第一， 迷你对话

A: The woman is difficult to please.

那个女人真难取悦。

B: Don’t speak of her, Mary!

别说她的坏话，Mary。

A: No, I just call a spade. She never follows the rules. She does things off again, on again and nobody here thinks much of her.

我说的是实情，她总是不守规矩，一下做这样，一下做那样，所以看得起她。

B: Don’t speak unkindly of others. She has her own life. We have no right to make irresponsible remarks.

别说得那么刻薄，她又她自己的生活方式，我们无权说三道四。

第二， 地道表达

off again, on again

1. 解词释义

Off again, on again的意思是“断断续续地”，相当于on and on.

2. 拓展范例

e.g. He has been working here, on again, off again, for two years.

他在这儿断断续续工作了两年。

e.g. On again, off again he had been worrying about it all day.

他一整天总是为此感到担心。

e.g. I have been studying English on again, off again for ten years.

我断断续续学了十年英语。

e.g. It showered on again, off again all afternoon.

整个下午断断续续地下着阵雨。

第三， 咬文嚼字

speak of：谈及，说道

e.g. Reading is the only hobby I can speak of.

读书是我唯一值得一提的爱好。

e.g. In accordance with her request, he began to speak of other matters.

但是为了顺从她的请求，他开始谈起其他的事来。

call a spade a spade：直言不讳；实话实说

e.g. Why don't you call a spade a spade? He's a rude, uncaring, selfish man!

你何不有话直说呢？他是粗鲁、不懂得别人，而且自私的人！

e.g. He liked, in his grandiloquent way, to call a spade a spade.

他喜欢夸夸其谈地谈出事实的真相来。

think much of：对……重视，对……很不错

e.g. She didn' t think much of him as a painter.

她对他作为一位画家评价不高。

e.g. I don' t think much of your English weather.

我对你们英国的天气可不太欣赏。

speak unkindly of：刻薄地说……

e.g. Mr Bennet, how can you speak so unkindly of your own children?

班纳特先生，你怎么能这样无情地说自己的亲生女儿？

make a remark：批评，发表看法，意见

e.g. He made a snide remark about Aunt Martha's figure.

关于玛莎阿姨的身材,他说的话真刻毒。

e.g. Having made this rash remark, he braced himself for a polite rebuff.

他说这冒昧话，准备碰个软钉子。