The english we speak(BBC教學)第227期:In black and white 書面證據

Feifei doubts Rob's claim that they're getting a big pay rise but Rob uses a phrase that means he has written proof. Learn this new phrase — and discover if he has actually used it properly!

菲菲對羅布說他們會大幅加薪一事表示懷疑，但是羅布用了一個短語表示他有書面證據。請學習這個新短語，確定羅布是否恰當地使用了這個短語！

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

注：音頻與文本並不完全對應。

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me Feifei...

菲菲：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語節目，我是菲菲……

Rob: me Rob. Hello. So Feifei have you heard the news?

羅布：……還有我，羅布。菲菲，你聽說那個消息了嗎？

Feifei: The news? What news?

菲菲：消息？什麼消息？

Rob: We're all going to get a big pay rise!

羅布：我們要大幅加薪了！

Feifei: A pay rise? But Rob are you sure? I haven't heard anyone else talk about it.

菲菲：加薪？羅布，你確定嗎？我從來沒聽任何人說過這件事。

Rob: Yes, yes, I'm sure. Look at this leaflet here... it says it there in black and white.

羅布：當然，我當然確定。看看這裏的這個冊子，上面有書面證據。

Feifei: In black and white? But it's in colour — look, it says 'ten per cent' in red letters.

菲菲：用黑和白寫的？可是是有顏色的啊，看，上面用紅字寫着10%。

Rob: I don't mean it's printed in black and white — if someone says it's 'in black and white' they mean it's official — it's been printed or written down — so there is no dispute!

羅布：我不是說用黑白打印出來的，如果有人說in black and white，意思是有正式的書面證據，不存在爭議。

Feifei: So you're saying it's not gossip — it's true?

菲菲：你是說這不是傳言，而是真的？

Rob: Yes, yes — I have proof of the pay rise on this piece of paper here.

羅布：對，沒錯，這裏這張紙上有證據表明我們要漲薪了。

Feifei: OK, well let me read it while we hear some more examples of this phrase...

菲菲：好，我來看一下，這段時間我們來聽下這個短語的例句……

Examples

例句

I have it here in black and white — I've got the job!

我有書面證據證明，我找到工作了！

I'm not going to start celebrating until I've seen the deal in black and white.

在我看到書面協議以前我是不會慶祝的。

We didn't believe the bank's offer of a loan until we saw it in black and white.

在我們見到書面證明以前，我們不相信銀行提供了貸款。

Feifei: So, when something is in black and white it is clearly written down so it is believed to be true. But why in 'black and white' and not in 'red and blue' for example?

菲菲：所以something is in black and white指這件事清楚地寫下來，是真的。但是爲什麼要用黑白，而不用紅藍呢？

Rob: Well, it comes from the early days of printing when news and information was printed in black ink on white paper. Once something was printed it was official.

羅布：這個短語是早期形成的，當時消息和信息都用黑色墨水和白色紙張印刷。一旦某件事印刷出來了，那就證明這是正式的消息了。

Feifei: OK — but Hold on Rob — I've read this leaflet and it doesn't say we're getting a 10% pay rise — it just says we deserve a 10% pay rise — so no pay rise for us Rob.

菲菲：好，不過等一下，羅布，我看過這個冊子了，可是上面並沒有說我們要漲薪10%，上面說我們值得10%的漲薪，所以羅布，實際上我們不會漲薪。

Rob: What? Are you sure?

羅布：什麼？你確定嗎？

Feifei: Yes — look, it says it there — at the top — in black and white!

菲菲：確定，你看，最上面這裏有書面證據！

Rob: Oh I didn't see that.

羅布：哦，我沒看到那個。

Feifei: It just shows you — even if something is in black and white — you need to be able to read it first!

菲菲：這說明，即使有些事是用白紙黑字印出來的，你也要先看一看！

Rob: Bye Bye!

羅布：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. in black and white 白紙黑字；以書面形式；
例句：He'd seen the proof in black and white.
他已經看過書面證據。
2. in color （電影或電視節目）彩色的；
例句：You can go home afterwards and watch Inspector Morse in colour.
之後你就可以回家，看彩色版的電視連續劇《摩斯警長》。
3. write down 寫下；記下；
例句：He wrote down the outline of his lecture.
他寫下演講的提綱。
4. hold on 稍等；等一下；
例句：Hold on, please. He will be here in a minute.
請等一下。他馬上就過來。
5. even if 即使；儘管；縱然；
例句：We should practice economy even if we are rich.
即使我們富裕了也仍應該厲行節約。