【句子】It's just a formality. I'll be cleared in no time. 【Desperate Housewives S02E03】

【发音】/ɪts/ /dʒʌst/ /ə/ /fɔː(r)ˈmæl.ə.ti/ /aɪl/ /biː/ /klɪə(r)d/ /ɪn/ /nəʊ/ /taɪm/

【发音技巧】just a连读；formality闪音；

【翻译】这只是例行公事而已，我很快就会恢复清白的。

【适用场合】

今天我们学习的表达有三个，

第一个叫做be a formality，

formality来自于单词form，然后你再看看它跟formal也是同根的。

formality的意思是：something which has to be done but which has no real importance

“一些不得不做，但其实不怎么重要的事情”；

我们一般见到formality，通常是放在句子里，It's just a formality. It's only a formality.

或者It's a mere formality.

意思是“这只是例行公事而已；只是走走过场而已”。



eg: He already knows he has the job so the interview is a mere formality.

他已经知道自己拿到了那份工作，所以那个面试就是走走过场而已。



eg: The CEO's speech was only a formality.

总经理的演讲只是例行公事而已。



eg: Normally the vote of the state's presidential electors is a mere formality.

通常来说，那个州投票选总统选举人，只是走走过场而已。



eg: You’ll have to sign the visitors' book, but it's just a formality.

你得在访客簿上签到，不过那只是例行公事。



今天关键句中，还出现了一个be cleared表示“清白”这个说法，也可以积累一下。

此时clear当做动词来看待，表示：
to prove that someone is not guilty of something that they were accused of

“证实某个人是清白的，并不对某件事情负责”；



eg: After many years in prison, the men were finally cleared of the bombings.

在监狱待了好多年之后，这些人终于被证实与当年的爆炸案无关，他们是清白的。



那什么叫做in no time呢？

就是“很快、立即、立刻、马上”这样的意思；

very quickly or very soon

这个短语你也可以说成是in next to no time，一个意思；



eg: The children ate their dinner in no time.

孩子们迅速吃完了他们的晚餐。



eg: We'll be home in next to no time.

我们很快就到家。



【尝试翻译以下句子，并留言在文章留言区】

She considered her marriage to Jerry not a mere formality but a sanctification of their relationship.