迷你對話學地道口語第257期:忍心做某事
迷你對話：
A: What did you say when she told you the news?
當她告訴你這個消息時，你說什麼？
B: I clammed up. And finally, I asked her to chew the cud for such an important decision. I could not have the heart to disappoint her with a blunt refusal.
我沒說話，最後，我叫她仔細考慮這個重要的決定。我不忍心直接拒絕她，讓她失望。
A: But I put my foot down and insisted on her forgetting that.
但是我堅決反對她，堅持要她忘了那件事情。
B: How could have the heart to do that? She needs warmth and help.
你怎麼忍心這樣做呢？她需要關心和幫助。
地道表達：
have the heart to do something
解詞釋義：
not have the heart to do something的本義是“沒有勇氣去做某事”，現在多用來表示“不忍心去做某事”。此語的肯定式是have the heart to do something（忍心做某事）。
支持範例：
She didn't have the heart to break the bad news to her daughter.
她不忍心把這個壞消息告訴她的女兒。
I didn't have the heart to tell my daughter we couldn't keep the puppy.
我不忍心告訴女兒我們不能收留那隻小狗。
I did not have the heart to refuse the child's request.
我不忍心拒絕孩子的要求。
I'm serious. How can you have the heart to laugh at me?
我跟你說正經話，你倒笑我，真沒有良心。
詞海拾貝：
1. clam up
講解：If someone clams up, they stop talking, often because they are shy or to avoid giving away secrets. 翻譯成中文爲： (常因害羞或避免說漏嘴)不再開口，閉口不言。
例句：As soon as I told her my name, she clammed up.
我告訴她我的名字後，她就什麼也不說了。
You should not clam up on him.
你不應該拒絕跟他談話。
Whenever John walked by, Mary got so nervous she would just clam up.
每當約翰走過時，瑪麗總是緊張得說不出話來。
The secret for successful marriage is to clam up during a disagreement.
成功婚姻的祕訣,就是當雙方意見不合時，閉上嘴巴。
2. chew the cud：反芻，深思
Eg. After retirement, he has enough time to chew the cud of his past.
退休以後, 他有足夠的時間來回想回想過去。
Eg. We needed a few more meetings to chew the cud on some tough decisions.
我們需要再召開一些會議，深思一些艱難的決定。
Eg. I will no longer chew the cud of misfortune that fate ekes out to us.
我將不再反覆地思考命運給我們的不幸。
Eg. I chewed the cud for a couple of days before deciding to refuse your offer.
我反覆思考了二三天後才決定拒絕你的提議。
3. with a refusal：以拒絕的方式
Eg. My plan met with a refusal.
我的計劃遭到拒絕。
4. put one’s foot down：堅決反對
Eg. The boy wanted to quit school, but his father put his foot down.
男孩想退學但他的父親堅決反對。
Eg. John didn't want to practice his piano lesson, but Mother put her foot down.
約翰不想練鋼琴，但母親堅持要他練。
Eg. The father didn't like his son staying out at night, so he put his foot down and forbade him to do it again.
父親不喜歡兒子在外夜宿不歸，所以他斬釘截鐵地禁止他再那樣做。
4. insist on：堅持，堅決要求
Eg. If you insist on leaving now , please go ahead.
你一定要走, 那就請便吧。
Eg. The tourists insist on keeping to their plan.
旅行者堅持按旅行計劃行事。
Eg. I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.
我一定要你給我一個直截了當的回答。
Eg. We must insist on strict compliance with the regulations.
我們必須堅持不違反規定。
