【明報專訊】Derek: So how did your Spanish holiday go?
德里克：你們去西班牙度假，好玩麼？
Bianca: Well, the holiday was great, but getting back was a nightmare.
比安卡：好得很，但回程可是一場噩夢。
Derek: How was that?
德里克：為什麼？
Bianca: We'd heard rumours that a COVID lockdown was going to be brought in here so we weren't sure whether we could even be allowed back into the country.
比安卡：我們聽到傳言，說這裏會因肺炎瘟疫而封關。所以，也不知道會不會獲准回來。
Derek: So what did you do?
德里克：那麼，你們怎麼辦？
Bianca: Well first we contacted our consulate to get up-to-date official information and advice, but honestly they were as much use as a chocolate teapot. They didn't seem to know anything useful at all.
比安卡：我們首先聯絡當地領事館，想得到最新的官方消息與意見，但老實說他們就如煎過三遍的藥，了無用處，似乎什麼都不知道，幫不上忙。
Derek: Gosh, that's really poor. So what happened?
德里克：啊，真不濟，那你們怎樣呢？
Bianca: Well we had to sleep at the airport overnight and just managed to get on the last flight to arrive before the lockdown started.
比安卡：我們得在機場過夜，剛好搭上封關前最後一班飛機回來。
As much use as a chocolate teapot 直譯是「與巧克力茶壺一樣有用」：巧克力製成的茶壺，當然不可用以盛茶，所以這成語是說某人或事物了無用處。留意 teapot 一字，有時會改作 fireguard（火爐的圍欄）或 kettle（燒熱水用的水壺），例如：① He found the new maid as much use as a chocolate kettle（他發覺那新來的女傭了無用處）。② These scissors are as much use as a chocolate teapot: they won't cut anything（這把剪刀什麼都剪不斷，了無用處）。
■作者簡介︰專研中英文，著有時事評論、英語學習、散文等書籍。
