抽中下下签,干最苦的差事
Get the short straw
This is The English We Speak, I’m Feifei…
欢迎来到BBC地道英语,我是菲菲。
And hello, I’m Rob.
大家好,我是罗伯!
Rob, it’s very kind of you to bring me to this cafe and to buy me a milkshake – I love milkshakes.
罗伯,你真是太好了,带我来这家咖啡馆,请我喝奶昔——我爱奶昔。
Did I say I was paying? Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about work…
我说是我付钱了吗?无论如何,我想跟你谈谈有关工作的事……
….mmm, strawberry, my favourite.
嗯,草莓味的,我的最爱。
Errr, yes, me too….
呃,是的,我也喜欢草莓……
But back to talking about work – you know we’re moving the desks around?…
回到工作的话题上来——你知道我们在挪工位吗?
…Why do milkshakes taste so good?
……为什么奶昔这么好喝呀?……
…oh look I’ve finished mine.
哦,你看,我喝完了。
…as I was trying to say, it looks like you’ve got the short straw.
……我是想说,你似乎拿到了“the short straw”。
Oh, that’s why I’ve drunk my milkshake quicker than you – I had a short straw!
哦,所以说我的奶昔比你的喝的快——我有“short straw”!
No, Feifei. Forget the milkshake – if you get – or draw - the short straw, it means you’re the person in a group who gets the most unpleasant outcome in a situation.
不是的,菲菲。别说奶昔了——如果你“get/draw the short straw”,意思是在一组人当中,你抽中下下签,在整个情境下结局最差。
Right, and why have I got the short straw?
是的,可是那为什么我要那么倒霉?
Well, I’m afraid they’re moving your desk to just outside the toilet!
好吧,恐怕他们把你的办公桌挪到了厕所外面!
We’ll see about that – let’s hear some examples of other people who’ve got the short straw...
我们会知道的——一起来听一听那些抽中下下签的其他人的故事吧……
It looks like I’ve got the short straw – I’m doing the late shift while everyone else goes to the pub!
似乎我的差事是最差的——别人都去夜店了,而我还要值夜班!
Oh dear, Tom's got do the washing up after our dinner party – looks like he’s got the short straw.
哦,天哪,咱们派对结束后汤姆要洗餐具——看起来他抽中了下下签,被安排了最不好的差事。
We were given free tickets to the theatre, but I got the short straw because my seat was right at the back – I couldn’t see a thing!
我们有几张剧院的免费票,不过我比较倒霉,位置在后面——什么都看不见!
This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we’re talking about the expression ‘to get the short straw’,
这里是BBC地道英语,我们正在讨论短语“to get the short straw”的用法。
which describes a person in a group who gets the most unpleasant or difficult outcome in a situation.
它是指在一组人当中,要干最苦、最困难的差事的那个人。
You can also say ‘to draw the short straw’.
也可以说“to draw the short straw”。
And Rob, you’re saying I’ve got the short straw in the office reshuffle?
罗伯,你说我在办公室职位调整中被安排了最差的位置?
Yep – that’s why I thought I’d take you for a milkshake as a way of making you feel better about it.
是的——所以我觉得我应该给你带杯奶昔,让你感觉好一点。
You mean, as a way of saying sorry more like.
你的意思是就像再向我表达歉意。
I’ve seen the new office plan and you were supposed to sit by the toilet but you changed the name to mine – what a cheek!
我看到新的办公室排位表了,你本应该坐在厕所边上,但是你把我的名字换了过去——你还有脸说!
Well… errr... How about if I pay for your milkshake?
好吧……呃……如果我请你喝奶昔呢?
Maybe, if you buy me another milkshake.
或许可以,如果你再给我买一杯奶昔的话。
Oh OK then… remind me what flavour?
好的,你要什么口味呢?
Strawberry – with TWO long straws.
草莓——要两根长长的吸管。