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內容簡介

主持人 Neil 總去的那家咖啡店要求顧客自己煮咖啡。這聽起來很荒唐吧？假如你遇到了一件非常荒謬可笑的事情，讓你難以置信，可以如何用英語表達？聽對話，學習一個地道實用的日常口語表達。

文字稿

（關于臺詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。）

Jiaying
大家好，歡迎收聽 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節目，我是佳瑩。

Neil
And hello, I’m Neil. Hey, Jiaying, I’ve just been to that cafe downstairs and guess what…

Jiaying
You bought me a coffee?

Neil
No! I didn’t buy any coffee because now you have to make your own coffee – and you have to bring your own cup. What kind of cafe is that?

Jiaying
You couldn’t make it up!

Neil
But I didn’t make it up.

Jiaying
我知道，我相信你。我們用 “you couldn’t make it up” 來感嘆 “事情或情況出乎意料，讓人難以置信、無法想象”。話說回來，他們為什么要這樣做呢？

Neil
Something to do with ‘health and safety’ – who could come up with an idea like that?

Jiaying
Like I said, you couldn’t make it up. Here are some more examples of this phrase…

Examples
The breakdown van that’s coming to fix my car has broken down – you couldn’t make it up!

The session about punctuality will start late because the speaker has been delayed – you couldn’t make it up!

You couldn’t make it up – the cake shop has started a ‘healthy eating’ campaign.

Jiaying
你正在收聽的是 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節目。上面，我們介紹了口語表達 “you couldn’t make it up”，用來感嘆 “事情或情況令人難以置信或十分荒謬”。So, Neil, where are you going to get your coffee from now?

Neil
Probably from the other cafe across the street.

Jiaying
Oh, haven’t you heard? At that cafe, you have to bring your own coffee beans and milk if you want them to make you a coffee – something to do with saving storage space.

Neil
How ridiculous – you couldn’t make it up.

Jiaying
Actually, I did make it up – just so you could say the phrase one more time!

Neil
Thanks! I’m going to get my coffee now, and I’m not getting you one.

Jiaying
It’s OK, Neil. I’ve got one already. Bye.

Neil
Hmm. You didn’t make that up, did you?