A：I wonder if I can ask you a question.

我能問你一個問題嗎?

B：Ask me a question? What do you want to know?

問我個問題?你想知道什么?

A：Well... er... it is just... just that I...

這個...... 呃...... 就是...... 就是我......

B：Just what? Stop beating around the bush. Tell me what you want to know.

就是什么?別兜圈子了。告訴我想知道些什么。

A：I... er... I just want to know if you could lend me a few bucks.

我...... 呃....... 我就是想知道你能借點錢給我嗎?

B：Lend you a few bucks? No way! Still remember the money you borrowed me last time?

借錢給你?沒門!你還記得上次借錢的事情嗎?

A：Yeah. But I...

記得。但是我......

注釋:

beat around the bush

講解：該習(xí)語意思是“說話兜圈子”或“說話拐彎抹角”。其中beat指“敲打”或“收索”，bush是“灌木叢”，beat aroud是“四處閑逛”“四處奔走”。那么beat aroung the bush字面意思就是“在灌木叢里走來去搜索東西”，這個是需要時間的。因此beat around the bush就比喻為：說話拐彎抹角，說話兜圈子。