? You. What does it get us?
语法 · B1give each other a raise

each other 表互相:each other 表示动作在两人之间互相发生,这里说的是一起做事的人能不能互相给对方涨工钱,答案显然是不能。它把双向关系压进一个短语,比重复两个名字简洁。注意它只用于两者之间,三者以上要换另一种互相的说法。

Can we give each other a raise? No.
短语 · A2be not supposed to do something

按理不该、不许

You're not supposed to take it at home.
语法 · B1not supposed to take it

be supposed to 表本分:be supposed to 说的是按本分、按规矩该做的事。这里用否定式,表示把车带回家不合规矩,是提醒而不是命令。supposed to 后面接动词原形,主语是人时最常用来表达「按理不该」,它比强硬的禁止说法软,像在转述规矩,留了余地。

You're not supposed to take it at home.
短语 · A2better not do something

最好别让……

Better not let Mr. Matuschek see it.
短语 · A2why don't you do something

你何不告诉他呢

Why don't you tell him? It's alright with me.
短语 · A2be alright with someone

我没意见、我无所谓

Why don't you tell him? It's alright with me.
短语 · B2run one's legs off

跑断了腿、累得够呛

Running my legs off for Mrs. Matuschek.
发音legs off

legs off 连读时 legs 末尾的浊音直接滑到 off 上,听起来像 leg-zoff,中间没有停顿。

Running my legs off for Mrs. Matuschek.
短语 · B1pick up something

去取个包裹

And when I come back, "Oh, Pepi, will you please pick up a package at the drugstore?"
短语 · B1what can you do

又能怎么办呢

Well, what can you do?
短语 · B1cut down on something

减少、少抽点

I figured I'd cut down on my cigars for a few weeks.
发音must have

have 跟在 must 后常弱化为 /əv/,只剩一个轻 /v/,连成 /ˈmʌstəv/;重音稳稳落在 must,后面的词顺势轻收。

It must have been pretty expensive.
语法 · B1before I bought it

before 引导时间状语从句:before 在这里引出买下它之前的时间,从句用一般过去时,交代犹豫了多久。它把先后顺序说清楚:先犹豫了好一阵,才有掏钱这个动作。日常叙事里常用它交代一件事发生前铺垫了多长时间,比单独说时间副词更自然。

Oh, it was. I hesitated a long time before I bought it.
短语 · B2can't take one's eyes off something

舍不得把目光移开

And still, I couldn't take my eyes off it.
短语 · B2have no right to do something

没有资格、没权利

And then I said, "No, I have no right to--" And then he said, "Oh, go on and take it."
俚语 · A2Shut up

闭嘴、别说了——shut up 是直白的命令,语气冲,带嫌弃。熟人斗嘴或吵架时用得多;对上司、客人、长辈说非常失礼,正式场合要改成请求安静的说法。

- Oh, trying to be clever! - Shut up.
短语 · B1half as much as someone

只有你的一半那么多

I bet I haven't slept half as much as you.
语法 · B2half as much as you

as ... as 比较结构:as much as 表示和某一方一样多,前面加 half 就是只有对方的一半。整句用一个比较把两个人睡觉时间的长短摆在一起,带点自嘲。比较结构中间放形容词或副词,前后被比的两方用同样的成分,这是它最标准的用法。

I bet I haven't slept half as much as you.
短语 · B1to tell you the truth

说实话

Friends, Romans, countrymen to tell you the truth, I, uh..
短语 · A2have dinner with someone

和某人共进晚餐

Mr. Kralik had dinner with the boss last night.
短语 · A2enjoy oneself

玩得开心、过得好

Well, it was a very nice evening, and I enjoyed myself.
短语 · B1how could someone know

我怎么会知道呢

Well, how could I know that?
短语 · B2make something out of nothing

无中生有、没事找事

瓦达什在话里暗示克拉利克和老板夫人关系不一般,克拉利克当场警告他别把没事说成有事。

And don't you try to make something out of nothing.
短语 · A2what do you think of something

你觉得怎么样

Yes, I was. What do you think of that?
短语 · B1keep still

一声不吭、保持不动

I just kept still and tried to learn something.
短语 · B1a little too much something

有点过量、略多了一点

I had a little too much goose liver last night.
发音little

little 在美式口语里两个 t 变成闪音,听起来像 liddle,重音在前,尾音轻轻带过。

I had a little too much goose liver last night.
短语 · B1look here

我说、你听着

Now, look here, Vadas. Now, just a minute.
短语 · A2just a minute

等一下

Now, look here, Vadas. Now, just a minute.
发音just a

just a 连读时 just 末尾的 t 音轻轻带过,接到 a 上,听起来像 jus-ta。

Now, look here, Vadas. Now, just a minute.
短语 · B2not one word more

一个字都不多说

Not one word more, and not one less.

看懂「清早到店同事互相打趣」

这一章能学到

  • 学会用 give someone a raise 表达加薪
  • 听懂 running my legs off 的夸张抱怨
  • 掌握 cut down on 的“减少”用法
  • 分清语境中的讽刺提问和真实问题

发音重点

  • legs off — legs off 连读时 legs 末尾的浊音直接滑到 off 上,听起来像 leg-zoff,中间没有停顿。
  • must have — have 跟在 must 后常弱化为 /əv/,只剩一个轻 /v/,连成 /ˈmʌstəv/;重音稳稳落在 must,后面的词顺势轻收。
  • little — little 在美式口语里两个 t 变成闪音,听起来像 liddle,重音在前,尾音轻轻带过。
  • just a — just a 连读时 just 末尾的 t 音轻轻带过,接到 a 上,听起来像 jus-ta。
And let me tell you, it doesn't hurt to be too early.

我跟你说,早到一点总没坏处。 把一件没人看见的笨功夫说得理直气壮:早起不图什么,只图自己心里踏实。它不辩解、不邀功,是老实人给自己立的规矩,放在任何认真做事的场合都站得住。

I just kept still and tried to learn something.

我只是安安静静坐着,尽量学点东西。 面对满桌人的打趣,不还嘴也不炫耀,只说自己安静待着、偷偷长本事。这句话把谦逊和进取放在一起,是那种不声张却一直往前走的人的口气。

Not one word more, and not one less.

不多一个字,也不少一个字。 用最对称的说法划清边界:我原话就是这样,别替我添料。短、硬、好记,反驳被曲解或被加戏时,一句就能把话钉死,放在争论里特别有分量。

Well, what can you do?

唉,那还能怎么办呢? 一句听起来是认命的话,其实是在替所有没办法的人叹气。它不解决问题,只承认处境,正因如此特别能接住普通人的无奈,换到工作、生活里都用得上。

关于这一章的问题

none of your business 是什么意思?

意思是「不关你的事、少管闲事」。同事追问你私事、或有人多嘴时,可以回一句 It's none of your business,语气比较冲,熟人和朋友之间用才自然。

「没事找事、无中生有」英语怎么说?

可以说 make something out of nothing,指把本来没有的事说成大事。比如你只是随口说鹅肝吃多了,对方却当成把柄,就可以回一句 Don't make something out of nothing。

cut down on 怎么用?

cut down on 是「减少、削减」某样东西的用量,后面接名词。想减少烟酒、甜食、开支都能用,比直接说 stop 更温和,强调「少一点」而不是完全不做。

take my eyes off 是什么意思?

字面是「把眼睛移开」,常和 can't 连用,表示「看不够、挪不开眼」。看到喜欢的东西或人时用 I can't take my eyes off it,比说 I like it 更有画面感。

同事为什么老提「和老板吃饭」?

店里的人把和老板吃饭当成接近上层的信号,一早就追着问吃了什么、有没有升成合伙人。这既是办公室里的调侃,也埋下后面人物关系的伏笔。

街角的商店 · 共 19 章

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