情景对话:
A: What are you doing here, Tom?
汤姆,你在干什么?
B: Playing games.
玩游戏。
A: Playing?
玩游戏?
B: Why not?
不行么?
A: You failed the exam, Tom. Could you tell me the reason?
你考试不及格,汤姆,你能告诉我是什么原因么?
B: I'm sorry.
对不起。
A: Sorry? For what? You did not study hard?
对不起?为什么说对不起?你学习没有用功么?
B: No. The test was difficult, to say the least.
不是,只是这次的考试题太难了。
一, 词海拾贝
to say at the least:至少可以说
e.g. I was surprised at what he said, to say the least.
毫不夸张地说,我对他的话感到吃惊。
e.g. His conduct that evening was, to say the least, curious.
他那天晚上的举动可说是够古怪的了。
e.g. Her remarks were ill-advised, to say the least.
她的话不够谨慎,至少可以这么说。
e.g. The appearance of Frank Cowperwood at this time was, to say the least, prepossessing and satisfactory.
Frank Cowperwood这个时候的相貌, 至少可以说是讨人欢喜和令人满意的。
二, 语汇积累
be sorry for
释义1:对……感到抱歉,因……而说对不起
e.g. I'm sorry for what I said; I never meant to insult you.
我为我所说的话道歉,我不是有意要侮辱你。
e.g. I'm sorry for taking it out on you.
对不起,我迁怒于你了。
释义2:对……感到难过,替……感到难过
e.g. They were sorry for the poor, especially for the dear little children.
他们都为穷人难过,特别是为那些亲爱的孩子们感到难过。
e.g. In the midst of her own trouble Winifred was sorry for him.
维妮佛梨德尽管满腔心事,也替他难过起来。
其它:play a game:玩游戏
fail the exam:考试不及格