Sam送了一個提案給客戶,客戶沒採納,正垂頭喪氣,剛好遇到一起負責提案的外籍同事。外籍同事說:Let's go back to the drawing board.
辧公室裡有什麼畫板嗎?同事要他去哪裡呢?Sam一臉不解。原來go back to the drawing board意思是「重新來過」。
Go back to the drawing board
(X)回到畫板上
(O)重新思考,從頭再來
go back to the drawing board意思是「重新思考」,經常用在一件事情失敗之後,重新思考怎麼做。
drawing board是「繪圖板」,進行一件新案子時,我們會在板子上畫流程、寫想法,所以drawing board在這裡就用來引申一件事的起始點。事情沒成,要重新再來時,可用go back to the drawing board來表示。這是職場好用的慣用語,來看一下例句:
I’m sorry, but this idea just won’t work. We need to go back to the drawing board.
(不好意思,這個主意行不通。我們得重新開始。)
情境應用:
A:The client didn't agree with that project idea.
(客戶沒同意這個想法。)
B:OK, let's go back to the drawing board.
(好吧!那我們再想過。)
Across the board
(X)跨越所有的木板
(O)全面的、一切的
board的原意是「木板」,賽馬場上會在木板上寫下馬匹的名字;across the board字面上是跨越所有的木板,指下賭注時,每一匹馬都下注,引申為「全面的、一切的」,例如:
The company has promised to increase salaries across the board, so everyone will get a pay rise.
(公司承諾全面加薪,所以每個人薪水都上調。)
也有形容詞的用法:
The initiative has across-the-board support.
(這個行動得到了各方面的支持。)
Room and board
(X)房間和板子
(O)包吃包住
board除了「木板」之外,也有「膳食、搭夥」的意思。經常和room合體,room and board,指「食宿」。
We will provide room and board for them.
(我們將提供他們的食宿。)
board也有動詞用法,例如:
She boarded with a Japanese family.
(她寄宿在一個日本人的家裡。)
出門旅行把小孩或寵物寄宿在別處,加一個out,用board out:
We board our cat out with friends when we’re away on holiday.
(我們外出度假時都會把貓放在朋友那裡寄養。)
Go overboard
(X)出國了
(O)一頭熱、做得過頭了
board有上船的意思,常搭配介系詞on。On board指在船上或飛機上,我們常用on board形容人加入一家公司。overboard原意是「往船外掉」,指「落水」,例如:
Someone had fallen overboard.
(有人從船上掉進水裡。)
但go overboard在口語上,有另一種意思,就是「做得過頭、過分熱衷」:
I don't think there'll be more than six people eating, so I wouldn't go overboard with the food.
(我想吃飯的人不會超過6個,所以我不會準備太多菜。)
責任編輯:倪旻勤
核稿編輯:陳瑋鴻