When a politician is off-message, they say something that does not match what their party wants people to hear. Parties usually agree on a few lines — a “message” — and everyone is supposed to repeat those lines on TV and in interviews. If someone wanders away from that, reporters say they went off-message.

When a politician當一位政治人物 is off-message，they say他說的 something話 does not match對不上 their party他的政黨 wants people to hear想讓大家聽到的內容。Parties政黨 usually通常 agree on先講好 a few lines幾句話——a “message”——and everyone而每個人 is supposed to應該 on TV在電視上 and in interviews和訪問裡 repeat those lines重複那幾句。If someone如果有人 wanders away from that偏離了那個，reporters記者 say就會說 they他 went off-message。

It is not always a huge fight with the party; sometimes it is just one careless sentence. Though actually, news writers love this word, and they sometimes use it when the person only sounded a little different, not when they truly changed sides.

It它 is not always不一定是 with the party跟黨 a huge fight大吵一架；sometimes有時 it just只是 one careless sentence一句不小心的話。Though actually不過其實，news writers寫新聞的人 love this word很愛這個詞，and they sometimes use it有時候他們用它時，the person那個人 only sounded a little different只是聽起來有一點不同，not when they truly changed sides並不是真的改變了立場。

You will meet it in talk about elections and government, not at the dinner table. It feels like inside-the-news English: the people who write about politics use it more than ordinary speakers. The opposite is on-message: staying tightly with the party’s lines.

in talk about elections and government在講選舉和政府的談話裡 You will meet it你會遇到它，not at the dinner table不會在餐桌上。It feels like它感覺像 inside-the-news English新聞圈內的英語：the people who write about politics寫政治的人 than ordinary speakers比一般人 use it more更常用它。The opposite相反詞 is是 on-message：with the party’s lines跟黨的說法 staying tightly貼得緊緊的。