我们讲的英语第221期:To go around the houses 拐弯抹角

Feifei wants to borrow Rob's car but she takes a long time getting to the point. Find out why Rob tells her not to go around the houses. And why doesn't Rob want her to drive his car?
菲菲想借罗布的车，不过她花了很长时间才提出来。收听本期节目，看看罗布为什么让她不要绕圈子。为什么罗布不想让她开他的车？

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
注：音频与文本并不完全对应。

Feifei: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, with me Feifei...
菲菲：大家好，欢迎收听地道英语节目，我是菲菲……

Rob: ...and me, Rob. Hello!
罗布：我是罗布。大家好！

Feifei: Rob, I've been meaning to ask... you've got a car haven't you?
菲菲：罗布，我想问你……你有辆车，对吧？

Rob: Yes, Feifei, I have.
罗布：是的，菲菲，我有辆车。

Feifei: Is it a quite special car? You know, a valuable, expensive one?
菲菲：那是辆特别的车吗？我是问，是那种很名贵的车吗？

Rob: No no, it's just an old car — but it gets me around. Why are you asking?
罗布：不，不是，只是一辆老车，不过我还能开着它到处去。你为什么问这些？

Feifei: Oh no reason... you don't use it much do you?
菲菲：没什么……你是不是不经常用？

Rob: No... Feifei there's no need to go around the houses — just say what you want to say.
罗布：不是……菲菲，没必要兜圈子，你想说什么就直说吧。

Feifei: OK... can I borrow your car please? But don't worry, I won't take it around the houses — I just want to go to the supermarket.
菲菲：好……我能借你的车用一下吗？别担心，我不会开着它围着房子转的，我只是想去趟超市。

Rob: Ha! Feifei when I said there's no need to go around the houses'; I wasn't referring to where you drive my car. I mean, you don't have to waste time saying lots of unimportant things before you actually say what you want to say.
罗布：哈哈！菲菲，我刚才说的是没必要拐弯抹角，并不是指你要开我的车去的地方。我的意思是，在你说出你想说的话之前，没必要浪费时间说这么多不重要的事情。

Feifei: I see! So I should just say what I want to say — I should get to the point?
菲菲：我明白了！所以我应该说出我想说的话——我应该有话直说，对吧？

Rob: Yes, that's another way of putting it. Basically it means you take a long time to say or do something, when in reality it can be done or said a lot quicker. Let's hear some examples of the phrase 'to go around the houses' in action...
罗布：对，这是这个短语的另一种说法。基本上来说，这个短语的意思是你花了很长时间去说一件事或做一件事，可是实际上你可以用更快的时间完成这件事或说出这件事。我们来听些例句，看看这个表达如何应用……

Examples
例句

Don't go around the houses; just tell me straight, what have you done?
别拐弯抹角了，直接告诉我你做了什么？

He went all around the houses talking about the match but all I wanted to know was who won?
在谈论这场比赛时他一直在兜圈子，可我只想知道最后谁赢了？

I didn't know how to tell him he'd failed his exams so I went all around the houses before I let him know.
我不知道如何告诉他他考试不及格，所以在告诉他之前我一直在兜圈子。

Feifei: So, to go around the houses means you go a long way round before asking what you want to ask. Rob, you haven't answered my question yet.
菲菲：所以go around the houses的意思就是在问出你想问的问题前绕了一大圈问别的事情。罗布，你还没有回答我的问题呢。

Rob: Oh yes, what was the question?
罗布：哦，什么，问题是什么？

Feifei: Can I borrow your car... please?
菲菲：我能借你的车用一下吗？

Rob: Oh well, erm, I need to fill it up with petrol...
罗布：哦，我要去给车加油……

Feifei: Oh right...
菲菲：哦，好吧……

Rob: And I need to drive to work...
罗布：我还要开车上班……

Feifei: But that's not until Monday!
菲菲：我不会用到周一的！

Rob: It's not very tidy inside...
罗布：车里不是很干净……

Feifei: Rob — don't go around the houses — your answer is 'no' isn't it?
菲菲：罗布，别再拐弯抹角了，你的答复是不行，对吧？

Rob: Yes Feifei. You can't borrow it. I crashed it last week — nobody can drive it!
罗布：是的，菲菲。我不能借你。因为上周我的车撞坏了，现在没人能开了！

Feifei: You certainly won't be going around any houses then Rob!
菲菲：那罗布，你就不能再开着它围着房子转了！

Rob: Very funny Feifei!
罗布：菲菲，这很好笑！

Both: Bye Bye!
两人一起：再见！