进退两难
Catch-22
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. It's Feifei here…
大家好，欢迎来到BBC地道英语节目。我是菲菲……
…and hello, it's Rob here too.
哈喽，我是罗伯。
Oh Feifei, why the glum face?
菲菲，你怎么看起来不太开心呢？
I didn't get it.
我没得到……
Get it?
得到什么？
I didn't get the job.
我没得到那份工作。
Oh yes yes, the job – you went for a new job –
哦，哦，工作——你去找新工作了——
one you really really wanted.
一份你非常非常想要的工作。
One that you said would be perfect for.
你说那份工作你是最适合的。
Clearly I am not.
现在很清楚，我并不是。
Look at this rejection letter – it says I did not have enough experience – how dare they!
看看这封拒绝信——信上说我经验不足——他们怎么可以这样！
But if I don't do the job, how do I get the experience?
但是如果我不做这份工作，我有怎么会有经验呢？
Oh dear, it sounds like catch-22.
哦，亲爱的，这听起像是第二十二条军规。
Catch-22?
第二十二条军规？
Is that some kind of qualification I need?
是什么我需要的任职资格吗？
Nope, it just describes a situation where you can't win.
不是的，它是用来形容一种你不可能会赢的情况。
Basically, you can't do one thing until you have done another thing which you can't do until you have done the first thing.
实际上，如果你不做一件事，那么就不可能做另一件事，但是做第一件事的前提却是要先做第二件事。
So it's an impossible situation.
所以这就是一个不可能实现的情况。
It is. Let's hear some examples of this phrase in action…
是的。今天来听一些实际应用中的例句吧……
I need my parent's car, but my mum says I need permission from my dad, then my dad says I need permission from my mum. I can't get permission from either. So I'm in a catch-22 situation.
我要开我父母的车，但是老妈说我需要得到老爸的允许，老爸又说需要得到老妈的许可。老爸老妈的许可我都得不到，真是让我左右为难呀。
To apply for a short-term student visa to study English in the UK, you have to be able to speak some English but you want to come to England to learn English! It's catch-22 for many potential students.
想要申请到英国学习英语的短期学生护照，你必须会说一些英语，但实际上你是想去英国学英语！这让很多想去的学生都进退两难呀。
You're listening to The English We Speak and Rob has told me I'm in a catch-22 situation – that's a situation I cannot win.
欢迎收听BBC地道英语节目，罗伯告诉我，我正处于“第二十二条军规”的情况——一个我无法解决的两难境地。
Yes Feifei, so you can't get a new job without some experience of doing it.
是的，菲菲。所以在没有相关经历之前，你不能得到这份新工作。
But you can't get the experience without doing the job.
但是没有这份工作，你也不会得到相关的工作经验。
So it's catch-22!
这真是“第二十二条军规”！
It's a strange phrase, Rob.
这真是个奇怪的短语，罗伯。
Yes, it comes from the title of a book - Catch-22,
是的。这个短语来自一本书的名字——《第二十二条军规》。
written by Joseph Heller in 1961 which describes bureaucratic constraints on soldiers in World War II.
这本书由约瑟夫·海勒写于1961年，讲述了二战时期士兵们所受的官僚主义的束缚。
But look Feifei, don't be too sad about the job, you've got plenty of experience for doing this job.
不过菲菲，你也不用难过。你看，从这份工作中，你已经获得了大量经验。
That's because I've been here for 40 years!
那是因为我已经在这儿工作了40年了！
But we respect you for expertise, especially in one task.
但是我们都把你当做专家一样尊敬，特别是在某项工作中。
What's that?
什么工作？
Making the tea. Now could you put the kettle on please?
沏茶。现在可以麻烦你帮我冲一杯拿铁吗？
Oh, I really need a new job.
哦，我真的是需要一份新工作。
Bye.
拜~