英语听力精选进阶版 6774

Jen: Hi, I'm Jennifer and I'm on the lookout¹ for Helen – someone said they saw her going into the basement earlier… Oh wait, there she is, with… a tool kit²? What on earth are you doing? There are pipes all over the floor!

Helen: Oh hi Jen! 我现在正忙着修水管呢。

Jen: Fix the pipes? But you're not a plumber³, you don't know anything about pipes!

Helen: I know, but the boss asked me – 他说让我赶快把水管修好。

Jen: Really? Are you sure that's what he said? It seems strange he'd ask you to turn your hand to plumbing⁴.

Helen: I knew you'd say that, so I printed off his email to show you. Look it says: "关于这个项目- someone has thrown a spanner into the works – 我希望你解决这个问题"…

Jen: But Helen…

Helen: ….所以我在找这个 spanner 螺丝扳手！

Jen: Oh Helen, you shouldn't take it literally⁵! In English, if someone throws a spanner into the works, it means they do something to spoil a plan or make it more complicated.

Helen: Oh… A spanner in the works… 那么这里没有一个真的扳手？

Jen: I don't think so… Let's hear some examples to help explain the phrase.

The budget cuts have thrown a real spanner in the works for the future of the project.

This hospital appointment on the 15th has thrown a real spanner in the works for our holiday – we'll have to come back early.

Helen: 原来 a spanner in the works 是一个比喻，用来形容什么事情出问题了或者是变得更复杂了。The boss said that someone had thrown a spanner in the works of our project…

Jen: He means that something has happened that will make the project more complicated. Perhaps you should talk to him to find out what the problem is before you start taking the building to pieces!

Helen: You're right. 我得要把这里收拾干净了。糟糕！I can't remember where all the pipes go!

Jen: Oh no! Well let's just try and fit them in as best we can.

V/O: Some time later…

Jen: Well the pipes are all in, but nothing's working. We're going to be in so much trouble.

Helen: We're not defeated yet. 靠后站!…

Jen: Helen… what are you doing with that huge spanner….

Helen: I'm throwing… it… into… the… works…

Helen: 我成功了! I did it!

Jen: You did! With a real life spanner in the works!

1 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

2 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

3 plumber   

n.(装修水管的)管子工

参考例句：

• Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗？
• The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。

4 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。