The english we speak(BBC教學)第304期:Close, but no cigar 幾近成功
It's illegal to smoke inside the BBC, but Neil risks his job to teach you an English expression. Can Feifei guess what it is?
BBC大樓內不允許吸菸,可是尼爾冒着丟掉工作的風險教了一個英語表達方式。菲菲能猜到短語的意思嗎?Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Neil and joining me is Feifei...
尼爾:大家好,歡迎收聽地道英語節目。我是尼爾,今天和我一起主持節目的是菲菲。Feifei: Hi there everyone.
菲菲:大家好。
Neil: In this programme we have an expression you can use when someone has almost succeeded — but not quite. Now Feifei, could you just pass me that lighter, please?
尼爾:本期節目我們要講的短語用來形容一個人幾乎就要成功了,但是沒有完全成功。菲菲,你能把打火機遞給我嗎?Feifei: Lighter? What on earth are you doing with that cigar? You can't smoke in here!
菲菲:打火機?你到底要用那支雪茄做什麼?你不能在這裏吸菸!Neil: It's a clue. You have to guess what the expression is.
尼爾:這是個提示。你要猜出這個表達方式是什麼。Feifei: Oh OK. Is it 'to smoke like a chimney?'
菲菲:好。是不是“煙癮大”?Neil: Close, but no cigar.
尼爾:接近,但是不對。Feifei: OK, is it 'no smoke without fire'?
菲菲:好,是不是“無火不成煙”?Neil: Close, but no cigar.
尼爾:接近,但是不準確。Feifei: Oh, I give up!
菲菲:好吧,我放棄了!Neil: I've told you twice already — it's 'close, but no cigar.' If someone almost succeeds — but not quite — you can say to them 'close, but no cigar.' Here are some examples.
尼爾:我已經告訴你兩次了,這個短語就是“close, but no cigar”。如果有人差點就要成功了,但是沒有完全成功,你就可以用這個短語。下面是例句。Examples
例句A: How old do you think I am?
A:你覺得我多大了?B: 36?
B:36?A: Nope — 35. Close, but no cigar.
A:不是,我35歲。你差點就猜中了。Five of my numbers came up in the lottery. Close, but no cigar.
我的彩票中了5個數。差點就能中獎了。They hit the post in the last second of the game. Close, but no cigar!
他們在比賽最後一秒擊中了門柱。差一點就成功了!Neil: So, there we go. If someone almost succeeds, but doesn't quite, we can say to them 'close, but no cigar.'
尼爾:好了。如果有人差一點就成功了,但是沒有完全成功,我們就可以對他們說“差點就成功了”。Feifei: Right, well you can put that cigar away now we've finished.
菲菲:好,現在節目結束了,你可以把雪茄收起來了。Neil: Actually, it's a really good one — shame to waste it.
尼爾:其實這支雪茄很不錯,浪費了太可惜了。Feifei: Neil!
菲菲:尼爾!Neil: Uh oh!
尼爾:噢!
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重點講解:
1. on earth (用於以how, why, what 或 where 開始的問句,表示強調,通常表示問題沒有答案或很難回答)究竟,到底;
例句:I don't know what on earth he's playing at.
我不清楚他究竟在幹什麼。
2. no smoke without fire 無風不起浪;
例句:As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire.
常言道,無風不起浪。
3. give up 放棄;戒除;
例句:He have intended to go, but on second thought, he give up the idea.
他本來想去,但進一步考慮後,打消了這個念頭。
4. put away 把…收起;放好;
例句:Ah! This is where I put away this shirt.
啊,原來這襯衫是收在這地方。