第一，迷你对话

A: Mary didn't pass the final exam in physics.

Mary在物理的期末考试没及格。

B: She must be very sad.

她一定很难过。

A: Her parents scolded her severely and she's very depressed now.

她的父母狠狠地批评了她一顿，她现在非常低落。

B: At a time like this, what she needs is a pat on the back rather than a blame.

在这个时候，她需要的是鼓励，而不是责备。

第二，地道表达

a pat on the back

1. 解词释义

A pat on the back的意思是“鼓励，肯定或赞许”。其英文解释为：praise given to a person for an achievement or a job well done。

2. 拓展范例

E.g. She deserves a pat on the back for all the hard work she's done.

她辛勤努力值得赞扬。

E.g. The teacher gave her a pat on the back after she did well in the exam.

她考得不错，老师表扬了她。

E.g. She received a pat on the back for doing a good job.

她因表现良好而受赞扬。

E.g. Treating his daughter to ice cream was Joe's way of giving her a pat on the back after she won first place in the science fair.

Joe请他女儿吃雪糕是他在女儿在科技展览中获得第一后而给与奖励的一种方式。

E.g.. The only reason she stays late at work is to receive a pat on the back from her boss.

她熬夜工作的唯一原因就是得到老板的肯定。

第三，视野拓展

pass the exam：考试及格

E.g. He made an attempt to pass the exam, but it was too difficult.

他试图通过考试，但考试太难了。

E.g. It was a great blow when he failed to pass the exam.

他考试不及格对他是个重大的打击。

at a time：一次

E.g. That term, John stayed away from school for weeks at a time.

那学期约翰一次旷课就几个星期。

E.g. She spoke half an hour at a time.

她一次讲了半个小时。

at a time like this：在这时候

E.g. If you had a nest egg, you wouldn't feel so worried at a time like this.

如果你手里有点积蓄，你也不会在个时候如此着急。

E.g. At a time like this, I do not grudge a thing.

在这样的时候，我什么都舍得。

rather than：而不是

E.g. I would describe her as handsome rather than beautiful.

我认为她是健美而不是貌美。

E.g. It ought to be you rather than me that sign the letter.

在信上签署的应该是你而不是我。