The english we speak(BBC教學)第221期:To go around the houses 拐彎抹角
Feifei wants to borrow Rob's car but she takes a long time getting to the point. Find out why Rob tells her not to go around the houses. And why doesn't Rob want her to drive his car?
菲菲想借羅布的車，不過她花了很長時間才提出來。收聽本期節目，看看羅布爲什麼讓她不要繞圈子。爲什麼羅布不想讓她開他的車？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!
羅布：我是羅布。大家好！Feifei: Rob, I've been meaning to ask... you've got a car haven't you?
菲菲：羅布，我想問你……你有輛車，對吧？Rob: Yes, Feifei, I have.
羅布：是的，菲菲，我有輛車。Feifei: Is it a quite special car? You know, a valuable, expensive one?
菲菲：那是輛特別的車嗎？我是問，是那種很名貴的車嗎？Rob: No no, it's just an old car — but it gets me around. Why are you asking?
羅布：不，不是，只是一輛老車，不過我還能開着它到處去。你爲什麼問這些？Feifei: Oh no reason... you don't use it much do you?
菲菲：沒什麼……你是不是不經常用？Rob: No... Feifei there's no need to go around the houses — just say what you want to say.
羅布：不是……菲菲，沒必要兜圈子，你想說什麼就直說吧。Feifei: OK... can I borrow your car please? But don't worry, I won't take it around the houses — I just want to go to the supermarket.
菲菲：好……我能借你的車用一下嗎？別擔心，我不會開着它圍着房子轉的，我只是想去趟超市。Rob: Ha! Feifei when I said there's no need to go around the houses'; I wasn't referring to where you drive my car. I mean, you don't have to waste time saying lots of unimportant things before you actually say what you want to say.
羅布：哈哈！菲菲，我剛纔說的是沒必要拐彎抹角，並不是指你要開我的車去的地方。我的意思是，在你說出你想說的話之前，沒必要浪費時間說這麼多不重要的事情。Feifei: I see! So I should just say what I want to say — I should get to the point?
菲菲：我明白了！所以我應該說出我想說的話——我應該有話直說，對吧？Rob: Yes, that's another way of putting it. Basically it means you take a long time to say or do something, when in reality it can be done or said a lot quicker. Let's hear some examples of the phrase 'to go around the houses' in action...
羅布：對，這是這個短語的另一種說法。基本上來說，這個短語的意思是你花了很長時間去說一件事或做一件事，可是實際上你可以用更快的時間完成這件事或說出這件事。我們來聽些例句，看看這個表達如何應用……Examples
例句Don't go around the houses; just tell me straight, what have you done?
別拐彎抹角了，直接告訴我你做了什麼？He went all around the houses talking about the match but all I wanted to know was who won?
在談論這場比賽時他一直在兜圈子，可我只想知道最後誰贏了？I didn't know how to tell him he'd failed his exams so I went all around the houses before I let him know.
我不知道如何告訴他他考試不及格，所以在告訴他之前我一直在兜圈子。Feifei: So, to go around the houses means you go a long way round before asking what you want to ask. Rob, you haven't answered my question yet.
菲菲：所以go around the houses的意思就是在問出你想問的問題前繞了一大圈問別的事情。羅布，你還沒有回答我的問題呢。Rob: Oh yes, what was the question?
羅布：哦，什麼，問題是什麼？Feifei: Can I borrow your car... please?
菲菲：我能借你的車用一下嗎？Rob: Oh well, erm, I need to fill it up with petrol...
羅布：哦，我要去給車加油……Feifei: Oh right...
菲菲：哦，好吧……Rob: And I need to drive to work...
羅布：我還要開車上班……Feifei: But that's not until Monday!
菲菲：我不會用到週一的！Rob: It's not very tidy inside...
羅布：車裏不是很乾淨……Feifei: Rob — don't go around the houses — your answer is 'no' isn't it?
菲菲：羅布，別再拐彎抹角了，你的答覆是不行，對吧？Rob: Yes Feifei. You can't borrow it. I crashed it last week — nobody can drive it!
羅布：是的，菲菲。我不能借你。因爲上週我的車撞壞了，現在沒人能開了！Feifei: You certainly won't be going around any houses then Rob!
菲菲：那羅布，你就不能再開着它圍着房子轉了！Rob: Very funny Feifei!
羅布：菲菲，這很好笑！Both: Bye Bye!
兩人一起：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. there's no need to do sth. 沒有必要；不必；
例句：I heard you. There's no need to jump down my throat.
我聽到了，沒必要粗暴地與我講話。
2. waste time (in) doing sth. 浪費時間做某事；
例句：Don't waste time making excuses! Just do it!
別浪費時間找藉口了！馬上去做！
3. get to the point 談到正題；講到關鍵問題；
例句：I've discovered that others find this refreshing as well, as it makes meetings more focused and creates an urgency to get to the point.
我發現其他人也覺得這樣安排很有新意，這樣使參會者注意力更加集中，而且會議內容也切中要點。
4. in reality 事實上；實際上；
例句：It seems as if he knew everything, but in reality, he is as stupid as can be.
他似乎是個萬事通，其實他是再愚蠢不過了。
5. fill up （使）裝滿；（使）注滿；（使）充滿；
例句：I fill up the tank with gasoline about once a week.
大約每個星期我加滿一箱汽油。
