Our most embarrassing moments
Amanda: My most embarrassing moment involved me flashing1 my underpants to a whole bunch2 of people at my high school. Stacey: I embarrass myself nearly every day! I'm a bit of a klutz3 and that can be pretty embarrassing. I once tripped4 and fell onto a complete stranger in the street! He was pretty nice about it, but I felt pretty silly.
Daniel: A personal favourite was my Year Ten school photo. I was on the top row, felt really sick, and started turning green. The photographer noticed and made me come down in front of my whole year while he elevated5 my feet and told me to take deep breaths. My green and red face was immortalized6 in the school photo that year so I will never forget.
Glen: In primary school I had a whole afternoon of embarrassment—I split my pants right around during lunchtime. I couldn't do anything about it until went home at 4:30pm so I had to spend the afternoon at school and after school with my underpants hanging out of my split pants.
Olivia: Mine would have to be when I was traveling overseas and all my bags went tumbling7 off my trolley8 while going down the escalator because I didn't see the sign. I broke several possessions and my glass bottle of drink spilt everywhere.
There are a number of classic9 reasons for having an embarrassing moment.
Firstly, tripping over and landing flat on your face. Normally, this is due to a lack of focus or being distracted10. Keep on eye out for where you are going and what you are doing and you will be fine.
Secondly, having embarrassing information about you being made public knowledge. Whether it's about your family, a guy you like or something silly you have done, make sure you tell private things only to trustworthy people, and you won't have to worry about that information getting out.
Thirdly, clothes and shoes can often be a source of embarrassing moments—when your top is on back to front, your buttons aren't matching up, or the zipper11 on your pants is down—there is an easy way to eliminate12 these embarrassing and common mistakes. Get into the habit of checking your entire outfit13 before you leave the room and you will never be caught out14.
Lastly, we all get our words mixed up sometimes. We sometimes say things before thinking about what we are saying. In order to prevent this make sure that you think about what you are about to say first—it's better to take your time and say something worthwhile than to sound silly and you might even save yourself from hurting other people's feelings in the future too.
While you can't control how others will react to your embarrassing moment, you can control how you will react.
The key to surviving the moment is to not freak out15 and show that you are aware that you're being laughed at. To make it easier, try remembering these three pointers16:
1) You'll probably be laughing about it in a few days, so try to see the funny side of it right away.
2) If it's something so humiliating that you know you'll never laugh about it, understand that the pain is bound to fade over time.
3) Ask your friends to give you a break and not make fun of you. If you've done the same for them, they're more likely to let it pass.
最让我们尴尬的事
阿曼达：我最尴尬的事是上中学的时候，有一次内裤露出来让一大群人看到了。
斯泰西：我几乎每天都碰到尴尬事。我这个人有点马大哈，有时候会出一些很尴尬的事。有一次在街上，我一脚踏空扑倒在一个素不相识的陌生人身上。那个人倒没说什么，但我觉得自己这样很可笑。
丹尼尔：我经常讲的一件尴尬事跟我十岁在学校照的一张相片有关。我站在最高一排，当时身体很虚弱，脸色开始发青。摄影师发现了，当着全年级同学的面，搬着我的脚放我下来，让我做几个深呼吸。我的脸青一块，红一块，永远记录在那年学校的合影上，所以我一辈子都忘不了。
格伦：我上小学出了一件尴尬事，让我难受了一个下午。裤子早不破，晚不破，偏偏吃午饭的时候撕破了。我一点办法也没有，一直挨到下午四点半放学回家。那天下午上学放学我的内裤都露在破裤子外面。
奥利维亚：说起我最尴尬的事，应该算那次出国的时候，下电梯没看清标志，手推车上的行李全都掉了下来，摔坏了几样东西，玻璃杯的饮料洒得到处都是。
出现尴尬有许多典型的原因。
第一，是脚被绊了一下，摔了个嘴啃地。出现这种情况通常是因为注意力不集中或走了神。 只要走路或做事的时候留心就不会出洋相。
第二，第二是你的尴尬事让大家都知道了。不管是家人的事，亲朋好友的事，还是你自己干的傻事，记住私事只能跟信得过的人讲，这样就不用担心叫外人知道取笑了。
第三，衣服和鞋子经常会让人陷入尴尬，比如上衣后面穿到前面，衣服扣子扣错了，裤子拉链没拉上。要杜绝这些常见的叫人尴尬的错误其实很简单。只要养成出门前检查全套穿着的习惯，就不会被人抓住把柄。
最后一点，每个人都会有说错话的时候。有时候我们不假思索就说了些话。为防止此类事情发生，一定要把你想说的话先考虑一番，与其噼里啪啦说一些傻话，还不如从从容容地说一些有价值的话。这样甚至还可能避免将来出语伤人。
你碰到尴尬事虽然无法控制别人的反应，但你可以控制自己的反应。
这个时候，关键是不要动怒，不要表现出你意识到被人取笑。简单地说，请尽量记住以下三点：
第一，过几天你很可能觉得这件事很好笑，何不现在就看到事情可笑的一面？
第二，如果这件事让你感到很羞辱，你一辈子都不会觉得可笑，那么你应该明白一个道理，痛苦会随着时间的流逝而减轻。
第三，请朋友们给你一个调整的机会，不要笑话你。如果你是这样对待他们的，他们会更容易放你一马。
1. flash v. 闪现
2. bunch n. 人群
3. klutz n. （美俚）笨手笨脚的人
4. trip v. 绊倒
5. elevate (sth.) 将（某物）举起
6. immortalize v. 使（某事物）永存
7. tumble v. 坠落（尤指身不由己，但通常并无重伤）
8. trolley n. 手推车
9. classic adj. 典型的
10. distracted adj. 精神不能集中的
11. zipper ＝zip n. 拉链（尤其在美国很常用）
12. eliminate v. 清除；排除（尤指不必要的事物）
13. outfit n. 全套装备
14. catch sb. out 显出某人无知或犯错误
15. freak out 暂时对自己失去控制；发疯
16. pointer n. 主意；意见