The english we speak(BBC教學)第228期:Take a back seat 讓權

Rob and Feifei take to the road to learn a new phrase. Rob sits in the back to demonstrate the phrase but Feifei soon realises you don't need a car to use this expression. Get your seatbelt on and join them in Authentic Real English.

羅布和菲菲爲了學習新的短語，開車上了馬路。坐在後面的羅布解釋了這個短語的意思，但是很快菲菲就意識到其實應用這個短語並不需要開車。繫好安全帶，收聽本期地道英語節目吧。

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

注：音頻與文本並不完全對應。

Feifei: Hello, it's Feifei and Rob here with today's The English We Speak.

菲菲：大家好，主持今天地道英語節目的是菲菲和羅布。

Rob: Feifei, keep your eyes on the road! Look where you're going.

羅布：菲菲，專心看路！看看你這是往哪兒開呢。

Feifei: OK, OK! Rob is making me drive around while we present today's programme. Rob, why exactly am I driving my car?

菲菲：好的，好的！羅布讓我開車來主持今天的節目。羅布，爲什麼是我開車？

Rob: Well, I really wanted you to understand the phrase we're going to learn today. But I'm going to leave it all to you.

羅布：我想幫助你理解我們今天要學習的短語。不過我打算全交給你。

Feifei: So what are you going to do then?

菲菲：那你要做什麼呢？

Rob: Oh nothing. I'm just going to a take a back seat today. You carry on, I'll just watch.

羅布：什麼都不做。我今天要讓權給你。你繼續吧，我只是看着。

Feifei: Take a back seat? Hmmm — so you're going to let me take control — do all the work — while you sit there and watch?

菲菲：坐在後座上？嗯，所以你是讓我來掌控所有的事情，而你只是坐在那裏看嗎？

Rob: Yes — look, I'm just sitting here — on the back seat.

羅布：對，看，我就坐在這裏，就坐在後座上。

Feifei: Oh I get it! 'To take a back seat' is an idiom that means to give up control and let someone else take responsibility.

菲菲：哦，我明白了！這個習語的意思是放棄控制權，讓其他人來負責。

Rob: That's it Feifei. Let's hear from some other people who are 'taking a back seat'…

羅布：沒錯，菲菲。我們來聽些例句，看看還有誰放棄了控制權。

Examples

例句

Mary was happy to take a back seat and let Jim run the meeting.

瑪麗很高興能退居次要位置，讓吉姆來負責會議。

I'm going to take a back seat this year and let you decide where we go on holiday.

我今年要讓權給你，由你來決定我們去哪裏度假。

Now he's getting older he's decided to take a back seat in running the company.

他年事已高，所以他決定退居二線，讓出公司的經營權。

Feifei: So, to take a backseat means to choose not to take control and let someone else be in charge. Rob, does this mean you're just being lazy?

菲菲：to take a backseat的意思是選擇讓出控制權，讓其他人去負責。羅布，這是不是意味着其實你只是很懶？

Rob: Of course not, Feifei. It just means I'm letting you have a turn at being in charge — I trust you — although... What are you doing?!

羅布：當然不是了，菲菲。這意味着我要讓你有掌控事情的機會，我相信你，不過……你在幹什麼？！

Feifei: Letting you take the back seat while I show you how to really drive!

菲菲：你退居次要位置的時候我要讓你看看什麼才叫開車！

Rob: Feifei! Watch out for that roundabout... and that traffic light... aren't you driving a bit fast?

羅布：菲菲！注意那個環島……還有交通燈……你是不是開得有點快？

Feifei: Rob — don't be such a back seat driver!

菲菲：羅布，不要在後座對開車的人指手畫腳！

Rob: A what?

羅布：什麼？

Feifei: A back seat driver — someone who offers unwanted advice — someone who tells the driver how to drive. But we'll leave that expression for another day!

菲菲：在後座對開車的人指手畫腳的人，就是告訴司機要怎麼開車的人，可是實際上開車的人並不需要這些建議。我們會找其他時間來解釋這個短語的。

Rob: OK OK — but you are going really fast — can I take the front seat now?

羅布：好，好的，可是你真的開得太快了，現在我來開車怎麼樣？

Feifei: Stay where you are!

菲菲：呆在那裏！

Rob: OK.

羅布：好吧。

Feifei: Bye Bye.

菲菲：再見。

Rob: Bye.

羅布：再見。

譯文屬僅供學習交流使用，未經許可請勿轉載

重點講解：
1. take a back seat 讓權於他人；退居次要位置；
例句：You need to take a back seat and think about both past and future.
你得退居二線，把過去和將來都捋清楚。
2. carry on 繼續；接着；堅持；
例句：Rachael Carr intends to carry on teaching.
雷切爾·卡爾打算繼續教書。
3. in charge 主管；全面負責；統領；
例句：I gather that he is the one in charge.
我猜想他是負責的人。
4. watch out for 密切注意；戒備；提防；
例句：I advised them to watch out for slick spots on the sidewalk.
我叫他們當心人行道上路滑的地方。