2016-09-13 Bust a gut 拼了命地工作

内容简介

Neil 穿着背心短裤，头戴吸汗带，一身跑步行头来到录音间还对菲菲说他要“bust a gut 弄破内脏”。真吓人！他到底在干什么？听节目，学习一个和“努力工作”有关的习惯表达。

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Neil
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English. I’m Neil and joining me is Feifei.

Feifei                                                 
大家好！

Neil
In this programme we have an expression which means ‘to make a great effort to achieve something’.

Feifei
Neil, why are you wearing that running gear in the studio? Neil 穿着一身跑步的行头来上班，好像有点儿不太合适。I’m not sure that shorts and a vest are appropriate for the workplace! As for those sweatbands…

Neil
Well, Feifei, it’s because I’m desperate to get fit. You see, I’m running a marathon at the end of the month and I’ve barely started training. I’m really going to have to bust a gut to be ready in time.

Feifei
Yes, you really do need to start training but surely busting a gut is not going to help!

Neil
I’m not going to bust my gut literally! To bust a gut means ‘to make a huge effort to achieve something’. Imagine working so hard your stomach – or gut – actually breaks!

Feifei
Urgh! Here are some examples of the expression ‘to bust a gut’.

Examples
We’re going to have to bust a gut to get this report done by tomorrow. We’re only half-way through and it’s already 7pm.

The problem with today’s millionaire footballers is they’re not prepared to bust a gut for their national team.

There are train strikes and the traffic is terrible. I had to bust a gut to get here on time today.

Neil
To bust a gut – to make a great effort to achieve something.

Feifei
To bust a gut 的意思是非常努力得做某事以达到目标，可以理解为汉语里常说的“拼了命地干活，玩儿了命地工作”。从例句中可以看出，to bust a gut 即可以用来描述体力活动也可以描述非体力的活动和事情。

Neil
Yes so come on Feifei. We need to bust a gut to get this programme finished so I can go out for a training run.

Feifei
Alright, alright, we’re done now – go and bust a gut.

Neil
I’m off – bye!