[英语地道口语表达]地道口语:不到“最后一刻”绝不轻易动手
[英语地道口语表达]地道口语:不到“最后一刻”绝不轻易动手
The couple were in the nick of time for the Beyonce concert。
Helen: 大家好,欢迎收听地道英语。我是 Helen。
Rob: And I"m Rob. Helen, you look like you"ve been rushing. Here, have some water。
Helen: Oh thanks. I"m a bit out of breath. 我好久没锻炼了,有点喘不上气了。抱歉,我在银行办事儿迟了。
Rob: You got here just in the nick of time then。
Helen: Just in the nick of time? Shouldn"t it be just in time?
Rob: Well, you can say both。
Helen: 你刚才说的 "in the nick of time" 这个短语经常能听到吗?
Rob: Yeah, I think so. It means at the very last moment. Let"s hear how this phrase is used。
Example
Woman 1: Alice gave birth to a baby girl last night。
Woman 2: I thought she wasn"t due for another three weeks。
Woman 1: It was early and they got to the hospital just in the nick of time。
Man: Sarah and I were on our way to see Beyonce in concert. But she left her mobile in the office, so we had to go back and get it。
Woman: Did you miss the show?
Man: Thankfully not, we got there just in the nick of time。
Helen: 我们刚才听到一位孕妇正好在孩子出生前一刻赶到医院,而另一对恋人差点没赶上 Beyonce 的演唱会。
The couple were in the nick of time for the Beyonce concert。
Rob: That would"ve been awful. You hear this phrase often used to suggest a disaster had been averted. If the action happened any later, then something awful could happen。
Helen: I see. 这个短语的意思是刚好,恰好,最后一刻赶到了。那么这是在英式英语吗?
Rob: I don"t think the phrase "in the nick of time" is specifically British. It originated from the UK, but English speakers from all over the world use it now。
Helen: 让我们听听例子吧。
Example
Man: We arrived just in the nick of the time. Another five minutes, our plane would have left without us。
Woman: Sam was experimenting with stir frying last night and the wok caught fire. Luke rushed in with the fire blanket just in the nick of time。
Helen: That was close. 热锅烧菜起火了,还好 Luke 机灵没浇水灭火。就差那么一点点,不然就闯大祸了。
Rob: That would have been a catastrophe. So Helen, are you the kind of person who likes to do things at the very last minute?
Helen: Well, I"d like to think of myself as a person who can do things in the nick of time. Thanks for listening. Bye。
Rob: Bye。
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