Max: Please forgive me for yelling at you. I had such a bad day. I just needed to blow off some steam.
Julie: It’s ok. I understand. You know when my friend Rebecca needs to blow off steam, she goes for a long bike ride!

본문에서 Max가 “Please forgive me for yelling at you. 소리질러서 미안해. 용서해줘. I had such a bad day. I just needed to blow off some steam. 오늘 안 좋은 일들이 많았어. 어떻게 해서라도 나쁜 감정을 풀어버려야 해서 그랬나 봐.” 라고 하자 Julie가 “It’s ok. I understand. 괜찮아. 이해해. You know when my friend Rebecca needs to blow off steam, she goes for a long bike ride! 내 친구 레베카는 화가 쌓이면 자전거를 타고 먼 데까지 갔다 와.” 라고 말해줍니다.

Now keep today’s expression ‘blow off steam’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Max: Please forgive me for yelling at you. I had such a bad day. I just needed to blow off some steam.
Julie: It’s ok. I understand. You know when my friend Rebecca needs to blow off steam, she goes for a long bike ride!

Today’s expression is blow off steam. Blow off steam. That’s what people do when they need to get rid of negative, or bad, feelings. This phrase comes from steam engines. Blow off steam 직역하면 ‘김을 불어 날린다’ ‘증기를 뿜어내다’라는 뜻이죠. 결국 울분을 터뜨리다. 화를 발산시키다. 마음에 쌓여있는 분노를 푼다는 말입니다.

When pressure builds up inside, the engines must release steam. 증기 기관 내부에서 압력이 늘어나면 기관은 증기를 뿜어 내야 합니다. Even a boiling kettle pot will give off steam. 또는 주전자에 물이 펄펄 끓면 김이 나기 마련이고요. 압력을 줄이기 위해서 말이죠. 마찬가지로 사람도 마음에 품고 있는 나쁜 감정을 날려 버려야죠. 잘못하면 터져버리니까요. So when someone blows off steam it’s saying that they are releasing all the pressure, stress or other feelings.

오늘 본문에서 Max가 Julie한테 소리까지 지를 정도로 하루가 힘들고 스트레스도 심했던 모양입니다. Max가 미안해 하며 “Please forgive me for yelling at you. I had such a bad day. I just needed to blow off some steam.” “오늘 하루 안 좋은 일들이 많았어. 어떻게 해서라도 나쁜 감정을 풀어버려야 해서 그랬나 봐.”라고 말합니다.

이제 예문을 통해 오늘 표현에 대해 더 자세히 알아보죠. “Exercising is a good way to blow off steam.”라고 하면 “화가 쌓일 때는 운동으로 날려버리는 게 최고야.” 라는 뜻이 됩니다. Now you know what today’s expression means right? Then we will listen to the conversation for the last time.

Max: Please forgive me for yelling at you. I had such a bad day. I just needed to blow off some steam.
Julie: It’s ok. I understand. You know when my friend Rebecca needs to blow off steam, she goes for a long bike ride!

Let’s review. Blow off steam. That’s what people do when they need to get rid of negative, or bad, feelings. BLOW OFF STEAM. Now try using this expression on your own.