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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Hot potato 棘手的问题“烫手山芋”
内容简介
Helen 被提名为学校家长会的财务总监,这可是一个重要的职位,可是Helen 还没上任就已经觉得压力大,睡不了觉了。这可怎么办?Neil 提出了一个建议,在事情成为 “烫手山芋”之前做出决定。
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。)
Neil:Hello and welcome to Authentic1 Real English. I'm Neil.
Helen:大家好,欢迎收听 BBC 英语(精品课)教学的《地道英语》。我是 Helen。
Neil:Oh what’s the matter, Helen? You look really tired.
Helen:Is it that bad?
Neil:You've got very dark shadows under your eyes.
Helen:是吗?我的黑眼圈你都看到了。唉呀,有人想交给我一份工作,可是我是真的做不了。
Neil:What is it?
Helen:就是做学校家长协会的财务总监,但是你是知道,我看到数字就头大!I am hopeless with numbers.
Neil:Sounds like it could turn into a hot potato for you.
Helen:现在都什么时候了,你还让我吃热土豆。我可吃不下,急都急死了。
Neil:I'm not talking about food. I am talking about this job. I can see it’s going to be a problem for you.
Helen:I’m thinking the same.
Neil:You need to think about it very carefully before it becomes a hot potato. When something becomes a ‘hot potato’, it becomes a problem and difficult to handle.
Helen:I see. 你说的 hot potato 是中文中常说的“烫手山芋”,也就是非常棘手的问题。的确这个形容非常贴切。如果我做了财务总监,就像是手中拿着一块烫手的山芋,会把事情搞得一团糟。
Neil:Exactly, you’ve got it. A hot potato is a phrase we use to refer to difficult or tricky2 situations, or even people. Here are a few examples:
Examples
The shortage of housing supply is fast becoming a hot potato for the council.
The pay rise issue is a hot potato for management; I don't know how they are going to sort this one out between the staff, the union and the shareholders3.
Neil:Helen, my word of advice is…
Helen:Please, I’m listening.
Neil:Tell the school you can’t do it. Drop it before it becomes a real hot potato for you.
Helen:You areright. That’s what I will do. Thanks
Neil:You’re welcome.
1 authentic | |
a.真的,真正的;可靠的,可信的,有根据的 | |
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2 tricky | |
adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的 | |
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3 shareholders | |
n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 ) | |
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