The english we speak(BBC教學)第167期:To brush over 忽略
Li: Welcome to The English We Speak with me, Li…
莉：歡迎收聽地道英語節目，我是莉……Rob: (up a ladder) And me, Rob. Hello. Now, Li, would you just mind holding that ladder still please.
羅布：（在梯子上）還有我，羅布。大家好。莉，你介意幫我扶一下梯子嗎？Li: I'm trying... but Rob, what are you doing up a ladder anyway?
莉：我在努力……不過羅布，你到底在梯子上幹什麼？
Rob: I'm decorating!
羅布：我在裝飾！Li: Why?
莉：爲什麼要裝飾？Rob: Well this studio is really scruffy - you know, not that smart - so I thought I'd tidy it up and paint it, too.
羅布：這個演播室太破舊了，你知道，不那麼整齊，所以我想我要整理一下，然後刷漆。Li: Hmmm. I don't think it's a good idea.
莉：嗯。我認爲那並不是個好主意。Rob: Why?
羅布：爲什麼？Li: For a start, you haven't put any sheets down to stop the paint splashing on the carpet, ... and you need to move the chairs outside... you're wearing smart clothes, not ones for decorating in.
莉：首先，你沒有在下面放單子防止油漆濺到地毯上……而且你要把椅子移到外面……你現在還穿着漂亮的衣服，這可不適合裝修啊。Rob: Well, no, err, that's true. But shall we just brush over that?
羅布：哦，額，這倒是不錯。不過我們就不要去管那些了好嗎？Li: Brush over? You can't brush over those things–you'll get paint everywhere!
莉：用刷子刷？你不能刷那些東西，你會把油漆弄得到處都是的！Rob: No, Li! When you say you will 'brush over' something, it means you will ignore it or not take it that seriously.
羅布：不是，莉！當你說brush over的時候，意思是你要忽略某件事或是不去在意那件事情。Li: I see. So Rob, you're saying making the preparations for decorating is not important and you're going to ignore it?
莉：我明白了。所以羅布，你是說爲裝飾做準備並不重要，而你要忽略那些準備工作？Rob: Well... I'm in a rush.
羅布：嗯……我趕時間。Li: I see. Let's hear some examples, shall we?
莉：我明白了。我們來聽一些例句好嗎？My teacher's history lesson was fascinating, but he brushed over World War I and that was the bit I wanted to hear about most!
老師的歷史課講的很有趣，可是他忽略了第一次世界大戰，而那正是我最想聽的內容！We haven't sorted the figures for the meeting, but we'll brush over those and just talk about the future.
我們還沒有整理出會議所需的數據，不過我們會忽略那些數字，只談未來的事項。How old am I? Well, let's just brush over that and say I'm as old as I feel!
我多大了？嗯，我們就不要在意那個了，我像我感覺到的一樣老！Li: So, to 'brush over' something means to ignore something or miss it out. Rob, have you actually asked for permission to decorate this studio? It doesn't belong to you.
莉：brush over sth.意思是忽略某件事或是不去管那件事。羅布，裝飾這個演播室你得到許可了嗎？這個演播室可不屬於你。Rob: Well... err...
羅布：嗯……額……Li: Are you brushing over that, too?! Anyway, even if you did get permission, shouldn't you cover up the windows?
莉：你難道也忽略了那個嗎？不管怎麼說，即使你得到了允許，你難道不應該把窗戶遮上嗎？Rob: That's true, Li. But before I do any of that, there is something more important to do.
羅布：莉，這話不錯。不過在我做這些事情之前，有更重要的事情要做。Li: Oh yes?
莉：什麼啊？Rob: Buy some paintbrushes!
羅布：買一些油漆刷！Li: Ah yes, you can't brush over that!
莉：對，這個可不能忽略掉！Both: Bye.
二人一起：再見。
重點講解：
1. tidy up
收拾；整理；
eg. You'd better tidy up the room before the guests arrive.
在客人到來之前；你最好把房間收拾一下。
eg. When you move tomorrow, please tidy up your groceries .
明天搬家時請把你的雜物整理一下。
2. take sth. seriously
認真對待；把…看得很重要；
eg. But tablet designers have begun taking graphics seriously.
但平板電腦設計者也已開始在圖形處理上認真下功夫了。
eg. The financial markets took the threat seriously.
金融市場嚴肅對待了此次威脅。
3. in a rush
匆忙地；
eg. Rachel is always in a rush to get to work on time.
瑞秋總是匆匆忙忙地趕去上班。
sorry to have kept you waiting, but we're rather in a rush today.
很對不起，讓你久等了，不過我們今天真的是很忙。
4. miss out
遺漏；漏掉；沒把…包括在內；
eg. If that happens, many more would-be students will miss out.
如果這樣的話，更多將會成爲人才的學生將會被遺漏。
eg. Many modern humans miss out on this, as we spend our days in constructed environments.
但許多現代人卻忽略了這一點，因爲他們生活在建造的環境裏。
5. cover up
（用…）蓋在…上（以保護或隱藏）；
eg. We used a piece of fabric used to cover up a hole.
我們用塊布把那個洞蓋住了。
eg. She covered up the baby with a shawl.
她用披巾裹住嬰兒。
