It's Feifei here.

我是 Feifei。

And hello, it's Rob here too. Oh Feifei, why the glum face?

哈囉，我是 Rob。噢，Feifei，幹嘛臉臭臭的？

I didn't get it.

我沒得到。

Get it?

得到？

I didn't get the job.

我沒得到那份工作。

Oh yes yes, the job. You went for a new job, one you really really wanted, one that you said would be perfect for you.

噢，對喔，工作，妳去應徵一個新工作，一個妳很想去的工作，一個妳認為完美的工作。

Clearly I'm not. Look at this rejection letter, it says I did not have enough experience.

很明顯我失敗了。看看這封婉拒的信，它說我沒有足夠經驗。

How dare they! But if I don't do the job, how do I get the experience?

有夠可惡！但是如果我沒有做那份工作，我怎麼累積經驗？

Oh dear, it sounds like catch-22.

親愛的，這似乎像是 catch-22 (兩難的局面)。

Catch-22? Is that some kind of qualification I need?

Catch-22？這是我需要具備的某種資格嗎？

Nope, it just describes a situation where you can't win.

不是，它只是在描述一種你不可能贏的狀況。

Basically, you can't do one thing until you've done another thing which you can't do until you've done the first thing.

基本上意思是說，除非你完成了第一件事，否則你不能做第二件事，但是做第一件事以前，又必須先完成第二件事。

So it's an impossible situation.

所以這是一個不可能做到的情況。

It is. Let's hear some examples of this phrase in action.

沒錯，讓我們聽聽這個片語的一些例子。

I need my parents' car, but my mum says I need permission from my dad, then my dad says I need permission from my mum.

我要向爸媽借車，但我媽媽說我必需先得到父親的許可，然後我父親說我必需先得到媽媽的許可。

I can't get permission from either.

結果就是我無法得到任何一方的許可，

So I'm in a catch-22 situation.

所以我就是處在一個兩難的狀況。

To apply for a short-term student visa to study English in the UK, you have to be able to speak some English, but you want to come to England to learn English!

想要申請短期學生簽證去英國學習英語，你必須會說一些英語，但你就是不會說英語才想來英國學習英語！

It's catch-22 for many potential students.

很多想來英國的學生而言，這就是兩難的狀況。

You're listening to The English We Speak and Rob has told me I'm in a catch-22 situation.

你正在收聽的節目是 The English We Speak ，Rob 告訴我，我正處在一個兩難的狀況。

That's a situation I cannot win.

這是一個我不可能贏的情況。

Yes Feifei, so you can't get a new job without some experience of doing it, but you can't get the experience without doing the job.

沒錯 Feifei，你因為沒有某項工作經驗所以無法被錄取該工作，但是你不被錄用，就不可能會有該工作經驗。

So it's catch-22 !

所以這就是兩難的狀況！

It's a strange phrase, Rob.

Rob，這是一個奇怪的片語。

Yes, it comes from the title of a book, Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller in 1961, which describes bureaucratic constraints on soldiers in World War II.

是的，它源自於一本 1961 年出版的小說，書名叫做 Catch-22 ，作者是 Joseph Heller，主要是描述第二次世界大戰中受官僚主義迫害的士兵。

But look Feifei, don't be too sad about the job, you've got plenty of experience for doing this job.

但是 Feifei，沒有被錄取也不用太難過，反正你有的是現在這個工作的經驗。

That's because I've been here for 40 years!

那是因為我已經在這裡做了四十年！

Oh, yes. But we respect you for expertise, especially in one task.

是沒錯，但我們尊重妳的專業，特別是妳有一個專長。

What's that?

是什麼？

Making the tea. Now could you put the kettle on please?

泡茶，現在，可以請妳把茶壺擺出來嗎？

Oh, I really need a new job.

哦，我真的需要一份新工作。

Bye.

掰。

Bye.

掰。