Using English at Work：51 Leaving Work(3)（在线收听）

When things are out of control, I have to take work home and burn the midnight oil.

But this week I have everything under control, so I don't need to work over the weekend.

In order to get ready to go home, I pack up my briefcase.

"To pack up" means to put something inside a briefcase, or a suitcase, or perhaps a box so that you can take it with you when you leave a place.

If you move to a new apartment or house, you have to pack up everything so that you can move it to the new place.

A "briefcase" is a rectangular box, usually with hard sides and a handle that businesspeople traditionally use to carry their work papers.

These days, a lot of briefcases also have a place for your laptop computer.

We can still call these "briefcases," or some people prefer to call them "computer bags."

When I pack up my briefcase, I am putting papers and other things into this small container -this case that I can use to carry things to and from work.

The next thing I do is shut down my computer.

"To shut down" a computer means to turn off a computer or to turn off some other large device or machine; we use the same expression, "to shut down."

Some offices shut down the copy machine at the end of the day.

After I shut down my computer, I put some important papers back into their folder and leave the folder in my desk drawer for safekeeping.

A "desk drawer" is the part of your desk that is a box with a handle on the front so you can pull it open, put things inside, and then close it again.

My desk drawers are full of pens, pencils, paper, files, perhaps some paper clips

- I need to clean out my desk drawers is what I'm saying!

"Safekeeping" means safety, security, or storage in a place where things won't get lost, stolen or damaged.

For example, I may take my wedding ring off when I'm going swimming, and I will put it in my drawer for safe keeping so that it doesn't get lost or stolen.