To unbend is to loosen up and stop being so stiff and formal. Picture a person held rigid — back straight, face careful, every word chosen — and then something lets that stiffness out of them. That is unbending.

To unbend is unbend就是 to loosen up and stop being so stiff and formal放鬆下來、不再那麼拘謹正式 Picture a person held rigid想像一個人繃得緊緊的 back straight, face careful, every word chosen背挺得直直的、表情很小心、每句話都字斟句酌 and then something lets that stiffness out of them然後有件事把那股僵硬釋放出來 That is unbending那就是unbending

It usually needs a reason: a drink, an old friend arriving, the boss finally leaving the room, a holiday. 'After the second glass of wine he unbent a little and started telling stories.' Notice that the word describes a change, a moment of softening, not a permanent personality. And notice 'a little' — this word very often comes with 'a little', 'slightly', 'enough to…', because the people it gets used about are stiff by nature and only ever thaw partway.

It usually needs a reason它通常需要一個契機 a drink一杯酒 an old friend arriving一個老朋友來了 the boss finally leaving the room老闆終於離開房間 a holiday或一趟假期 'After the second glass of wine he unbent a little and started telling stories.'「喝完第二杯酒後他稍微放鬆了一點，開始說起故事」 Notice that the word describes a change注意這個字描述的是一個變化 a moment of softening一個變柔軟的瞬間 not a permanent personality而不是永久的個性 And notice 'a little'再注意一下'a little'這個詞 this word very often comes with 'a little', 'slightly', 'enough to…'這個字很常搭配'a little'、'slightly'、'enough to…' because the people it gets used about are stiff by nature因為被用這個字形容的人本來就天生拘謹 and only ever thaw partway而且永遠只會鬆一部分

It sounds a bit formal and old-fashioned itself, which is a nice joke about a word that means relaxing. In everyday speech people say 'loosen up', 'lighten up', 'relax', or 'let his hair down'.

It sounds a bit formal and old-fashioned itself它自己聽起來也有點正式、老派 which is a nice joke about a word that means relaxing對一個意思是「放鬆」的字來說這是個不錯的笑點 In everyday speech在日常口語裡 people say 'loosen up', 'lighten up', 'relax', or 'let his hair down'人們會說'loosen up'、'lighten up'、'relax'、或'let his hair down'

The word is also literal in a plainer way: to unbend something bent is to straighten it — a wire, a paperclip, your knees after kneeling too long. That literal use is where the relaxing sense comes from, and it is completely ordinary English. It is an irregular verb, following bend: unbend, unbent, unbent.

The word is also literal in a plainer way這個字也有更單純的字面意思 to unbend something bent is to straighten it把彎的東西unbend就是把它弄直 a wire, a paperclip, your knees after kneeling too long像一條鐵絲、一根迴紋針、或跪太久之後的膝蓋 That literal use is where the relaxing sense comes from那個字面意思正是「放鬆」這個意思的來源 and it is completely ordinary English而且完全是很普通的英文 It is an irregular verb這是個不規則動詞 following bend跟bend一樣 unbend, unbent, unbent unbend、unbent、unbent