BBC地道英语:Finding your feet 适应新环境

Helen: Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English. Rosie and I are doing a salsa class tonight. It's my favourite Latin American dance and I love the music! Salsa 是我最喜欢的拉丁舞，音乐可棒了！

Rosie: Yes, and it's not easy… One, two, three, whoops! I'm not very good yet – I'm still finding my feet.

Helen: You're still finding your feet? No wonder you're so bad. How can you dance if you don't know where your feet are? 你如果连自己的脚都搞不清楚在哪儿，怎么可能跳舞？

Rosie: I do know where my feet are, Helen. When you say you're finding your feet in English, it means you're becoming confident at something.

Helen: So if I say I'm still finding my feet, it means I'm still getting used to a new situation… 原来 finding my feet 这个短语的意思是说我还在适应新环境，是个比喻，和脚其实没关系。

Will Rosie find her feet?

Rosie: That's right. And when you say you've found your feet, it means you've become familiar with a situation.

Helen: Let's have a look at some examples:

Helen: 这个短语还挺有用的，人们经常在开始新工作时或者学新东西的时候说。

Rosie: That's right… And I feel like I'm getting quite good at salsa now.

Helen: Really? It looks like you're still finding your feet… Rosie 觉得她的 salsa 已经跳得不错了，我看她还没找到她的脚呢! She's still finding her feet.

Rosie: I might ask someone to dance with me, Helen. That guy over there is pretty good. Hi, would you like to dance?

Man: Oh, OK.

Rosie: Oooooh this is fun. One, two, three… Oops sorry! Did I step on your foot?

Man: Ouch!

Helen: It looks like Rosie's doing more than finding her feet. Rosie 不光是找到了其他人的脚，她还踩了别人的脚，这可糟了！