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内容简介

有时候，人们在决定面前犹豫不决；面对自己不想做的工作时更是一拖再拖。遇到这种情况应该如何应对？也许你应该 “kick it into the long grass” 把它踢到长长的草丛中去。听 Rob 和菲菲的对话，学习这个表达的意思。Rob 把什么事情踢到长长的草丛中去了？

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Feifei
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English with me, Feifei…

Rob
…and me, Rob. So, Feifei, what are you doing tonight?

Feifei
今天晚上我干什么？Oh, erm, I’m busy. I’m washing my hair tonight.

Rob
Oh, right – so you’re not going to that new bar for a drink? I overheard someone saying that you and some of the team were going.

Feifei
Oh, yes! The new bar. We’re going for a drink – just one, on the way home. Erm… Would you like to join us?

Rob
Oh, yes. That would be great!

Feifei
不过，那个大项目你完成了吗？就是那个老板说非常重要的项目？

Rob
Oh, that! No, no. That’s not important. I’ll leave it for a few days and he’ll forget about it.

Feifei
Hmm. So, you’re going to ‘kick it into the long grass’?

Rob
‘Kick it into the long grass’? You mean delay a plan or decision about something because it will only cause problems for me – and that by delaying it, it might get forgotten altogether?

Feifei
That’s exactly what I meant. Let’s hear some examples of this phrase in action.

Examples
The decision to kick the plans for a new railway line into the long grass means that we’ll have to continue to face overcrowding and slow journey times.

He hoped by kicking a decision on her marriage proposal into the long grass she'd soon forget – but she didn’t!

I’ve decided to kick this plan to redecorate the house into the long grass – we’ve got more urgent things to do, like fixing the hole in the roof!

Feifei
这里是 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语” 节目。在这期节目里，我们给大家介绍的表达是 “kick something into the long grass”。它很形象地把人们因一个计划或决定困难繁琐，而将其拖延、搁置的行为比喻成 “kick into the long grass” 踢到长长的草丛中去。Rob 就在拖延老板让他做的一个项目，他说原因是他需要付出大量的辛勤工作。

Rob
Hard work? This project is perfect for someone with my skills, but I need time to think about it… maybe a few weeks.

Feifei
But if you kick it into the long grass, you won’t be able to find it!

Rob
Of course not. Now, what time are we going for that drink?

Boss
Rob, could I have a word about that urgent project I asked you to do – as soon as possible?

Feifei
Oh dear, Rob. It looks like you’re going to have to kick that drink into the long grass. I think you’d better go and see the boss. Good luck!

Rob
OK. See you later.

Feifei
Bye!