Coffee hour闲聊 办公口语新技能get

Found yourself in a work situation whilst you are still learning the English you need to get by? Or maybe you have an English-speaking colleague that you would like to get closer to.
当你仍然坚持学习英语时，你是否发现虽处于工作环境，但仍需学习英语？或者你可能有一位能说一口流利英文的同事，你想靠近与其交流。

At the coffee machine
咖啡机旁聊天

Latte in hand, spreadsheets on hold: these are a few phrases you are more than likely to hear amongst your work colleagues as you relax. They’re easy to pick up and use, too.
一手拿着拿铁咖啡，一手握着报表：这里有几个短语，在你放松的时候你可能会从同事那里听到。这些短语也非常容易学习和使用。

1.(to) play catch up – to be late starting something so you make a big effort to overcome it; it doesn’t mean you have been lazy!– more often it refers to when something comes in last minute, or you are working to a tight deadline.
(to) play catch up –开始做某件事情有点晚，使你不得不花大力气去完成它；这并不是指你懒惰！-它经常更多的是指做某事到最后关头了，或者你临近截止日期，尽力追赶的意思。

e.g.“We’re playing catch-up on that commission from France.”
例如，“我们要尽力追赶法国来的任务”

Meaning: we’re working overtime to get everything ready for the commission from France.
意思是：我们在尽力加班为完成法国的任务做好充分准备。

When might you use it?
什么时候使用这个短语呢？

To express being a bit stressed out or under pressure to deliver a project; to express the effort required to overcome something for which you are currently behind schedule. You might also use the phrase to motivate or drive your own team to complete something – “we’re playing catch-up here, guys” – as it can add an air of competition.
一般是表达承受着巨大的压力或是顶着压力去实现一项任务；可用于表达你需要努力去完成已经落后于进度的事情。你可能也用这个词组去激励或者驱使你的团队去完成某项任务—“同伴们，我们快实现目标啦”—它可能增加竞争的气氛。

2.(to) pay a premium– meaning you pay a higher price for something because the quality or reputation is better
–是指你要花费更高的价格购买某物，因为它的质量或名声更好

e.g.“We’re paying a premium for the plug from X Box, but it’s worth it”
“我们花了高价的XBox插座，但是它值。”

When might you use it?
什么时候使用这个词组呢？

This can be used in coffee machine conversation very easily – it just refers to a deal you’ve made where the company (or yourself) has paid a price that is above the normal market price. You might use it to gain a bit of prestige/boast about your purchase.
这可以很轻易的在闲聊时使用—它可以用于提到你刚完成的一笔交易，交易价格高于市场价格。你可能用它去吹嘘你购物的物品。