迷糊的 Mandy 总是惹恼直话直说的 Kevin，昨天开完会后，两人之间莫名的尴尬…
Cindy: Mandy has been really upset since yesterday’s meeting.
Cindy: Mandy 从昨天开完会后就一直很难过。
Kevin: Uh huh… so what?
Kevin: 嗯哼，所以呢？
Cindy: Ummm… if I were you, I would apologize to her.
Cindy: 嗯……如果我是你，我会跟她道歉。
Kevin: Hello? What planet are you living on? Why should I apologize to her? She was so out of the loop at the meeting. When we were brainstorming, the only ideas she came up with were terrible and impractical!
Kevin: 是在哈啰？你住在哪颗星球啊？为什么我要跟她道歉？她昨天开会超级状况外欸。我们在集思广益的时候，她也只会提那些很烂又不切实际的想法。
Cindy: I know, but that is Mandy. She is always slow on the uptake.
Cindy: 我知道啊，但 Mandy 就是这样，她领悟力比较差嘛。
Kevin: Yeah, so that’s why I pointed out her mistakes. I’m just calling a spade a spade.
Kevin: 对，所以我才点出她的问题啊，我讲话就是这么直接。
Cindy: But words can hurt Kevin. I know Mandy needs to improve, but you could have used a gentler tone.
Cindy: 但是 Kevin，话语是可以伤透人心的，Mandy 的确需要改进，但是你说话语气的语气也可以不要那么冲。
be out of the loop (phr.) 搞不清楚状况；在状况外
loop 是「回圈；环形」的意思，be out of the loop 就像是指某人在跑道外，意指他人「搞不清楚状况；在状况外」。
He is out of the loop because he is not in the group chat.
因为他不在群组里面，所以他才搞不清楚状况。
Keep me in the loop on any updates to the plan.
请随时让我知道这个计画的任何变动。
be slow on the uptake (phr.) 领悟力较差；慢半拍
名词 uptake 是「吸收率；摄取率」，因此 be slow on the uptake 就是形容人吸收资讯的速度很慢，中文会说「领悟力较差；慢半拍」。而相反的，「领悟力快」就次 be quick on the uptake。
The student is slow on the uptake, so the teaching assistant had to go through the homework with him several times.
这名学生领悟力比较差，所以助教得和他解释功课解释好几次。
call a spade a spade (phr.) 讲话直接；直言不讳
call a spade a spade 用来形容那些「讲话直接；直言不讳」的人，尽管那些话听来刺耳难受，他们也总是直话直说，毫不委婉。
Sometimes it’s good to call a spade a spade, but you also have to consider the feelings of others.
有时候直话直说当然很好，但你也要顾虑到他人的感受。
听完 Cindy 的一番话后，Kevin 还是决定拉下脸来跟 Mandy 道歉。
Kevin: Mandy, can I talk to you quickly?
Kevin: Mandy，可以和你说一下话吗？
Mandy: Hi Kevin, let me just say first that I should have been more focused in the meeting yesterday.
Mandy: 嗨 Kevin，让我先说我昨天开会应该要更专心的。
Kevin: Okay, thanks for being honest. But I also wasn’t perfect. I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you.
Kevin: 好，谢谢老实说，但我也不太对，不该用那种语气跟你说话。
Mandy: I know you’re very outspoken, but it was still my bad.
Mandy: 我知道你只是讲话比较直接，是我的问题。
Kevin: I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.
Kevin: 如果我昨天说的话伤到妳，我很抱歉。
Mandy: Haha, that’s not like you. You rarely apologize—of your own accord that is.
Mandy: 哈哈，这真不像平常的你，你很少道歉，我的意思是主动道歉。
Kevin: That’s because we’re in this together— we’re a team after all. Don’t forget to hand in the business proposal by the end of the day!
Kevin: 那是因为我们是一个团队啊，但别忘了今天下班前要交上妳的企画书。
Mandy: Roger that!
Mandy: 收到！
I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you.
我不应该用那种口气跟你说话。
当我们在吵架时，口气一定都会特别差，道歉的时候可以用到 I shouldn’t have + p.p. 这个句型，表示「我不该…」，像是这句：I shouldn’t have used that tone of voice with you. (我不该用那种口译气跟你说话)。 tone 在此意思是「语气；口气」。
I know you are very anxious now, but you shouldn’t use that tone of voice with me.
我知道妳现在很焦虑，但妳也不应该用这种口气跟我说话。
outspoken (adj.) 直率的；直言不讳的
outspoken 为形容词，是「直率的；直言不讳的」，也是形容人想到什么就说什么，丝毫不怕冒犯、惹恼对方。
The outspoken food critic is very unpopular with restaurant owners.
这位直言不讳的美食评论家非常不受餐厅欢迎。
I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.
如果我说的话伤到你，我很抱歉。
道歉时如果想表示真诚，可以用 I’m really sorry if + S + V… 的句型表示「如果…的话我真的非常抱歉」。争吵时我们总会无意间说出伤人的话，这时就可以说：I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings.。注意，feelings 这边通常恒用复数。
I’m really sorry if what I said hurt your feelings; I didn’t mean to insult you when I called you the world’s worst assistant.
所以如果我说的话伤到你，我很抱歉。我说你是全世界最糟的助理时不是真的要污辱你。
of one’s own accord (phr.) 主动地；出于自愿
accord 有「协议；条约」的意思，副词片语 of one’s own accord 则是指某人「主动地；出于自愿」作一件事情。
My sons cleaned their rooms of their own accord. I knew something wasn’t right, and, sure enough, I found out they had been smoking in there.
我一看到孩子们主动整理房间，就知道一定有那里不对劲，然后果真我就发现他们在里面抽烟。
道歉真的是一门艺术啊！但人与人之间总是会有摩擦，有时候尽管觉得自己没有错，好好道歉才能让友情、感情长长久久哦！
