The english we speak(BBC教學)第205期:Killing time 打發時間

Neil's turned up late so Helen smashes up a clock. Why? Neil and Helen discuss a useful expression for when you have spare time you need to waste.

尼爾來晚了，所以海倫砸了一個鐘。這是爲什麼？尼爾和海倫在討論一個有用的表達方式，有關可以消磨的空閒時間。

Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil and with me today is Helen (crashing noises). Um, Helen what are you doing?

尼爾：大家好，歡迎收聽BBC英語教學頻道的地道英語節目。我是尼爾，今天和我一起主持節目的是海倫（撞擊聲）。呃，海倫，你在做什麼？

Helen: Oh I'm just stamping on this clock.

海倫：哦，我在踩這個鍾。

Neil: Yes, I can see that you are really… destroying that clock. My question is… why?

尼爾：我看到你正在毀壞那個鍾。可是我想問爲什麼要這麼做？

Helen: Well, don't you remember you told me that you were going to be a little late for the recording session?

海倫：嗯，你記不記得你跟我說你可能會趕不上錄音時間？

Neil: Yes, I had to delay things by an hour.

尼爾：對，我不得不把事情延遲一個小時。

Helen: And I asked you what I should do while I was waiting.

海倫：然後我問你我等你的時候要做什麼。

Neil: Yes that's right.

尼爾：對，沒錯。

Helen: And you told me that I should just kill time. So that's what I'm doing… killing time.

海倫：你說我殺了時間就行。所以我現在做的就是……殺了時間。

Neil: Well I did tell you to kill time, but I didn't mean destroy a clock. In English, when you say you are 'killing time', it means you are doing something that isn't really important just to occupy yourself before the start of your next plan or arrangement.

尼爾：我是告訴你要打發時間，不過我的意思不是讓你毀壞一個鐘。在英語中，killing time的意思是在下一個計劃或安排開始前，找一些不重要的事情讓自己有事情可做。

Helen: Yeah, that's right. Killing time has nothing to do with violence towards clocks. It's an expression which means to do something which isn't really important just to keep you occupied until the start of your next plan or arrangement. Here are some examples.

海倫：對，沒錯。killing time和對鍾實施暴力沒有關係。這是一種表達方式，意思是在下一個計劃或安排開始前找些不重要的事情讓自己忙碌起來。請聽下面的例句。

Examples

例句

I turned up an hour early for my flight, so I just looked at the duty free to kill some time.

我比航班時間早到了一小時，所以我去免稅店打發時間。

I had an hour between work and meeting my friends so I killed time in a department store.

在工作和見朋友期間我有一個小時間的富餘時間，所以我在百貨商店消磨時間。

I always arrive hours early for job interviews. I'd rather have to kill time than deal with the stress of being late!

參加面試時我總是會提前幾個小時到達。我寧願打發時間也不願意面臨可能會遲到的壓力！

Neil: So Helen, you can stop smashing up that poor clock now.

尼爾：海倫，你現在可以不用再砸那個可憐的鐘了。

Helen: But you know what? I'm quite enjoying it.

海倫：你知道嗎？其實我很喜歡。

Neil: It looks like you are enjoying it… and it looks quite fun. Do you mind if I…

尼爾：看起來你是很享受……而且看起來的確很有趣。你介意我……

Helen: Not at all… join me. (smashing)

海倫：完全不介意……和我一起砸吧。（砸鐘的聲音）

Neil: Actually, this is the most fun I've ever had killing time!

尼爾：實際上這是我在打發時間時過得最愉快的一次！

Helen: Me too! Join us again soon for The English We Speak.

海倫：我也是！請記得收看我們下期地道英語節目。

Neil: Bye! (smash)

尼爾：再見！（繼續砸）

Helen: Bye!

海倫：再見！

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重點講解：
1. turn up
（常指出其不意地或經長久等待後）出現，到來，露面；
eg. Franklin did not turn up until well after midnight.
富蘭克林直到午夜過後很久纔出現。
eg. For some reason she didn't turn up.
由於某種原因，她沒有來。
2. smash up
砸碎；砸毀；搗毀；
eg. She took revenge on her ex-boyfriend by smashing up his home.
爲了報復，她砸了前任男友的家。
eg. You could smash the drawer up with a hammer.
可以用錘子把抽屜砸開。
3. occupy oneself
使忙碌；使全神貫注；
eg. He hurried to take the suitcases and occupy himself with packing the car.
他急匆匆地去拎手提箱，忙着往車裏裝。
eg. I would deserve to be pitied if I couldn't occupy myself.
如果我都不能讓自己忙碌起來，那真是太可憐了。
4. would rather do sth.
寧願；寧可；
eg. He's as proud as Lucifer and would rather starve than take a penny from anyone.
他狂妄自大，寧願捱餓也不願接受他人的一個便士。
eg. She said she would rather not tell her age.
她說她還是不告訴我年齡爲好。