The english we speak(BBC教學)第270期:A recipe for disaster 後患無窮

Feifei's cooking a special cake for Helen's birthday but Rob thinks she might have the wrong recipe. What does he mean and how can Feifei turn the cake from a disaster to a success?

菲菲正在爲海倫的生日準備特別蛋糕，不過羅布認爲她的食譜好像是錯的。他是什麼意思？菲菲要怎麼挽救這個蛋糕，從災難變成成功？

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Feifei…

菲菲：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語節目。我是菲菲。

Rob:…and hello, I'm Rob. Err, Feifei what are you doing?

羅布：大家好，我是羅布。額，菲菲，你在做什麼？

Feifei: I'm making a cake — a chocolate cake — obviously!

菲菲：我當然是在做蛋糕了，巧克力蛋糕！

Rob: Why are you making a chocolate cake?

羅布：你爲什麼要做巧克力蛋糕？

Feifei: It's Helen's birthday. What's wrong with that Rob?

菲菲：今天是海倫的生日。羅布，這有什麼問題嗎？

Rob: Well, for a start we are in a radio studio not a kitchen. Also, you've only got five minutes before she arrives — and you're putting salt in the cake mix not sugar.

羅布：嗯，首先，我們現在在演播室，不是廚房。另外，還有五分鐘她就到了，而且你剛剛放進蛋糕粉裏的是鹽，不是糖。

Feifei: Ooops!

菲菲：天哪！

Rob: It's a recipe for disaster!

羅布：這是一場災難！

Feifei: A recipe for disaster? No, look, it's a recipe for a chocolate cake Rob.

菲菲：災難配方？不是，你看，羅布，這是巧克力蛋糕食譜。

Rob: That might be — but a recipe for disaster means a combination of things that will, at some point, go wrong and cause harm, damage or in this case, humiliation — in other words it will end in trouble.

羅布：這可能是食譜，不過a recipe for disaster的意思是一些東西結合以後，會在某個時刻出錯，並造成傷害或損害，在這種情況下會丟臉，換句話說，就是會帶來麻煩。

Feifei: So the phrase isn't about cooking? Oh dear Rob, this wasn't the recipe I wanted to follow!

菲菲：所以這個短語和烹飪無關？天哪，羅布，這不是我要照做的那個食譜！

Rob: No. Let's hear some examples of this phrase in action — and we can work out how to limit the damage.

羅布：無關。我們來聽些例句，看看這個短語如何應用，我們可以想想怎麼減少損失。

Examples

例句

My doctor says drinking too much, not exercising enough, and having a stressful job are a recipe for disaster. He says I might die young!

我的醫生說，喝太多酒、鍛鍊不足、工作壓力大將後患無窮。他說我可能早死。

I'm not looking forward to the party. Having my wife and ex-girlfriend in the same room will be a recipe for disaster!

我並不期待這場聚會。讓我妻子和前女友出現在同一個場合會引發麻煩的！

Watch out on the road tonight — all that rain followed by freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster.

今晚在路上要小心，雨水在冰冷的氣溫下會造成問題的！

Feifei: So put another way, 'a recipe for disaster' is a phrase that means someone's actions will result in things going badly wrong. So what problem is my cake making going to cause, Rob?

菲菲：換句話說，這個短語的意思是某人的行爲會導致嚴重錯誤。羅布，那我這個蛋糕會有什麼問題呢？

Rob: Well can't you see there's cake mix on the table — the cake won't be ready in time — and it'll taste disgusting with all that salt in it.

羅布：你看不到桌子上的蛋糕粉嗎？蛋糕不能按時準備好了，而且裏面放的鹽會讓蛋糕的味道很噁心的。

Feifei: Oh calm down — do you want to taste the cake mix?

菲菲：哦，冷靜下來，你想嚐嚐這個蛋糕粉嗎？

Rob: Oh go on then…. Mmmm, actually it's not too bad. And there's not much mess. Perhaps it's not a disaster — but maybe we shouldn't give it to Helen. Shall we keep it for later?

羅布：哦，好吧。嗯，實際上味道還不賴。情況不太糟。也許這並不是災難，不過我們可能不應該把這個蛋糕送給海倫。我們能留着以後用嗎？

Feifei: Ha ha — it looks like this has been a recipe for success!

菲菲：哈哈，看起來這個蛋糕成功了！

Rob: For once Feifei, you might be right! Bye!

羅布：菲菲，這一次你可能是對的！再見！

Feifei: Bye.

菲菲：再見。

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. for a start 首先；第一；
例句：It comes as a surprise to be reminded that he is 70. For a start, he doesn't look it.
有人提醒我他 70 歲了，這很令人驚訝。首先，他看上去不像。
2. go wrong （情況）出岔子，出差錯；
例句：It all went horribly wrong.
情況完全變得一團糟。
3. in other words 換言之；換句話說；也就是說；
例句：In other words, whatever the prices, people will just have to buy them.
換句話說，無論價格如何變化，人們要買還得買。
4. work out 想出，得到（解決方法）；解（謎）；
例句：This is something you'll have to work out yourself.
這是你自己必須去解決的事情。
5. look forward to sth./doing sth. 期待；盼望；
例句：I must say, I look forward to seeing her tomorrow.
我得說，我盼望明天和她見面。
6. watch out 小心，提防（不愉快的事情或陷入困境）；
例句：We have to watch out for fast traffic along here.
這裏來往的車輛開得很快，我們必須小心。
7. result in 導致；引起；造成；
例句：Complacency could easily result in tragedy.
自滿容易導致悲劇。
8. calm down （使）平靜下來；（使）鎮定下來；
例句：Calm down! Don't get so agitated.
平靜下來！別那麼激動。
9. for once 就此一次；破例一次；
例句：For once, dad is not complaining.
爸爸這次破天荒地沒有抱怨。