常春藤生活英语【116】A Fool's Errand 傻瓜的差事

A Fool's Errand 傻瓜的差事

Dialogue A
Milly and Stan are camping in the woods.
Milly: Camping is such fun! Here, catch this Frisbee.
Stan: We shouldn't fool around until things are set up.
Milly: OK. I'll set up the tent while you go get some firewood.
Stan: No problem. I can do that.
(Stan returns with a load of firewood.)
Stan: Oh my goodness! What happened to the tent?
Milly: The instructions didn't make any sense. I couldn't figure them out.
Stan: Any fool can set up this tent! Here, I'll help you.

Dialogue B
Milly: Where can we get some more water?
Stan: There's a pump down the road. Take the container hooked on the back of the truck with you.
Milly: his job will be a snap. I'll show you that I'm nobody's fool.
(Milly returns from fetching the water.)
Milly: I'm back.
Stan: What were you doing on the way back? The container is half empty.
Milly: What? Hey! You sent me on a fool's errand. This container has a hole in the bottom!
Stan: Sorry about that. I hope your shoes aren't soaked.

米莉和史丹正在树林里露营。
米　莉：露营好好玩喔！来，接住这个飞盘。
史　丹：我们在搞定所有事情之前不该闲晃。
米　莉：好吧。我来搭帐篷，你去找些木柴来。
史　丹：没问题。这我办得到。
（史丹抱着一大堆木柴回来。）
史　丹：我的天啊！帐篷怎么啦？
米　莉：这个说明书根本就不合理。我看不懂啦。
史　丹：随便谁来都会搭这个帐篷！来吧，让我帮妳。

Dialogue B
米　莉：我们可以去哪多提些水来？
史　丹：这条路直走下去会有一个帮浦。妳拿卡车后头挂的那个容器去装。
米　莉：这工作很容易嘛。我会向你证明我精明的很。
（米莉提着水回来。）
米　莉：我回来了。
史　丹：妳在回来的路上做了些什么啊？容器里的水都流掉一半了。
米　莉：什么？嘿！你派我去做白工。这个容器的底部有破洞！
史　丹：真抱歉。希望妳的鞋没湿透。

Building Your Vocabulary

1. hook　vt. 吊，挂；把……固定住
Could you hook the calendar on that nail?
可以麻烦你把月历挂在那根钉子上吗？
2. fetch vt. 拿来；找来
Dad asked me to fetch him a drink.
爸爸叫我拿罐饮料给他。

Phrases for Learning

1. fool around　　闲荡，游手好闲
Fred did nothing but fool around all day.
佛瑞德整天游手好闲什么也没做。
2. a load of...　　很多∕大量……
Maria has a load of clothes to wash.
玛莉亚有一大堆的衣服要洗。
3. any fool can...　　任何人都会……
Any fool can tell this fruit has gone bad.
任谁都看得出这水果已经坏掉了。
4. be a snap　　轻而易举
Cooking is a snap for Rebecca.
烹饪对蕾贝卡而言轻而易举。
5. be nobody's fool　　不是傻瓜；为人精明
Jack is nobody's fool when shopping for deals.
杰克在买东西时可是精打细算。
6. (send + 人 + on) a fool's errand　　（派某人去做）徒劳无益的事
It is a fool's errand to try to get him out of bed.
要挖他起床只是白费力气而已。

Extra Words

1. Frisbee n. 飞盘
2. firewood n. 柴火，木柴
3. instructions n. 操作指南；使用说明（恒为复数）
4. container n. 容器
5. soaked a. 湿透的

Tips In Use

Camping is such fun!
（露营好好玩喔！）
such 可视为形容词，表『如此的』，须与名词并用。
注意:
与不可数名词并用时，such 之后无须加上冠词；与单数可数名词并用时，要置于不定冠词（a/an）之前；such 与名词并用，且其前有 one 或 no 时，则 such 之后不可再加冠词，否则将造成冠词重复。
Gordon is such a gentleman!
（高登真是一个绅士啊！）
There is no such man called Al here.
（这里没有一个叫艾尔的男子。）

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