內容簡介

Rob 受邀要去參加一個電影首映式，為此精心地打扮了一番。出發前，菲菲幫著檢查 Rob 的裝扮，發現領結是歪的 “skew-whiff”，趕緊給擺正了。除了著裝，形容詞 “skew-whiff” 還可以描述哪些事物？

文字稿

（關于臺詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。）

Feifei
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English. 歡迎來到 BBC 英語教學的《地道英語》，我是馮菲菲。

Rob
And I’m Rob.

Feifei
And I have to say Rob, you look fantastic! Big night, tonight, eh!

Rob
Well, I like to make an effort sometimes. It’s not every night that you get invited to a movie premiere.

Feifei
你這身打扮還真挺帥的！                                          

Rob
Like my bow tie? 

Feifei
Oh yes. Just one thing…

Rob
What’s that?

Feifei
你的領結沒系正。It’s a bit… skew-whiff.

Rob
Oh, really? 

Feifei
Yes. 你看，系歪了，我幫你。Here.

Rob
Oh, thanks. Better? 

Feifei
Absolutely.

Rob
It’s a good phrase, skew-whiff. We use it to describe things that aren’t quite straight, or not quite as they should be.

Feifei
是的，我們通常用 skew-whiff 來形容不正的，歪斜的東西。Like your bow tie. And your… hang on… your hair. 

Rob
No, no – don’t touch the hair. I spent ages getting it just right.

Feifei
Sorry. 我們還可以用 skew-whiff 來描述沒有按原計劃進行的事情。     

Rob
Feifei, I’m just off to check myself in the mirror. Let’s play some examples while I’m gone.

Examples
A: There we go! One perfectly hung picture. What do you think?
B: Hmm, it’s a little bit skew-whiff. Let me hang it straight.

This table is skew-whiff. One of the legs must be too short.

Our journey went a bit skew-whiff after we missed the train this morning.

I wanted to spend the whole weekend working on my dissertation, but everything went a bit skew-whiff when my friend arrived in the afternoon. 

Feifei
這里是 BBC 英語教學的《地道英語》節目。我們這次教給大家的英式表達是 “skew-whiff”，它通常可以描述歪斜的事物，有時候也可以被用來形容未按原計劃進行的事情。

Rob
OK, that’s my bow tie looking perfect now, thanks, Feifei.

Feifei
Great. There’s one more thing.

Rob
What’s that?

Feifei
Take some chewing gum. Your breath is fine, I think, but it’s always good to have some, just in case.

Rob
Yes, they wouldn’t want a whiff of bad breath at the premiere.

Feifei
Indeed.  Whiff 這個詞單用時指 “突然聞到一股味道”. No danger of that happening now. Enjoy the show!

Rob
Bye.

Feifei
Bye.