流行美语 第183课:learn the ropes; put a lid on it

李华开始在图书馆打工，但是她告诉Larry她担心自己不能胜任这份工作。今天李华会学到两个常用语：learn the ropes和put a lid on it。

LH: 我实在搞不清楚怎么用图书馆的电脑系统。我好怕我会做错什么事情。

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, 你在说什么啊？To learn the ropes? 我是在图书馆工作，又不是在体育馆里呢。我干吗要学习拉绳索。再说，图书馆里也没有绳索啊？

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就是学会怎么做某件事，特别是指跟工作有关的事。这个用法好奇怪噢。你知道这个常用语是怎么来的吗？

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: 原来这是从航海而来。没错，这水手一开始学必须学会哪条绳索是控制哪个风帆的。我也希望我能赶快学会图书馆的一套工作，不然我可能要被开除了！

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: 对，每个人到一个新的工作岗位都需要时间才能熟悉自己的工作。可是我真想表现好一些，不让我老板失望。

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: 你花了三个星期才学会你现在的工作啊？那你在那三个星期里有没有犯错呢？

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

LH: 你的同事真好。他们知道你是新人，所以你犯错，他们都很包容。那如果你现在还犯错，他们会怎么样？

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: 你现在再犯错误就没有借口了。可是，你的老板真好，很能理解工作人员。我希望我的老板也能如此。不过，谢谢你的安慰，Larry!

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LH: 今天有个人来图书馆拿他订的书，可是书还没到。他对我好凶噢。我吓的都不知道该怎么办才好。

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那不是盖子的意思吗？我要他盖盖子做什么？

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

LH: 什么！Put a lid on it就是叫人闭嘴？我可不能那样做，那是很不礼貌的！

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

LH: 他虽然对我没礼貌，但我可不能学他那样。我是在那儿工作的，我可不能叫他闭嘴。

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，只希望那个家伙再也别来图书馆了！

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: 你别担心我啦。那个人要是再来找麻烦，我就直接找我的老板去和他谈喽！

LL: That's a good idea.

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是learn the ropes，就是学习，掌握诀窍的意思，通常是指工作方面的事。另一个常用语是put a lid on it，这是叫人闭嘴的意思。