The english we speak(BBC教學)第47期: writing on the wall不祥之兆
Rob: No! No! Don't pass the ball to him!
羅伯：不！不！不要把球傳給他！Vera: Rob is so loud! That's a lovely drawing, Dominic!
維拉：羅伯聲音太大了！這個畫太可愛了，多米尼克！Dominic: Thank you, mummy! This is a balloon and the letter B! And this is…
多米尼克：謝謝你，媽咪！這是個氣球和字母B！還有這個是...
Vera: And this is a boat, isn't it?
維拉：這是個船，不是嗎？Dominic: No! This is a ball, to play football! Can't you see?!
多米尼克：不！這是個球，玩足球用的！你看不出來嗎？！Vera: Hi. I am Vera and this is Dominic.
維拉：你好，我是維拉，這是多米尼克。Dominic: … and I am five! I'm a big boy now!
多米尼克：...還有我五歲了！我現在是個大男孩了！Vera: And Rob is over there, watching TV, supporting his team.
維拉：還有羅伯在那裏，看電視，支持他的隊伍。Rob: Arrrrghhhh! They're going to lose!
羅伯：啊啊啊啊！他們會輸的！Vera: And Dominic is learning to write…
維拉：還有多米尼克正在學習寫字...Rob: Oh nooooo! They've lost another goal! The writing is on the wall now!
羅伯：哦不！他們已經又輸了一個球了！現在時不祥之兆啊！Vera: Oh, no, writing on the wall? My nice and clean wall?! Dominic, have you written on the wall? Naughty boy!
維拉：哦，不，牆上的筆跡？我美麗又幹淨的牆？！多米尼克，你在牆上寫字了嗎？淘氣的孩子！Rob: No, no, no - there's nothing written on your wall, Vera! In English, we use the expression 'the writing is on the wall' when we want to say that something bad is going to happen to something or someone and there isn't much you can do about it. Like my football team. If it loses this match it is out of the championship.
羅伯：不，不，不——你的牆上什麼也沒寫，維拉！在英語中，我們用“不祥之兆”當我們說不好的事將要發生在某事或某人上而且你不能對其採取任何措施。比如足球隊。如果它輸掉這場比賽它將會淘汰出錦標賽。Vera: So there is nothing written on the beautiful, clean walls of my brand new apartment?
維拉：所以什麼也沒有寫在我全新的公寓的美麗乾淨的牆上？Rob: No. Here are some examples of how you can use this expression.
羅伯：沒有。下面是一些你如何使用這個短語的例子。My auntie is really sad because she had to close her shop. To be honest, the writing has been on the wall for her business for a long time.
我嬸嬸很傷心因爲她需要關了她的商店。事實上，她生意的不祥之兆已經很久了。You know Mary. She's a party girl that loves the city but I heard her husband is shy and has always wanted to live on a farm. The writing is definitely on the wall for their marriage.
你知道瑪麗的。她是個喜歡城市的派對女孩，但是我聽說她的丈夫很內向而且一直想住在農場裏。她們的婚姻一定出現了不祥之兆。I haven't studied hard this year and I have been doing badly in exams. My teachers told me if I don't try harder the writing is on the wall.
我今年沒有努力學習而且我的考試很糟糕。我的老師告訴我如果我再不努力學習就會有不祥之兆了。Vera: So that's what this expression is used for: to indicate that something will end up badly. Well, at least my walls are ok. They are nice and clean! Dominic is still a good boy!
維拉：所以這就是這個詞組的用法：表明某事將會有不好的結局。不過至少我的牆是好的。它們美麗又幹淨！多米尼克還是個好孩子！Rob: Gooooooal! Finally!
羅伯：進了！終於！Rob: Oh, sorry Vera. Your walls are free of writing but your carpet is flooded with wine. Sorry. I've just knocked my glass on the floor by accident and there is a big stain…
羅伯：哦，不好意思維拉。你的牆沒有筆跡但是你的地毯被紅酒灑滿了。對不起。我不小心碰倒了我的被子到地上，這有一塊大的污漬...Vera: Oh Rob is the bad boy now! My beautiful carpet!
維拉：哦羅伯現在是壞孩子了！我美麗的地毯！Rob: Red wine, white carpet… The writing was on the wall for this one. Sorry. And bye…
羅伯：紅色的酒，白色的地毯...這是個不祥之兆。對不起。再見...Vera: Bye Rob. Bye carpet.
維拉：再見羅伯。再見地毯。Dominic: Carpet!? I want to write on the carpet!
多米尼克：地毯？！我想在地毯上寫字！
