第一，迷你对话

A: Have you worked out the answer to this problem?

这道难题你做出来了吗？

B: Not yet. I just can't calculate the result.

还没有，我就是算不出结果。

A: Let me see. Ah, you are off the beam . Look here.

让我看看，啊，你搞错了，看看这里。

B: Oh. I see.

哦，我明白了。

第二，地道表达

be off the beam

1. 解词释义

Be off the beam的意思是“误入歧途”“走歪门邪道”。其英文解释为：mistaken, inaccurate, or incorrect; going against or straying away from the correct line of thing。

2. 拓展范例

E.g. The police are off beam in their search for the criminal.

警察搜寻罪犯时方向错了。

E.g. Never heard of her . You 're off the beam .

我从来没有听说过这个人，你搞错了吧。

E.g. I realized what I said at the meeting was off the beam．

我认识到我在会上所讲的话是错误的。

E.g. Jim was off the beam when he said that the girls didn't like him．

Jim说那些女孩都不喜欢他，他是错了。

E.g. The CEO's off-the—beam plans ended up costing the company nearly half a billion dollars in lost revenue.

这位首席执行官偏离正道的计划最终使公司损失了近5亿美元的收入。

第三，视野拓展

work out：算出

E.g. When asked what a £40.35 meal for five people would cost each diner, they were unable to work it out.

问到5个人吃一顿饭花了40.35英镑，每人要出多少钱时，他们算不出来。