迷你對話：

A:I wonder if I can aske you a question.

我能問你一個問題嗎？

B:Ask me a question? What do you want to know?

問我個問題？你想知道什么？

A:Well... er... it is just... just that I...

這個...... 呃...... 就是...... 就是我......

B:Just what? Stopbeating around the bush. Tell me what you want to know.

就是什么？別兜圈子了。告訴我想知道些什么。

A:I... er... I just want to know if you could lend me a few bucks.

我...... 呃....... 我就是想知道你能借點錢給我嗎？

B:Lend you a few bucks? No way! Still remember the money you borrowed me last time?

借錢給你？沒門！你還記得上次借錢的事情嗎？

A:Yeah. But I...

記得。但是我......

地道表達：beat around the bush

講解：該習語意思是“說話兜圈子”或“說話拐彎抹角”。其中beat指“敲打”或“收索”，bush是“灌木叢”，beat aroud是“四處閑逛”“四處奔走”。那么beat aroung the bush字面意思就是“在灌木叢里走來去搜索東西”，這個是需要時間的。因此beat around the bush就比喻為：說話拐彎抹角，說話兜圈子。

支持范例：

Eg.He beat around the bush for a half hour without coming to the point.

他東拉西扯地談了半小時，也沒說到點子上。

Eg.You don't have to beat around the bush. Just tell me what the problem is so I can fix it.

你不必跟我兜圈子。直接說出你的問題，我好解決。

Eg.Let's be frank and don't beat around the bush.

讓我們開誠布公，不要繞圈子了。

Eg.He would not answer yes or no, but beat around the bush.

他不直接回答是或不是，而是兜圈子。

視野拓展：

beat aournd the bush也可以說成是beat about the bush.

Eg.Instead of answering my question he began to beat about the bush.

他不回答我的問題,反而開始繞起圈子來。

Eg.Don't beat about the bush. Please come to the point.

說話不要繞圈子, 請直說吧。

Eg.Why should you beat about the bush when asking for better wages?

你要求加薪又何必拐彎抹角呢?

Eg.Get straight to the point. Don't beat about the bush.

有話直說, 別跟我捉迷藏。

Eg.He beat about the bush for half an hour without coming to the point.

他不著正題,繞了半小時的彎子。

特別聲明：該節目迷你對話選自《脫口說英語》之習語口語大全，其余講解部分為可可編輯原創，未經授權請勿轉載。