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內容簡介

怎樣用英語描述經營企業所需的最低工作人員人數？在什么情況下，一個公司可能需要靠最低人數的員工來經營業務？聽節目，學習 “skeleton crew” 的意思和用法。

文字稿

（關于臺詞的備注: 請注意這不是廣播節目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能沒有體現錄制、編輯過程中對節目做出的改變。）

Feifei
大家好！歡迎收聽 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節目。我是馮菲菲。

Roy
…and me, Roy. 

Feifei
我們可能聽起來與以往有些不同，這是因為在新冠肺炎疫情爆發期間，我們無法在平時的錄音間錄制節目。

在這期節目中，我們要教給大家的這個說法可以用來描述一個企業或者機構運轉需要的最低人數的工作人員 。Speaking of which, there are not many people working in the train stations today.

Roy
No, you’re right. It’s because of the strikes on the trains. 

Feifei
Ah, so that’s why it was hard to get a train this morning! The train companies decided to run the trains on a skeleton crew!

Roy
What!? Skeletons driving the trains? Is this some kind of ghost story? Ooh, I think I’ll walk home! 

Feifei
No, Roy! “Skeleton crew” 和骷髏沒有任何關系。“Skeleton crew” 指的是運營一家企業或機構所需的最低人數。 

Roy
Ah… yes, and it’s usually in times of crisis or during an emergency, for example the coronavirus, that people run businesses with a skeleton crew.

Feifei
Exactly. Let’s listen to these examples. 

Examples
Due to the financial problems of the company, the office will be run with a skeleton crew for the foreseeable future. 

The Covid-19 emergency means that we will run the buses with a skeleton crew until further notice.

A skeleton crew will be needed to keep the park open over the winter months.

Feifei
你正在收聽的是 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語”。在這期節目里，我們教給大家的地道表達是 “skeleton crew”。它指的是運營一家企業或機構所需的最低員工人數。 

Roy
I love the expression ‘skeleton crew’. It makes me think of a pirate ship run by skeletons.

Feifei
我們也可以把 “skeleton crew” 換成 “skeleton staff”，意思不變。 

Roy
Well, one good thing when there’s a skeleton staff at work is that there is no queue for the cafeteria!

Feifei
Trust you to think about food! 

Roy
Well, I’m just glad that there aren’t real skeletons working at the BBC. That’s just in horror stories! 

Feifei
Exactly, you don’t need worry about skeletons walking around. They’re not real! It’s vampires you need to worry about! Ha ha ha…

Roy
What? 

Feifei
Bye, Roy.

Roy
Bye, Feifei.