The english we speak(BBC教學)第173期:Not enough room to swing a cat 空間擁擠

(Li is accompanying Finn as he goes flat hunting)

（莉陪芬恩去找公寓）

Finn: This is flat number five, Li. I'm happy you came Along to help me find a nice place to live.

芬恩：莉，這是五號公寓。我很高興你過來幫我找好的居住地。

Li: Renting a new place is a big step, Finn. This one looks good. Look here. Big windows, lots of light coming in. Isn't it nice?

莉：芬恩，租新公寓是個重大的決定。這間公寓看起來不錯。看看這裏。這麼大的窗戶，有很多光線可以照射進來。是不是很棒？

Finn: Yeah. It's good but…

芬恩：是。是很好，但是……

Li: It's been painted recently. Look, the wooden floor is lovely!

莉：這間公寓近期剛粉刷過。看啊，那個木門多可愛啊！

Finn: Yes, you're right, it's lovely but… Li… there's not enough room to swing a cat!

芬恩：是，你說得對，是很可愛，但是，莉……這裏太狹小了，連轉身的地方都不夠！

Li: A cat? Are you sure? No problem. I saw one outside. I'll be back in a minute.

莉：一隻貓？你確定嗎？沒問題。我剛在外面看到了一隻。我馬上就回來。

(She leaves the room for a few seconds)

（她離開了房間幾秒鐘）

Finn: Li, what is this?!

芬恩：莉，這是什麼？

Li: It's a cat, Finn. I didn't know you liked swinging cats around, but… well, this cat was just outside and you can try swinging it! Just be gentle with it.

莉：芬恩，是隻貓。我不知道你喜歡晃動貓咪，不過……嗯，這隻貓剛剛就在外面，你可以試着搖擺它！你要對它溫柔點。

Finn: No, Li. I don't swing cats. In English, you use the expression 'there's not enough room to swing a cat' when you want to say a place is much too small.

芬恩：不是，莉。我並不是要搖擺貓。在英語中，你用there's not enough room to swing a cat這個表達該來來形容一個地方非常小。

Li: What a relief!

莉：真是鬆了口氣！

Finn: 'Not enough room to swing a cat' is today's expression in The English We Speak. Let's hear some examples of how to use it.

芬恩：Not enough room to swing a cat就是今天地道英語節目要學的表達方式。我們來聽些例句學習一下這個表達的用法。

Examples

例句

The library at my college was really small. There wasn't enough room to swing a cat!

我學校的圖書館非常小，連轉身的地方都不夠！

I can't work in this office. There's not enough room to swing a cat! Where will I put my books and my computer?

我不能在這間辦公室工作，它真是太狹小了！我要把我的書和電腦放在哪裏啊？

Finn: So, not enough room for me in this flat, Li. But thanks for coming with me all the same.

芬恩：所以，莉，對我來說這間公寓的大小不夠。不過還是謝謝你和我一起過來。

Li: So what are you going to do, Finn?

莉：芬恩，你打算怎麼做？

Finn: I think I'll just move in with my brother.

芬恩：我想我會搬去和我哥哥一起住。

Li: Is his flat small? Could you… swing a cat there?

莉：他的公寓小嗎？你能……在那裏和貓玩嗎？

Finn: In my brother's house cats rule! He loves furry little animals.

芬恩：我哥哥家貓可是寶貝！他非常喜歡毛茸茸的小動物。

Li: Well, I think this cat might join you there. Let's go, Finn. Bye.

莉：嗯，我想這隻貓可以和你一起住在你哥哥家。我們走吧，芬恩。再見。

Finn: Bye. And no cat was harmed in the recording of this programme. Isn't that right, Tubby?

芬恩：再見。沒有貓咪給這期節目的錄製帶來影響。對吧，圖比？

Tubby: Meow.

圖比：喵。

重點講解：
1. come along
（尤用於鼓勵別人參加某活動）來吧，一起來；
eg. There's a big press launch today and you're most welcome to come along.
今天有一個大型的媒體推介會，非常希望您能光臨。
eg. May be I'll come along next time.
也許下一次我也來。
2. There's no room to swing a cat
地方狹小；空間擁擠；
eg. It was described as a large, luxury mobile home, but there was barely room to swing a cat.
那個活動房被形容爲寬敞豪華，可事實上幾乎連轉身的地兒都沒有。
eg. In our old flat we didn't have enough room to swing a cat, but now we've got plenty of space.
我們從前住的那套房間很狹小，沒有活動的餘地，現在我們已得到很寬敞的住所了。
3. all the same
仍然；依然；照樣；
eg. All the same, there is some truth in what he says.
儘管如此，他的話也還是有些道理。
eg. It was raining hard, but we got there in time all the same.
雨下得很大，可是我們仍然準時到達。