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【英语习语】 off the cuff “即席”、“即兴”
佳中
在电视中，我们经常看到一些名人即兴回答记者提问，也时常看到一些政客发表即席演说。
在英语中与“即兴”的对应的有一个习语off the cuff。cuff是“袖口”的意思，据说有一些演
讲者没有事先准备好演讲稿，于是临阵磨枪，把演讲的要点写在衬衣袖口上，由此形成固定的
习语 off the cuff，意思是“即席的”、“ 即兴的”、“未经准备的”，即speak without
planning what you will say beforehand。有时也可表示“随意”的意思。
off the cuff 在句中常用作状语或表语，如作定语修饰名词，则需写成 off-the-cuff，如 a
off-the-cuff remark (即兴讲话)。
1）She wasn't expecting to win, so she hadn't prepared a speech, but she still
managed to say a few words off the cuff after being given the award.
她没有期望会赢,所以没有准备发表讲话,但得奖后她还是即兴说了几句。
2）Professor Johnson had to give the lecture off the cuff because he was filling
in for someone who was ill.
约翰逊教授不得不即兴讲课，因为有人病了，他是临时替人上课。
3）He had to speak off the cuff because he forgot to bring his prepared
speec.
他不得不做一个即席演说，因为他忘了带准备好的讲稿。
4）The prime minister keeps making off-the-cuff remarks that get him into
trouble.
首相总是没有准备就即席发表讲话,使他麻烦不断。
5）Considering that the speech was off the cuff，it was rather good.
由于这发言是毫无准备的，所以它还算是不错的。
6）I'm afraid I can't answer your question off the cuff。
对不起，我不能当场（毫无准备地）回答你的问题。
7）I said it just off the cuff, so do not get hung up on my choice of words.
我可是随便说的, 你别挑字眼儿。
8）This isn't the kind of question that one can answer off the cuff. Can I
answer it later? I need to look it up.
这可不是那种可以随口回答的问题，我可以先不回答吗？我要先找到答案再告诉你。
9）Mr. Simpson is very homorous. He says the funniest things right off the cuff.
辛普森先生很幽默, 他随口就能说出些笑话.
10）Mr. A landed in some hot water with an off-the-cuff comment regarding this matter.
A先生对这件事的随意评论，惹上一些麻烦。
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