醫(yī)生是一個(gè)讓人羨慕的職業(yè)。醫(yī)生們社會地位高,收入也高。不過,做醫(yī)生有一點(diǎn)不好,私人時(shí)間太少。我有個(gè)朋友就是醫(yī)生。上周末,我們本來約好一起去釣魚,都在半路上了,他卻突然接到醫(yī)院電話,說有個(gè)病人需要他馬上治療。于是他只好立即回醫(yī)院報(bào)道,而我們的釣魚計(jì)劃,就要用今天這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語形容:on the back burner.
On the back burner,意思是放在次要位置。因?yàn)榕笥延芯o急工作需要處理,當(dāng)天的釣魚計(jì)劃 ended up on the back burner, 就只能放一放,以后再說了。
在下面這段話中,有個(gè)女人就是不服輸,堅(jiān)持不愿意改變原來的計(jì)劃。我們來聽一聽是怎么回事:
例句-1:My wife's quite ambitious. After her unexpected pregnancy, family and friends assumed she'd delay working towards her PhD. But she wouldn't put her studies on the back burner. She's decided to take classes next semester and take care of the baby after he's born.
這段話是說:我太太特有追求。在她意外懷孕之后,家人和朋友都以為她得把讀博士的事兒往后延一延了??墒?,她不肯把學(xué)業(yè)放在次要位置上,決定下學(xué)期一邊選課,一邊照顧出生后的孩子。
這個(gè)女生真的很堅(jiān)強(qiáng),希望她能家庭與事業(yè)兼顧!說起學(xué)習(xí),有時(shí)候也是要看天分,記得我小時(shí)候想當(dāng)個(gè)女高音,可音樂老師說我五音不全,well, that dream went on the back burner. 我的女高音之夢只好被打消了。
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在接下來的句子中,一位商人在商業(yè)發(fā)展中遇到了困難,打亂了原來的計(jì)劃,我們來聽一聽:
例句-2:My partners and I own a chain of successful hamburger restaurants. As we were reviewing the blueprints for another location, we got bad news. The site we chose won't be available for a year. As a result, its development will have to be put on the back burner.
這段話意思是:我和我的合伙人開了個(gè)漢堡連鎖店,很成功。正當(dāng)我們考慮是否再開一個(gè)新店的時(shí)候,我們收到了一個(gè)壞消息。我們考慮的那個(gè)地方一年之內(nèi)都無法租到。結(jié)果,新店的發(fā)展計(jì)劃只能從后再議。
也許在等待一年之后,這個(gè)計(jì)劃還是可以實(shí)現(xiàn)的。說到等待,我想到自己有一次發(fā)燒,跑去急診室,可是病人很多,醫(yī)生們都去照顧那些癥狀嚴(yán)重的人,我這個(gè)小小的的發(fā)燒感冒,只能算輕微病患。于是我只能坐在那里等。Despite my pain, the doctors put me on the back burner,雖然我很難受,可醫(yī)生們還是把我放在了次要位置。