葛瑞絲:那部電影真好看。要不要去隨便吃點東西?
麗塔:當然好啊!
葛瑞絲:同時我也想跟妳聊一下學校最近的八卦。
麗塔:一定要嗎?妳知道我不喜歡在人背後說是非。
葛瑞絲:別掃興嘛,麗塔。
麗塔:抱歉。那是因為我老是害怕成為八卦話題的主角。
葛瑞絲:別傻了。我們倆這麼無趣,沒有人會想要聊我們的八卦。
dish 原是名詞,意思是『盤子』,在此作動詞用,表『用盤子端出某物』;dirt 是名詞,原表『泥土』,俚語中則指『令人震驚的消息』。dish the dirt 引申為『聊八卦』,相當於動詞 gossip (閒言閒語)之意 。
小琪平常最喜歡在人背後說長道短,整個辦公室員工的私生活都成為她茶餘飯後的話題。因此我們可以說:
She loves to dish the dirt on / about others.
= She loves to gossip about others.
= She loves to talk about others' private lives.
(她喜歡聊別人的八卦。)
*private a. 私人的
小琪剛得知了一則大八卦:她老闆正和秘書發展出一段婚外情。小琪忍不住告訴她的好友芬尼。
A: You'd never believe what I'm going to tell you.
B: Come on. Dish the dirt. / Fill me in.
(甲:妳不會相信今天辦公室流傳的流言。)
(乙:快啦。說說看有什麼八卦。/快跟我說。)
Come on―dish the dirt on Sophie!
快一點 — 跟我說蘇菲的八卦!
The actor dished on his co-stars in the interview.
該演員在訪問中說出了與他合作的明星的八卦。
The staff members spent a whole afternoon in the office doing nothing but gossiping about their boss.
這些職員花了一整個下午在辦公室啥都沒做,盡聊老闆的八卦。
The waiter served our meals soon after he took our orders.
服務生幫我們點餐不久後就送餐過來了。
I grabbed a bite to eat this morning and then went to work.
早上我隨便抓了點東西吃,便去上班了。
Let’s grab a bite to eat after the game.
比賽結束後我們去吃點東西吧。
The war is likely to go on for years.
這場戰爭很有可能將持續多年。
After cleaning the table, Jennifer went on to do the dishes.
珍妮佛清理桌子後,接著便洗碗筷。
I hate people who speak ill of me behind my back.
我討厭在背後說我壞話的人。