Do Your Best with This Car Expression

Do Your Best with This Car Expression

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

This program explores words and phrases in the English language.

And today we talk about an expression that comes from the world of vehicles and the engines that power them.

In an internal combustion¹ engine, a cylinder² is said to be firing when the fuel inside it is ignited, or lit. With that small, contained explosion, the engine starts and the car is ready to go! Most engines have four cylinders³. Some very powerful vehicles have six or even eight cylinders!

That brings us to today's expression: to fire on all cylinders.

When you are "firing on all cylinders," you are working or functioning at the greatest possible level of efficiency, speed or productivity. In other words, you are at your peak performance. You cannot do much better.

Sometimes we we use this expression to mean we are using all our energy to do something. We are working as well as possible. For example, some people can only fire on all cylinders after they have had a good night's sleep.

We often use this expression in the negative form. For example, every morning, I have two cups of very strong, black coffee. The coffee helps my brain come to life. So, if someone tries to talk to me in the morning before I've had my coffee, I might say to them. "Can this wait? I'm not firing on all cylinders yet."

However, I would probably not say that to a supervisor⁴. The expression is very informal.

Now let's hear this expression used by two co-workers.

A: Hey, can you hand me that notebook? It has all my notes for today's meeting.

B: (yawns) I'm sorry. Are you talking to me?

A: You seem like you need more sleep. You do realize this meeting about our project will decide your future for the next month.

B: I know. It's just really early. I don't fire on all cylinders until at least 10am.

A: Well, you had better get your cylinders fired up because here comes the client.

Before you take on your next big project, make sure you are firing on all cylinders.

Words in This Story

internal combustion engine – n. a heat engine in which the combustion that generates the heat takes place inside the engine proper instead of in a furnace

cylinder – n. the piston⁵ chamber⁶ in an engine : also, a long round body whether hollow or solid

ignite – v. to cause (a fuel) to burn

efficiency – n. the ability to do something or produce something without waste

peak – adj. being at or reaching the maximum

performance – n. the carrying out of an action

negative – adj. emphasizing the bad side of a person, situation, or thing

informal – adj. not requiring serious or formal behavior or dress : suitable for ordinary or everyday use with close friends and family

1 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

2 cylinder   

n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸

参考例句：

• What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
• The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

3 cylinders   

n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物

参考例句：

• They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

5 piston   

n.活塞

参考例句：

• They use a piston engine instead.他们改用活塞发动机。
• The piston moves by steam pressure.活塞在蒸汽压力下运动。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。