The english we speak(BBC教學)第194期:throw the baby out with the bathwater

Feifei loves taking care of babies and is considering becoming a babysitter. Finn reminds her about all the good things she does in her current job, and tells her not to change career. Does he convince her? And who will end up holding the baby? Listen to the programme to find out.

菲菲喜歡照顧孩子，而且考慮成爲一名保姆。芬恩提醒她她現在這份工作的各種好處，並告訴她不要換工作。他能說服她嗎？最後是誰來做這個苦差事。請聽本期節目並找出答案。

(Doorbell rings, door opens)

（門鈴響了，門開了）

Finn: Hi, Feifei. Fancy a lift to the office?

芬恩：你好，菲菲。想搭車去辦公室嗎？

Feifei: Hello, Finn. Sorry, I'm not actually going in to the office today. I'm taking care of my niece.

菲菲：你好，芬恩。抱歉，我今天不去辦公室了。我要照顧我的侄女。

(Baby talking)

（寶寶在說話）

Finn: Oh, what a sweet baby!

芬恩：哦，這個寶寶太可愛了！

Feifei: Isn't she adorable? You know, I'm thinking about becoming a full-time babysitter!

菲菲：她很可愛對吧？你知道嗎，我想成爲一名全職的保姆！

Finn: Oh, really?

芬恩：哦，真的嗎？

Feifei: Hang on, Finn. (To the baby) Time for your bath, little one!

菲菲：芬恩，等一下。（對寶寶說）寶貝，該去洗澡了！

(Baby laughs)

（寶寶笑了）

Finn: But Feifei, you don't actually want to change your job, do you?

芬恩：可是菲菲，你不是真的想換工作，對吧？

Feifei: Well, I enjoy my job. But sometimes, you know, it can be very stressful. I feel like a change...

菲菲：我喜歡我的工作。可是你也知道，這份工作有時壓力太大了。我想做些改變……

Finn: Really? But you're so good at your job! I know how you love completing projects. And we'd all miss you so much.

芬恩：真的嗎？可是你在工作中表現很好！我知道你有多喜歡完成任務。而且我們也會非常想念你的。

Feifei: I know. But dealing with babies is so much easier.

菲菲：我知道。可是和寶寶打交道要容易多了。

Finn: Well, just don't throw the baby out with the bathwater, Feifei.

芬恩：菲菲，不要不分好壞地全盤拋棄。

Feifei: What do you mean?! I know how to take care of a baby. Why would I throw her out?

菲菲：你是什麼意思？我知道如何照顧寶寶。你爲什麼讓我把她扔出去？

(Baby crying)

（寶寶哭了）

Feifei: See what you've done.

菲菲：看看你都幹了什麼。

Finn: Sorry! 'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater' is an English idiom which means: 'don't lose something valuable while we're getting rid of something else that we don't want'. So I was talking about your job, Feifei. Just because you find it stressful – that's the thing you don't want – don't stop completely and lose what's valuable.

芬恩：抱歉。Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater是一句英語習語，意思是：在拋棄一些你不想要的東西的時候不要把有價值的東西也一起拋棄掉。我剛剛在說你的工作，菲菲。因爲你認爲工作很有壓力，這就是你不想要的東西，不要完全停止、拋棄有價值的東西。

Feifei: Ah, I see. So you think my job gives me satisfaction, in spite of the long hours in the office… so I shouldn't give it up.

菲菲：我明白了。所以你認爲雖然我的辦公時間很長，可是我的工作讓我有滿足感……所以我不應該放棄這份工作。

Finn: That's right. 'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater' is the expression in this edition of The English We Speak. Now let's hear some examples of how it's used.

芬恩：沒錯。Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater就是本期地道英語節目要學的表達方式。現在我們來聽一些例句，看看這個短語如何應用。

Examples

例句

I know you don't like the dress, but I think if you make a few changes to it, it will look lovely. It's such beautiful material. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

我知道你不喜歡這條裙子，可是我認爲如果你稍微改動一下，這條裙子看上去會很可愛的。這布料太漂亮了。不要將精華連同糟粕一起丟棄。

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I know the wallpaper is ugly, but this is a lovely house. We can always redecorate.

不要不分好壞地全盤拋棄。我知道這個牆紙紙很醜，可是這個房子很漂亮。我們可以重新裝修。

Feifei: Thank you, Finn. Having colleagues like you who care for me is so important. You know what? I don't want to be a babysitter after all.

菲菲：謝謝你，芬恩。有你這樣照顧我的同事真是太重要了。你知道嗎？現在我不想當保姆了。

Finn: That's the spirit!

芬恩：這就對了！

Feifei: So… here's the baby and… well, the nappies are in that drawer.

菲菲：所以，寶寶在這裏，然後尿布在那個抽屜裏。

Finn: Feifei, what do you mean?

芬恩：菲菲，你是什麼意思？

Feifei: Well, Finn, someone has to take care of the baby. I'm going to the office. See you later. Bye!

菲菲：芬恩，必須有人來照顧寶寶。我要去上班了。一會兒見，再見！

Finn: And I'm left holding the baby… Bye!

芬恩：最後是我來幹這個苦差事……再見！

Baby: Ba… Ba…

寶寶：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. take care of
照顧；照看；看護；
eg. He had other people to take care of besides me.
除了我以外，他還需要照料其他人。
eg. He's counting on his mother to take care of the twins for him; she's had plenty of experience with them.
他靠母親幫忙照顧他的雙胞胎；她在這方面很有經驗。
2. throw the baby out with the bathwater
把嬰兒和洗澡水一起倒掉；將精華連同糟粕一起丟棄；不分好壞地全盤拋棄；
eg. What we mustn't do is throw the baby out with the bathwater.
我們一定不能良莠一起拋。
eg. But this is a knee-jerk response that throws the baby out with the bathwater.
可這就像是一種膝條反射，不管好壞一起倒掉。
3. in spite of
儘管；不顧；雖然；
eg. I know whatever you try, you'll win out in spite of early difficulties.
我知道你無論做什麼，不管最初多麼困難，最終都會成功。
eg. In spite of the extremity of her seclusion she was sane.
儘管完全與世隔絕，她依然心智健全。
4. care for
照料；照顧；護理；
eg. We must care for each other and help each other.
我們要互相關心，互相幫助。
eg. The old servant fulfilled his master's charge to care for the children.
老僕人履行了其主人要他照料孩子的指示。
5. leave sb. to hold the baby/be left holding the baby
替他人擦屁股；替別人幹苦差事；
eg. You go off round the world, and leave me to hold the baby.
你滿世界地跑，把苦差事都扔給我。
eg. I thought the monitor was going to organize the party but in the end I was left holding the baby.
我原以爲班長會組織這次晚會，沒想到最後竟是由我來承擔這個苦差事。