at my wit’s end

2021/01/19 04:12:57 網誌分類: 生活

19 Jan

        　　Weather plays an important part in a person’s mood. A sunny and pleasant day can lift spirts. Many people, including me, can’t bear very hot and humid days. Many people also cannot bear very cold weather combined with very low humidity. I have been at my wit’s end for almost two weeks now. The extremely dry and cold weather has made me miserable. I don’t mind the cold weather because I have lived for many years in Washington DC where snow is common in the winter. When I lived there, I bundled up before going out. It is the dryness that I hate. The humidity in Hong Kong has been under 40 or even 30 percent for many days.

        　　This has made my skin very itchy. That’s why I am at my wit’s end. The expression “lift spirits” means to make someone happier or less unhappy. The end of the coronavirus pandemic will lift everyone’s spirits. The word “bear” has many meanings. It can mean a large, wild, and strong animal that lives in colder parts of the world. But if you can’t bear something, it means you cannot tolerate it. If you are at your wit’s end, it means you are worried, confused, and annoyed because you don’t know what to do next. To “bundle up” means to wear enough clothes to keep warm. I am at my wit’s end because I don’t know how to stop my itchy skin.

        　　I have tried different types of cream but they have only eased my itchy skin a little bit. My internet research showed I should avoid long and hot showers. But I love hot and long showers, especially on cold days. I shower twice a day, in the morning and evening. After my shower, I put skin cream all over my body but the itch doesn’t go away. I have now decided to take a short shower with warm and not hot water just once a day. I hope that helps. And I hope the dry weather will end soon.

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        　　天氣對於影響一個人的心情扮演着重要的角色。晴朗及怡人的一天可以令人精神為之一振（lift spirts）。許多人包括我自己，都不大能忍受（bear）過於炎熱和潮濕的天氣。許多人也不能忍受（bear）寒冷加上非常乾燥的天氣。至今差不多兩個星期了，我實在束手無策（at my wit’s end），這極度乾燥和寒冷的天氣令我相當痛苦。我不介意寒冷的天氣，因為我以前在華盛頓特區居住多年，冬天很常下雪。我住那兒時，出外前都會把自己裹得實實的（bundled up）。我討厭的是乾燥。香港的濕度多日以來都低於百分之四十甚至三十。

        　　這令我的皮膚異常痕癢。因此我已束手無策（at my wit’s end）。習語“lift spirits”是指振奮人心，令某人振作又或不那麼灰沉。新冠肺炎疫情若能完結，將可令所有人精神振奮（lift everyone’s spirits）。Bear一字有許多意思，它可以指在較寒冷地區生活、強壯的野生大熊；但若說你不能 bear something，意即你實在不能忍受它。若你是 at your wit’s end，意指你很擔心、困惑和苦惱，因你實在無計可施，不知道下一步該怎辦。To “bundle up”意即穿足夠的衣物令自己暖和。我已無計可施（at my wit’s end），因我不知道可以怎樣令我的皮膚不再痕癢。

        　　我已經試了好幾款不同的潤膚霜，但它們也只能稍稍紓緩我痕癢的肌膚。我上網搜尋解答，發現我應該避免長時間的熱水浴。可是我喜愛長時間的熱水浴啊，尤其在寒冷的日子。我每日會沐浴兩次，一早一晚。洗澡後，我會將潤膚霜搽勻全身，可還是止不住皮膚發癢。我現在決定沐浴的時間要短一些，只用暖水而非熱水，而且只一天一次。我希望那有幫助吧。我亦希望這個乾燥的天氣早日過去。

        mickchug@gmail.com

        Michael Chugani褚簡寧

        中譯：七刻



        Michael Chugani 褚簡寧

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