The english we speak(BBC教學)第174期:Cold Feet 膽怯
Li: Hi Rob. How are you today?
莉：嗨，羅布。你今天怎麼樣？Rob: Hello Li. I'm really angry.
羅布：你好，莉。我現在非常生氣。Li: Why?
莉：爲什麼？
Rob: Well, because I work very hard, I get results, I do much more than I really should, and nobody notices - I don't get any recognition.
羅布：因爲我工作非常努力，我也取得了成績，我做的事情遠比我應該做的多得多，可是卻沒有人注意到，我沒有得到認同。Li: Yes, you do work hard, Rob. You should earn a fortune!
莉：是啊，你工作很努力，羅布。你應該掙到大錢的！Rob: I know. You see - that's it! I'm going to go and see the boss right now! I am going to ask for a pay rise!
羅布：我知道。你看，情況就是這樣！我現在要馬上去見老闆！我要要求漲工資！Li: Good on you, Rob. Right now?
莉：羅布，很好。現在就去嗎？Rob: Yes, right now!
羅布：對，就現在！Li: Rob... you're not going anywhere?
莉：羅布……你不是要去個地方嗎？Rob: Yes, I know.
羅布：是啊，我知道。Li: So what are you waiting for?
莉：那你還在等什麼？Rob: Well, actually, I'm getting cold feet.
羅布：嗯，實際上，我有點害怕。Li: That's no problem at all. Let's see... I have a solution right here... There you go. Take these.
莉：那完全不是問題。我們來想想……我有解決辦法了……給你，這些給你。Rob: Thick, woolly socks?
羅布：厚的羊毛襪子？Li: Yes. You should feel warm when talking to a tough boss like ours! Come on, use these.
莉：是啊。這會讓你和像我們老闆這樣的嚴厲老闆談話時感到溫暖的！給你，穿上吧。Rob: It's OK. There's nothing wrong with my feet, Li. In English, when we say we've got cold feet we mean we lack the confidence or courage to do something.
羅布：不用了。莉，我的腳沒有任何問題。在英語中，我們用we've got cold feet來形容我們缺乏信心或是勇氣去做某事。Li: So you're afraid of going into our boss's office.
莉：所以你是說你害怕進老闆的辦公室。Rob: Yes, I must admit I am a bit. Let's hear some examples of how to use today's expression 'cold feet', in The English We Speak.
羅布：對，我必須承認我有點兒害怕。今天地道英語節目要學的短語就是cold feet，我們來聽一些例句。Mary knew Tony had bought her engagement ring and was planning to propose on Valentine's Day. She just hoped he wouldn't get cold feet before then.
瑪麗知道託尼給她買了訂婚戒指，而且計劃在情人節那天向她求婚。她只是希望在那之前他不會臨陣退縮。The company directors were getting cold feet about a deal which could make or break their business.
公司董事對這項關係到業務成敗的交易沒有信心。Rob: So, no need for these socks. But thank you anyway, Li.
羅布：所以這些襪子沒有什麼用。不過還是要謝謝你，莉。Li: Maybe next week you can approach the boss and remind him what a good worker you are.
莉：也許你可以下週去找老闆，然後提醒他你是一名多麼優秀的員工。Rob: Good idea. Maybe that's the right way to do it.
羅布：好主意。也許那是正確的方法。Li: One thing is true: your cold feet saved you from your hot head.
莉：有一件事是真的：你膽怯的心理把你從發熱的頭腦中拯救了出來。Rob: Yes indeed.
羅布：你說得沒錯。Li: Bye bye.
莉：再見。Rob: Bye.
羅布：再見。
重點講解：
1. ask for
索要；請求，懇求（給予）；
eg. If you feel light-headed or nauseous at anytime during the race, please do not hesitate to ask for assistance.
若您在比賽過程感覺到頭昏眼花或暈眩作嘔，請儘快要求協助。
eg. I have the right to ask for an explanation.
我有權要求一個解釋。
2. right now
現在；此時此刻；
eg. Right now we are in the changeover period between autumn and winter.
眼下，我們正處於秋冬交替的時候。
eg. I have no time right now to discuss your problems.
此刻我沒有時間討論你的問題。
3. get cold feet
害怕；膽怯；裹足不前；
eg. Even the best athletes can get cold feet before a big game.
就算是最好的運動員，也會在大型比賽開始前覺得緊張。
eg. He got cold feet at the last minute.
他事到臨頭卻退縮了。
4. be afraid of
害怕的；恐懼的；
eg. I am not afraid of difficulty.
我不會被困難所嚇倒。
eg. They were afraid of answering the questions and incriminating themselves.
他們擔心因回答這些問題而受到牽連。
5. save sth./doing sth.
免去；省去；使免受；
eg. An operation is beginning to try to save a species of crocodile from extinction.
一項努力拯救一個鱷魚物種、使其免於滅絕的行動已經開始。
eg. Everybody knew they could not save themselves from defeat there.
誰都知道他們無法擺脫在那裏失敗的命運。
