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内容简介

在汉语日常交流对话中，当别人问的问题需要一个很长的解释时，我们可能会以 “说来话长” 作答。在这期节目中，主持人 Neil 和菲菲教你 “说来话长” 的英文表达方式和具体用法。听他们的对话。

文字稿

（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。）

Feifei
Hello! 大家好。Welcome to Authentic Real English from BBC Learning English. 我是冯菲菲。

Neil
… and hello, I’m Neil. Err, sorry to mention it, Feifei, but why is there a big coffee stain on your top?

Feifei
Because I spilt coffee all over me!

Neil
Oh, that was silly… and did I notice when you arrived that you were limping?

Feifei
哎，别提了! Thereby hangs a tale.

Neil
What? Did you trip over a tail?

Feifei
No, no. I mean there’s more to tell you. 在英语里，表达 “thereby hangs a tale” 的意思是 “说来话长，其中大有文章”。当别人问的问题需要一个很长的解释时，我们就可以用 “thereby hangs a tale” 来告诉他们你的回答会很长，因为有很多要解释的东西。“Thereby hangs a tale” 这个表达出自莎士比亚的喜剧《皆大欢喜》。Now, let me explain why I have a coffee stain and a limp.

Neil
If it involves me, then no!

Feifei
It does.

Neil
Oh, well. Shall we have some examples of ‘thereby hangs a tale’?

Examples
A: Why are you covered in mud?
B: Well, thereby hangs a tale.

I won that medal for bravery – and thereby hangs a tale.

What a journey! All the main roads were closed so we had to drive cross-country – and thereby hangs a tale.

Feifei
你正在收听的是 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语” 节目。这期节目中，我们给大家介绍如何用表达 “thereby hangs a tale” 来告诉别人一个问题的回答有一个很长的解释，也就是我们常说的 “说来话长”。Neil, can you guess what’s happened?

Neil
Hmm, so you have a limp, and you have a coffee stain on your top – were you dancing with a full cup of coffee?

Feifei
I wasn’t. In fact, I was walking to the studio, carefully carrying my coffee, when I tripped over a bag of potatoes in the corridor.

Neil
Ah, that’s my bag of potatoes!

Feifei
I thought so, but why is there a bag of potatoes in the corridor?

Neil
Ah, well, thereby hangs a tale!

Feifei
I’m all ears.

Neil
I’ll tell you later. It’s time to go now. Bye.

Feifei
Bye!