地道英语：如何表达“半斤八两”？

屈联西

Finn


　　Hello, I’m Finn and welcome to Authentic Real English.


　　Feifei


　　大家好，我是冯菲菲。Sorry I’m late - Peter 和 Dave 两个人在厨房里吵得不可开交，我刚才忙着劝架，所以来晚了。


　　Finn


　　Oh, really? What are they arguing about?


　　Feifei


　　Something about who spilled the milk - 我也不知道为什么会为了那点儿小事吵起来。


　　Finn


　　Oh no, who started the argument? 


　　Feifei


　　Hmm, I don’t really know, I think it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.


　　Finn


　　Good expression, Feifei.


　　Feifei


　　Thank you, Finn. 不瞒你说，这个表达是我几天前才学到的，用在这儿还算是比较恰当吧？


　　Finn


　　Yes, that’s right. We normally use ‘six of one, half a dozen of the other’ when we think there is very little difference between two choices. We also use it when two people are equally responsible for something. Let’s hear some examples.


　　Examples


　　A: I don’t know whether to give my mum flowers or chocolates for Mother’s Day.


　　B: It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.


　　A: Do you think we should take the third ring road instead of the second ring road?


　　B: Oh, I don’t know, it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.


　　A: They keep blaming each other, whose fault was it really?


　　B: Oh, it was six of one, half a dozen of the other.


　　Feifei


　　大家请记住，我们可以用 six of one, half a dozen of the other 来说明两个事物程度相等、分不出高低，不相上下；也可以用它来描述两个人对某事的责任相同或两人的本事、水平相同。


　　Finn


　　Oh, actually Feifei, hold on a minute, I need to go now.


　　Feifei


　　Where are you going?


　　Finn


　　I’m going for dinner with Sophia. Quick, help me decide – should I wear this blue shirt? Or this pink one?


　　Feifei


　　You know what I am about to say, don’t you?


　　Finn


　　The pink one? 


　　Feifei


　　No, they are very similar. It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other…


　　Finn


　　Oh, you’re not helping! I’m off, bye.


　　Feifei


　　Wait…


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