☞你可以天天說英語 － ☞Bark up the Wrong Tree 怪錯人了

對 話

Alex：I』m sure that Cynthia took my candy.

艾力克斯：我確定是辛希亞拿了我的糖果。

Mike：Cynthia? There』s no way she took it.

邁可：辛希亞？不可能是她拿的啦。

Alex：I think she did! She was at school yesterday.

艾力克斯：我覺得是她幹的。她昨天人在學校。

Mike：So was everyone else! It』s a big school.

邁可：其他人也都在啊！學校那麼大。

Alex：She likes candy.

艾力克斯：她很愛吃糖果。

Mike：Lots of people like candy. I think you』re barking up the wrong tree.

邁可：很多人都愛吃糖啊，我想你怪錯人了。

Alex：Wait a minute. Why are you so sure she didn』t take it?

艾力克斯：等一下，你怎麼那麼確定她沒拿？

Mike：Well... I...

邁可：這個嘛…我…

Alex：You took it, didn』t you!

艾力克斯：是你拿的，對不對！

Mike：Um, I have to go. Bye!

邁可：呃，我要閃了。再見！

[多學一點點]

★bark up the wrong tree

bark動 詞，吠，字面意思為「對著錯的樹吠叫」。美國拓荒時期，大部分的拓荒者以打獵為生，當時的人會訓練狗兒去把中槍的獵物給叼回來。某些動物為了逃命會躲到樹 上，狗只能在樹下乾瞪眼，對著樹上的動物狂吠。有時狗沒看清楚獵物逃上哪棵樹，便會對著錯的樹吠叫。引申指「搞錯對像」、「怪錯人了」。