7 Beat around the bush 兜圈子

Someone who doesn’t get to the point is said to ‘beat around the bush’. The origin of this phrase is, undoubtedly, from hunting, and more specifically from the hunting of boars. A ferocious animal, it often hid in the undergrowth and beaters were employed and ordered to go straight in to chase it out. But very much aware, and afraid, of the animals’ sharp tusks, they much preferred to merely ‘beat around the bush’ a practice strongly disapproved of by their masters.

那些講話不說重點的人都在“繞圈子”。這個詞的來歷無疑是來自打獵，特別是打獵公豬。一種兇猛的動物，它經常躲在灌木叢里，于是人們請來了公豬的克星，讓它筆直的沖進灌木將公豬逐出。但是出于對公豬鋒利的長牙的警惕和恐懼，他們更喜歡繞著灌木“兜圈子”，嚴重違反了主人的指令。