字神帝國英語天地

今日主題：To fall at the first hurdle / 倒在第一關

凱妃老師&派老師共同推薦：雅思聽力最好的課外教材：BBC
康康精選雅思會考的主題，堅持每天精聽一定會進步的哦!!

建議方法：
1. 先聽兩三遍 (不看文稿)
2. 再一句一句聽寫 (每句都要聽寫數遍，直到寫出85%以上的字)
3. 最後check文稿，看哪聽不出來，單字沒背過，還是發音不熟。
4. 堅持天天聽，就能每天進步哦。
#BBC 地道英語 
MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：喜歡的同學，幫忙推或按讚哦~~
http://static.iyuba.com/sounds/minutes/593.mp3

只有音檔怎夠，聽不懂地方，不用怕，康康幫你準備好中英文稿了：

中英文稿：
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I’m Feifei…
大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語，我是菲菲…

… and hello I’m Rob. So what’s this I hear about your new business idea Feifei?
大家好，我是羅布。我聽說你有要做生意的新想法，什麼想法呢，菲菲？

Yes, I’m going to make and sell cakes.
是的，我要去做蛋糕、賣蛋糕。

Hmm, are you sure Feifei?
呃，你確定嗎，菲菲？

Yes I’m sure. Look I’ve already made this batch of muffins.
是的，我確定。看，我已經做了一批鬆餅。

Err, are they supposed to be black? Cooking isn’t really your speciality is it?
呃，它們本來就是黑色的嗎？烹飪並不是你的特長，對吧？

Cooking isn’t my speciality!Rob, just you watch,I’m going to be a millionaire selling my homemade cakes.
烹飪不是我的特長！羅布，你瞧我的，我會靠賣自製蛋糕成為百萬富翁的。

I’m sorry to say Feifei but I think you’re going to fall at the first hurdle.
很抱歉這麼說，菲菲，但我覺得你在第一個跨欄處就會摔倒的。

Don’t be stupid Rob, I’m not going to be jumping any hurdles –we’re not talking about sport –just cooking.
別犯傻了，羅布，我沒打算跳過任何跨欄——我們不是在談論運動——只是在談論烹飪。

No Feifei –I mean you’re going to fail right at the start of what you’re trying to do.
不，菲菲——我的意思是說你在努力之初就會失敗的。

Thanks Rob! So you think by cooking these ’black’ muffins means I have already failed?
謝謝你，羅布！所以你認為烤出來這些“黑色”松餅就意味著我已經失敗了？

Well they are burnt.Let’s hear some examples of other people who have fallen at the first hurdle…
嗯，它們燒焦了嘛。讓我們來聽一些其他倒在第一關的人的例子吧……

Plans to construct a new motorway will fall at the first hurdle if they can’t buy the farmland to build it on.
如果他們買不下建路的農田的話，修建一條新高速公路的計畫一開始就會失敗。

His dream of marrying Julie fell at the first hurdle when he discovered she was already married.
發現朱莉已經結婚了的時候，他與之結婚的美夢在一開始就破滅了。

To fall at the first hurdle’ means to fail near the beginning of something.Ah but Rob,why don’t you actually taste one of these muffins before you call me a failure?
“倒在第一關”是說某些事情才開始就失敗了。啊，但是羅布，在你說我失敗之前，為什麼不先嘗一塊松餅呢？

OK here goes. Mmm, actually, not bad Feifei. They’re not burnt…
好呀，我要嘗啦。嗯，其實還不錯，菲菲。它們並沒有燒焦…

… no, it’s actually a layer of crunchy toffee. I can cook Rob!
是沒有燒焦啊，這只是一層脆脆的太妃糖。我是會烹飪的，羅布！

OK, I’m sorry for doubting you…but you’re going to have to sell lots of muffins if you want to be a millionaire.
好吧，我很抱歉懷疑你了…但如果你想成為一個百萬富翁的話，就必須要賣許多鬆餅。

I know. Perhaps I’ll just sell these ones first and see how I get on.
我知道。也許我會先只把這些賣掉，然後看看情況如何。

Good idea.Just make sure you don’t fall at the final hurdle!
好主意。確保你不會倒在最後一關就好了！

You mean fail near the end of what I’m trying to do?
你是說在努力做的事情的最後關頭失敗？

Exactly.
完全正確。

I won’t –as long as you don’t keep eating my cakes.Hands off!
不會的——只要你別一直吃我的蛋糕。不許拿了！

Sorry!
對不起！

Bye!
再見！