The english we speak(BBC教學)第94期:No strings attached 沒有附加條件

Chris: Hi Helen. Wow, what's that?

克里斯：你好，海倫。哇，那是什麼？

Helen: This is a present for you, Chris.

海倫：這是送你的禮物，克里斯。

Chris: A present for me? Oh, that's very kind of you!

克里斯：送我的禮物？哦，你真是太好了！

Helen: Here you go.

海倫：給你。

Chris: A new dictionary - how nice! That's such a lovely present, and it's not even my birthday. But hang on, why have you stuck all these pieces of string onto the book?

克里斯：一本新字典，真好！這真是一個可愛的禮物，而且今天並不是我的生日。等等，你爲什麼要在書上系這麼多帶子？

Helen: There are strings to your present.

海倫：你的禮物上有繩子。

Chris: I see. Do you mean there are certain conditions that come with this present?

克里斯：我看到了。你是想說這份禮物有特定的條件嗎？

Helen: Yes, strings to your present!

海倫：對，你的禮物上有繩子！

Chris: Ahh, you mean there are strings attached.

克里斯：啊，你是說有附加條件。

Helen: I see–so it's an expression in English?

海倫：我明白了，這是英語中的一種表達方式嗎？

Chris: That's right. Having strings attached doesn't actually mean you need to stick pieces of string on the book. You can just tell me what the conditions are.

克里斯：沒錯。有附加條件實際上並不是說你要在這本書上繫繩子。你可以告訴我條件是什麼。

Helen: Oh, OK. Well, the conditions are that I can borrow your dictionary whenever I need to use it.

海倫：哦，好。實際上條件是我可以在任何需要的時候借這本字典。

Chris: That's absolutely fine. You can borrow it anytime.

克里斯：這絕對沒問題。你隨時都可以借用。

Helen: Great! Do you have any headphones I can use too? I want to listen to my mp3 player.

海倫：太好了！你有沒有耳機可以借我用用？我想用MP3聽音樂。

Chris: Yes, here you go.

克里斯：有，給你。

Helen: Are there any strings attached?

海倫：有沒有附加條件？

Chris: No, you can use the headphones for as long as you like-no strings attached.

克里斯：沒有，耳機你可以想用多長時間就用多長時間，沒有附加條件。

Helen: Wonderful, thanks very much.

海倫：太棒了，真是謝謝你。

Chris: Let's take a listen to some examples of how strings attached or no strings attached can be used:

克里斯：我們來看看附加條件或是不帶附加條件這種說法的應用。

Make sure you read all of the contract before you sign it, there could be strings attached.

在你籤合同前要確保你看了所有的條款，合同中可能會有附加條件。

We're giving away our brand new toy to the first fifty customers who visit our shop - no strings attached.

我們會爲前50名光顧我們商店的顧客免費贈送最新款的玩具，沒有附加條件。

Helen: So it can be a warning about whether there are restrictions to something or not.

海倫：所以這可以表示對某件事是否有限制的警示。

Chris: That's right. When something has strings attached, it often means there are hidden commitments and you should find out what they are.

克里斯：沒錯。如果某件事有附帶條件，意思就是通常會有隱藏的約束條件，而你要找出那些限制。

Helen: That's good to know. Is it just used when talking about money?

海倫：幸好知道了這個。這個說法只能用在涉及錢財的事物上嗎？

Chris: It can often be used when talking about financial agreements or negotiations, but it can also be based on personal relationships too, like when you gave me the present. Here's another example:

克里斯：談及金融協議或是協商時可以使用這個說法，但是也可以用於人際關係方面，就像你送我這件禮物一樣。這裏有其他的例子：

A: My brother said I could use his car this weekend, no strings attached.

A：我哥哥說週末時我可以用他的車，沒有附加條件。

B: Really? That's a nice thing to do.

B：真的嗎？這真是一件不錯的事情。

A: Well, he does owe me a favour after I washed the car last week.

A：嗯，我上週幫他洗車，所以他欠我個人情。

Chris: So Helen, now that you've finished with your mp3 player, can I listen to it?

克里斯：所以海倫，既然你不聽MP3了，我能聽聽嗎？

Helen: You can, but there are strings attached.

海倫：可以，但是有附加條件。

Chris: Oh, OK. What are they?

克里斯：哦，好吧，什麼？

Helen: My mp3 player has only got classical music on it!

海倫：我的MP3裏只有古典音樂！

Chris: Oh no, I hate classical music!

克里斯：哦不，我討厭古典音樂！

重點講解：
1. hang on
等一會兒；稍等；
eg. Hang on a sec. I'll come with you.
稍等，我跟你一起去。
eg. Please hang on while I go for some water.
請稍等一下，我去弄點水來。
2. no strings attached
不帶附加條件；無任何限制；
eg. Aid should be given to developing countries with no strings attached.
應該不帶任何附加條件地向發展中國家提供援助。
eg. We are prepared to lend you the money with no strings attached.
我們準備出借這筆錢，不附加任何條件。
3. give away
贈送；捐贈；
eg. He was giving his collection away for nothing.
他將收藏品無償捐獻出來。
eg. We have six copies of the book to give away.
這本書我們要贈送6本出去。
4. make sure
查明；覈實；弄清；
eg. I think the door's locked, but I'd better go and make sure.
我想門已經鎖了，但我最好還是去查看一下。
eg. I only came to make sure that everything was all right.
我只是來弄清楚是否一切都無問題。
5. be based on
以…爲基礎；
eg. We can't make a decision based on hearsay and guesswork.
我們不能根據傳言和猜測作決定。
eg. The series was based on the autobiographies of the author.
這部連續劇是根據那位作家的自傳拍攝的。
6. finish with
用完；完成；
eg. We are to finish with the experiment in two months at the most.
我們至多用兩個月就能完成這項實驗。
wg. Many movies have plots that finish with happy endings.
我們會發現,電影中的情節一到幸福的端點就戛然而止。