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内容简介

怎样用英语描述经营企业所需的最低工作人员人数？在什么情况下，一个公司可能需要靠最低人数的员工来经营业务？听节目，学习 “skeleton crew” 的意思和用法。

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
大家好！欢迎收听 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语” 节目。我是冯菲菲。

Roy
…and me, Roy. 

Feifei
我们可能听起来与以往有些不同，这是因为在新冠肺炎疫情爆发期间，我们无法在平时的录音间录制节目。

在这期节目中，我们要教给大家的这个说法可以用来描述一个企业或者机构运转需要的最低人数的工作人员 。Speaking of which, there are not many people working in the train stations today.

Roy
No, you’re right. It’s because of the strikes on the trains. 

Feifei
Ah, so that’s why it was hard to get a train this morning! The train companies decided to run the trains on a skeleton crew!

Roy
What!? Skeletons driving the trains? Is this some kind of ghost story? Ooh, I think I’ll walk home! 

Feifei
No, Roy! “Skeleton crew” 和骷髅没有任何关系。“Skeleton crew” 指的是运营一家企业或机构所需的最低人数。 

Roy
Ah… yes, and it’s usually in times of crisis or during an emergency, for example the coronavirus, that people run businesses with a skeleton crew.

Feifei
Exactly. Let’s listen to these examples. 

Examples
Due to the financial problems of the company, the office will be run with a skeleton crew for the foreseeable future. 

The Covid-19 emergency means that we will run the buses with a skeleton crew until further notice.

A skeleton crew will be needed to keep the park open over the winter months.

Feifei
你正在收听的是 BBC英语教学的 “地道英语”。在这期节目里，我们教给大家的地道表达是 “skeleton crew”。它指的是运营一家企业或机构所需的最低员工人数。 

Roy
I love the expression ‘skeleton crew’. It makes me think of a pirate ship run by skeletons.

Feifei
我们也可以把 “skeleton crew” 换成 “skeleton staff”，意思不变。 

Roy
Well, one good thing when there’s a skeleton staff at work is that there is no queue for the cafeteria!

Feifei
Trust you to think about food! 

Roy
Well, I’m just glad that there aren’t real skeletons working at the BBC. That’s just in horror stories! 

Feifei
Exactly, you don’t need worry about skeletons walking around. They’re not real! It’s vampires you need to worry about! Ha ha ha…

Roy
What? 

Feifei
Bye, Roy.

Roy
Bye, Feifei.