我们讲的英语第131期:In the nick of time 最后一刻

Helen: Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. My name is Helen.
海伦：大家好，欢迎收听地道英语节目。我是海伦。

Rob: And I'm Rob. Helen, you look like you've been rushing. Here, have some water.
罗布：我是罗布。海伦，你看起来很匆忙。来喝点水吧。

Helen: Oh thanks. I'm a bit out of breath. My appointment at the bank took longer than expected.
海伦：哦，谢谢。我有点喘不过来气。我在银行办事的时间比预期的长了些。

Rob: You got here just in the nick of time then.
罗布：你在最后时刻赶到了这里。

Helen: Just in the nick of time? Shouldn't it be just in time?
海伦：in the nick of time？不是应该说及时吗？

Rob: You can say both. It means at the very last moment. Let's hear how this phrase is used.
罗布：两种说法都可以。意思是在最后一刻。我们来听一下这个短语的用法。

The English We Speak from the BBC Learning English
这里是BBC英语教学频道的地道英语节目

Woman 1: Alice gave birth to a baby girl last night.
女1：艾丽丝昨晚生了一个女孩。

Woman 2: I thought she wasn't due for another three weeks.
女2：我以为她的预产期还有三周呢。

Woman 1: It was early and they got to the hospital just in the nick of time.
女1：是早产，他们在最后一刻赶到了医院。

Man: Sarah and I were on our way to see Beyonce in concert. But she left her mobile in the office, so we had to go back and get it.
男：萨拉和我在去看碧昂斯演唱会的路上，她突然想起来她的手机落在办公室了，所以我们不得不返回办公室去拿手机。

Woman: Did you miss the show?
女：那你们错过演出了吗？

Man: Thankfully not, we got there just in the nick of time.
男：幸运的是我们没错过演出，我们在最后一刻赶到了现场。

Helen: In the first example, we heard one woman got to the hospital just before her baby was born. And in the second example, a couple nearly missed their Beyonce concert.
海伦：在第一个例子中，我们听到一名女性正好在生孩子前一刻赶到了医院。而在第二个例子中，一对情侣差点就要错过碧昂斯的演唱会了。

Rob: That would've been awful. You hear this phrase often used to suggest a disaster had been averted. If the action happened any later, then something awful could happen.
罗布：那会很糟糕的。你听到了，这个短语通常用于说明不好的事情被避开了。如果这件事情发生了，那就会造成糟糕的结果。

Helen: I see. I have another question–is this phrase a British expression?
海伦：我明白了。我还有一个问题，这是一个英国表达方式吗？

Rob: I don't think the phrase 'in the nick of time' is specifically British. It originated from the UK, but English speakers from all over the world use it.
罗布：我想这个短语并不是英式英语专用的。这个短语起源于英国，但是全世界以英语为母语的人都会使用这个短语。

Helen: Let's listen to a few more examples then.
海伦：我们再来听一些例子。

Man: We arrived just in the nick of time. Another five minutes, our plane would have left without us.
男：我们在最后一刻赶到了。再耽误五分钟，我们就要错过飞机了。

Woman: Sam was experimenting with stir frying last night and the wok caught fire. Luke rushed in with the fire blanket just in the nick of time.
女：萨姆昨晚尝试了爆炒，结果炒锅着火了。卢克在关键时刻拿着灭火毯冲了进来。

Helen: That was close. Stir frying can get pretty hot sometimes. And it's good that Luke didn't try to put out the fire with water.
海伦：好险啊。爆炒有时会让锅的温度变得非常热。幸亏卢克没用水去灭火。

Rob: That would have been a catastrophe. So Helen, are you the kind of person who likes to do things at the very last minute?
罗布：要是那样就会变成灾难了。所以海伦，你是那种喜欢在最后一刻做事情的人吗？

Helen: Well, I'd like to think of myself as a person who can do things in the nick of time. Thanks for listening. Bye.
海伦：我认为我自己是可以在最后一刻做事情的人。谢谢大家收听节目。再见。

Rob: Bye.
罗布：再见。