很多年輕人血氣方剛、行事衝動,所以要時時提醒他們: Look before you leap. Leap是「 跳躍」,直譯是在跳躍前要先看清楚, 即是我們常常說的「三思而後行」。其他的說法還有:Don't go into it blindly. (不要盲目去做) / Go in with your eyes wide open. (你要睜大眼睛看清楚) 。總之做人不但凡事要想清楚,還要 Take all precautions.(做足預防措施),那就萬無一失了。
Andrew: I've had enough. I can't go on!
安德魯: 我受夠了,我不能再繼續下去!
Marcus: Come on! Nothing could be that bad.
馬卡斯: 來吧!凡事不是都這麼糟的。
Andrew: It is. I'm broke, I'm alone. I can see no future.
安德魯: 就是這麼糟。我一貧如洗、孤苦零丁、前途茫茫。
Marcus: I don't believe you'll do it. But if you do, look before you leap.
馬卡斯: 我不相信你會這樣做。但若你真的要做,要三思而後行。
Andrew: Why?
安德魯: 為甚麼?
Marcus: You're standing on the first floor.
馬卡斯: 你站在一樓。
安德魯說要跳樓:I'm broke, I'm alone. I can see no future(我一貧如洗,孤苦零丁,前途茫茫)。馬卡斯說:Look before you leap(跳前要看清楚啊)。
Look before you leap這成語,一般譯做「三思而後行」,當然有道理;但另一成語He who hesitates is lost(猶豫不決,不能成事)同樣有道理。世事往往就是這樣:正反兩面看都可以。例如:”The stock market is very high at the moment, John. Look before you leap into it.” “Well, I've to take the leap now. He who hesitates is lost.”(「約翰,股市現在已經漲得很高,你進去前可要三思。」「嗯,我現在就要加入。猶豫不決,不能成事的。」)
安德魯自言孤苦零丁,你可用上一課的成語形容他:No one would touch him with a barge pole。Barge是「駁船」,pole是「桿」,這裡指撐駁船的篙。A barge pole也作a pair of tongs(一個火鉗)。Would not touch somebody with a barge pole/a pair of tongs即「連用駁船的長篙 / 火鉗碰某人都不願意」,也就是「不想和某人有任何關係」,例如:That rascal abuses his wife. I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole(那個流氓虐待妻子,我絕不會和他來往)。
另一句可以形容安德魯情況的成語是down and out。這成語原本是指拳師被打倒(down)之後不得不出場(out),現在一般引伸為「窮途潦倒」,例如:Down and out, he eventually committed suicide(他窮途潦倒,最後終於自殺)。