The english we speak(BBC教學)第237期:To keep the wolf from the door 勉強度日

Rob's run out of money and there's someone at the door. Li thinks her life is in danger until she realises Rob's used another example of authentic real English! Listen to the programme to find out what it is and see if you can apply it to your life.

羅布沒錢了，有人在門口。莉認爲她的生命處於危險中，直到她意識到那不過是羅布用的另一個地道英語的說法。請收聽本期節目，找出這個短語，看看你是否能應用到生活中去。

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

注：音頻與文本並不完全對應。

Li: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak with me Li…

莉：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語，我是莉……

Rob: …and me Rob. I suppose we had better explain an authentic English phrase then.

羅布：還有我，羅布。我認爲我們最好稍後再解釋地道英語短語。

Li: Oh cheer up Rob — why are you sounding so miserable?

莉：哦，羅布，振作點，你爲什麼聽上去這麼痛苦？

Rob: Well I wasn't going to say anything but… well, I've got problems… financial problems.

羅布：嗯，我什麼都不會說的，不過……我有些問題……財政問題。

Li: I'm sorry to hear that, what's happened?

莉：聽你這麼說我感到很遺憾，你發生什麼事了？

Rob: I had to get my car fixed, I had to get a plumber round to fix a leaking pipe, I received a huge tax bill and then to add to it all, I lost my wallet yesterday — I'm doing my best to keep the wolf from the door.

羅布：我得修車，還要請管道工來修漏水的管道，我剛收到了一筆鉅額的納稅單，除此之外，昨天我的錢包丟了，我現在正在盡力維持生活。

Li: A wolf?! You really have got problems if you've got to keep a wolf out of your house!

莉：一隻狼？！如果你要讓狼遠離你的家，那你是真的遇到問題了！

Rob: Not a real wolf. When people say they're trying to keep the wolf from the door they mean they've only just got enough money to survive.

羅布：不是說真的狼。當人們用keep the wolf from the door這個短語的時候，他們的意思是他們的錢只能勉強度日。

Li: Oh I see! So you just have enough money to eat and live?

莉：哦，我明白了！所以你現在的錢只能勉強維持生計？

Rob: Yes, it's not a good position to be in. Let's hear more examples of the phrase in action…

羅布：對，這並不是一個好的狀態。我們來聽些例句，看看這個短語如何應用……

Examples

例句

I'm going to have to sell my car if I'm to keep the wolf from the door.

如果我要維持生計，我就得把車賣了。

It's tough being a student, I study all day then have to do an evening job just to keep the wolf from the door.

做學生真難，我一整天都要學習，爲了維持生計晚上還要去打工。

We've only just saved enough money to keep the wolf from the door.

我們的存款只夠勉強度日。

Li: So if you keep the wolf from the door, you just have enough money to survive. OK Rob, I get it… with all your bills to pay you really are struggling to keep the wolf from the door — so what are you going to do?

莉：所以這個短語的意思是你的錢只能勉強維持生活。好，羅布，我明白了……你要支付很多賬單，所以你在盡力維持生計，那你打算怎麼辦？

Rob: I need to ask a good friend to lend me some money.

羅布：我要向好朋友借點錢。

Li: You want to borrow some money? You'll need to find a really good friend then?

莉：你想借錢？那你要向好朋友借嗎？

Rob: Yes a really good friend — like you Li? I know you have some spare cash.

羅布：對，一個真正的好朋友，比如說你。我知道你有閒錢。

Li: Sorry Rob, I've just spent that on a really nice holiday.

莉：抱歉，羅布，我剛在度假時把錢花掉了。

(Sound of wolf knocking at the door)

（狼敲門的聲音）

Rob: Huh! What's that?

羅布：啊，那是什麼聲音？

Li: It sounds like the wolf is really at the door. Go on then, here's ten pounds.

莉：聽起來像有一隻真正的狼在門口。給，這是10英鎊。

Rob: (disappointed) Oh, ten pounds, thanks!

羅布：（很失望）哦，10英鎊，謝謝你！

Li: Bye!

莉：再見！

Rob: Bye Bye!

羅布：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. run out of 用完；耗盡；
例句：He has run out of red ink.
他的紅墨水用完了。
2. in danger 處在危險中；
例句：Some animals feign death when in danger.
有些動物在危險時裝死。
3. cheer up （使）高興起來；（使）振作起來；
例句：Cheer up! It can't be as bad as all that.
振作起來！情況不會那麼糟。
4. add to 添加；增加；摻加；
例句：That considerably added to our difficulties.
那事給我們增添了相當大的困難。
5. keep the wolf from the door 勉強度日；餬口；
例句：A lot of the lads took small jobs to help keep the wolf from the door.
很多少年打零工幫補家裏維持生計。
6. struggle to do sth. 奮力；努力；盡力；
例句：Those who have lost their jobs struggle to pay their supermarket bills.
那些失業的人們想方設法以支付超市的賬單。