The english we speak(BBC教學)第100期:To let the cat out of the bag 泄露祕密
Cat: Miaoooowwwwww!
貓：喵！喵！喵！Will: Hello, I'm William.
威爾：大家好，我是威廉。Graciela: And I'm Graciela. Will, I hope you've brought that poor cat for a very good reason. It's terrified!
格雷西拉：我是格雷西拉。威爾，我希望你把那隻可憐的貓帶來是有充分理由的。它嚇壞了。
Will: Well I wanted to explain an English phrase. And I brought Whiskers to help.
威爾：我想講解一個英語短語。所以我帶威斯克斯來幫忙。Cat: Miaow.
貓：喵。Graciela: Well he's not very happy about being stuffed into that bag. You'd better hurry up and explain your phrase.
格雷西拉：看來它對被放在那個口袋裏感到不太高興。你最好趕緊講解今天的短語吧。Will: Okay, okay. So, right. I'm going to tell you a very big secret.
威爾：好，好的。好的。我要告訴大家一個天大的祕密。Graciela: Oh?
格雷西拉：哦？Cat: Miaow?
貓：喵？Will: But you must promise never to let the cat out of the bag!
威爾：但是你必須保證絕對不會泄露祕密！Graciela: No, we must let him out, he is unhappy, Will.
格雷西拉：不，威爾，我們必須讓那隻貓從袋子裏出來，它很不高興。Cat: Miaow!
貓：喵！Will: No, no. I mean in English, when we say 'you mustn't let the cat out of the bag', it means that something is a secret and that you mustn't tell anyone.
威爾：哦，不。我的意思是，在英語中，當我們說you mustn't let the cat out of the bag時，意思是說某件事是祕密，而你絕對不能告訴任何人。Graciela: Ah, so it doesn't literally mean there is a cat in a bag. It just means that there's a secret that must be kept.
格雷西拉：啊，所以那並不是按字面理解的有隻貓在袋子裏的意思。這個短語的意思是有個祕密，而你必須要保守這個祕密。Cat: Miaow.
貓：喵。Will: Exactly. And I brought Whiskers in just to help you remember the expression. If you let the cat out of the bag, it means that you reveal a secret. Listen to some examples.
威爾：沒錯。我把威斯克斯帶過來只是爲了幫助你記憶這個表達方式。如果你讓貓從袋子裏出來，意思就是你泄露了一個祕密。來聽一些例子。We need to keep this quiet! If anyone lets the cat out of the bag there'll be trouble!
我們需要對這件事保密！如果有人泄露了祕密會招來麻煩的！We were going to have a surprise birthday for dad, but my silly brother let the cat out of the bag the day before.
我們要給爸爸的生日製造驚喜，但是我傻乎乎的弟弟在爸爸生日前一天說漏嘴了。Well the cat's out of the bag now. Everyone knows Amy will be given the lead role.
現在祕密已經泄露了。所有人都知道艾米會出演主角了。Graciela: Okay I get it.
格雷西拉：好的，我明白了。Cat: Miaow.
貓：喵。Graciela: But I'm not at all interested in secrets until we get this real cat out of this real bag. I'm going to let it out!
格雷西拉：但是在你把這隻貓從這個袋子裏放出來以前，我對你的祕密一點兒也不感興趣。我現在就要把它放出來！Cat: Miaoooowwwwww!
貓：喵！喵！喵！Graciela: Owwwwww!
格雷西拉：哦！Will: I actually meant it when I said don't let the cat out of the bag. Whiskers is a bit crazy.
威爾：其實我的意思就是不要讓這隻貓從袋子裏出來。威斯克斯有點瘋狂。Graciela: Your cat is berserk, get him off me!
格雷西拉：你的貓發狂了，把它從我身上拿走！Cat: Miaooowww!
貓：喵！喵！Will: Well, now you'll remember not to let the cat out of the bag next time!
威爾：現在你記住下次不要再把貓從袋子裏拿出來了吧！重點講解：
1. be happy about
（對情況或安排）滿意的，放心的；
eg. If you are not happy about a repair, go back and complain.
如果你對修理效果不滿意，可以再找他們投訴。
eg. I don't think that's anything for you to be happy about.
我也不覺得你有什麼可值得高興的。
2. hurry up
趕緊；趕快；
eg. We are pressed for time; we must hurry up.
我們時間緊迫，必須加緊。
eg. Ring them and tell them to hurry up.
給他們打電話告訴他們快點。
3. let the cat out of the bag
（無意中）泄露祕密；說漏嘴；
eg. I wanted Mom's present to be a secret, but my brother let the cat out of the bag.
給媽媽的禮物我本來想保密的，但弟弟露了馬腳。
eg. Whatever you do, just don't let the cat out of the bag!
不管你幹什麼，只是不要泄露祕密！
4. keep sth. quiet
將…保密；保守…的祕密；
eg. I think I found it easier than Nell to keep our engagement quiet.
我覺得，我比內爾更容易守得住我們訂婚的祕密。
eg. We were hoping to keep it quiet for a while.
我們本來還希望能保密一段時間的。
5. be interested in
感興趣的；有興趣的；關心的；
eg. he inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.
視察員對有關學校的一切都感興趣。
eg. I am not interested in such trifles at all.
我根本不理會這些小事。
