The english we speak(BBC教學)第225期:A close shave 倖免於難
Rob is nearly knocked off his bike but he describes his near miss with an expression that confuses Feifei. What has shaving got to do with it? Find out in the programme.
羅布差點從自行車上摔下來，他用來形容這次驚險事故的表達方式令菲菲很困惑。剃鬚和這件事有什麼關係？請收聽本期節目並找到答案。Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
注：文本與音頻並不完全對應。Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me Feifei...
菲菲：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語節目，我是菲菲。
Rob: me Rob. Hello.
羅布：還有我羅布。大家好。Feifei: Erm, Rob, are you OK? You've got some cuts on your face.
菲菲：嗯，羅布，你還好嗎？你臉上有傷口。Rob: Oh well, yes, I've had a bit of a bad morning.
羅布：哦，我還好，我今天早上有點倒黴。Feifei: I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?
菲菲：聽到這個消息我很遺憾。發生什麼事了？Rob: I was cycling into the office and some idiot ran out in the road, right in front of me.
羅布：我在騎車來辦公室的路上，突然有個白癡跑到馬路上來了，而且就在我前面。Feifei: Crikey — did you hit him?
菲菲：天哪，你撞到他了嗎？Rob: No — but it was a close shave.
羅布：沒有，差點就撞到了。Feifei: A close shave? Did he have a razor?!
菲菲：很近的剃鬚？他帶了剃鬚刀嗎？Rob: No Feifei — that would have hurt. This is an expression that describes a dangerous or unpleasant situation that has only just been avoided. It almost happened... but it didn't.
羅布：不是，菲菲，要是那樣會受傷的。這個表達方式用來形容僥倖避免了一個危險或不愉快的情況。不幸差點就要發生了，但是並未發生。Feifei: Lucky for you! So you're saying you nearly had an accident but you didn't?
菲菲：你太幸運了！所以你剛剛是說你差點就要發生事故了，但是並沒有發生嗎？Rob: Exactly. Let's hear some more examples of this phrase...
羅布：沒錯。我們來聽幾個有關這個表達方式的例句。Examples
例句We ran to catch the train — it was a close shave but we just managed to get on.
我們跑着去趕火車，我們差點就要錯過火車了，不過還好最好我們趕上了。I had a close shave when a fast car just missed me as I was crossing the road.
我過馬路的時候差點被一輛開得飛快的車撞到。It was close shave but I don't think my mum saw us smoking.
真險，不過我覺得我媽媽並沒有看到我們抽菸。Feifei: So, a close shave describes a situation where you have a narrow escape from something bad. So you had a narrow escape this morning Rob?
菲菲：這個表達方式用來形容僥倖逃脫不好的情況。所以羅布，你今天早上僥倖逃脫了一場事故嗎？Rob: I did. Why don't people look when they cross the road?! I could have ended up falling off my bike and being hit by a bus.
羅布：沒錯。人們過馬路的時候爲什麼不看車呢？！我差點從自行車上摔下來，而且差點被公交車撞到。Feifei: But hold on Rob — if you didn't fall off your bike, why have you got those cuts on your face?
菲菲：等等，羅布，如果你沒有從自行車上摔下來，那你臉上的這些傷是怎麼弄的？Rob: Oh... these! Well, I had a shave this morning and used a blunt razor.
羅布：哦……這些啊！我今天早上刮鬍子的時候用了個不太鋒利的刮鬍刀。Feifei: Ouch! So you really did have 'a close shave'!
菲菲：天哪！所以你的確刮鬍子了！Rob: Ha ha. You're as sharp as a razor Feifei! I mean intelligent or sharp-witted.
羅布：哈哈。菲菲，你像剃刀一樣鋒利！我的意思是你又聰明又機敏。Feifei: Unlike your razor.
菲菲：和你的剃鬚刀不同。Both: Bye!
二人一起：再見！
譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載
重點講解：
1. near miss 僥倖躲過（或逃過）一劫；死裏逃生；
例句：Details have been given of a near miss between two airliners over southern England earlier this week...
本週早些時候兩架客機在英格蘭南部險些相撞，有關細節現已公佈。
2. a close shave 倖免於難；僥倖脫險；
例句：I can't quite believe the close shaves I've had just recently.
我真是無法相信就在最近自己僥倖逃過了幾場大難。
3. manage to do sth. 設法做到；成功完成；
例句：I managed to pull myself up onto a wet, sloping ledge.
我終於爬上了一塊潮溼傾斜的暗礁。
4. end up (in) sth./doing sth. 最終；結果；到頭來；
例句：A lot of YTS players end up falling by the wayside.
許多的青訓營的球員最後都被淘汰了。
5. hold on 稍等；等一下；
例句：Just hold on a second while I get my breath back.
請等一會兒，讓我喘一口氣。
