Showing Sympathy (Part 3 of 5) 表達同情
EXPRESS YOURSELF: Showing Sympathy (Part 3 of 5) 表達同情

Conversation 2
Hank: How's it going, James?
James: Not so good, Hank. I just got a "Dear John" letter from Tina.
Hank: That's too bad. She's still studying in Paris, isn't she?
James: Yes. She's coming home at Christmas. I thought we were still together, but I guess she's changed her mind.
Hank: Tough break, James. I'm sorry.Sometimes a friend or acquaintance has a car accident, an injury, an illness or a death in the family. In these instances, it's very important to use more formal language to express your sympathy. You shouldn't say "Tough break!" to your friend who has broken her right hand and can't write for two months. She will think that you are being shallow or insincere. Study the following conversations for examples of formal expressions of sympathy:

會話二
漢 克：你好嗎，傑姆斯？
傑姆斯：不怎麼好，漢克。我剛收到了一封蒂納寄來的「斷交信」。
漢 克：那真糟糕。她還在巴黎讀書，不是嗎？
傑姆斯：是啊，她會回家過聖誕節。我原來以為我們還是情侶。但現在，我猜她已經改變心意了。
漢 克：真倒霉，傑姆斯。我為你感到難過。有時朋友或熟人出了車禍，受傷、生病或家人去世。在這種情況下，用較正式的用語來表達你的同情是很要緊的。對一位斷了手而兩個月不能寫信的朋友，你可不能說「真倒霉！」她會以為你只是膚淺的表示或沒有誠心。以下的會話就是正式表達同情的例子，仔細讀。

【Word Bank】
shallow (adj) 淺薄的"Dear John" Letter (n phr)　情侶之間的斷交信


The Day's Phrase
The new clock I bought is an alarm, a radio, and CD player all rolled into one.
我新買的鐘是集鬧鐘、收音機和CD唱盤於一體的。


- posted by star blog @ Thursday, December 09, 2004