The english we speak(BBC教學)第172期:Off the back of a lorry 來路不明

Li: Hi Finn. I'm so happy. I'm going to buy a brand new computer this afternoon and it's very, very cheap.

莉：嗨，芬恩。我非常高興。今天下午我要去買新電腦，而且那電腦非常非常便宜。

Finn: What a bargain, Li! Where are you going to buy it? Can I go with you?

芬恩：莉，那真是太划算了！你要去哪兒買啊？我能跟你一起去嗎？

Li: I'm going to meet a friend of my neighbour's cousin. He's selling it.

莉：我要去見我鄰居堂兄的朋友。那是他賣的電腦。

Finn: Do you know this man, Li?

芬恩：莉，你認識這個人嗎？

Li: No, but he sounded very nice on the phone. He's nice but a bit clumsy.

莉：不認識，不過在電話中他聽起來非常友好。他很友好，不過有些笨拙。

Finn: Alright. Why?

芬恩：好吧。爲什麼這麼說？

Li: He told me the computer fell off the back of his lorry but it works perfectly.

莉：他說電腦從上車後面掉下來了，不過電腦可以正常運轉。

Finn: It fell off the back of a lorry?!

芬恩：電腦來路不明？

Li: Yes. But it came in a very strong box and he said it was in perfect condition.

莉：是啊。不過電腦裝在非常堅固的箱子裏，而且他說電腦完好無損。

Finn: Li, the computer didn't actually fall off anywhere. It was taken.

芬恩：莉，那臺電腦並不是從某個地方掉下來。它是偷來的。

Li: What do you mean?!

莉：你是什麼意思？

Finn: In English, when you say something 'fell off the back of a lorry', or if you say something is 'off the back of a lorry', what you mean is that it was received in suspicious circumstances. It was probably stolen.

芬恩：在英語中，如果你說某個東西fell off the back of a lorry，或者說off the back of a lorry，意思是得到那個東西的方式存在可疑。很可能是偷來的。

Li: Stolen?!

莉：偷來的？

Finn: Yes. In the US and Australia they say 'fell off the back of a truck', but it means the same thing. It's a humorous way of describing stolen property.

芬恩：對，美國和澳大利亞會說fell off the back of a truck，意思是相同的。這是一種形容贓物的幽默說法。

Li: Oh. It's a crime! There's nothing humorous about that.

莉：哦，那是犯罪啊！這可一點兒也不幽默。

Finn: 'Off the back of a lorry' is today's expression in The English We Speak. Let's hear some examples of how it's used.

芬恩：Off the back of a lorry就是今天地道英語要學的表達。我們來聽些例句看看這個表達的用法。

The police have been looking for a local man who doesn't mind selling mobile phones that fell off the back of a lorry.

警方一直在找不介意販賣來路不明的手機的當地男子。

The black market was thriving when the war ended. It wasn't difficult to find all sorts of things off the back of a lorry.

戰爭結束後黑市迅速發展。要找到各種賊贓並不難。

Li: Thank you, Finn, for the warning. I'm not going to buy that cheap computer now.

莉：芬恩，謝謝你提醒我。我不坐去買那臺便宜的電腦了。

Finn: Well. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. Li, but it's always good to know these unusual expressions in English!

芬恩：嗯，我很抱歉讓你失望了。不過莉，知道這些英語中的特別表達方式總是很好。

Li: Well, there goes my bargain. Back to saving money to buy a computer in a real shop.

莉：嗯，買便宜貨是不可能了。我還是繼續存錢去實體店買臺電腦吧。

Finn: Good idea. What is cheap might end up costing much more than you expect.

芬恩：好主意。便宜的東西最後可能會讓你付出比你預想的多的東西。

Li: Indeed. I won't buy stuff off the back of a lorry. Better safe than sorry. Bye.

莉：的確是。我是不會買來路不明的東西的。寧可事先謹慎有餘，不要事後追悔莫及。再見。

Finn: Bye.

芬恩：再見。

重點講解：
1. off the back of a lorry
（貨物等）來路不明，是老鼠貨，是賊贓；
eg. He gets caviare that has fallen off the back of a lorry.
他能弄到來路不明的魚子醬。
eg. Pete once bought the boys a bicycle cheap off the back of a lorry.
皮特有一回給孩子們買了一輛便宜的老鼠貨自行車。
2. fall off
脫落，掉落；
eg. When your exhaust falls off, you have to replace it.
如果你的排氣管脫落，應將其更換。
eg. Ripe apples are beginning to fall off the trees.
成熟的蘋果開始從樹上落下來。
3. all sorts of
各種各樣的；形形色色的；
eg. There are all sorts of animals, including bears, pigs, kangaroos, and penguins.
有各種各樣的動物，包括熊、豬、袋鼠和企鵝。
eg. It was used by all sorts of people.
各種各樣的人都使用它。
4. end up
最終；結果；到頭來；
eg. It may end up having the opposite effect.
這或許會以適得其反而告終。
eg. Don't be mean with fabric, otherwise curtains will end up looking skimpy.
別這麼吝嗇布料，不然做出來的窗簾會顯得特寒酸。
5. better safe than sorry
寧可事先謹慎有餘，不要事後追悔莫及；
eg. Don't be afraid to have this checked by a doctor — better safe than sorry!
不要害怕找醫生檢查一下——寧求穩妥以免後悔！
eg. "You could easily have overtaken the truck just now." "Better safe than sorry," the driver replied.
“你本來一下子就可以超過那輛卡車的。”“寧求穩妥，以免遺憾。”司機答道。