Rob is annoyed. He has spent hours filling in forms for his small house extension. Can Feifei help him? Listen to the programme to find out.

文字稿

（关于台词的备注 :  请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Feifei
Hello Rob. You look so busy, 这都是些什么呀？What are all these papers?

Rob
Oh, Feifei, I have to get a permit to build an extension to my house. It's a very small bit of building work but I have to fill in all these forms.

Feifei
What is this one for?

Rob
This one here is for my local council. I need to apply for planning permission. And then they want lots of supporting documents to make sure it fits in with building regulations.

Feifei
It sounds exhausting. Rob 想把他们家的房子扩建一下，不过申请手续非常繁琐，得填写无数表格。

Rob
I hate red tape. If I could cut through this red tape it would be brilliant!

Feifei
So your problem is red tape? 你需要剪断红色胶带纸？太容易了！Say no more, Rob! The solution is in my bag! ... Ah, here they are!

Rob
A pair of scissors and blue tape?

Feifei
Yes. 你不是说要 cut through the red tape 吗？我给你了剪刀，你一剪就行了! If you don't like red tape, use blue. I love the colour blue!

Rob
Thank you, Feifei. You're a good friend. But in English we call the rules and processes required to get official permits - which usually seem to be pointless - 'red tape'.

Feifei
Ah, bureaucracy! 原来在英语里，很多官方的规定、条款和繁琐的做事程序被称为 red tape “红带文件”，也就是我们说的“官僚作风”。下面我们来听几个例句。

Examples
Small firms won't be subject to new regulations under a government plan to cut red tape and boost the economy.

Andrea almost gave up studying abroad. The amount of red tape to get a visa was unbelievable!

Feifei
I think most people hate bureaucracy, Rob.

Rob
I'm not surprised. Some people say this expression might come from the 16th century, when bundles of documents were held together with red tape. I hate all these forms.

Feifei
据说，早在16世纪时的英国，所有官方的 文件会用红色布带系成一扎一扎的，从而也就出现了 red tape 这个比喻。Well, it's the 21st century now and we still have red tape. Good luck with your red tape, Rob. I'm off to paint the town red!

Rob
Oh Feifei, no more idioms with red for me today please.

Both
Bye.