Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日）
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang
(D) Lily
Photo: AdobeStock 照片：AdobeStock
At a party, my friend Anna suddenly vanished. “She took French leave,” someone remarked. I was confused—had she gone to France? It turns out the idiom means leaving without notifying anyone. In the 18th century, the English used this phrase to criticize the French, though ironically, the French said the same about the English.
(E) Jason
When I studied abroad in Japan, I wanted to blend in. My host mom advised, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” She explained that it meant I should follow local customs while living there. This saying dates back to the 4th century, when St. Augustine was told to follow Roman fasting rules during a visit to the city.
(F) Tiffany
While watching the news, I heard a critic say, “This is like Chinese whispers.” From the context, I could tell he meant that information can get distorted as it spreads. The term comes from a game where a message is passed down the line and often ends up completely changed by the time it reaches the last person. “Chinese” was used because the language seemed difficult to English speakers.
(G) Daniel
During a heated argument about our project, none of us was willing to compromise. “A real Mexican standoff,” someone sighed. The term describes a tense situation where no side can act without risking severe consequences. It likely came from past conflicts between the US and Mexico.
(H) Erica
In math class, I stared blankly at the complex equations and said, “It’s all Greek to me.” My classmates nodded in agreement. In the past, Greek symbolized something incomprehensible because the language was unfamiliar to most people in England.
(D) 莉莉
在一場派對上，我的朋友安娜突然消失了。有人說道：「她不告而別（French leave）了。」我很困惑—她是去法國了嗎？原來這個慣用語是指沒有通知任何人就離開。十八世紀時，英國人用這句話來批評法國人，不過諷刺的是，法國人也是這樣說英國人的。
(E) 傑森
我去日本讀書的時候，很希望自己能融入。我寄宿家庭的媽媽就建議我「入境隨俗（When in Rome, do as the Romans do）。」她解釋這句話的意思是我於當地居住的期間應該要遵守當地的習俗。這句諺語可以追溯到西元四世紀，當時聖奧古斯丁被告知，在參訪羅馬的期間要遵守當地的齋戒規定。
(F) 蒂芬妮
我看新聞時，聽到一位評論家說：「這就像謠言（Chinese whispers）。」從語境來看，我猜得出他的意思是指資訊在傳遞過程中可能會被扭曲。這個詞源於一個遊戲—訊息被人一個接著一個傳下去，傳到最後一個人時往往會變得完全不一樣。會用“Chinese（中文）”是因為這個語言對說英語的人來說難以理解。
(G) 丹尼爾
在為報告爭論不休時，我們誰也不願妥協。有人嘆了口氣並說道：「這真是個僵局（Mexican standoff）。」這個詞是形容一種緊張的局面，沒有一方可以做出行動而不引發嚴重的後果。這可能是從美墨之間過去的衝突而來。
(H) 艾麗卡
數學課上，我茫然地盯著那些複雜的方程式說：「這對我來說是天書（It’s all Greek to me）。」同學們都點頭表示認同。過去，因為大多數英國人對希臘文都不熟悉，所以它象徵了某件事情難以理解。
What Did You Learn?
1. & 2. 請從文章中找出最適當的單詞（word）填入下列句子空格中，並視句型結構需要做適當的字形變化，使句子語意完整、語法正確，並符合全文文意。每格限填一個單詞（word）。（填充）
When I didn’t want to go to the expensive restaurant my friend suggested, he called me ____1____. I said, “Well, OK then, but only if we all agree to go Dutch.” However, just before the check came, one friend managed to ____2____ without anyone noticing. It was a classic case of French leave, and we had to cover his share.
3. From (A) to (H) in the above online posts, which ONES mention idioms that have literal references to a specific language? (多選題)
4. Which word in the online posts means “changed so that it is no longer true, clear, or accurate” ?（簡答）
這些網路貼文中的哪一個單詞有「被改變得不再真實、清楚或準確」的意思？
答案： 1. stingy 2. vanish 3. C、F、H 4. distorted
Words in Use
1. vanish vi. 消失，不見
My keys seemed to vanish after I put them on the table.
我把鑰匙放在桌上後似乎就不見了。
2. criticize vt. 批評，批判
critic n. 評論家
The students criticized the cafeteria food for being too salty.
學生批評學校餐廳的食物太鹹了。
The movie received good reviews from most critics.
那部電影獲得多數評論家的好評。
3. ironically adv. 諷刺地
Ironically, the man who wrote a book on time management is always late. 諷刺的是，那位寫了一本時間管理書的人總是遲到。
4. advise vt. 建議
Andrew advises that we check the weather before hiking.
安德魯建議我們在健行前先查看天氣。
5. context n. 上下文，語境
Teachers always tell students to pay attention to context clues. 老師總是告訴學生要注意上下文的線索。
Practical Phrases
1. blend in 融入
Ian tried to blend in at the party, but people knew he hadn’t been invited.
伊恩試著融入派對，但大家知道他並未被邀請。
2. date back to. . . 追溯至……
The city’s delicate architecture dates back to the Victorian era. 這座城市精緻的建築可追溯至維多利亞時代。
3. end up + 過去分詞 結果∕最終被……
Zoe ended up hired by a famous company after this interview. 在這場面試後，柔伊最終被一家知名的公司錄用。
4. stare at. . . 盯著……看，凝視……
I stared at the empty street, wondering where everyone had gone.
我盯著空蕩蕩的街道，心想大家都去哪裡了。
5. in agreement 同意
Mom nodded in agreement when I suggested going to the beach for the weekend.
當我建議週末去海灘時，媽媽點頭表示同意。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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