The english we speak(BBC教学)第128期:To jump the gun 抢先行动大纲
William: Watch out, he is going to jump the gun again…
威廉：小心，他又要抢先行动了……Yang Li: You don't know that yet, so don't you jump the gun.
杨李：你还不知道呢，你不要草率行事。Gun shot
枪声
William: Look, what did I say? He did jump the gun. It will have to start all over again now.
威廉：看，我说什么来着？他抢先行动了。现在不得不再次从头再来了。Yang Li: Yes, you are right. But could you just switch off the TV for two minutes please? It's time for The English We Speak.
杨李：对，你是对的。请你把电视关上一会儿好吗？现在是进行地道英语节目的时间了。William: Oh yes. The English We Speak from . Hi, I am William Kremer.
威廉：好的。这里是BBC的地道英语节目。我是威廉·克莱默。Yang Li: And I'm Yang Li. Today's phrase, as you heard at the beginning of the programme is 'jump the gun'.
杨李：我是杨李。今天要讲的词组，就是我们节目开始时说过的jupmp the gun。William: Yes. It's a phrase that people may use when talking about a race, like a swimming race. What do you think it means?
威廉：对。人们在谈论比赛时可能会使用这个词组，比如游泳比赛。你认为它是什么意思？Woman 1: The 100-metre freestyle was exciting. However, nearly every time someone jumped the gun.
女1：100米自由游的比赛太激动人心了。但是，几乎每次都有选手抢跳。Woman 2: Oh, that's a bit disappointing. But you enjoyed it, did you?
女2：哦，那有点儿令人失望。但是你很享受比赛，不是吗？Woman 1: Oh yes, it's my favourite sport.
女1：是啊，这是我最爱的运动。William: If someone jumps the gun, it means they start too soon, before the starting pistol.
威廉：jump the gun是指有人在发令枪之前过早地开始行动。Yang Li: Which can be quite frustrating for everyone including the audience.
杨李：这会令包括观众在内的所有人感到非常失望。William: More often nowadays, people use this phrase when someone says something or does something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it.
威廉：现在通常来说，当某个人抢先说或做某些事时人们就使用这个词组，尤其是在没有仔细思考以前。Yang Li: You mean they are too eager to say something?
杨李：你的意思是它们非常渴望说某事？William: Yes, kind of. Let's hear some more examples.
威廉：对，类似这种。我们再来听一些例子。Man: He shouted at me before I had time to explain, but later he apologised for jumping the gun.
男：他在我解释前对我大喊大叫，但是之后他为操之过急跟我道歉。Man: You know what happened to Dan, my friend?
男：你知道我朋友丹发生什么了吗？Woman: Yes how did he do in his job interview?
女：他的面试怎么样？Man: What happened was that he was so sure that he would get the job that he quit his old job. Unfortunately, he really jumped the gun. He just found out yesterday that he didn't get the job after all.
男：他一度非常确定他会得到那份工作，所以他辞掉了之前那份工作。不幸地是，他太草率了。他昨天刚知道他并没有得到那份工作。Yang Li: As you heard when you say or do something too soon then you are jumping the gun.
杨李：就像你所听到的，当你太着急说或者做某些事，你就是操之过急了。William: It can be very embarrassing if you jump the gun. I did it once before but hopefully never again.
威廉：如果你操之过急可能会令人非常尴尬。我曾经有过一次这样的经历，希望再也不会发生了。Yang Li: Well, I am too slow to jump the gun, so that's not a problem for me. Is there a phrase for that in English, Will?
杨李：嗯，我性子慢，不会操之过急，所以这对我来说并不是问题。威尔，英语中有这样的词组吗？William: Well, yes there is but I don't think I'm going to tell you.
威廉：当然有，但是我并不想告诉你。Yang Li: Please tell me.
杨李：请告诉我。William: No. No.
威廉：不，不告诉你。Yang Li: Oh, please.
杨李：请你告诉我吧。William: No. Maybe next time?
威廉：不。要不下次再说吧？Yang Li: Are you not going to tell me?
杨李：你真的不打算告诉我吗？William: No I'm not going to tell you.
威廉：不，我不打算告诉你。Yang Li: Oh, I've this gun and I'm going to gun you down if you don't.
杨李：哦，我这儿有枪，如果你不告诉我我就开枪打你。William: No, no, er…
威廉：不要，不要，额……Yang Li: Are you going to or not?
杨李：你到底要不要告诉我？William: No, no.
威廉：不告诉你。Yang Li: Yes or no?
杨李：告诉还是不告诉？William: No…Er…
威廉：不说……Gun Shot
枪声重点讲解：
1. watch out
小心，提防（不愉快的事情或陷入困境）；
eg. I advised them to watch out for slick spots on the sidewalk.
我叫他们当心人行道上路滑的地方。
eg. Watch out that you don't get them into trouble.
当心，别让他们碰到麻烦。
2. jump the gun
抢先行动；过早地行动；
eg. It wasn't due to be released until September 10, but some booksellers have jumped the gun and decided to sell it early.
这本书定于9月10号发行，但是一些书商已抢先一步，决定提前销售。
eg. Don't jump the gun. We need a further discussion.
不要草率行事，我们还需要作进一步讨论。
3. switch off
关掉，关上（电灯等）；
eg. If the result seems a foregone conclusion, people switch off.
如果比赛似乎将要发展成赛前预料的结局，很多观众将选择关掉电视机。
eg. Always switch off the power supply after using electrical equipment.
电气设备使用完毕后，一定要关掉电源。
4. be eager to do sth.
热切的；渴望做某事；
eg. I'm eager to know what your decision is.
我急于想知道你的决定是什么。
eg. He is eager to make a parade of his own abilities.
他急于炫耀自己的才干。
5. gun down
枪杀；开枪射伤；
eg. He had been gunned down and killed at point-blank range.
他被近距离开枪射杀。
eg. He is gunned down in the street outside his office.
他在他办公室外的街上被枪杀。
