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内容简介

主持人 Neil 总去的那家咖啡店要求顾客自己煮咖啡。这听起来很荒唐吧？假如你遇到了一件非常荒谬可笑的事情，让你难以置信，可以如何用英语表达？听对话，学习一个地道实用的日常口语表达。

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（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Jiaying
大家好，欢迎收听 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语” 节目，我是佳莹。

Neil
And hello, I’m Neil. Hey, Jiaying, I’ve just been to that cafe downstairs and guess what…

Jiaying
You bought me a coffee?

Neil
No! I didn’t buy any coffee because now you have to make your own coffee – and you have to bring your own cup. What kind of cafe is that?

Jiaying
You couldn’t make it up!

Neil
But I didn’t make it up.

Jiaying
我知道，我相信你。我们用 “you couldn’t make it up” 来感叹 “事情或情况出乎意料，让人难以置信、无法想象”。话说回来，他们为什么要这样做呢？

Neil
Something to do with ‘health and safety’ – who could come up with an idea like that?

Jiaying
Like I said, you couldn’t make it up. Here are some more examples of this phrase…

Examples
The breakdown van that’s coming to fix my car has broken down – you couldn’t make it up!

The session about punctuality will start late because the speaker has been delayed – you couldn’t make it up!

You couldn’t make it up – the cake shop has started a ‘healthy eating’ campaign.

Jiaying
你正在收听的是 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语” 节目。上面，我们介绍了口语表达 “you couldn’t make it up”，用来感叹 “事情或情况令人难以置信或十分荒谬”。So, Neil, where are you going to get your coffee from now?

Neil
Probably from the other cafe across the street.

Jiaying
Oh, haven’t you heard? At that cafe, you have to bring your own coffee beans and milk if you want them to make you a coffee – something to do with saving storage space.

Neil
How ridiculous – you couldn’t make it up.

Jiaying
Actually, I did make it up – just so you could say the phrase one more time!

Neil
Thanks! I’m going to get my coffee now, and I’m not getting you one.

Jiaying
It’s OK, Neil. I’ve got one already. Bye.

Neil
Hmm. You didn’t make that up, did you?