The english we speak(BBC教学)第96期:Call it a day 到此为止
Jen: Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Jennifer, and with me in the studio is... yawn... Helen.
珍：大家好，欢迎来到我们说的英语节目。我是珍妮弗，今天我们演播室请到的嘉宾是……啊……海伦。Helen: Hi Jen... are you a bit tired?
海伦：珍，你好……你是不是有点累？Jen: Oh yes, I really am. I've been here since seven this Morning - I think I'm ready to call it a day now.
珍：对，我确实很累。我从早上七点开始就一直在这里工作，我想现在我准备好要结束工作回家了。
Helen: What do you want to call it? Monday? Tuesday?
海伦：你想给日子起什么名字？周一？周二？Jen: Oh no, I don't mean...
珍：不是，我不是那个意思……Helen: How about Saturday? That's my favourite day. Or we could call it a new day altogether. What about Cake-day! Or Coffee-day.
海伦：周六怎么样？那是我最喜欢的日子。或者我们可以起个全新的名字。蛋糕日怎么样？或者叫咖啡日。Jen: I don't want to rename the day. In English, if you're ready to call it a day, it means that you want to finish whatever you're doing-and usually go home.
珍：我并不想给日期重命名。在英语中，这个短语的意思是你想结束你正在做的事情，通常是指准备回家。Helen: So you want to call it a day now? We haven't finished the programme yet.
海伦：所以你现在想结束工作回家了吗？我们的节目还没结束呢。Jen: That's true. In that case, let's hear some examples of the phrase in action.
珍：没错。既然是这样，我们来看看应用这个短语的其他例子。We're getting nowhere with this–shall we call it a day and start again tomorrow?
我们没有什么进展，我们今天要不要先结束，明天再开始做？I'm getting picked up from work at five, so I think I'd better call it a day.
我五点就开始工作了，所以我想我最好结束工作回家去。Helen: I see... so if you call it a day, you decide that it's time to finish the work you're doing.
海伦：我明白了……如果你说call it a day，意思是你决定现在是结束正在做的工作的时间了。Jen: That's right, so let's call it a day right now.
珍：没错，所以我们现在结束工作吧。Helen: Alright then. Do you fancy a quick drink after work?
海伦：好的。下班后你想不想去喝一杯？Jen: Well, I'm feeling pretty tired, but I suppose I could come out for one drink.
珍：嗯，我觉得非常的累，不过我想我可以出去喝杯酒。Helen: Let's go then!
海伦：那我们就走吧！Voice: Some time later...
话外音：一段时间之后……(Nightclub music)
（夜店音乐）Helen: Jen, look at the time-we've been here seven hours!
海伦：珍，看看时间，我们来这里已经7个小时了！Jen: I know! I don't know where the evening went. It's probably time to call it a night.
珍：我知道！可是我不知道晚上的时间都去哪里了。我想我们今晚可能就到此为止了。Helen: I thought the phrase was 'call it a day'?
海伦：我想短语是call it a day吧？Jen: We can also say 'call it a night' if you've been somewhere in the evening and you know it's time to go home.
珍：我们也可以说call it a night，如果你在晚上去了某个地方，而你意识到是该回家的时候了就可以用这个短语。Helen: Well, I definitely think that you need to call it a night, then. Although look...
海伦：嗯，我当然认为你今晚需要到此结束。虽然看起来……Jen: What?
珍：什么？Helen: The sun is coming up already. We've been out on the town all night. Perhaps we should call it a day instead?
海伦：太阳已经升起来了。我们已经玩了一整晚了。也许我们应该回家了吧？Jen: That means it's nearly time for work again! Can I call in sick, please?
珍：意思是又要到上班的时间了！请问我能打电话请病假吗？重点讲解：
1. call it a day
到此为止；结束；
eg. Faced with mounting debts, the decision to call it a day was inevitable.
面对着不断增加的债务，最终难免作出将其结束的决定。
eg. I want the manager's job when he calls it a day.
等到经理不干了之后，我想接替他的位子。
2. call it a night
今晚到此为止；今晚就做到这里，收工；
eg. It has been a wonderful evening! I think that we should call it a night.
真是一个美好的夜晚，我想我们该回家了。
eg. Shall we call it a night for now and continue our discussion tomorrow?
我们今晚就此结束，明天继续讨论好吗？
3. come up
（太阳、月亮）升起；
eg. It will be so great watching the sun come up.
看着太阳冉冉升起将是十分美妙的事情。
eg. Another hour and I see the sun starting to come up in the distance.
又过了一个小时，我看到太阳开始从远方升起。
4. on the town
（夜晚）在闹市区玩乐；
eg. Last Saturday, I was out on the town with my mate.
上个星期六我和老友晚上去闹市玩乐了。
eg. Tim was just arriving home from a long night on the town.
蒂姆在外面玩了一宿，刚刚到家。
5. call in sick
打电话请病假；
eg. 'Shouldn't you be at work today?' — 'I called in sick.'
“你今天不是应该上班的吗？”“我打电话请过病假了。”
eg. I will call in sick for you. Just stay at home and rest for the day.
我会帮你打电话请病假。你今天就在家里休息吧！
