求之不得的延誤

人生不如意十有八九，誰知道倒霉事又會何時冒出來。不過，有時候“塞翁失馬焉知非福”，倒霉關頭可能就是讓你化腐朽為神奇之時。

Chris: How was business class?

Jane: OK， ①you can drop the sarcasm. Are you still not over it? You need to learn how to let things go.

Chris: No， I’m being serious. How was it up there?

Jane: Really? You actually wanna know? Well， to be honest， ②it wasn’t all it’s hyped up to be. I mean， sure， the seats were comfy and there was so much leg room. Not to mention we had an unlimited flow of champagne and an endless supply of the latest movies. Sorry， ③am I just rubbing salt in the wounds?

Chris: No， not at all. In fact， I think it was an absolute blessing that you got moved to business class. I met the most amazing woman.

Jane: Who?

Chris: She was in the seat next to me. Christine. You will love her， Jane. She’s so funny. And so well educated. We talked 1)flat-out the whole flight. Well， we did have a nap for a couple of hours. Then we watched the movie together. We pretty much know each other’s life stories now.

Jane: What? Where is she? ④Are you pulling

my leg?

Chris: She’s just gone to collect her bags. She’s staying here over night. I’m going to meet up with her in the bar later. We’ve got two hours to kill until our connecting flight， right?

Jane: Well， about that. I just checked the flight schedule. Now， before you say anything or

2)over-react， just remember it’s been a long flight for everyone， ⑤and we are all in the same boat. We’re all tired and just want to go home. But， our flight has sort of， kind of， maybe…been delayed.

Chris: A delay? Oh that’s no big deal.

Jane: Excuse me?

Chris: Come on， Jane. There are bigger problems in the world than a plane being delayed a few hours.

Jane: (Pause) Gosh， what happened to you on that flight? I hardly recognize you. This isn’t the Chris

I know.

Chris: Looks like we are staying over night.

Jane: Yeah. It leaves in the morning. I was afraid to tell you. I thought you’d hit the roof.

Chris: Not at all. In fact， I might go and see some of the city with Christine. She was telling me about some of the sights here in Malaysia. You can join us if you want， ⑥but I wouldn’t want you to feel like a third wheel.

Jane: You mean you aren’t bothered about the delay?

Chris: I think a delay is exactly what I need.

克里斯：商務艙感覺如何？

簡：還不賴，你不要再冷嘲熱諷了。你還沒發完牢騷啊？你需要學會放開點。

克里斯：不，我是認真的。那兒怎

么樣？

簡：真的嗎？你真想知道？說實話，并沒有那么值得讓人興奮。我是說，那座位確實很舒服，而且腿的伸展空間超大。更不用說有可以無限續杯的香檳酒和看不完的最新電影。不好意思，我剛剛是不是在你的傷口上撒了把鹽？

克里斯：沒有，沒事。實際上，我認為你去了商務艙對我來說絕對是種福氣。我認識了一位了不起的女士。

簡：誰啊？

克里斯：她坐我旁邊，叫克里斯汀。你會喜歡她的，簡。她很風趣，而且受過良好的教育。我們在整個飛行過程中一直在談話。哦，我們小睡了幾小時，然后一起看電影。現在我們對對方的生活情況都了解得差不多了。

簡：什么？她在哪兒？你在逗我玩吧？

克里斯：她去拿行李了。她要在這兒過一晚。等一下我打算在酒吧跟她見面。離我們轉機還有兩個小時可以消磨，對嗎？

簡：喔，應該是吧。我剛剛看了航班時刻表。現在，在你說話或做出任何過度反應之前，記住對每個人來說，這都是一次長途飛行，而且我們所有人的處境都一樣。我們都很疲勞，都想回家。可是，我們的航班似乎，好像，也許……延誤了。

克里斯：延誤？噢，那沒什么大不了的。

簡：我沒聽錯吧？

克里斯：別這樣，簡。在這個世界上，有比航班延誤幾小時更嚴重的問題。

簡：（停頓了一下）天啊，在飛機上發生什么事啦？我幾乎認不得你了。這不是我認識的克里斯。

克里斯：似乎我們得留宿一晚了。

簡：對。早上才會離開。恐怕我得這么跟你說。我還認為你會氣瘋了呢。

克里斯：沒這回事。實際上，我還可以跟克里斯汀一起去看看這座城市的某些地方。她跟我提過馬來西亞這里的一些風景名勝。如果你愿意，你可以加入我們，不過我可不想讓你覺得自己像個電燈泡。

簡：你的意思是對于航班延誤你不嫌煩？

克里斯：我覺得，我需要的恰恰就是一次航班延誤。

Smart Sentences

① You can drop the sarcasm. 你不要再冷嘲熱諷了。

drop the sarcasm: used to tell the other not to be sarcastic（不要冷嘲熱諷）。例如：

—Nice dress.

裙子不錯啊。

—Drop the sarcasm. You know only my mom would love it.

別說反話，你也知道只有我媽才會喜歡它。

② It wasn’t all it’s hyped up to be. 并沒有那么值得讓人興奮。

hype up: get over excited， out of control（異常興奮，失去控制）。例如：

Evan got very hyped up about going abroad for the first time.

艾文對第一次出國非常興奮。

not all it’s hyped up to be: sth. isn’t worth the excitement（不值得興奮）。例如：

The Andy Lau concert wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. It was crowded， hot， and the screaming was terrible.

劉德華的個唱并不是那么值得興奮。人多，又熱，那些尖叫聲太可怕了。

③ Am I just rubbing salt in the wounds? 我剛剛是不是在你的傷口上撒了把鹽？

rub salt in the wounds: make the unpleasant situation even worse（在傷口上撒鹽，使痛上加痛）。例如：

At least， I don’t want to win by rubbing salt in my opponent’s wounds.

我至少不靠往對手傷口上撒鹽來獲勝。

④ Are you pulling my leg? 你在逗我玩吧？

pull sb.’s leg: play a joke on sb.（與某人開玩笑）。例如：

Take it easy， Daddy was pulling your leg.

別擔心，爸爸在跟你開玩笑呢。

⑤ And we are all in the same boat. 而且我們所有人的處境都一樣。

in the same boat: in the same unpleasant situation（處境相同）。例如：

Since we are in the same boat， why don’t we work together and save this company?

既然我們面臨同樣的危險，不如我們一起努力來挽救這個公司吧。

⑥ But I wouldn’t want you to feel like a third wheel. 不過我可不想讓你覺得自己像個電燈泡。

third wheel: A person hanging out with a couple and feeling uncomfortable（電燈泡）。例如：

I’ve been a third wheel numerous times in my college years， but I don’t have a girlfriend myself.

我在大學期間常常充當電燈泡，可我自己還沒有女朋友呢。