The english we speak(BBC教學)第185期:Look like the back end of a bus 長相醜陋

Helen: Hello, Feifei.

海倫：你好，菲菲。

Feifei: Hi, Helen.

菲菲：你好，海倫。

Helen: Getting ready for The English We Speak?

海倫：準備好開始地道英語節目了嗎？

Feifei: Well, kind of.

菲菲：嗯，差不多。

Helen: Look at you - are you going somewhere special later?

海倫：看看你，你一會兒要去特別的地方嗎？

Feifei: Yes, I am. As it happens, I'm going for an audition for a new TV programme.

菲菲：是的。實際上，我一會兒要去參加一個新電視節目的試鏡。

Helen: What new programme is it?

海倫：那個新節目是什麼？

Feifei: It's called The Analysis - it's all about current affairs and, you know, serious news items.

菲菲：節目叫做《The Analysis》，是一檔有關時事的節目，你知道，是嚴肅的新聞節目。

Helen: Really, I would have thought you would be auditioning for a celebrity chat show. You're looking awfully glamorous for a news programme.

海倫：真的嗎，我以爲你會去試鏡名人訪談節目。主持新聞節目，你看上去太迷人了。

Feifei: Well, you can't look like the back end of a bus when you go on TV, no matter what kind of TV programme it is.

菲菲：你不能醜醜地上電視，無論是哪種節目。

Helen: What? Back end of a bus? What's 'bus' got to do with TV?

海倫：什麼？公交車的後面？電視和公交車有什麼關係？

Feifei: Oh, you know what I mean. What do you see on the back of a bus?

菲菲：哦，你知道我是什麼意思。你在公交車的後面能看到什麼？

Helen: Er, a window and... er, exhaust pipes?

海倫：額，窗戶還有，嗯，排氣管？

Feifei: Not much to see, is there?

菲菲：沒有什麼可看的，對吧？

Helen: No, who would want to look at the back end of a bus? It's so ugly.

海倫：沒有，誰想去看公交車的後面啊？太醜了。

Feifei: Exactly. Nobody wants to look at the back end of a bus. If I looked like the back end of the bus, nobody would hire me in TV.

菲菲：沒錯。沒有人想看公交車的後面。如果我看上去像公交車的後面，那電視臺裏是沒有人想僱我的。

Helen: I get it. The phrase 'look like the back end of a bus' means looking ugly. You want to look your best - that's why you're wearing make-up and that beautiful dress.

海倫：我明白了。look like the back end of a bus這個短語的意思是看上去很醜。你希望展現你最好的一面，這就是你化妝又穿漂亮裙子的原因。

Feifei: That's right.

菲菲：沒錯。

A: (sobbing) I can't believe what a vengeful person Mike is. We broke up last Friday.

A：（抽泣）我真不敢相信邁克是復仇心這麼重的人。我們上週五分手了。

B: It doesn't surprise me. I've never thought much of him!

B：這並不讓我驚訝。我從來沒覺得他有多好。

A: And he wrote to his friends that he dumped me because I look like the back end of a bus.

A：他還寫信給他的朋友們說是他甩了我，因爲我長得太醜了。

B: Oh, no! What a horrible thing to say! He should look in the mirror himself.

B：哦不！那是件多可怕的事情啊！他真應該照照鏡子。

Helen: So this expression, 'look like the back end of a bus' is not a very pretty thing to say to anyone. It would really offend somebody.

海倫：所以這個表達對任何人來說都是不好的事情。這會冒犯別人的。

Feifei: No, you should definitely not use it to describe what someone looks like. Let's hope this new dress is worth the money I spent on it. See you later.

菲菲：對，你絕對不能用這個短語來形容別人的外貌。我希望這條新裙子能值得我買它花的價錢。一會兒見。

Helen: Good luck!

海倫：祝你好運！

重點講解：
1. get ready for
準備好的；勝任的；
eg. He was busy getting ready for his journey.
他正忙於準備旅行。
eg. It took her a long time to get ready for church.
她花了很長時間才做好去教堂的準備。
2. as it happens
碰巧，恰恰（尤引出令人意外的事）；
eg. She called Amy to see if she had any idea of her son's whereabouts. As it happened, Amy had.
她打電話給埃米，看她是否知道自己兒子的行蹤。埃米還真就知道。
eg. We met Jeanne only yesterday, as it happens.
我們只是在昨天才與珍妮碰巧相遇。
3. no matter
不管…；無論…；
eg. Once that happens, it can't be taken back, no matter how earnestly you proclaim otherwise afterwards.
這種事一旦發生便不可挽回，不管事後如何矢口否認。
eg. Any business leader would be pleased with those growth figures, no matter what the industry.
任何公司老闆都會樂於看到這樣的增幅，不管是哪個行業。
4. look one's best
看起來處於自己最迷人的狀態；
eg. I made sure I was very clean and looking my best.
我把自己收拾得十分整潔，美麗動人。
eg. If a guy pulls up or adjusts his socks in your presence, it's an almost 100 percent sign he's interested and trying to look his best.
如果一個男生在你面前拉起或是調整他的襪子，那麼這百分之百是一個他對你感興趣，並希望以最佳形象示人的標誌。
5. break up
（戀人）分手；（夫妻）結束關係；
eg. If he betrays me , I will break up with him immediately .
如果他背叛我，我會馬上和他分手
eg. No matter what things, do not easily say break up, don't give up easily feelings, the next station is not necessarily better than her.
無論遇到什麼事情，不要輕易說分手，不要輕易放棄感情，下一站未必比她好。