跟學口語:"直言不諱"如何表達?
Sir John, never a man to mince his words, said in a TV interview that the government had lied. 約翰爵士是個直言不諱的人,他在一次電視採訪中說政府欺騙了民衆.
這裏的"not mince one's words"就是"直言不諱,說話不隱晦"的意思.
To say something in a direct way even though it might offend other people.
mince原意是"切碎、剁碎或絞碎".試想,一句很刺耳的話若被拆細了一點一點地說,其力度肯定會大大減輕,由此,"to mince words"引申指"講話不直接".看到這兒,不知您會不會想到"美國偶像"評委Simon Cowell,素有"惡魔"之稱的他言語犀利,點評時絕不繞彎子,而是"to mince no words"(一語破的、直言不諱).
I won't mince words: I think it's a stupid idea. 我實話實說,這是個愚蠢的主意.
