VOA流行美語 Unit 187:let off steam和oops
這是一個星期五的晚上，Larry和李華兩人經過一個星期緊張學習後都很累，現在正在一起吃晚飯。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：let off steam和oops。
LL: Wow, it's nice to relax and let off some steam after a long week at work.
LH: 就是啊，放鬆一下，感覺真好！Larry，你說要let off steam？Steam是蒸氣，你還會放氣呀？
LL: No, not literally. To let off steam can mean to relax or it can mean to express pent-up feelings, usually of anger.
LH: 原來如此。To let off steam就是放鬆，也可以是發泄積壓在心裏的感情，通常是火氣。所以你是說一個星期緊張地學習和工作後放鬆一下，感覺很好。Larry，這個常用語跟steam， 蒸氣有什麼關係呢？
LL: It's a metaphor. One has to ease the pressure in a steam engine by releasing - or letting off - steam. Otherwise the engine might overheat and explode.
LH: 原來是從蒸汽機的原理來的。沒錯，蒸汽機如果不定時釋放一下的蒸氣，那就可能會爆炸。 Larry，如果你一直不放鬆的話，你該不會爆炸吧？
LL: No, I'm not going to explode. However, letting off steam is important to a person's mental health.
LH: 嗯，我同意，一個人如果沒有放鬆的機會，那對心理健康有很大影響。我通常就是用跑步運動來讓自己放鬆的。
LL: A lot of people exercise to let off steam. Other people prefer quiet activities like reading.
LH: 對，每個人疏解壓力的方法都不一樣。所以Larry，你是通過看書來讓自己放鬆的？
LL: I like to do exactly what we're doing now. I let off steam by relaxing and having a nice meal with a friend.
LH: 和朋友吃吃飯，聊聊天是挺放鬆的。可是如果你真的很生氣，非常生氣，那你怎麼發泄你的怒氣呢？
LL: Sometimes it helps to talk to someone. It's usually better to let off some steam before dealing with the issue directly.
LH: 那倒是，先跟別人談談。火氣很大的時候，最好別去處理那事。
******
LL: Oops! I forgot that I have to work on Sunday. That just ruins my whole weekend.
LH: Oops? 我常聽到人們這麼說，Larry，這是什麼意思啊？
LL: People usually say oops to acknowledge that they have made a mistake or have had a minor accident. I mistakenly thought I had the whole weekend off, when I actually have to work on Sunday. Oops.
LH: 原來oops就是發現自己犯了小錯誤或出了一點沒有意料的小插曲時說的，有點像中文裏的“哎呀，糟了”。所以你是說，你差點兒忘了星期天還得上班。還好現在是星期五，你要到星期一再想起來，那可真是糟了。恐怕說Oops都太晚了。
LL: That's true. Oops! I just dropped my fork on the floor.
LH: 叉子掉在地上不是什麼大事，叫服務員再拿個乾淨的就是啦。
LL: That's okay. There's an extra one on the next table. I'll just take that one.
LH: 拿那個桌上的叉子也行，反正哪兒沒人坐。Oh no, 這回輪到我要說oops了。我想起來了，今天晚上我該給我媽媽打電話了。
LL: You still have time. We should be finished here soon and you can go right home to call your mom.
LH: Oops! 吃完飯趕回家也沒用，我忘了買電話卡了。沒電話卡，我怎麼打電話呢？
LL: I have a calling card. You can use it to call your mom. I don't mind at all.
LH: 啊，幸好你有張電話卡，Larry，真是太謝謝你嘍！
今天李華學到兩個常用語。第一個是let off steam，是指發泄怒氣或其他情緒。另一個常用語是oops，這是一種語氣詞，通常是在當一個人犯了小錯誤時會說的。
