The english we speak(BBC教學)第165期:Beat around the bush 拐彎抹角
(Rob and Li are outdoors)
（羅布和莉在室外）Rob: Ah, I love the outdoors! And this is the perfect spot for us to start our camping adventure, Li.
羅布：啊，我喜歡室外活動！莉，這裏是我們開始露營探險的絕佳場所。Li: Oh... yes... nature, Rob. You said this camping trip was an invitation I couldn't refuse. Well, I really couldn't as you were so insistent...
莉：哦……是啊……大自然，羅布。你說這次露營行程是我不能拒絕的邀請。我不能拒絕是因爲你堅持要來……
Rob: Well, we can put the tent over there, next to that bush...
羅布：嗯，我們可以在那裏搭帳篷，就在那個灌木旁邊……Li: It would be a good place if it wasn't so close to an ant nest...
莉：如果那裏不是離螞蟻窩太近的話，可能會是個好地方……Rob: we can light a fire near that rock...
羅布：我們可以在那個岩石旁邊生火……Li: wind might put out the fire...
莉：風可能會把火吹滅……Rob: It's just a breeze.
羅布：只是微風而已。Li: But it's bringing in the clouds. It's going to rain...
莉：可是烏雲開始聚集了，就要下雨了……Rob: Li, nothing seems to please you, does it? Are you trying to tell me something?
羅布：莉，好像什麼都不能讓你滿意，是不是？你是不是有話跟我說？Li: Well, the thing is...
莉：嗯，事情是……Rob: Yes? What's the problem Li?
羅布：什麼？莉，有什麼問題嗎？Li: It's just that the tent is a bit small and... well... you know what I mean...
莉：就是帳篷有點小……而且，你知道我的意思是……Rob: Li, I don't know what you mean! Now just come on, just tell me what's wrong - don't beat around the bush!
羅布：莉，我不明白你的意思！快點告訴我，快告訴我出什麼事了，別再拐彎抹角了！Li: Beat around the bush? I'm not even touching the bush.
莉：敲打灌木？我根本都沒有碰到灌木。Rob: I know. In English, when you tell someone not to 'beat around the bush' you're telling them to stop avoiding saying things directly. Let's hear some examples.
羅布：我知道。在英語中，當你跟別人說不要beat around the bush時，意思是你讓他們不要再拐彎抹角了。我們來聽些例子。My boss didn't beat around the bush this morning - he just told me straight: If you want a better salary, go and work somewhere else!
今天早上老闆並沒有拐彎抹角，他直接告訴我：如果你想加薪，那你就去別的地方找工作吧！Dinner, cinema... Peter couldn't find the words to tell Kelly he wanted to break up. He spent the whole date beating around the bush. In the end, he broke up with her by text.
晚餐，看電影……皮特沒有找到合適的話告訴凱莉他想分手。整個約會過程中他一直都吞吞吐吐的。最後，他用短信和她分手了。Rob: OK, now you know. So Li, stop beating around the bush and tell me what the problem is.
羅布：好了，現在你知道了。所以莉，別再兜圈子了，告訴我到底有什麼問題。Li: The problem is: I hate camping!
莉：問題是：我討厭露營！Rob: Why didn't you say that before?
羅布：那你之前怎麼不說？Li: You were so enthusiastic, I couldn't say "no" to your invitation.
莉：你當時熱情高漲，我實在不能拒絕你的邀請。Rob: I'm sorry, Li.
羅布：莉，我很抱歉。Li: And I'm sorry for beating around the bush. I should have just told you.
莉：我也要爲剛纔說話繞圈子道歉。我應該直接告訴你的。(Sound coming from the bush)
（灌木叢中傳來聲音）Li: And by the look of things we are both going to be sorry if we don't run to the car and get the hell out of here!
莉：以現在的情況來看，如果我們不跑回車裏然後離開這個鬼地方，我們兩個都會後悔的！(A roar)
（咆哮聲）Rob: Oh there is a bear just behind the bush!
羅布：哦，灌木叢後面有隻熊！Li: A bear?! Let's run, Rob! Bye.
莉：一隻熊？羅布，快跑！再見。Rob: And it sounds like a really big bear! Let's go! Bye.
羅布：聽起來像一隻大熊！我們快跑吧！再見。Li: Bye.
莉：再見。
重點講解：
1. beat about the bush
拐彎抹角；旁敲側擊；
eg. Stop beating about the bush. What's he done?
別再拐彎抹角了，他到底幹了什麼？
eg. He beat about the bush without coming to the point.
他轉彎抹角不說正題。
2. break up
（戀人）分手；（夫妻）結束關係；
eg. We decided to break up. To be more precise , he dumped me.
我們決定分手，但更確切一點說，是他把我給拋棄了。
eg. Time at the ball, AFF finally found the true face of her boyfriend, just break up with him.
一次在舞會上，AFF終於發現她男友的真實面目，就跟他分手了。
3. in the end
最後；終於；
eg. After many years of hard work, he won the award in the end.
經過許多年的努力，他最後終於獲得了大獎。
eg. In the end, both sides gave ground in the argument.
最後, 雙方在辯論中都作了讓步。
4. by the look of
從…的外表（或表面）看來；
eg. He was not a well man by the look of him...
外表看來，他不太健康。
eg. By the look of things, Mr Stone and company will stay busy.
照目前的情況看，斯通先生他們還有的忙。
5. get the hell out of
（從…）立即離開，很快脫身；
eg. Get the hell out of my way.
滾開，別擋着我。
eg. I got the hell out of Glasgow and I can honestly say I will never go back.
我飛快地逃離了格拉斯哥，而且老實說我再也不會回去了。
