The english we speak(BBC教學)第169期:On the tip of my tongue 話到嘴邊（一時想不起來）

Helen: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Helen and with me is Rob. Hi Rob

海倫：大家好，歡迎收聽地道英語節目。我是海倫，今天和我一起主持節目的是羅布。你好，羅布。

Rob: Hi Helen. How was your weekend?

羅布：嗨，海倫。你週末過得怎麼樣？

Helen: Good thanks, I didn't do much, just relaxed. How was yours?

海倫：很好，謝謝你。我沒做什麼事，就只是放鬆了一下。你過的怎麼樣？

Rob: Interesting. I bumped into Bob…

羅布：很有趣。我遇到鮑勃了……

Helen: Bob? Oh the guy we used to work with.

海倫：鮑勃？哦，那個我們以前的同事。

Rob: Yes, that's him. Well, I had a good chat with him. You know All he talked about was computers and how he could never get a girlfriend… well guess what?

羅布：對，就是他。嗯，我和他聊得很開心。你知道，他以前談的都是和電腦有關的話題，還有他從未交過女朋友……猜猜他現在怎麼樣了？

Helen: He's now head of IT?

海倫：他現在是IT界的領袖？

Rob: No!

羅布：不是！

Helen: He's won the lottery and is a millionaire?

海倫：他中了彩票，現在是百萬富翁了？

Rob: No Helen. He's getting married!

羅布：不是，海倫。他要結婚了！

Helen: Oh that's good news. Is he marrying anyone we know?

海倫：哦，這真是個好消息。我們認識他的未婚妻嗎？

Rob: Yes. That's the thing–it's someone we know really well.

羅布：認識。這就是我要說的，他的未婚妻是我們非常熟悉的人。

Helen: Who's that?

海倫：是誰啊？

Rob: Hmm… erm… I can't remember her name… it's on the tip of my tongue.

羅布：嗯……我想不起來她的名字了……就在嘴邊可是想不起來了。

Helen: The tip of your tongue? That's a strange place–well ok, stick your tongue out.

海倫：在你的舌尖上？那真是個奇怪的地方，好吧，把你的舌頭伸出來。

Rob: (with his tongue out) Why do I need to do this Helen?

羅布：（把舌頭伸了出來）海倫，你爲什麼要我這麼做？

Helen: You said it was 'on the tip of your tongue'.

海倫：你不是說名字就在你的舌尖嘛。

Rob: No Helen. I mean I know her name but I can't quite remember it right now.

羅布：不是的，海倫。我的意思是我知道她的名字，可是我一時想不起來。

Helen: Why didn't you say! But Rob, will you remember the information soon?

海倫：剛纔你怎麼不說！可是羅布，你會馬上想起來嗎？

Rob: Yes I will. It really is just on the tip of my tongue. Let's hear some examples and her name might come back to me.

羅布：我會的。就在嘴邊。我們先來聽一些例句，我可能會想起她的名字。

We nearly won the quiz; John had the answer to the last question on the tip of his tongue - but the other team said it first.

我們差點就贏得了知識競賽；最後一道題的答案就在約翰嘴邊，可是另一個隊先說出了答案。

The name will come to me soon, it's on the tip of my tongue… ah yes, his name is Paul.

我馬上就要想起他的名字了，他的名字就在我嘴邊……啊，對了，他叫保羅。

Helen: So if something is on 'the tip of your tongue', it means there is some information you can't quite remember, but hopefully will soon. So Rob, is the name of the woman that Bob is marrying, still on the tip of your tongue?

海倫：如果某件事on the tip of your tongue，意思是有些信息你記得不太確切，但是你馬上會記起來。所以羅布，你還是沒想起來要和鮑勃結婚的那個女人的名字嗎？

Rob: No. I remember it now – her name is Alison.

羅布：不，我想起來了，她叫艾莉森。

Helen: Alison–from accounts? That's great news.

海倫：艾莉森，財務部的艾莉森？那真是個天大的好消息。

Rob: It is and Bob says we're invited to the wedding.

羅布：的確是，鮑勃邀請我們去參加婚禮。

Helen: Brilliant. I love a good wedding–when is it?

海倫：太棒了。我喜歡參加婚禮，婚禮是什麼時候啊？

Rob: Oh, erm… errr…

羅布：哦，額……

Helen: Don't tell me. It's on the tip of your tongue.

海倫：別告訴我，日期就在你嘴邊，可是你想不起來了。

Rob: It is… sorry. I'll remember soon.

羅布：是這樣的，抱歉。我馬上就會記起來的。

Helen: I hope you do.

海倫：希望如此。

Rob: Bye.

羅布：再見。

Helen: Bye.

海倫：再見。

重點講解：
1. bump into
偶然遇見；意外碰到；
eg. I often bump into him at the supermarket.
我經常在超市碰見他。
eg. They decided to pick a time to bump into each other on purpose.
他們決定選個時間有意邂逅。
2. on the tip of one's tongue
話到嘴邊（卻沒說出來）；
eg. It was on the tip of Mahoney's tongue to say the boss was out.
馬奧尼想說老闆出去了，話到嘴邊卻沒說出口。
eg. A sarcastic remark was on the tip of her tongue.
挖苦的話到了她嘴邊卻沒說出來。
3. stick out
伸出；探出；
eg. She made a face and stuck out her tongue at him...
她做了個鬼臉，向他吐了吐舌頭。
eg. He stuck his hand out and he said, 'Good evening.'
他伸出手說：“晚上好。”
4. be invited to do sth.
（正式）邀請，請求，要求；
eg. Volunteer testers are invited to submit feedback via the web.
他們邀請志願測試者們在網絡上提交反饋信息。
eg. A couple of years ago, he was invited to an important reception.
幾年前，他受邀參加一個非常重要的招待會。