Li: Hello and welcome to Authentic¹ Real English from BBC Learning English. I'm Li. 我现在正在录音室里等着Jen，她就在外面，不过她好像心情特别不好，怒气冲天。对了，借这个机会我教你一个和天气有关的成语，怎么样？ Jen is looking really angry. Have a listen…

 

Jen: (Screaming and shouting)

 

Li: She has a face like thunder. If you have a face like thunder, it means that you are very very angry indeed. 火冒三丈。Jen definitely seems angry!

 

Jen: (In the background) It's so unfair. When things go wrong for me, they always go badly wrong. It never rains but it pours!

 

Li: There's another weather idiom. Did you hear it? Jen said "it never rains but it pours." 汉语里有句话叫祸不单行，谁摊上这种事都不会高兴的。I wonder what Jen's problem is? Oh, here she comes!

 

Jen: Hi Li. Sorry I'm late. I'm so upset. The boss said that I would get a promotion² if I finished all of my work by midday. I finished everything by 12 o'clock and now the boss is ignoring my emails about the promotion and won't talk to me.

 

Li: I think you're just chasing rainbows, Jen. 你竟是想好事儿，那明明是不可能的吗！在汉语里我们说这是追逐彩虹，痴人说梦！

 

Jen: So you don't think I'll get a promotion?

 

Li: I don't think so, I'm afraid. I think the boss was probably just trying to get you to finish your work more quickly.

 

Jen: He tricked me! There he is! I'm going to go and talk to him!

 

(Door closes)

 

Li: Well, that all sounds like a storm in a teacup to me. 我很喜欢这个成语，茶杯里的暴风雨，什么意思呢？是不是我们汉语里说的“小题大做”？对，就是小题大做。Here's Jen coming back in! (To Jen) Well? What did he say?

 

Jen: He said that he was pleased with my work and that we'll talk about the promotion next week. He also said that I can have the rest of the afternoon off!

 

Li: You see, Jen? Every cloud has a silver lining³! 黑暗中总有一线光明。This idiom means that you can always find something positive, even in a bad situation.

 

Jen: You're absolutely right. What do you think I should do with my free afternoon, then?

 

Li: Well, I'd go and sit in the park, the weather's lovely today! Join us again for another edition of Authentic Real English from BBC Learning English.

 

Both: Bye!

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