【英语时差8,16】火上加油

When you want to build up a campfire, barbecue or log¹ fire in a fireplace², you need to add fuel to make it bigger. The fuel might be wood, charcoal³ or any other burnable material. The fire will then get hotter and larger, so if that's what you want, it's a good thing. On the other hand, if the fire is not under control, such as a forest fire, kitchen fire, or a house on fire, adding fuel to the fire would be stupid, because it makes a bad situation become even worse.

Sometimes in conversations, business or even social situations between friends, someone does or says something that upsets others. Then, instead of apologizing and making it better, that person may say or do something even worse. That kind of stupid action－making something worse that is already bad－is what we refer to as "adding fuel to the fire."

1 log   

n.记录，圆木，日志；v.伐木，切，航行

参考例句：

• They log for a living.他们以伐木为生。
• And then what do you do with that log?然后你要拿那些记录做什么呢？

2 fireplace   

n.壁炉，炉灶

参考例句：

• The fireplace smokes badly.这壁炉冒烟太多。
• I think we should wall up the fireplace.我想应该封住壁炉。

3 charcoal   

n.炭，木炭，生物炭

参考例句：

• We need to get some more charcoal for the barbecue.我们烧烤需要更多的碳。
• Charcoal is used to filter water.木炭是用来过滤水的。