A sting in the tail “尾巴有刺痛”原來是“煞風景”的意思

Learn a phrase with a painful ending

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[圖片來源:Getty Images]

內容簡介

Rob 的新愛好可能會給他“a sting in the tail 尾巴刺痛”。不過這個說法到底和“尾巴”有關系嗎?看視頻,學習一個描述“結局出乎意料”的表達。

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(關于台詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。)

Feifei
大家好,歡迎收聽 BBC 英語教學的《地道英語》節目。我是馮菲菲,還有我的同事 Rob。

Rob
Hello everyone.

Feifei
So Rob, I hear you have a new hobby?

Rob
Yes that’s right – it’s very exciting – let me show you…

Feifei
怎麼這麼多蜜蜂?I don’t like them – shut the door! 弄了半天,你的新愛好原來就是“養蜂”? 

Rob
Yes I’m a beekeeper – and I love it – but there is a sting in the tail.

Feifei
Of course there’s a sting in the tail – bees sting – and it hurts, that’s why I don’t like them.

Rob
Well, they only sting when they’re angry Feifei – and anyway, when I said ‘there’s a sting in the tail’ I wasn’t referring to the bees. I meant something unpleasant comes with something that is meant to be pleasurable.

Feifei
Yes, as I said – looking after bees means you’re likely to get stung.

Rob
That’s true – but what I meant was beekeeping is fun but I wasn’t expecting it to cost so much money – I had to buy all these hives and these special protective clothes.

Feifei
Yes, you do look silly! 在英語里,人們如果說一件事情“has a sting in the tail 尾巴有刺痛”,那麼實際要表達的是這件原本很令人享受的事情的結局出人意料,很煞風景,讓人不愉快。那麼,Rob 說養蜂這個愛好也是“there is a sting in the tail”,因為需要花很多錢來置辦蜂巢以及其它所需的衣物和工具。

Rob
Let’s hear some examples while I go and get some honey.

Examples
We had a great holiday but it had a sting in the tail – when we got home we discovered our house had been broken into. 

I love her new book – the story is funny and romantic – but there’s a sting in the tail when someone dies.

Yeah, we all got a pay rise this month, but there’s a sting in the tail – we’re expected to work longer hours.

Feifei
A sting in the tail 用來指“令人不快的意外結局”,尤其是一個故事、笑話等出人意料的結局。

Rob
OK Feifei, one of the good things about beekeeping is you get this delicious honey – and that’s free – go on Feifei, try some.

Feifei
這個蜂蜜真甜!Oh no, you’ve brought something else with you… it’s a bee!

Rob
Don’t panic – I’ll try to catch it… ouch! That hurt.

Feifei
Oh dear – it looks like beekeeping has more than one sting in the tail!

Rob
Very funny!

Feifei
Bye!

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