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內容簡介

你是否看過雜技表演 “轉盤子”？表演者需要同時轉動多個盤子 “have a lot of plates spinning”，而且要確保盤子不掉下來。聽本期節目，學習在日常生活中用這個表達來形容 “一個人需要兼顧多項工作”。

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
歡迎收聽 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節目。大家好，我是馮菲菲。

Roy
And me, Roy. Rob sounds very stressed today. I think he’s worried about his magic trick!

Feifei
What magic trick? I know he has a lot of work on this week.

Roy
When I spoke to him on the phone, he said that he had a lot of plates spinning.

Feifei
他這是在說他有很多事情要同時做。大家可能都看過雜技表演中的 “轉盤子”，表演者需要同時轉動多個盤子，一個都不能停，同時一個盤子也不能掉下來。那么，表達 “have a lot of plates spinning” 就借用這個雜技來形容 “某人要同時兼顧很多不同的事情，不能只專注一件事，而且要保證所有事情都運作順暢，都不能搞砸”。

Roy
Ah… So, he was talking about work? Now I understand why he put the phone down when I started telling him about how many times I’d tried to find rabbits in my hats!

Feifei
Right. Let’s listen to these examples.

Examples
As a single parent, I always have a lot of things to do at the same time. I always have a lot of plates spinning.

He’s always busy. He’s got so many hobbies and activities, and that’s not including work. He has a lot of plates spinning.

She decided to quit her job due to the heavy workload. She always complained that she had a lot of plates spinning.

Feifei
你正在收聽的是 BBC英語教學的 “地道英語” 節目。以上，我們給大家介紹了如何使用 “have a lot of plates spinning” 來描述 “某人要像轉盤子雜技一樣，同時兼顧多項工作”。

Roy
Yes, I’ve also heard the expression used as ‘a lot of balls in the air’. You look quite busy today!

Feifei
I’m always busy Roy! I have so much work and I have a lot of balls in the air at the moment.

Roy
Maybe I can help you!

Feifei
Brilliant idea! In fact, I’ve already created you a list of things to do so I can focus on one task – the most important one!

Roy
Wow! There are so many things on this list! Now I have a lot of plates spinning. What task are you focussing on that’s so important?

Feifei
My birthday party! Someone needs to arrange that!

Roy
You can’t be serious!

Feifei
Of course I am! I wouldn’t ask you to do that as well. Bye.

Roy
Bye.