(单词翻译:单击)
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And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
As humans, we have emotional states, also called moods.
作为人类，我们有情绪状态，也被称为情绪。
Sometimes we feel happy and sometimes sad.
有时我们感到快乐，有时感到悲伤。
Other times we may feel angry or anxious or excited.
其他时候，我们可能会感到愤怒、焦虑或兴奋。
Well, moods are not just for individuals.
不只个人有情绪。
Groups of people can also share a collective mood.
一群人也可以共有一种集体情绪。
On today’s show we talk about an expression that describes ways we understand the general mood of a group of people.
在今天的节目中，我们谈论一个短语，它描述了我们了解一群人的整体情绪的方式。
That expression is “to read the room.”
这个短语是“to read the room（察言观色）”。
When you read the room, you use your powers of observation to learn the general mood or emotional state of people in a particular setting.
当你察言观色时，你使用你的观察力来了解在特定环境中人们的整体情绪（即情绪状态）。
You may then act in a way that is similar to that mood.
然后，你可能会以一种与那种情绪相似的方式行事。
You match it.
你与其相一致。
Let’s say you are in a silly mood – laughing a lot and making jokes.
比方说你的心情很好——大笑不止，不停地开玩笑。
Then you enter a serious work meeting.
然后，你参加了一个严肃的工作会议。
You may need to read the room and change your behavior.
你可能需要察言观色，改变你的行为。
Here’s another example.
下面是另一个例子。
If I need to bring up a serious issue with a group of friends, I will read the room first.
如果我需要向一群朋友提出一个严肃的问题，我会先察言观色。
If everyone is having a good time and the issue is not urgent, I will wait.
如果大家都玩得很开心，而问题不紧急的话，我会等等再说。
You can tell someone else to “read the room” if they seem clueless about the mood of a group of people.
如果其他人看起来一点也不了解一群人的情绪，你可以让他们“察言观色”。
It is a way of expressing to that person that they are behaving incorrectly or inappropriately.
它是向那个人表达他们的行为不正确或不适当的一种方式。
Used this way, it can either be funny or insulting – depending on the situation and how we say the phrase.
这样用，它可以是有趣的，也可以是侮辱性的——这取决于情况和我们如何说这个短语。
Let’s say you are at a dinner party.
比方说你正在参加一个晚宴。
People are seated around a table enjoying good food and conversation.
人们围坐在桌子旁，享受美味的食物和交谈。
Then, your friend Betsy brings up a very serious topic – like a historic battle where many people died.
然后，你的朋友贝琪提出了一个非常严肃的话题——比如一场有许多人丧生的历史性战役。
Suddenly the tone changes.
气氛突然发生了变化。
The atmosphere goes from happy to serious.
从欢乐的气氛变成了严肃的气氛。
You could say, “Betsy, read the room! No one wants to talk about that now.”
你可以说，“贝琪，有点眼力价儿吧！现在没有人想谈论这个。”
Or I could say to someone later, “Betsy needs to learn how to read the room. She brought down the mood of the party with her talk of war and death.”
或者我可以稍后对某人说：“贝琪需要学习如何察言观色。她谈论战争和死亡，让大家的情绪变得低落。”
The expression “read the room” is all about being observant.
“read the room”和敏锐的观察力有关。
Reading the room is a skill.
察言观色是一项技能。
People who can read the room know the right atmosphere, tone, and mood and are able to fit in.
能够察言观色的人知道恰当的气氛、氛围和情绪，并能够融入其中。
And that’s all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time… I’m Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见…… 我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
