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Have you ever seen a video that says, don't say dumb, say imbecilic?
你有没有看过一个视频，上面说：不要说dumb（笨），要说imbecilic（低能）？
Don't say bad, say deplorable.
不要说bad（坏），要说deplorable（可悲）。
These videos tell you that you can upgrade your English, pass an exam, or even prove your own English level by using the vocabulary they suggest.
这些视频告诉你，你可以通过用他们建议的词汇来提高你的英语水平、通过考试，甚至证明自己的英语有多么高级。
Well, here's one simple tip to improve your English today...
那么今天我有一个小建议，可以帮助你提高英语水平……
Stop watching those videos.
那就是不要看这些视频了。
No, really. Stop.
别看了，真的。停。
Mini English Lessons
迷你英语课
The problem with those videos is that they don't give you any context, so you don't actually learn how to use that vocabulary.
这些视频的问题在于它们没有给你任何上下文， 所以你实际上并不能学习如何使用这个词。
Do you wonder why you've never heard the word imbecilic?
你有没有想过，为什么你从没听说过“低能的”这个词？
Well, it's because it's almost never used.
嗯，这是因为这个词几乎从未被使用过。
I honestly think this video might be the first time I've ever said it.
我真心觉得，这个视频可能是我第一次说这个词。
These videos also don't tell you the strength of different adjectives.
那些视频也不会告诉你不同形容词的程度。
Why do people say bad so much more than deplorable?
为什么人们说bad的次数比说deplorable的次数多得多？
Well, it's because deplorable means shockingly bad or completely unacceptable, so we save it for really serious situations.
这是因为deplorable的意思是令人震惊的糟糕或完全不可接受，所以我们只在非常严重的情况下使用它。
You're most likely to hear it in a news report.
你最有可能在新闻报道中听到这个词。
After the hurricane, people were left living in deplorable conditions.
飓风过后，人们只能生活在极其恶劣的环境中。
It's just too strong to use it every day.
这个词的程度太深了，不能用于日常生活。
But, of course, these videos don't tell you that.
但是，当然，那些视频并没有告诉你这些。
If you believe those videos, you'll end up having conversations like this.
如果你相信那些视频，你最终会有这样的对话。
I'm just gonna go and get a sandwich for lunch.
我准备就去买个三明治当午餐吧。
Fantabulous!!!
真可谓妙哉！
Okay...
好吧。。。
Maybe you think your English sounds more advanced, but actually, the opposite is true.
也许你以为你的英语听起来更高级了，但实际上恰恰相反。
It sounds like you don't know how to use these words.
你听起来好像你不知道该如何使用这些词。
And if you use really strong adjectives, like fantabulous all the time, then they lose their meaning.
而且如果你总是用程度非常深的形容词，比如“妙极了”，那么这些词就会失去意义。
If everything is fantabulous, then nothing is.
如果一切都妙极了，那么就没有什么是真正妙极了。
If all that is true, how do you build your vocabulary?
如果所有这些都是真的，那么你该如何扩大词汇量？
Don't just learn words and phrases on their own.
不要只是单独地学习单词和短语。
Learn them in meaningful fixed expressions or sentences.
要在有意义的固定表达或句子中学习。
That way, you're not just learning the vocabulary.
那样的话，你就不仅仅是在学习词汇了。
You're learning how to use it.
而是在学习如何使用词汇。
The next time that you watch a film, read a book, or listen to a podcast in English, write down five pieces of vocabulary that you want to start using.
下一次你看英语电影、读英语书或听英语播客时，写下五个你想开始使用的词汇。
Choose vocabulary that will be useful in your own life.
可以选择在你自己的生活中有用的词汇。
For example, if you're a student, you could watch a film that takes place at a university and write down five words or phrases about student life.
例如，如果你是一名学生，那么你可以看一部发生在大学里的电影，并写下五个关于学生生活的单词或短语。
Learn them, practise them, and use them when you have the chance.
学习它们，练习它们，有机会就使用它们。
I promise you'll find plenty of opportunities to use that vocabulary, unlike imbecilic, which is the only thing about this video that you should definitely forget.
我向你保证，你会发现很多使用那个词汇的机会，和“低能的”这个词完全不一样，在这个视频中，你绝对应该忘记的唯一一件事就是这个单词。
