The english we speak(BBC教学)第348期:Give us a bell 给我打电话

Rob wants Feifei to give him a bell. Why does he want one and how is Feifei going to carry it? Or is this another example of confusing authentic real English? Listen to the programme to find out what he really means.

罗布想让菲菲“给他一口钟”。罗布为什么想要个钟？菲菲要怎么拿给他？还是这是另一个令人困惑的地道英语表达？请收听本期节目，了解这个短语的真正意思。

Rob: Hello, I'm Rob...

罗布：大家好，我是罗布。

Feifei: I'm Feifei and this is The English We Speak.

菲菲：我是菲菲，欢迎收听地道英语节目。

Rob: So Feifei, what are you doing this weekend?

罗布：菲菲，你这周末有什么安排？

Feifei: I thought I'd do some sightseeing in London – I never get time to see my home city, so that's what I'm going to do.

菲菲：我想在伦敦观光游览，我一直没有时间游览一下我的家乡城市，这就是我周末的安排。

Rob: Good idea. You mean the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey...

罗布：好主意。你是要去参观伦敦塔、圣保罗大教堂、威斯敏斯特大教堂……

Feifei: and especially Big Ben. I've always wanted to stand underneath and hear the clock strike 12.

菲菲：对，我一定要去大本钟。我一直想站在大本钟下面，听钟敲12下。

Rob: Do you know what, I might the do same thing. When you're there, give us a bell and I'll come and meet you.

罗布：你知道吗，我可能也会做同样的事情。你到那里以后，可以给我打个电话，我过去找你。

Feifei: 'Give us a bell'? There is no way I can give you a bell – do you know how heavy it is?

菲菲：“给我们一口钟？”我不可能给你一口钟，你知道那有多重吗？

Rob: Errr, I don't want a bell from the clock tower. I just meant, give me a call – on your phone. Give us a bell!

罗布：呃……我并不想要钟楼上的钟。我的意思是，用你的手机给我打个电话。给我打电话！

Feifei: Why didn't you just say that!

菲菲：那你为什么不直接说！

Rob: 'A bell' originates from the days when phones had a bell that rang when someone called it. So when I say 'a bell', I mean 'a call'. So will you 'give us a bell'?

罗布：“铃声”这个说法的来源是，以前的电话上都有一个铃铛，有人打电话时，铃铛就会响。所以我说a bell的意思就是“电话”。那你会给我打电话吗？

Feifei: Let me just think about that, while we hear some more examples...

菲菲：我要考虑一下，这期间我们再来听几个例句。

Examples

例句

When you get there, give us a bell and tell us what it's like.

你到那里以后，给我们打个电话，告诉我们是什么情况。

Just give us a bell and I'll tell you how to get here.

给我打个电话，我来告诉你怎么去那里。

After our blind date, he told me to give him a bell but every time I call it his phone diverts to voicemail.

相亲之后，他让我给他打电话，可是每次我给他打电话都会转到语音信箱。

Feifei: That's give me – or give us – a bell, meaning phone me! But Rob, you said give US a call – are you going to be with someone else?

菲菲：所以这个短语的意思就是给我打电话！可是罗布，你刚说“给我们打电话”，你是要和其他人一起去吗？

Rob: No. In informal English we tend to say 'us' even when there's just one of us – just me. But of course 'us' can mean more than one person.

罗布：不是。在非正式英语中，即使只有一个人，也就是只有我，我们也会说“我们”。当然了，“我们”也可以指多于一个人的情况。

Feifei: Right. But this weekend you want me to call you because you'll be on your own and you've got nothing else to do – so you want to spend the day sightseeing with me?

菲菲：好。不过这个周末你想让我给你打电话，是因为你只有一个人，没什么事可做，所以你想和我一起去观光，对吗？

Rob: Yes. Just give us a bell and I'll be there.

罗布：对。给我打电话，我会过去。

Feifei: Hmmm, well sorry I can't – I haven't got your number.

菲菲：嗯，抱歉不行，我没有你的号码。

Rob: Well, I could give you a bell – what's your number again?

罗布：哦，我可以打给你，你的电话号码是多少来着？

Feifei: Ah, saved by the bell – sorry, got to go, maybe next time. See ya.

菲菲：啊，这个铃声救了我，抱歉，我得走了，也许下次吧。再见。

Rob: Oh. Bye.

罗布：哦。再见。

译文属仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载

重点讲解：
1. no way 没有可能；
例句：There was absolutely no way that we were going to be able to retrieve it.
我们绝对不可能把它找回来。
2. originate from 起源；来自…，源于；
例句：All carbohydrates originate from plants.
所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。
3. tend to do sth. 往往会；经常就；
例句：I tend to stick to fresh fruit for pudding.
我一直坚持用新鲜水果做甜点。
4. on one's own 单独地；独自地；
例句：He lives on his own.
他独自一人生活。