迷你对话学地道口语第716期:前功尽弃而重头开始

 Subject: If your design didn’t work, it’s back to square one.

迷你对话A: Have you considered my suggestion?

你考虑了我的意见吗？

B: Of course. But I cannot agree with you. If your design doesn’t work, it’s back to square one.

当然考虑了，但是我不同意你的看法。如果你的设计方案失败了，所有的一切都得重新开始。

地道表达back to square one1. 解词释义Be back to square one的字面意思是“回到方块一”，比喻为“失败后回到起点，前功尽弃而一切重新开始”。它与棋盘游戏有关，square在这里是指“棋盘上的每一格”。无论玩什么棋，你都得从棋盘上的第一个方格跳起，如果一局中有人犯规，这盘棋就得毁掉而重新再来。

2. 拓展例句e.g. That idea hasn't worked, so we're back to square one.

那主意行不通, 得从头再来。

e.g. If your complaint is not upheld, you may feel you are back to square one.

如果你的投诉没有得到支持，你可能会感到自己又得重新开始。

e.g. We got a phone call from the lawyers and it was back to square one.

我们接到了律师的一个电话，一切又得从头开始。

e.g. The attempt failed and we had to go back to square one.

尝试失败了，因此我们得重新开始。

Ps 1：consider one’s suggestion：考虑某人的建议Ps 2：agree with sb表示“同意某人的意见，想法或观点”。例如：

I strongly suspect that most ordinary people would agree with me.

我坚定地认为绝大部分老百姓会赞同我的观点。

I see your point but I'm not sure I agree with you.

我明白你的观点，但恐怕我不能苟同。

Ps 3：表示“某事情成功了”，可以说：Something works. Work在这里是不起作用的意思。某事物没有”发挥出其作用”，那也就是“成功”了的意思。

Did the cleaning fluid work on that stain?

这种洗涤剂成功去掉那块污斑吗?

My plan worked, and I got them to agree.

我的想法成功了, 我让他们同意了。