我们讲的英语第172期:Off the back of a lorry 来路不明

Li: Hi Finn. I'm so happy. I'm going to buy a brand new computer this afternoon and it's very, very cheap.
莉：嗨，芬恩。我非常高兴。今天下午我要去买新电脑，而且那电脑非常非常便宜。

Finn: What a bargain, Li! Where are you going to buy it? Can I go with you?
芬恩：莉，那真是太划算了！你要去哪儿买啊？我能跟你一起去吗？

Li: I'm going to meet a friend of my neighbour's cousin. He's selling it.
莉：我要去见我邻居堂兄的朋友。那是他卖的电脑。

Finn: Do you know this man, Li?
芬恩：莉，你认识这个人吗？

Li: No, but he sounded very nice on the phone. He's nice but a bit clumsy.
莉：不认识，不过在电话中他听起来非常友好。他很友好，不过有些笨拙。

Finn: Alright. Why?
芬恩：好吧。为什么这么说？

Li: He told me the computer fell off the back of his lorry but it works perfectly.
莉：他说电脑从上车后面掉下来了，不过电脑可以正常运转。

Finn: It fell off the back of a lorry?!
芬恩：电脑来路不明？

Li: Yes. But it came in a very strong box and he said it was in perfect condition.
莉：是啊。不过电脑装在非常坚固的箱子里，而且他说电脑完好无损。

Finn: Li, the computer didn't actually fall off anywhere. It was taken.
芬恩：莉，那台电脑并不是从某个地方掉下来。它是偷来的。

Li: What do you mean?!
莉：你是什么意思？

Finn: In English, when you say something 'fell off the back of a lorry', or if you say something is 'off the back of a lorry', what you mean is that it was received in suspicious circumstances. It was probably stolen.
芬恩：在英语中，如果你说某个东西fell off the back of a lorry，或者说off the back of a lorry，意思是得到那个东西的方式存在可疑。很可能是偷来的。

Li: Stolen?!
莉：偷来的？

Finn: Yes. In the US and Australia they say 'fell off the back of a truck', but it means the same thing. It's a humorous way of describing stolen property.
芬恩：对，美国和澳大利亚会说fell off the back of a truck，意思是相同的。这是一种形容赃物的幽默说法。

Li: Oh. It's a crime! There's nothing humorous about that.
莉：哦，那是犯罪啊！这可一点儿也不幽默。

Finn: 'Off the back of a lorry' is today's expression in The English We Speak. Let's hear some examples of how it's used.
芬恩：Off the back of a lorry就是今天地道英语要学的表达。我们来听些例句看看这个表达的用法。

The police have been looking for a local man who doesn't mind selling mobile phones that fell off the back of a lorry.
警方一直在找不介意贩卖来路不明的手机的当地男子。

The black market was thriving when the war ended. It wasn't difficult to find all sorts of things off the back of a lorry.
战争结束后黑市迅速发展。要找到各种贼赃并不难。

Li: Thank you, Finn, for the warning. I'm not going to buy that cheap computer now.
莉：芬恩，谢谢你提醒我。我不坐去买那台便宜的电脑了。

Finn: Well. I'm sorry to have disappointed you. Li, but it's always good to know these unusual expressions in English!
芬恩：嗯，我很抱歉让你失望了。不过莉，知道这些英语中的特别表达方式总是很好。

Li: Well, there goes my bargain. Back to saving money to buy a computer in a real shop.
莉：嗯，买便宜货是不可能了。我还是继续存钱去实体店买台电脑吧。

Finn: Good idea. What is cheap might end up costing much more than you expect.
芬恩：好主意。便宜的东西最后可能会让你付出比你预想的多的东西。

Li: Indeed. I won't buy stuff off the back of a lorry. Better safe than sorry. Bye.
莉：的确是。我是不会买来路不明的东西的。宁可事先谨慎有余，不要事后追悔莫及。再见。

Finn: Bye.
芬恩：再见。