Stumped 击杀出局 一筹莫展

The script of this programme 本节目台词

Feifei: 大家好，欢迎收听《地道英语》。我是冯菲菲，还有我的同事 Rob. Hello Rob.

Rob: Hi everyone. Now Feifei, I hope you appreciate me bringing you to this typical English cricket match.

Feifei: 我对英式板球可真不怎么感兴趣 (pretending to be interested) … yes Rob, it's wonderful. Such an exciting game! I love cricket, especially when a goal is scored.

Rob: Err… that's in football Feifei.

Feifei: Oh yes, of course, I knew that. I am really quite an expert on cricket, you know.

Rob: Really? So what do we call that man over there who's throwing the ball?

Feifei: That's easy… it's the… errr… hmmm…

What do you say when you're stumped?

Rob: That's stumped you!

Feifei: Stumped 击杀出局！That's a word they use in cricket… isn't it?

Rob: Well, it is – when the ball hits the stumps – that's the three sticks that the batsman stands in front of – then the batsman is stumped. But the word stumped has another meaning: It means you can't answer a question or you don't know how to solve a problem.

Feifei: I see. Stumped 这个词来自 stumps 门柱，the batsman is stumped 的意思是击球手被击杀出局了。不过 stumped 还有另外一个和板球完全没有关系的意思，就是当你被一个问题难住的时候，一筹莫展，这时你就可以说 I am stumped. Well, it's true Rob, your question has 'stumped' me!

Rob: Well, have a think about the answer while we listen to some examples of the word 'stumped' in action…

• This extremely strange weather has stumped all the experts.
• Oh no, I was stumped by the final question on the exam paper. I'm going to fail now!
• The rest of the team tried to work out why Sally lost the race, but they were totally stumped.

Feifei: 记住，当你被难题所困，不知如何给与回答时，就可以说 I'm stumped. But Rob, I'm not stumped by your earlier question.

Rob: What was that?

Feifei: What do you call the man who throws the ball? It's the… ballman!

Rob: Oh, I give up!

Feifei: What's wrong with that? Anyway, I bet you don't know what they're selling in the snack bar downstairs!

Rob: Errr….

Feifei: Ah, that's stumped you! They're selling hot dogs, with mustard. Yum!

Rob: Oh great, could you get me one then please?

Feifei: You'll have to 'stump up' first!

Rob: Are we talking cricket again?

Feifei: No Rob. Keep up. Stump up 这个动词短语的意思是不情愿地掏钱。 So come on Rob, three pounds please.

Rob: But I paid for the tickets. Oh, this just isn't cricket!

Both: Bye.