女:各位听众，现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 948讲。我是杨琳。<美国习惯用语>

M:我是 Douglas Johnson.

女:我有个朋友最近想买车，她看中了一辆敞篷车，可是这车的车评并不好。我给她看了关于这辆车耗油和需要维修的车评，可她竟然听都不听，就想买这辆车！忽略这些可是买车的大忌，这也让我想到一个习惯用语，那就是:

M:Brush off. Brush is spelled b-r-u-s-h, and off, o-f-f. Brush off.

女:Brush是刷的意思，Brush off, 刷掉，引伸出来就是“忽略，不理睬”的意思。上面的例子中， My friend shouldn't BRUSH OFF the poor ratings of the convertible. 我朋友不应该忽略这辆敞篷车很差的车评。在下面的例子里，这对夫妇可真不应该忽略检查人员给他们的忠告！到底发生了什么呢? 我们来听一听:

M:"The homeowners were told by inspectors that they ought to move their home further from the river. Instead, they went ahead with plans to add a second story. When a terrible storm hit a year later, the river flooded. And the house was destroyed. If the couple hadn't BRUSHED OFF those safety warnings, they wouldn't have lost their property."

[这段话是说: 检查人员告诉屋主说，他们应该把屋子建在离河边更远的地方。但是屋主非但没有听取这个意见，还又加盖了第二层。一年之后下了一场暴雨，河水上涨淹没了房屋。如果这对夫妇没有忽略那些安全警告，他们也许不会失去自己的财产。]

女:俗话说，小心使得万年船，千万不能忽略任何可能发生的危险隐患。不过有的时候，又要有主见，不能人云亦云，受别人影响。比如我有个好朋友，是个服装设计师，特有才，但是刚开始创业的头几年，很多人都说她肯定不会成功，好在，She brushed off all the bad reviews. 她对这些负面评论根本不予理睬，结果才有了今天。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M:"The homeowners were told by inspectors that they ought to move their home further from the river. Instead, they went ahead with plans to add a second story. When a terrible storm hit a year later, the river flooded. And the house was destroyed. If the couple hadn't BRUSHED OFF those safety warnings, they wouldn't have lost their property."

女:谁都希望有个体贴，疼你的丈夫或者男朋友，不过啊，可不是每个人都那么幸运。要是碰上下面例子里的这位Phil，可就倒霉喽! 我们来听听看Phil是个什么样的人:

M:"Phil hasn't had many steady girlfriends. That's because they don't like the way he treats them. After a couple of nice dates, he expects them to always be available for him. Yet he rarely makes the effort to return their calls or text messages. Why should they want to stay with a guy who BRUSHES them OFF? "

[这段话是说: 菲利普一直没有什么稳定女友，这是因为她们都不喜欢他对待她们的方式。几次约会之后，他就认为这些女孩子应该随叫随到，可他自己却很少尽快回她们的电话或短信。为什么要跟一个经常忽略自己的人在一起呢?]

女:这些女孩子做得对！不值得跟一个整天不把自己当回事的人在一起。大家可能已经发现了，这句话中说 Phil often brushes them off. Brush somebody off, 就是忽略某人的意思。比如，I've been telling my husband to see a dentist for his bad teeth, but he keeps brushing me off. 我让我老公赶紧去看看那颗烂牙，可他却把我的话当耳边风。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M:"Phil hasn't had many steady girlfriends. That's because they don't like the way he treats them. After a couple of nice dates, he expects them to always be available for him. Yet he rarely makes the effort to return their calls or texts. Why should they want to stay with a guy who BRUSHES them OFF? "

女:各位听众，今天我们学习的习惯用语是brush off，意思是“忽略，不理睬”。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。

A:我有个做生意的朋友，他创业的时候，大家都不看好他，都劝他放弃，but he brushed off all the pessimistic buzz, and stayed focused on the business.最后人家还真成功了！

B:Good for him!

A:而且他很大度，知道那些当初劝他放弃生意的人也是出于好心，所以没有嫉恨这些人。

B:He has a big heart!

A:对！心胸开阔，不小心眼儿！

B:what's 心眼儿？

A:啊？这个还真不好解释，大概就是thoughtfulness, 或者consideration for others.

B:So小心眼儿就是lack of consideration for others?

A:差不多！听听下面的“美语怎么说”，你就更明白了！

How to say it:petty

Jessica 在北京学汉语，她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教她。今天是吴琼要问的：小心眼。

Jessica:吴琼, are you coming to my birthday party tomorrow?

WQ:En...I'm afraid not.

Jessica:Why not? You're my best friend!

WQ:我不是不想去参加你的生日派对，可是你请了王贝贝，我可不想见她。

Jessica:Why? I thought you two were friends.

WQ:你不知道，两年前，我们去唱K。 她走调了，我心直口快说了出来，结果她记仇，这两年没少说我坏话！太小心眼了！小心眼在英文里怎么说？

Jessica:You can say a person is petty. petty is spelled p-e-t-t-y, petty. It means narrow-minded and mean.

WQ:哦，petty 就是心胸狭窄，小心眼。You have no idea, Jessica, you don't know how petty she is. 她一定还在记仇, hold... hold... 记仇是 hold 什么来着？

Jessica:hold a grudge. grudge is spelled g-r-u-d-g-e. hold a grudge 记仇。but 吴琼, I don't think Beibei still holds a grudge against you.

WQ:Hmm, I don't know. 她表面上也和我过得去，but I think she still has a secret grudge against me! 她还在心里暗暗记仇呢!

Jessica:Oh, come on! It's been two years! I'm sure she has gotten over it!

WQ:Get over it 就是“不再计较”的意思，对不对?

Jessica:Exactly. To get over it means to forget about it.

WQ:You know what, Jessica, you're right. 我决定明天去参加你的party! I want to show Beibei that I'm not a petty person and it's time for her to get over it, too.

Jessica:That's the spirit! Now let's see what you've learned today.

WQ:第一: 形容某人小心眼，用 petty;

第二: 记仇则是hold a grudge against someone;

第三: 不计较了，可以说 get over it;

B:Oh, 小心眼儿就是petty! 杨琳， did you know petty can also mean "small, trivial"?

A:知道。Petty也可以表示微小。比如，petty cash就是零钱。

B:That's right!

A:话说回来，我经常听见男生抱怨，Oh, my girlfriend is petty sometimes! 我女朋友有时候心眼儿特小！I'tired of her petty jealousy. 她心胸狭窄的嫉妒真让我烦恼。

B:Yeah. Guys complain about us, but they have to admit sometimes it's their fault!

A:对啊，怪女朋友爱生气，心眼儿小，不如反省一下你们自己的行为。

B:Exactly! Remember the terrible boyfriend who spent 1000 dollars on his own suit but only set a 20-buck budget for his girlfriend' birthday gift?

A:对！就是美语三级跳里面的那个Kevin!说到他，今天咱们就来听听他的女朋友看到这些廉价的生日礼物会是什么反应。