The english we speak(BBC教學)第198期:Take to the cleaners 騙走錢財
Rob's bought a new washing machine and instead of cleaning his best shirt, it has actually made it dirtier. He's very angry and wants to sue the company that made the machine. He meets Helen in a laundrette and she has some advice for him. Listen to the programme to find out what it is.
羅布新買了臺洗衣機，但是這臺洗衣機不但沒有把他最好的襯衫洗乾淨，反而讓襯衫變得更髒了。他非常生氣，想起訴洗衣機生產商。他在一家自助洗衣店遇到了海倫，她給了他一些建議。請收聽本期節目，看看海倫提了哪些建議。(Helen bumps into Rob in her local laundrette.)
（海倫在一家自助洗衣店遇到了羅布。）Helen: Hello Rob. I didn't know I would find you here. I love this launderette. The washing machines are very efficient.
海倫：你好，羅布。我沒想到會在這裏遇到你。我喜歡這個自助洗衣店。這裏的洗衣機非常好用。
Rob: I hope so. I bought a very expensive washing machine for my house but when I put my clothes in, they ended up dirtier!
羅布：希望如此。我家裏剛買了一臺非常貴的洗衣機，可是我把衣服放進去以後，它們卻變得更髒了！Helen: What do you mean?
海倫：你是什麼意思？Rob: Well, apparently there's some oil leaking in the motor and it stained all the washing! So I'm trying to wash them again here in this launderette!
羅布：顯然是因爲洗衣機的發動機漏油，把所有要洗的衣服都弄髒了！所以我只能在這個自助洗衣店再洗一遍這些衣服！Helen: Oh, I can see all the yellowish stains … This white shirt … it's an expensive, designer one …
海倫：哦，我能看到這些黃色的污漬……這件白色襯衫很貴吧，是不是設計師品牌的？Rob: Yes, it is. That was my best shirt. It's probably ruined now! If this stain doesn't come out, I'll sue the washing machine manufacturers! I'll take them to the cleaners!
羅布：沒錯。這是我最好的襯衫。現在可能已經毀了！如果這個污漬洗不下去，我會起訴這家洗衣機制造商！我要讓他們傾家蕩產！Helen: Calm down, Rob! It's the shirt that has to be taken to the cleaners!
海倫：羅布，冷靜！是要把這件襯衫拿去洗衣店！Rob: Not exactly, Helen. In English, when we say we're going to 'take someone to the cleaners', we mean we're going to take a lot of money from them.
羅布：海倫，並不是這樣。在英語中，我們說take someone to the cleaners的意思是我們要從他們那裏拿走一大筆錢。Helen: So you want to ask the company to give you a lot of money — maybe all they've got — to compensate you for the loss of your very expensive shirt.
海倫：所以你想讓這家公司賠你一大筆錢，可能是得到他們所有的財產，用來賠償你這件昂貴襯衫的損失。Rob: Yes! I'm very angry with them. Anyway, you can use the phrase in a sports context, too, when one team defeats another one by a large number of points.'Take to the cleaners' is today's expression in The English We Speak. It used to mean getting money from someone else in a dishonest way but now it can just mean getting a lot of money from someone else.
羅布：對！我對他們感到非常生氣。話說回來，在體育賽事中如果一個隊以大比分擊敗了另一個隊，也可以用這個短語來表達。Take to the cleaners就是今天地道英語節目要學的表達方式。這個短語以前指用欺騙的手段從別人那裏得到一大筆錢財，但是現在可以僅指從別人那裏得到一大筆錢。Helen: Shall we listen to some examples of how this phrase is used?
海倫：我們來聽一些例句，看看這個短語的用法吧？Rob: Yes.
羅布：好的。Examples
例句My husband cheated on me with my best friend! I'm going to get the best divorce lawyer in town and take him to the cleaners!
我丈夫揹着我和我最好的朋友搞在了一起！我要請全城最棒的離婚律師，我要得到他所有的錢！My team has the best players and we'll take you to the cleaners in this Sunday's match!
我們隊擁有最棒的球員，我們會在這週日的比賽中大勝你們隊！Helen: No need to sue the company, Rob. Call your washing machine manufacturer and ask them to replace it.
海倫：羅布，沒必要起訴那家公司。給洗衣機制造商打電話，讓他們給你換一臺新的。Rob: But I'm angry!
羅布：可是我很生氣！Helen: Don't be. I can take you to the cleaners, but not in the sense of this idiom. I can take you to the cleaners next door — the people who remove stains from clothes. They're very good.
海倫：別生氣。我可以帶你去洗衣店，我說的不是習語用法。我可以帶你去隔壁的洗衣店，他們可以去掉衣服上的污漬。他們非常不錯。Rob: Okay. Well, do you think they might be able to remove this stain?
羅布：好。你認爲他們能去掉這些污漬？Helen: Of course they can. Come on, Rob.
海倫：他們當然可以。走吧，羅布。Rob: Okay. Come on, take me to the cleaners! Thanks, Helen.
羅布：哦，好的，帶我去洗衣服吧！謝謝，海倫。Helen: You're welcome. Bye.
海倫：不客氣。再見。Rob: Bye.
羅布：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. bump into
偶然遇見；意外碰到；
eg. We'll propably bump into him.
我們也許會碰上他。
eg. I often bump into him at the restaurant.
我經常在餐館和他偶遇。
2. take sb. to the cleaners
騙走，騙光（錢財）；
eg. Some sharpies took him to the cleaners.
一些騙子把他的錢騙光了。
eg. He was taken to the cleaners in a card game last night.
他昨晚玩紙牌輸得精光。
3. cheat on
揹着（配偶、性伴侶）亂搞；對（配偶、性伴侶）不忠；
eg. I'd found Philippe was cheating on me and I was angry and hurt.
發覺菲利普對我不忠後，我又氣憤又傷心。
eg. She was tempting him to cheat on his wife.
她誘使他對妻子不忠。
