烫手山芋
Hot potato
Hello and welcome to The English We Speak.
大家好，欢迎收听地道英语。
I'm Neil.
我是尼尔。
Hello everyone.
大家好。
I’m Helen.
我是海伦。
Oh what’s the matter, Helen?
海伦，你怎么啦？
You look really tired.
你看上去累极了。
Is it that bad?
有那么严重吗？
You've got very dark shadows under your eyes.
你黑眼圈很重。
Oh dear.
哎呀。
Well, I’ve been pushed into a role and I don’t really want it.
好吧，我被推到了一个位子上，但我确实不想干。
What is it?
什么呀？
To be the treasurer for the school’s parents association
给学校的家长委员会当会计，
and you know I am hopeless with numbers.
可你知道我在数字方面真的是无可救药啊。
Sounds like it could turn into a hot potato for you.
听上去这对你来说快变成一个热土豆了。
Hot potato?
热土豆？
Do you mean a jacket potato?
你是说烤土豆吗？
No I am not hungry,
但是我不饿呀，
I am nervous.
我只是很紧张。
I'm not talking about food.
我不是在说吃的啦。
I am talking about this job.
我是在说这个工作。
I can see it’s going to be a problem for you.
我能看出来，这对你来说是个问题。
I’m thinking the same.
我也是这么想的。
You need to think about it very carefully before it becomes a hot potato.
在它变成一个烫手山芋之前，你要仔细考虑。
When something becomes a ‘hot potato’,
一件事情成为“热土豆”，
it becomes a problem and difficult to handle.
就是说它变成了难以处理的问题。
I see.
我明白。
You can’t hold a hot potato in your hand.
你不能把一个烫手山芋拿在手里。
It would burn you.
你会被烧伤的。
Exactly, you’ve got it.
非常对，你已经理解啦。
A hot potato is a phrase we use to refer to difficult or tricky situations,
我们用烫手山芋这个短语来指困难或是棘手的情况，
or even people.
甚至可以指人。
Here are a few examples:
这儿有几个例子：
The shortage of housing supply is fast becoming a hot potato for the council.
住房供应短缺正快速成为委员会的一个棘手难题。
The pay rise issue is a hot potato for management;
对管理部门来说，加薪问题是一个棘手难题。
I don't know how they are going to sort this one out between the staff,
我不知道他们要怎么样解决这个问题，这个问题涉及到全体员工、
the union and the shareholders.
工会和股东。
Helen, my word of advice is…
海伦，我建议……
Please, I’m listening.
请讲，我听着呢。
Just tell the school you can’t do it.
就告诉学校你做不来。
Drop it before it becomes a real hot potato for you.
在这件事变成一个真正的烫手山芋前就放弃吧。
You are right.
你说得对。
That’s what I will do.
我会这么做的。
Thanks.
谢谢。
You’re welcome.
不客气。