商务英语口语 Lesson 12《Speak Business Engl...

Lesson 12 IDIOMS 英文释义

• (to) get down to business: to start work; to begin discussing the important issues
• EXAMPLE: We could talk about last night's baseball game for hours, but let's get down to business and start the negotiation.
• (to) cover a lot of ground: to discuss many topics; to have a productive discussion
• EXAMPLE: That was an excellent meeting. We covered a lot of ground.
• (to be) on the same page: to be in agreement; when everybody has the latest information on what's going on
• EXAMPLE: Before we start on the next phase of this project, let's have a meeting and make sure everybody's on the same page.
• NOTE: This expression is overused. You will likely hear it, but you may not want to use it.
• in a nutshell: in summary; in short
• EXAMPLE: I won't go into the details now. In a nutshell, our sales are down 50 percent versus one year ago.
• (to) jump the gun:  to start doing something too soon or ahead of everybody else
• EXAMPLE: The company jumped the gun by releasing a new product before the results of the consumer testing were in.
• ORIGIN: A runner "jumps the gun" if he or she starts running before the starter's pistol has been fired.
• every time I turn around:  frequently; too often
• EXAMPLE: Every time I turn around, Lisa is checking her stock portfolio on Yahoo. No wonder she never gets any work done.
• (to be or to get) out of hand: to be too much; to be out of control
• EXAMPLE: Ed has called in sick 10 times this month. The situation is getting out of hand.
• I beg to differ: I don't agree (a formal way of telling somebody you don't agree with them)
• EXAMPLE: You think Tim has the leadership skills required to run this division? I beg to differ!
• (to) see eye to eye:  to be in agreement; to have the same opinion
• EXAMPLE: Our manufacturing and our marketing people fight with each other all the time. They don't see eye to eye on anything.
• that's putting it lightly: that's definitely true; that's for sure; that's an understatement
• EXAMPLE: "You were upset when your husband lost his job?" — "That's putting it lightly!"
• (to) get off track: to get off the subject; to lose focus; to digress
• EXAMPLE: We've gotten off track. This meeting was supposed to be about our new sales strategy, but we ended up talking about Erin's vacation in Spain!
• (to) weigh in on: to say something about; to comment on; to express an opinion
• EXAMPLE: We'd like you to weigh in on some ideas we have for new products.
• the issue at hand: the topic under discussion; what's being talked about now
• EXAMPLE: We've somehow gotten off the topic. Let's return to the issue at hand.
• (to) put in one's two cents:  to offer one's opinion; to give an opinion without being asked
• EXAMPLE: Let me just put in my two cents and say that I think we should definitely move our manufacturing to China.
• (to) move on: to proceed, to leave a job and do something else
• EXAMPLE1: It's time we move on to our next topic.
• EXAMPLE2: Don't feel too bad that you were fired. It was probably time for you to move on anyway.
• (to) circle back to: to return to
• EXAMPLE: I'd like to circle back to something Maria said earlier in the meeting.