常春藤生活英语【30】In Hot Water 水深火热

Dialogue A
Laura: How was work today?
Ben: It was awful. I was very stressed.
Laura: Why? What happened?
Ben: My boss was a bit hot under the collar.
Laura: Why?
Ben: He doesn't think the new product I designed will sell like hot cakes.
Laura: You're in hot water now.
Ben: I know. He wants me to come up with a new design as soon as possible.
Laura: Well, there goes our vacation plans.

萝　拉：今天工作如何啊？
阿　班：很惨。我压力超大的。
萝　拉：怎么了？发生了什么事？
阿　班：我老板有点不爽。
萝　拉：为什么？
阿　班：他认为我设计的新产品不会大卖。
萝　拉：你现在麻烦大了。
阿　班：我知道。他要我尽快想出一个新的设计。
萝　拉：唉，我们的度假计划泡汤了。

Dialogue B
Ben: My boss really put me in the hot seat. I'm at a loss for ideas.
Laura: When does he want to see the new design?
Ben: Within the next couple of days.
Laura: Is that enough time?
Ben: No, probably not. I guess I will have to work all weekend.
Laura: What if you can't finish it?
Ben: Let's hope that won't happen. My boss is such a hot-tempered man.
Laura: You'd better get busy.

阿　班：我老板真是丢了个烫手山芋给我。我一点灵感都没有。
萝　拉：他什么时候要看到新的设计？
阿　班：这几天之内吧。
萝　拉：时间够吗？
阿　班：大概不够吧。我猜我整个周末都得工作。
萝　拉：如果你做不完会怎样？
阿　班：希望这样的状况不会发生。我老板的脾气可是火爆的很。
萝　拉：你最好赶快动工。

Building Your Vocabulary

hot-tempered　a. 脾气暴躁的
You'll often offend¹ people by being hot-tempered.
你火爆的脾气会常常冒犯到别人。

Phrases for Learning²

1.be hot under the collar　　恼怒的，气冲冲的
Charlie was rather hot under the collar when he found out that his car was towed³.
查理发现他的车被拖吊时，简直火冒三丈。

2.sell like hot cakes　　非常畅销，非常抢手
Our new books are selling like hot cakes.
我们的新书正在热卖中。

3.be in hot water　　（因做错事而）陷入麻烦
Jason was in hot water because he got caught stealing from his mother.
杰森偷妈妈的钱被逮到，因此麻烦可大了。

4.in the hot seat　　处于需要解决棘手问题的位置上
Martha was in the hot seat because she had to lay off half of her employees.
马莎的处境尴尬，因为她必须解雇半数的员工。

5.be at a loss for ideas/words　　想不出点子∕不知该说什么才好
I was at a loss for words when I heard the news.
我听到这则消息时，不知道该说些什么好。

Tips In Use

Well, there goes our vacation plans.
（唉，我们的度假计划泡汤了。）

本句中的 go 跟『走』或『去』没有什么太大的关系。"there goes..."为一固定用法，表示『……没指望了』。当一个人无法做到自己想做的事情而感到失望时，便可用此句来表达。

A:The forecast says that it's going to rain tomorrow.
B:There goes that picnic I've been looking forward to all week.
（甲：天气预报说明天会下雨。）
（乙：我期待了整个星期的野餐行没望啦。）

1 offend   

v.犯错误；违犯；犯罪

参考例句：

• He took care never to offend his visitors.他小心谨慎，绝不得罪他的访客。
• I think I never offend you.我想我从没有触犯过你。

2 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

3 towed   

v.拖，拉，拽( tow的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Our car was towed away by the police. 我们的汽车被警察拖走了。
• The tugboat towed the damaged ship into port. 拖船把坏了的船拖进港口。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》