地道英语
Catch-22 左右为难 进退两难
内容简介
菲菲申请了一份新工作，但由于经验不足而没能得到。Rob 说这样一来，菲菲处在一个 “catch-22” 的窘境。在本集节目中，Rob 和菲菲教大家这个出自长篇小说《第二十二条军规》的表达。
文字稿
（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）
Feifei
大家好，欢迎来到 BBC 英语教学的《地道英语》节目。我是冯菲菲。
Rob
And hello, it's Rob here too. Oh Feifei, why the glum face?
Feifei
I didn't get it.
Rob
Get it?
Feifei
I didn’t get the job.
Rob
Oh yes, the job. You went for a new job, one you really really wanted. One that you said you would be perfect for.
Feifei
Clearly I’m not. 你看我收到的回绝信上说“经验不足”。But if I don't do the job, how do I get the experience?
Rob
Oh dear, it sounds like catch-22.
Feifei
Catch-22 是什么？是什么证书吗？
Rob
Nope, it just describes a situation where you can't win. Basically, you can't do one thing until you have done another thing – which you can't do until you have done the first thing.
Feifei
So it's an impossible situation. 原来“catch-22”这个说法出自英文小说“Catch-22《第二十二条军规》”，它在现代用语中表示“左右为难，无法摆脱的困境”。
Rob
Let's hear some examples of this phrase in action.
Examples
I need my parent's car, but my mum says I need permission from my dad, then my dad says I need permission from my mum. I can't get permission from either. So I'm in a catch-22 situation.
To apply for a short-term student visa to study English in the UK, you have to be able to speak some English, but you want to come to England to learn English! It's catch-22 for many potential students.
Feifei
这里是 BBC 英语教学的《地道英语》节目。Rob 刚才说我现在处于一个“catch-22 situation”，也就是说我进退两难，怎么都不是。
Rob
Yes Feifei, you can't get a new job without some experience of doing it, but you can't get the experience without doing the job. It's catch-22!
Feifei
It's a strange phrase, Rob.
Rob
Yes, as you mentioned earlier, it comes from a title of a book - Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller in 1961, which describes absurd bureaucratic constraints on soldiers in World War II.
But look Feifei, don't be too sad about the job, you've got plenty of experience for doing this job.
Feifei
That's because I've been here for 40 years.
Rob
But we respect you for your expertise, especially in one task.
Feifei
What's that?
Rob
Making the tea. Now could you put the kettle on please?
Feifei
Oh, I really need a new job.
Rob
Bye.
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