美國之音之流行美語lesson 337 wild goose chase...

LL: I'm just following the directions my boss gave me - although, we should have been there a half hour ago. Let me turn around...again.

LH: 你就該聽我的，在剛才那個加油站停下來問問路。

LL: We already asked for directions three times...I don't know why he wanted to have the party so far out of the city. It looks like this is nothing but a wild goose chase.

LH: A wild goose chase? 追野鵝？我們找路還來不及呢，哪還有時間去追野鵝？

LL: Oh, that's just a phrase people say when they are looking for something they will never find. And I don't think we are going to find this picnic ground.

LH: 哦，原來a wild goose chase，意思是徒勞無功的尋找，白費勁。你老板不是告訴你路了嗎？

LL: Maybe he gave me the wrong directions? Or maybe I wrote them down incorrectly. I don't know, but I don't think he would send me on a wild goose chase on purpose.

LH: 那上星期我們轉(zhuǎn)了半天也沒有找到你表弟足球比賽的賽場，也可以說是a wild goose chase了？

LL: Yep, that was a wild goose chase too. No one told me that the game was canceled! I was looking for hours...

LH: 這么說，你上上個周末說要帶我去一片新聽別人介紹的沙灘，結(jié)果怎么也找不到，也是a wild goose chase!

LL: Lihua, you have such a good memory. Yes, we've been on many wild goose chases together. But, keep in mind that you have taken me on a wild goose chase or two in the past as well.

LH: 我也帶你做過這種無用功嗎？我怎么不記得？

LL: Like last Wednesday when you sent me to get sushi from a restaurant that was still under construction.

LH: Oh, yea...

LL: Or the time we went to three different subway stations looking for your friend when she was actually waiting at the airport...

LH：Oh, right...

LL: Or, the time when..

LH: 好了好了，我承認，咱倆找路的本事都不怎么樣！不過這次可既不是你的責任，也不是我的責任。

LL: That's right. Today, I'm going to blame the wild goose chase on my boss giving me the wrong directions.

******

十分鐘過后，Larry和李華又繞了回來。

LH: Larry, 我看今天沒希望了，如果你不到，老板會不會一氣之下，炒你的魷魚？

LL: We were supposed to be celebrating his birthday today at the picnic...If I don't show up at this party, he won't be happy when he sees me in the office. I guess I have no choice but to go face the music at work on Monday.

LH: face the music?難道說你老板生氣的時候喜歡聽音樂嗎？

LL: No quite. To have to face the music means having to accept the negative consequences of something you have done.

LH: 哦，to face the music就是為自己的所作所為承擔后果，你是說星期一只好硬著頭皮去見老板嘍？

LL: That is unfortunately the case. I have no choice but to see him on Monday, so I guess I will have to face the music.

LH: 哎，我更慘，為了跟你來野餐, 我把復習的時間都搭進去了，明天考試，I will have to face the music when I take the exam.

LL: What? Oh, no! I didn't know you had a test on Monday. I would hate for you to have to face the music because of my boss' mistake.

LH: 怎么樣？夠哥們吧？為了陪你，我連功課都不顧了。

LL: Oh, we are definitely ending this wild goose chase immediately. Maybe you will have some time to study if we head home now.

LH: Larry, 你看, 快沒油了，得趕緊找個加油站。

LL: Find a gas station out here in the countryside? I don't know...sounds like another wild goose chase to me.

LH: 再偏僻的地方也得有加油站啊，我們還是快找吧，一旦真沒油了，我們就必須得face the music and walk home，走回家了。

LL: (Sign) I'll face the music anyway once I get my gas bill at the end of the month. All these wild goose chases sure waste a lot of gas!

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是wild goose chase, 意思是徒勞無功地尋覓。另一個是face the music, 意思是承擔后果。