The english we speak(BBC教學)第260期:There's method to my madness 我這麼做是有原因的

Rob is taken aback by the mess in the studio and asks Li why she has emptied all her stuff from her handbag onto the floor. Li replies, 'there's method to my madness'. What does she mean? Listen and find out.

羅布被亂糟糟的演播室嚇了一跳，他問莉爲什麼她把包裏所有的東西都倒在了地上。莉回答說：“我這麼做是有原因的”。她是什麼意思？請收聽本期節目並找出答案。

Li: Hi everyone, I'm Li. Rob will be here in a few minutes but while I'm waiting for him I must try to find my Travelcard. I couldn't find it this morning. I hope I haven't lost it.

莉：大家好，我是莉。羅布幾分鐘以後就到，我等他的時候一定要找到我的交通卡。今天早上我的交通卡找不到了。希望沒有丟。

(Sound of Li emptying her handbag... Then the door opens and Rob enters the room)

（莉倒空包裏所有東西的聲音……然後門開了，羅布走進了演播室）

Rob: Hi Li, sorry I'm late. (Rob looks at Li) Li, what are you doing? You've emptied your handbag all over the floor!

羅布：嗨，莉，抱歉我遲到了。（羅布看向莉）莉，你在做什麼？你把你包裏所有的東西都攤在了地上！

Li: Oh, hi Rob, I wasn't expecting you to be here so soon. Oh dear, this must look terrible, but believe me, there's method to my madness.

莉：哦，你好，羅布，我沒想到你這麼快就到了。天哪，這看上去一定很糟，不過相信我，我這麼做是有原因的。

Rob: You've made a mess all over the floor and you're telling me you've gone mad!

羅布：你把地板弄得一團糟，你還告訴我你瘋了！

Li: No, I haven't gone mad, well I hope not! The phrase 'there's method to my madness' means that although what I'm doing looks like madness I'm doing it deliberately; I have a reason for doing it.

莉：不是，我沒有瘋，希望我沒有瘋！there's method to my madness這個短語的意思是雖然我做的事情看上去很瘋狂，不過我是有意這麼做的；我這麼做是有原因的。

Rob: I'm only joking Li. Of course I know this phrase. 'There's method to my madness' or you could say 'there's method in my madness', means you are doing something that looks strange but you have a plan and really, you are doing something very sensible.

羅布：莉，我只是在開玩笑。我當然知道這個短語。There's method to my madness或者是there's method in my madness的意思是，你做的事情雖然看起來很奇怪，但你是有計劃的，你做的事情其實是合理的。

Li: Yes, that's exactly right. I've emptied my handbag over the floor because it will be easier and quicker to find my Travelcard. Then I'll re-pack my handbag.

莉：對，完全正確。我把我包裏的東西攤在地上是因爲這樣找交通卡會更容易更快。然後我會重新收拾我的包。

Rob: A good idea. That's the phrase for The English We Speak today. Let's hear some examples of how it's used.

羅布：好主意。這就是今天地道英語節目要講的短語。我們來聽些例句，看看這個短語如何應用。

Examples

例句

I'm driving to my friend's house today but I'm going to take the long route, avoiding the motorway. There's method to my madness, I think the motorway will be very busy and the longer route will be quicker.

今天我要開車去我朋友家，我打算走較長的那條路線，不走高速公路。我這麼做是有原因的，我認爲高速公路的車流量會很大，而較長的路線會更快一些。

A: What are you doing putting all the books on the floor?

A：你爲什麼要把所有的書放在地上？

B: There's method to my madness. I'm taking a photo of the books I'm putting away. The photos will help me locate the books more easily.

B：我有我的理由。我在整理書的時候要給這些書拍照。這些照片能幫助我輕鬆地找到這些書的位置。

A: Oh, that's clever.

A：哦，真是個聰明的方法。

Rob: So Li, have you found your Travelcard?

羅布：莉，你找到你的交通卡了嗎？

Li: Yes, it must have been at the bottom of my handbag. You see, there was method to my madness.

莉：找到了，它肯定被壓在手提包的底下了。你看，我這麼做是有原因的。

Rob: Well done Li. Well, I'm going now. I'll leave you to tidy up your mess!

羅布：幹得好，莉。我現在要走了。我希望你自己收拾你弄亂的東西！

Li: Thanks Rob.

莉：謝謝你，羅布。

Rob: Bye everyone!

羅布：大家再見！

Li: Bye!

莉：再見！

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. be taken aback 吃驚，震驚（以至於無法立刻作出反應）；
例句：Rolandwas taken abackby our strength of feeling.
我們反應如此強烈，令羅蘭大吃一驚。
2. all over 到處；遍及；
例句：The wall paper had smudgesall overit.
牆紙上到處是污跡。
3. put away 把…收起；放好；
例句：'Yes, Mum,' replied Cheryl as she slowlyput awayher doll.
“是的，媽媽。”謝里爾一邊慢慢地收起布娃娃一邊回答。
4. well done 做得好；
例句：Well done, Linda, your painting is top of the league.
畫得好，琳達，你的畫好極了。
5. tidy up 收拾；整理；
例句：He began totidy uphis desk and finish off the week's work.
他開始整理書桌，結束一週的工作。