含蓄的东方人总觉得西方人都粗线条，实际上歪果仁也是比较容易玻璃心的…

所以，说英语的时候可别太直爽，碰到敏感的（sensitive）、私人的（personal）、禁忌的（taboo）话题，还是要讲究点技巧的。

今天就来跟大家说说英语里的常见委婉语（euphemism['ju:fimizm]）。

失业 unemployment

between jobs

在前一个和后一个工作之间，也就是待业啦。

Interviewer: Tell me about your currentposition.

面试官：请告诉我你目前的职位。

Job candidate: I'm between jobs right now.

求职者：我目前暂时待业。

a resting actor

这种说法多指演员。

Harry's a resting actor.

哈利是个待业演员。

怀孕 pregnancy

expect

即期待婴儿出生。

His wife is expecting.

他妻子怀孕了。

She is expecting in March.

她预产期是三月。

have a bun in the oven

烤箱里有面包了。英式英语，诙谐用法。

Have you heard that Katy has a bun in theoven

你听说没，Katy有啦？

in the family way

这是比较老式的说法（old-fashioned）。

Have you heard that Jean's in the familyway

你听说没，Jean怀上啦？

They plan to get married now that he's puther in the family way.

他弄大了她的肚子，俩人只好结婚。

穷 being poor

be disadvantaged

Disadvantaged，即处境不利的，生活条件差的、经济地位低下的……

The government is introducing new schemesto help the disadvantaged.

政府引入了新计划，帮助条件差的人群。

 

financially embarrassed

经济拮据、财产情况窘迫的

 I'mafraid I can't come to the restaurant with you. I'm financially embarrassed atthe moment.

抱歉我不能和你去下馆子了，我目前手头拮据。