迷你對話學地道口語第898期:絕交信件

A: How about your stay in Japan? Were you having a good time?

你在日很過得如何？開心嗎？

B: Not really. I received a Dear John letter while in Japan.

一點也不開心，在日本的時候，我收到一份絕交信。

A: Didn’t you find anything which smells a rat?

你以前發現有什麼可疑的跡象嗎？

B: No, not at all. I fully trusted her. But she was only play the field.

一點也沒有，我完全信任她，可是她只是在玩弄感情。

Dear John letter

1. 解詞釋義

Dear John letter是指“絕交信”，是美式習語。John Bull是美國人稱呼英國人的一種方式。在美國人的眼中，英國人古板，愚蠢，無法打交道，並且兩國在歷史上還曾經是敵對國。於是，該習語便成了“絕交信”的代名詞。

2. 拓展範例

e.g. Reading between the lines, he knew it was a Dear John letter.

他從字裏行間看出這是一封絕交信。

e.g. Her Dear John letter finally caught up with me while I was awaiting discharge.

她的絕情書終於在我等候復員時送到我手中。

e.g. I received a dear John letter from my girl friend which broke my heart.

我收到女友來的絕交信，令我傷心欲絕。

e.g. Tom was very upset today, for he got a Dear John letter from his girlfriend.

湯姆今天特別沮喪，因爲他收到了女朋友的吹燈信。

1. have a good time：玩得開心，過得愉快

e.g. While we're waiting we can have a good time on this island.

咱們在島上等的時候可以玩個痛快。

e.g. I hope you will have a good time during your stay in China.

我希望你在中國逗留期間過得愉快。

2. not really：不完全是，不見得

e.g. He' s not really angry he' s just acting the stern father .

他倒不是真生氣--只是裝裝嚴父的樣子罷了。

e.g. The movies flatter him but he's not really that handsome.

電影使他顯得漂亮，但是他實際上沒有那麼英俊。

3. smell a rat：感到不妙，發現可疑之處

e.g. Didn't you smell a rat when they agreed to sell you the goods at such a price?

當他們同意把那批貨以那樣的價格賣給你的時候,難道你沒有感到有些可疑嗎?

e.g. If there is any substantial number of genuine agents there, the Abwehr will smell a rat.

如果真有幾個名符其實的間諜在這裏，德國情報機關就會感到可疑了。

e.g. Every time I saw her, my necklace disappeared, which made me begin to smell a rat.

每次看到她，我的項鍊都會消失，這使得我開始起疑心了。

4. not at all：一點也不，根本就沒

e.g. He was not at all nervous, for he knew what to expect.

他心裏有底，一點不慌。

e.g. She' s not at all a proper person for you to know.

她可不是正派人，你不應該結識她。

e.g. I' m not at all satisfied with the present situation.

我對現狀一點也不滿足。

e.g. The boy is not at all shy with them.

這孩子和他們在一起一點也不害羞。

5. play the field：濫交情人，對感情不專一，玩弄感情

e.g. He preferred play the field to go steady.

比起愛情專一來說，他更喜歡到處拈花惹草。

e.g. Mary will get in trouble one day if she goes on playing the field.

瑪麗如果繼續濫交情人的話，她終有一天會惹上是非的。