今天来跟大家分享一句经常挂在外教 Lawrence 嘴边儿的一句口头禅~it's touch and go,什么都不好说、不确定。平时甭管是什么事儿,如果还没到最后一刻出结果之前,这位仁兄永远都只会抛下一句“还很难讲,看看情况再说吧!”
其实这个短语起源于19世纪早期,当在狭窄的航道航行时,船的两侧可能会剐蹭到岩石,但船长或领航员没有其他选择。也就是说,船可能会碰到,但必须不顾风险向前行进。后来这个表达就用来表示碰到不确定情况没有把握时,最后的结局很难定论。
touch-and-goadj. 不确定;无把握;很难说;吉凶未卜;(形势)不确定的;看情况再说
【En】If you say that something is touch and go, you mean that you are uncertain whether it will happen or succeed. 如果你说某事是touch and go,你的意思是你不确定它是否会发生或成功。Extremely uncertain as to the outcome of something. 对某事的结果极不确定。
【Immersion Scenario Listening 沉浸情景听力】
● It is touch and go whether we'll succeed.
我们能否成功还很难说。
● I don't know for sure. Everything is a bit touch and go at the moment.
我不能肯定。眼下一切都还不好说。
● It was a touch-and-go match from beginning to end, but fortunately, we were able to pull ahead in the last few minutes.
这是一场从头到尾都胜负难分的比赛,但幸运的是,我们在最后几分钟取得了领先。
● Things were touch and go at the office until a new manager was hired.
在新经理上任之前,办公室里的情况一直很不稳定。
● The doctors said it was a touch-and-go surgery, but he is expected to pull through and make a full recovery.
医生说这是一次危险的手术,但他有望渡过难关并完全康复。
● Jane had a serious operation, and the situation was touch and go for two days after her surgery.
简做了一个很重要的手术,手术后的两天内情况都很不稳定。
● It had been touch and go for him in the hospital, but he had eventually recovered.
他在医院里一直不好过,但他终于恢复了健康。
● The doctor says that it's touch and go whether Mary will be okay.
医生说玛丽是否会好起来还很难说。
● They know perfectly well that it was touch and go whether the unemployed were to receive anything at all.
他们很清楚,失业者能不能得到一点东西还很难说。
● It was touch and go whether we'd go bankrupt.
我们是否会破产还很难说。
● It's touch and go whether we'll make it in time.
我们是否能及时赶到还得看情况。
● Our business had a pretty rocky start — it was touch and go for a while there whether we'd even be able to keep going or not.
我们的生意一开始就很不顺利,我们能否继续经营下去一度都还很难说呢。