和老外聊天的地道口語第42期:他一定是誤會了...

Elizabeth: Hi, Bob, everything okay?

Bob: more or less. There;s just one thing bothering me.

E: oh? What's that?

B: well, you know I have some students studying for their master's degree. One of them tried to give me a gift that kinda made me uneasy.

E: what gift?

B: it's an Egyptian carpet. The student came to my office the other day and brought the carpet to show his gratitude. Seeing what gift was, I was really uncomfortable. I mean it's too expensive a gift for a student to give a professor. I don't think I've done anything to deserve that gift, so I refused it.

E: you refused the gift? That's terrible.

B: I know, but I really can't accept such an expensive gift. I explained to him why, but he seemed really upset about it. I think he might have taken it the wrong way.

E: perhaps. He probably thinks you considered the gift a bribe for a higher grade.

B: that's what I am worried about. I do understand the respect attached with the gift and I am honored. But I really don't think it's proper for a student to spend a fortune in a gift for a professor. I think we need to have a talk to make sure we are on the same page.


嗨,鮑勃,一切都還好吧?
還好.就是最近有件事比較煩.
哦?什麼事?
你知道我帶了幾個研究生,有一個想送我一件禮物,讓我覺得很不舒服.
什麼禮物?
一條埃及地毯.有一天,那個學生帶着地毯來我的辦公室,要送給我以表謝意.看到禮物是什麼以後,我覺得很彆扭,對學生而言,這件禮物太昂貴了.我覺得自己沒做什麼,不是是不敢當,所以就拒絕了.
你拒絕了,這可有點兒不好啊.
我知道,但我真的不能接受這樣一件昂貴的禮物.我跟他解釋了爲什麼,但他看起來很難過.我擔心他可能誤會了.
有可能.他可能認爲你把這個禮物看成是他對你的賄賂,這樣你就會給他更高的分數.
我就是擔心這個.我明白他送我禮物是爲了表示尊重,我也覺得很榮幸.但是我確實覺得學生花一大筆錢給教授送禮物很不合適.我想我應該和他談談,確保我們的理解是一致的.


Bother: to annoy, worry or upset sb; to cause sb trouble or pain 使（某人）煩惱（或擔憂、不安）；給（某人）造成麻煩（或痛苦）
The thing that bothers me is…
讓我感到不安的是…
You don't sound too bothered about it.
看來你並不十分擔心這事。
I don't want to bother her with my problems at the moment.
我此刻不想讓她爲我的事操心。
That sprained ankle is still bothering her(= hurting).
她那扭傷的腳踝還在隱隱作痛。

Master’s degree:碩士學位

Uneasy: feeling worried or unhappy about a particular situation, especially because you think that sth bad or unpleasant may happen or because you are not sure that what you are doing is right 擔心的；憂慮的；不安的
an uneasy laugh/smile
不自然的大笑／微笑
He was beginning to feel distinctly uneasy about their visit.
他對他們的造訪明顯地感到不安起來。
She felt uneasy about leaving the children with them.
把孩子託付給他們，她心裏七上八下的。

Bribe: sum of money or sth valuable that you give or offer to sb to persuade them to help you, especially by doing sth dishonest 賄賂
It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office.
他被指稱在任時收受賄賂。
She had been offered a $50 000 bribe to drop the charges.
有人用 5 萬元賄賂她，要她撤回控告。

Proper: socially and morally acceptable 符合習俗（或體統）的；正當的；規矩的
It is right and proper that parents take responsibility for their children's attendance at school.
父母負責督促子女上學上課，這是天經地義的事。
The development was planned without proper regard to the interests of local people.
新開發區的規劃沒有正當考慮當地居民的利益。
He is always perfectly proper in his behaviour.
他的行爲舉止向來是無可挑剔的。


Take sth the wrong way:對…理解錯誤

Attach…to…:在…附加上

Spend a fortune on sth:在…上花大筆錢

Be on the same page:達成一致