英语博客：Back in business.

 　　We're back in business! In fact, I'm back in business. This is an English expression, an idiom(1). And what does it mean? It means that things are working again as they should. I decided¹ to call this podcast 'Back in business' because I am beginning to do my podcasts again, after missing several weeks. I do apologize for disappearing during the summer, but life became very hectic²(2). Now that there is more of a routine in my home, I can take time to work on my podcasts, and enjoy bringing you the expressions and useful language that will make your English sound natural. It's good to be back in business. You will hear this expression in all English speaking countries. If, for example, your car has a flat battery(3), and you charge it, hoping that when it has enough power, you will be able to start your car. You finish the charging process, detach³ the cables(4), and turn the key. Suddenly, "Vroom!" it works; the battery is full of energy, and your motor is working. That is when you say with a smile, "We're back in business." The car is working as it should. This idiom can be used in most situations. Let's say that you are going to catch a plane but it is delayed(5). After waiting and waiting, you hear the airport announcer say, "Flight 801 to Madrid will begin boarding (6)in 15 minutes," your response could easily be, "Hey, we're back in business!" So, this expression is often said with a smile. An opposite expression that you use when your plans have to suddenly change, or when things are not working, is "There's a bump⁴ in the road." You can imagine a smooth road that you are traveling on, and suddenly you can't go any further because of a big bump. There is a delay, you need to call for help, or you have to solve the problem yourself. This expression can also be used in many situations. An example of a coversation that you might have using both expressions is the following:

　　"Our company had its annual meeting yesterday."

　　"Oh really? Did it go well?"

　　"Yes, but there was a bump in the road."

　　"What happened?"

　　"The main speaker choked on an olive⁵ and had to be taken to hospital. Thankfully, his assistant was familiar with the presentation, so we were back in business."

　　1. The word idiom sounds a lot like 'idiot⁶' but has nothing to do with it. An idiom is an expression that is native to a country, and not obvious in meaning. For example, in Spain, if you want to describe someone as being talkative, you could say, "He talks through his elbows." In other countries, it might not be obvious that that person talks a lot. The expression is typically Spanish, and needs to be interpreted⁷, and learned as a complete expression, not translated.

　　2. Hectic is another word for 'too busy'. It is like a mix of 'chaos⁸' and 'busy'.

　　a. I have a hectic schedule at work. I hope I can surivive!

　　b. The tour of the city was too hectic; we were in a rush, and we saw too many things.

　　3. There are certain words that we use with batteries. A battery has 'power' of course. When it has its maximum power, we say that it is 'full'. When it no longer has power, we say that it is 'flat'. You could say 'empty' as people would understand, but the correct word is 'flat'. And, in order to regain⁹ power, we 'charge' batteries.

　　a. I need to charge my cell phone battery because I have almost no power left.

　　b. My car battery is completely flat. I don't think I can charge it anymore. I just need to buy a new one.

　　4. In the podcast I mentioned detaching¹⁰ the cables from the car battery. In other words, I was talking about taking off the wires that were charging the battery. A cable is generally a wire conductor that is covered in plastic. A 'wire' is not always a conductor of electricity; it might be used for something else (like hanging a picture). Cables are used when charging cars. Infact, those specific cables are called 'jumper cables'.

　　a. Be careful when you detach the jumper cables from the car battery. You could get a shock!

　　b. She makes the most beautiful art  out of copper¹¹ wire.

　　5. 'Delay' and  'delayed' are essential words in English. Delay is a verb and a noun, and delayed is used as an adjective.

　　a. The plane was delayed for three hours, so we took the train instead.

　　b. He's going to delay our plans if he keeps talking/ he's going to make us late if he keeps talking.

　　6. 'To board' is another essential verb in English which means to get on a plane/ boat/ train. It sounds exactly like 'bored' (which means unentertained) but has a slightly different spelling.

　　a. It's time to board the train; hurry up, let's go.

　　b. We can't board the plane for at least 15 minutes.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 hectic   

adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的

参考例句：

• I spent a very hectic Sunday.我度过了一个忙乱的星期天。
• The two days we spent there were enjoyable but hectic.我们在那里度过的两天愉快但闹哄哄的。

3 detach   

vt.(from)拆卸，使分开，使分离

参考例句：

• We should detach good apples from bad.我们必须把好的苹果与坏的分开。
• It's impossible to detach oneself from reality.超脱现实是不可能的。

4 bump   

v.（against,into）碰，颠簸；n.碰撞，隆起物

参考例句：

• I heard a bump in the next room.我听到隔壁房间传来“砰”的一声。
• He got a bad bump on his forehead.他碰得前额隆起一个大包。

5 olive   

n.橄榄，橄榄树，橄榄色；adj.黄绿色的，黄褐色的，橄榄色的

参考例句：

• Have you eaten a kind of fruit called olive?你吃过橄榄这种水果吗？
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace.她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。

6 idiot   

n.白痴，傻子，笨蛋

参考例句：

• Only an idiot would make such a thoughtless remark.只有草包才会说出这样没有头脑的话来。
• You are behaving like a perfect idiot.你表现得像个十足的白痴。

7 interpreted   

v.解释( interpret的过去式和过去分词 )；理解；把…理解为；演绎（按自己的感觉演奏音乐或表现角色）

参考例句：

• He quickly interpreted to us what the Russian was saying. 他很快把那个俄国人所说的话翻译给我们听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The figure of the Ancient Mariner has been variously interpreted. 对于《古舟子咏》中的人物，一直有着各种各样的理解。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

9 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

10 detaching   

拆卸( detach的现在分词 )； 派遣； 分遣； 分派

参考例句：

• Two-part serrated nozzle for easy removal without detaching hoses. 不用与内部管路分开，就可以轻易拆开、装管口喷嘴。
• Win between "detaching and attaching" and "old and new" 赢在“分聚”“新旧”间黄升民。

11 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。