英語口語練習小對話 第892期:多此一舉,徒勞無益
A: Jane asked me how to solve that problem yesterday.
Jane昨天問我如何解決那個問題。
B: you.gave her suggestion.
你給她建議了。
A: Yeah.
是的。
B: Don’t do such a thing again.
下次別幹這種事情了。
A: What is wrong?
怎麼啦？
B: You just carry coals to Newcastle. She already has her own idea. She just pretended to ask you.
你是在做徒勞無益的事情。她已經有了自己的見解，她只不過是假裝問問你罷了。
carry coals to Newcastle
1. 解詞釋義
carry coals to Newcastle字面上看是“運煤倒紐卡斯爾”，實際它指的是“徒勞無益；多此一舉”。
紐卡斯爾(Newcastle)是英國的一個港市，位於英格蘭北部泰因（Tyne）河口附近，素以產煤著稱，早在1932年就獲得了英國國王亨利三世授予的挖煤特許權，是世界上最早的煤炭輸出港。因此，向紐卡斯爾運煤，無異於白費力氣。由此產生的習語carry coals to Newcastle就用來比喻do something which is completely unnecessary (做完全不必要做的事)。
2. 拓展範例
e.g. Tom is so infirm of purpose that you carry coals to Newcastle, asking him for advice.
湯姆這人優柔寡斷，向他徵求意見是徒勞無益的。
e.g. American managers tried to persuade their British employees to drop their tea-break habit but in the end they found that they had carried coals to Newcastle.
美國的經理們試圖說服他們的英國僱員改掉吃茶點的習慣，但通常是徒勞無益。
e.g. You’re really carrying coals to Newcastle. She has many a diamond rings.
你真是多此一舉。她有的是鑽石戒指。
e.g. You tried to pull the wool over my eyes, which was that you carried coals to Newcastle. I knew exactly what was going on.
要想瞞我是多此一舉的，我對所發生的事一清二楚。
1. 她自由見解。
She has her own idea.
2. 怎麼啦？
What is wrong?
