餐廳公關Joanne策劃了一項別出心裁的行銷活動,但推出後卻飽受負評,FB粉絲專頁上盡是一顆星評價,讓她好不傷心。同事勸慰她:"If the shoe fits."(批評中肯就接受吧!)

我們在生活中常常做假設,今天不妨來學學以if開場的3句慣用語:

1.If the shoe fits, wear it.

字面意思是「若鞋子合腳,就穿上它」,用來勸人「如果這說的是真的,那就接受」,口語上經常省略後半句wear it。

例:Someone said that you were rude to the customers. Well…if the shoe fits.(有人說你對客人很不禮貌,嗯……如果是真的,就接受吧。)

再來看對話場景:

A:Are you calling me a cheater?(你說我是個騙子?)

B:Well, if the shoe fits, wear it.(如果是,那就承認了吧。)

2.If the worse comes to the worst

此語的意思是「如果情況變得更糟、到了萬不得已的時候」,常用來表示已做好最壞的打算。第一個worse也可以寫成worst。

例:If the worst comes to the worst, I could sell my apartment and move back with my parents.(倘若最壞的情況發生,我可以賣掉我的公寓,回去跟父母住。)

在口語上,有時候會省略掉the,變成worse comes to worst:

If worse comes to worst, you can always ask me for help.(萬一情況更糟,你也可以找我幫忙。)

3.If it's not one thing, it's another.

這句話是指在短時間內事情接二連三地出錯,讓人措手不及,有「一波未平,一波又起」或成語「禍不單行」的意味。

例:I'm having bad luck. If it's not one thing, it's another.(我真倒楣,事情一波未平,一波又起。)

First the power goes out, now the printer isn't working—I tell you, if it's not one thing, it's another!( 一開始是停電,接下來是印表機壞掉,真是狀況百出,錯誤連連。)

責任編輯:易佳蓉
核稿編輯:鍾守沂