ESL Podcast 672 – Asking for More Time

　　Dan: Hello.
Marcia: Hi, Dan. What’s the status on the project? We’re still on schedule, right?
Dan: Uh, well, I’ve been meaning to call you about that. We’ve had a slight delay.
Marcia: What do you mean by “slight”? Are you saying that you won’t be able to meet the deadline?
Dan: Not exactly. I’m only asking that you grant us a short extension.
Marcia: How short?
Dan: A week or two, tops. We hit a minor¹ snag, but we should have everything up and running in no time.
Marcia: If the project has come to a grinding halt, then it doesn’t sound like a minor snag. We’re running on a tight schedule and we don’t have a lot of time to spare.
Dan: I know that all too well.
Marcia: Good, then I don’t have to spell it out for you.
Dan: No, you don’t. My head is on the chopping block and the clock is ticking.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。