何苗

There are many expressions using the word “bridge”. So today， lets talk about the stories of “bridge”.

英語中有很多表達中使用了“橋”一詞，所以今天我們就來說說“橋”的故事吧。

A bridge is a structure that provides passage over something—such as a river， train tracks， a highway or a deep， wide opening in the ground. The word“bridge” can also be used to join things you cant touch， such as cultures or activities. For example， you could say music and art can bridge cultures. And language can be a bridge between two people.

橋梁是一種提供越過某些東西，如河流、鐵道、高速公路或深溝等的上方通路的結(jié)構(gòu)。橋梁還能用于連接一些觸碰不到的東西，如文化或活動。例如，你可以說音樂和藝術(shù)可以搭起文化的橋梁。而語言能夠成為兩人之間溝通的橋梁。

But lets get back to the bridges you can actually cross or drive a tank over.

不過，現(xiàn)在讓我們回到那些你真正可以行走，或駕駛坦克能通過的橋梁。

Bridges often play an important role in the war. An army that attacks across a river may decide to burn the bridge after crossing it. By burning the bridge， the army prevents its enemy from using it. However， the army also destroys its own chance to go back across the river. Burning a bridge leaves the army open to attack.

橋梁常常在戰(zhàn)爭中發(fā)揮重要作用。越過河流進攻的軍隊可能會決定在過橋后燒毀它。通過燒毀橋梁，這支軍隊可以防止其敵人利用它。然而，這支軍隊同時也斷了自己的退路。燒毀橋梁會讓這支軍隊暴露在攻擊之下。

The expression“burning your bridges1” means to act in a way that destroys any chance of returning to the way things were. When you burn your bridges， there is no going back.

“燒毀橋梁”的意思是自斷退路。當你燒毀了橋梁，你也就沒有退路可走了。

Lets put this expression in the workplace. You decide to take a new job. Now， you must tell your boss you are leaving your current job. During that conversation you tell him how much you hated your job， how much you hated working for him and how glad you are to leave finally. You have just burned your bridge. You have destroyed your relationship with that boss. If things do not work out with your new job， there is no way on earth your old boss will take you back.

讓我們把這個表達用于工作場所中。你決定換一份新的工作?，F(xiàn)在，你必須告訴老板你要辭去你現(xiàn)在的工作。在談話中，你告訴他你有多么討厭你的工作，你有多么厭煩為他賣命，你有多么高興你終于可以離開了。你這就是斷了自己的后路。你已經(jīng)毀掉了你和老板之間的關(guān)系。如果你的新工作不太順利，你原來的老板也不可能重新用你。

This brings us to another common expression using bridge — “I will cross that bridge when I come to it.2” This expression means to not worry about a future problem， but rather deal with it when it happens.

由此我們來談?wù)劻硪痪渖婕啊皹颉币辉~的常用表達——“船到橋頭自然直”。這個表達的意思是不要擔心將來的問題，到了事情發(fā)生時再解決它。

When it comes to dealing with the problem of quitting the job， some people certainly crossed that bridge when they come to it. And some burnt it to the ground. In fact， people now mix these two expressions in a joking way. They say， “Ill burn that bridge when I come to it.”

在處理辭職的問題時，有些人肯定是船到橋頭自然直，而有些人則是破釜沉舟。實際上，人們常常用戲謔的方式將這兩種表達混用。他們會說，“船到橋頭，我自會破釜沉舟。”

Now， lets pay attention to the meanings of the expressions using the word “bridge”！

讓我們一起來看看使用了“橋”一詞的表達方式的意思吧！

1. burn ones bridge 自斷退路；破釜沉舟

2. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. 船到橋頭自然直。