Could Murder a… 可以整個吞掉某物

The script of this programme 本節目台詞

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Feifei: 大家好，我是馮菲菲，歡迎收聽《地道英語》節目。

William: And I’m William Kremer.

Feifei: 哎？這是什麼聲音？

聽起來好像是天上在打雷。

William. Er. It’s not a thunderstorm. It’s my stomach rumbling.

Feifei: William’s stomach is rumbling 原來是他的肚子在咕嚕亂叫。

William: I didn’t have any breakfast this morning. I could murder a cheese sandwich!

Feifei: Eh? You could murder a cheese sandwich 他可以謀殺一個起士三明治。

Someone eating a burger

Could you murder this burger?

William: No, no no. I’m not really going to murder a cheese sandwich. That would be cruel. It’s a phrase in English: I could murder something. It means: I really want something.

Feifei: 這是英語中一個相當口語的說法 I could murder 什麼，其實它的意思是說，你太想吃什麼東西了 I could murder a sandwich. 不過 William… 為什麼想吃什麼東西就要說成是要謀殺它呢？

William: Well, Feifei, don’t ask difficult questions like that! Let’s just listen to another example.

Example

A: I’ve been stuck in traffic for hours; I could just murder a cup of tea.

B: I’ll put the kettle on.

Feifei: William, 為什麼你給我們舉的例子總是和喝茶有關呢？！除此之外這兩句話之中還有什麼我們能學到的嗎？

William: Well, only that it is a fixed phrase, and so we have to use exactly those words: I could murder a something.

Feifei: Ok, 看來由於這是一個俗語，我們不能把它的形式輕易改變。除了這種說法，還有什麼其它相近的用法嗎， William?

William: Yes, as it happens there is a very similar phrase. Listen to this clip:

Example

A: I’ve been stuck in traffic for hours; I’m dying for a cup of tea.

B: I’ll put the kettle on.

Feifei: I’m dying for a cup of tea. 就是說如果我喝不上一杯茶那我真的要死掉了 – 不過一般這個說法其實就是傳達你特別想要喝上一杯茶的意思。

William: That’s right. I’m dying for a cup of tea now. I’m dying for a cheese sandwich.

Feifei: William 你知道嗎，在此之前我一直都覺得英國人還是挺樸實的，不過現在我覺得你們有時候說話也是真能夠誇張的。

William: That may or may not be true. But if you’re dying for more Authentic Real English programmes, then go to www.bbcukchina.com.

Both: 再見！