VOA流行美語 Unit 183:learn the ropes和put a lid on

李華開始在圖書館打工，但是她告訴Larry她擔心自己不能勝任這份工作。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：learn the ropes和put a lid on it。

LH: 我實在搞不清楚怎麼用圖書館的電腦系統。我好怕我會做錯什麼事情。

LL: Don't worry, Li Hua. You'll figure it out. It takes a little while to learn the ropes at a new job.

LH: Larry, 你在說什麼啊？To learn the ropes? 我是在圖書館工作，又不是在體育館裏呢。我幹嗎要學習拉繩索。再說，圖書館裏也沒有繩索啊？

LL: No (laughing). "To learn the ropes" is an expression. It means to learn how to do something, especially something related to work.

LH: 噢，to learn the ropes就是學會怎麼做某件事，特別是指跟工作有關的事。這個用法好奇怪噢。你知道這個常用語是怎麼來的嗎？

LL: The expression is related to sailing. When sailors first started working on a boat, they had to learn which ropes were attached to which sails.

LH: 原來這是從航海而來。沒錯，這水手一開始學必須學會哪條繩索是控制哪個風帆的。我也希望我能趕快學會圖書館的一套工作，不然我可能要被開除了！

LL: Don't worry, Li Hua. Everyone needs some time to learn the ropes at a new job. I'm sure your boss knows that.

LH: 對，每個人到一個新的工作崗位都需要時間才能熟悉自己的工作。可是我真想表現好一些，不讓我老闆失望。

LL: I'm sure you won't. When I started my most recent job, it took me about three weeks to learn the ropes.

LH: 你花了三個星期才學會你現在的工作啊？那你在那三個星期裏有沒有犯錯呢？

LL: Of course, but no one minded because they knew that I was still learning the ropes.

LH: 你的同事真好。他們知道你是新人，所以你犯錯，他們都很包容。那如果你現在還犯錯，他們會怎麼樣？

LL: I don't have that excuse anymore, but my boss is still relatively understanding. He knows that everyone makes mistakes from time to time.

LH: 你現在再犯錯誤就沒有藉口了。可是，你的老闆真好，很能理解工作人員。我希望我的老闆也能如此。不過，謝謝你的安慰，Larry!

******

LH: 今天有個人來圖書館拿他訂的書，可是書還沒到。他對我好凶噢。我嚇的都不知道該怎麼辦纔好。

LL: I would have told him to put a lid on it. After all, it's not your fault.

LH: Put a lid on it? Lid那不是蓋子的意思嗎？我要他蓋蓋子做什麼？

LL: Telling someone to "put a lid on it" is the same as telling him or her to shut up.

LH: 什麼！Put a lid on it就是叫人閉嘴？我可不能那樣做，那是很不禮貌的！

LL: Well, it sounds as though he was being really rude to you.

LH: 他雖然對我沒禮貌，但我可不能學他那樣。我是在那兒工作的，我可不能叫他閉嘴。

LL: Yeah, you're probably right. It wouldn't be very professional to tell the guy to put a lid on it.

LH: 我啊，只希望那個傢伙再也別來圖書館了！

LL: If he does, you can give me a call and I'll come over and tell him to put a lid on it myself.

LH: 你別擔心我啦。那個人要是再來找麻煩，我就直接找我的老闆去和他談嘍！

LL: That's a good idea.

今天李華學到兩個常用語。一個是learn the ropes，就是學習，掌握訣竅的意思，通常是指工作方面的事。另一個常用語是put a lid on it，這是叫人閉嘴的意思。