The english we speak(BBC教學)第93期:To catch your eye/eye catching 引起注意

Helen: Hi Chris, I see you've got an interesting new jumper.

海倫：你好，克里斯。我看到了你那有趣的新毛衣。

Chris: Ah, yes. I went to the market this weekend. I wasn't looking for a new jumper but I walked past a vintage clothing stall and this just caught my eye.

克里斯：啊，對。我週末去市場了。我本來沒打算買新毛衣，不過我路過一家賣舊衣服的攤位時，這件毛衣吸引了我的注意。

Helen: Ow, did it hurt?

海倫：哦，那疼嗎？

Chris: No, no. It's just a way of saying it attracted my attention and it made me want to take a closer look. I eventually bought it for only ￡10. What do you think?

克里斯：不，不是。這只是一種表達方式，表示這件東西吸引了我的注意，讓我想仔細看看。最終我只用40英鎊買下了這件毛衣。你怎麼看？

Helen: Well, it's OK. But I don't really like the yellow colour with orange sleeves. It's a bit bright.

海倫：嗯，還好。不過實際上我並不喜歡黃色，也不喜歡橘色的袖子。顏色太鮮豔了。

Chris: What do you mean?

克里斯：你是什麼意思？

Helen: I have to be honest Chris: bright colours don't really suit you.

海倫：克里斯，我必須要實話實說，亮顏色並不是很適合你。

Chris: Oh. Well, it might not be to your taste, but I'm sure other people will like it.

克里斯：哦，好吧，也許這件衣服不符合你的品味，不過我確定其他人會喜歡它的。

Helen: Jen, what do you think of Chris's outfit today?

海倫：珍，你認爲克里斯今天的穿着怎麼樣？

Jen: Wow, that's an eye-catching jumper! Don't tell me you actually paid for that?

珍：哇，真是件吸引眼球的毛衣！別告訴我你是花錢買的？

Chris: Wh-

克里斯：哦

Helen: An eye-catching jumper. So when it catches your eye, you notice it.

海倫：一件吸引眼球的毛衣。所以當它映入你眼簾的時候，你就會注意到它。

Jen: That's right, Helen. But eye-catching doesn't necessarily mean it's bright–like Chris's interesting jumper. It can be something that you quickly see because it surprises or interests you.

珍：沒錯，海倫。不過引人注目並不一定意味着那很鮮豔，就像克里斯那件有趣的毛衣一樣。這也可以形容因爲某件東西令你驚訝或是令你感興趣而使你很快發現它。

Chris: You can also catch other people's eyes.

克里斯：你也可以吸引他人的眼球。

Helen: Urgh, I hope no-one throws their eyes at me!

海倫：呃，我希望沒有人會把眼睛扔給我！

Chris: It's a gesture that can be romantic-to catch someone's eye across a crowded room. Let's listen to some examples:

克里斯：這是一個可以很浪漫的動作，在擁擠的房間裏吸引某人的目光。我們來看一些例子：

Jeff was about to give up and leave when he caught Sophie's eye at the bar.

就在傑夫要放棄並離開的時候，他在酒吧裏吸引了蘇菲的注意。

David was impatient to leave the restaurant and raised his hand to catch the waiter's eye.

大衛急着要離開餐廳，他把手舉起來以吸引服務員的目光。

Chris: So you can grab someone else's attention by looking at them with your eyes.

克里斯：所以，你可以通過直視對方的眼睛來吸引他們的目光。

Helen: Hmm. If I see someone I like, should I be polite and ask them if I can catch their eye?

海倫：嗯。如果我看到某個我喜歡的人，我是不是應該禮貌地問他們我是否能吸引他們的目光？

Chris: No, it's just something you do when you look at someone. You don't need to ask.

克里斯：不行，這只是你在看某人時做的事情。你不需要問。

Helen: I'm looking around the room. I'm looking around the room. And now I'm looking at you, Chris. I'm catching your eye.

海倫：我環顧了一下房間。我環顧了一下房間。現在我在看你，克里斯。我正在吸引你的目光。

Chris: That's right.

克里斯：沒錯。

Helen: I'm catching your eye!

海倫：我在吸引你的目光！

Chris: Well, it is only temporary. If you look for any longer it can become a stare.

克里斯：嗯，這只是暫時的。如果你再看時間長一些，就會變成瞪眼了。

Helen: I've caught your eye!

海倫：我抓住你的目光了！

Chris: Yes, yes you have… OK, you are definitely staring at me now.

克里斯：對，對，沒錯……好了，你現在絕對是在瞪我。

重點講解：
1. catch one's eye/eye-catching
闖入眼簾；突然引起…的注意；搶眼的；引人注目的；
eg. I underlined the idiomatic expressions in the passage to catch your eye.
我在文章中的習慣用語下面劃了線，以便引起你的注意。
eg. In big cities you can see many eye-catching advertisements.
在大城市，你會看到許多引人注目的廣告。
2. attract one's attention
（突然）吸引…的注意；
eg. A faint aroma of coffee attracted his attention.
淡淡的咖啡香味一下子吸引了他。
eg. He clicked his tongue to attract their attention.
他咂嘴發出嘖嘖聲以吸引他們的注意。
3. be impatient to do sth.
迫不及待的；切望的；急不可耐的；
eg. He was impatient to get home.
他迫不及待想要回家。
eg. He's impatient to know what happened.
他急於想知道發生了什麼事。
4. stare at
凝視；盯着看；
eg. It is bad manners to stare at people.
瞪着眼睛看人是不禮貌的。
eg. The little girl stared at the little cats tumbling over each other in their basket.
小女孩凝視着在籃子裏互相翻來滾去的小貓。