Honoring the Annoying | 国定恼人小事周：抱怨有理

by Rebecca A. Fratzke

Need to gripe? National Pet Peeve Week gives you an excuse to complain.

想要一吐怨气吗？『国定恼人小事周』给你不吐不快的理由。

We all have them. Some of them are simply annoying. Some of them can actually give us violent urges. _(1)_ Merriam-Webster.com, a pet peeve is a "frequent subject of complaint." While this is a simple description, pet peeves are more than just complaints. Pet peeves are actions or situations that _(2)_ us crazy. Examples include incorrect train schedules, people chewing food with their mouths wide open, or little dogs that _(3)_ bark at anything and everything. In truth, a pet peeve can be anything that someone finds annoying. Moreover, if we were all honest, we could quickly _(4)_ a long list. Although complaining is usually something to be avoided, the second week in October has become a time to honor these annoyances. In the US, this is National Pet Peeve Week, a time for people to complain freely about the things that irritate them.

The idea of having a whole week to complain seems odd. However, there could actually be something important behind it. National Pet Peeve Week has allowed people to vent their _(5)_ that they usually keep bottled up. Allowing oneself to speak truthfully can reduce tension and increase calmness. _(6)_, National Pet Peeve Week does not give you a free pass to be rude. Hurting someone else's feelings _(7)_ is never a good thing. That said, helping a friend correct a bad habit or reminding someone of their social responsibilities can create a better world even if it's only in a small way.

1.  (A) Owing to    (B) In case of  (C) According to    (D) By means of

2.  (A) pull    (B) drive   (C) cause   (D) bring

3.  (A) constantly  (B) popularly   (C) narrowly    (D) traditionally

4.  (A) break up with   (B) put up with (C) keep up with    (D) come up with

5.  (A) imaginations    (B) expectations    (C) frustrations    (D) reactions

6.  (A) Consequently    (B) Even so (C) In other words  (D) For the time being

7.  (A) on purpose  (B) on call (C) in demand   (D) in advance

　我们都有讨厌的事物。有些单纯只是恼人，有些却真的能够让我们有发飙的冲动。根据在线韦氏字典的解释，pet peeve 是指『经常抱怨的事物』。虽然这不过是个简单的描述，但它们绝非仅止抱怨而已。恼人的小事是让我们生气的举动或情况。举例来说，不准的火车时刻表、张大嘴巴咀嚼食物、或是小狗一直胡乱吠叫都是恼人的小事。事实上，恼人的小事可以是任何令人讨厌的东西。此外，如果我们够诚实的话，我们马上就能想出一长串可以抱怨的名单。虽然抱怨的行为通常不受到鼓励，但 10 月的第二周却是一段表扬它的时间。这就是美国的『国定恼人小事周』，一个让人们能大肆抱怨恼人事物的时刻。

　　将整个星期做为抱怨之用似乎有点奇怪，然而这背后其实有其重要的意涵。国定恼人小事周使人们平日压抑的挫折得以抒发。直言不讳有助减少精神紧张，同时带来心灵的平静。即使如此，国定恼人小事周并不允许你随便对人无礼。蓄意伤害别人的感情绝非好事。但若是藉由抱怨进而帮助朋友改掉坏习惯，或者提醒他们应肩负的社会责任，即便改善的程度不大，却能创造出更美好的世界。

答案：1. (C)2. (B)3. (A)4. (D)5. (C)6. (B)7. (A)

For Your Information

GetAnnoyed 的网站 (www.getannoyed.com)，里头条列出很多令人讨厌或生气的事物，有些是大多数人都会赞同（例如开车转弯时不打方向灯、失败时只责怪别人但从不检讨自己），有些则还不到需要抱怨的程度（例如穿着打扮不符合自己的年龄、电影院播放电影前的宣传广告）。浏览一下这个网站，看看自己有没有那些可能引人不满的习惯或行为喔！