"protest too much" in Chinese (Traditional)

• （否認時）過於激烈
• 辯解太多

Definition

當某人「過於激烈地否認」某事時，就是否認得太強烈或太頻繁，讓人懷疑他其實在隱瞞什麼。強烈否認反而令人懷疑。

Usage Notes (Chinese (Traditional))

常用於別人否認喜歡某人、無辜或隱藏祕密時，帶有文學色彩（莎士比亞名句）。用於形容否認太過分而引人懷疑。

Examples

Whenever you mention chocolate, he protests too much that he doesn't like it.

每次你提到巧克力，他都**過於激烈地否認**自己喜歡。

She protests too much when people ask if she's afraid of dogs.

別人問她怕不怕狗時，她總是**辯解太多**。

If you protest too much, others might not believe you.

如果你**否認時太激烈**，別人可能就不信了。

You say you don't care, but you protest too much—are you sure?

你說你不在乎，可你**否認得太用力了**——真的沒關係？

The more you protest too much, the more suspicious it sounds.

你越是**極力否認**，就越讓人懷疑。

Everyone believed him at first, but then he started to protest too much and people got suspicious.

一開始大家都信了他，後來他**否認得太激烈**，大家就起疑了。