The english we speak(BBC教學)第128期:To jump the gun 搶先行動大綱
William: Watch out, he is going to jump the Gun again…
威廉：小心，他又要搶先行動了……Yang Li: You don't know that yet, so don't you jump the gun.
楊李：你還不知道呢，你不要草率行事。Gun shot
槍聲
William: Look, what did I say? He did jump the gun. It will have to start all over again now.
威廉：看，我說什麼來着？他搶先行動了。現在不得不再次從頭再來了。Yang Li: Yes, you are right. But could you just switch off the TV for two minutes please? It's time for The English We Speak.
楊李：對，你是對的。請你把電視關上一會兒好嗎？現在是進行地道英語節目的時間了。William: Oh yes. The English We Speak from . Hi, I am William Kremer.
威廉：好的。這裏是BBC的地道英語節目。我是威廉·克萊默。Yang Li: And I'm Yang Li. Today's phrase, as you heard at the beginning of the programme is 'jump the gun'.
楊李：我是楊李。今天要講的詞組，就是我們節目開始時說過的jupmp the gun。William: Yes. It's a phrase that people may use when talking about a race, like a swimming race. What do you think it means?
威廉：對。人們在談論比賽時可能會使用這個詞組，比如游泳比賽。你認爲它是什麼意思？Woman 1: The 100-metre freestyle was exciting. However, nearly every time someone jumped the gun.
女1：100米自由遊的比賽太激動人心了。但是，幾乎每次都有選手搶跳。Woman 2: Oh, that's a bit disappointing. But you enjoyed it, did you?
女2：哦，那有點兒令人失望。但是你很享受比賽，不是嗎？Woman 1: Oh yes, it's my favourite sport.
女1：是啊，這是我最愛的運動。William: If someone jumps the gun, it means they start too soon, before the starting pistol.
威廉：jump the gun是指有人在發令槍之前過早地開始行動。Yang Li: Which can be quite frustrating for everyone including the audience.
楊李：這會令包括觀衆在內的所有人感到非常失望。William: More often nowadays, people use this phrase when someone says something or does something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it.
威廉：現在通常來說，當某個人搶先說或做某些事時人們就使用這個詞組，尤其是在沒有仔細思考以前。Yang Li: You mean they are too eager to say something?
楊李：你的意思是它們非常渴望說某事？William: Yes, kind of. Let's hear some more examples.
威廉：對，類似這種。我們再來聽一些例子。Man: He shouted at me before I had time to explain, but later he apologised for jumping the gun.
男：他在我解釋前對我大喊大叫，但是之後他爲操之過急跟我道歉。Man: You know what happened to Dan, my friend?
男：你知道我朋友丹發生什麼了嗎？Woman: Yes how did he do in his job interview?
女：他的面試怎麼樣？Man: What happened was that he was so sure that he would get the job that he quit his old job. Unfortunately, he really jumped the gun. He just found out yesterday that he didn't get the job after all.
男：他一度非常確定他會得到那份工作，所以他辭掉了之前那份工作。不幸地是，他太草率了。他昨天剛知道他並沒有得到那份工作。Yang Li: As you heard when you say or do something too soon then you are jumping the gun.
楊李：就像你所聽到的，當你太着急說或者做某些事，你就是操之過急了。William: It can be very embarrassing if you jump the gun. I did it once before but hopefully never again.
威廉：如果你操之過急可能會令人非常尷尬。我曾經有過一次這樣的經歷，希望再也不會發生了。Yang Li: Well, I am too slow to jump the gun, so that's not a problem for me. Is there a phrase for that in English, Will?
楊李：嗯，我性子慢，不會操之過急，所以這對我來說並不是問題。威爾，英語中有這樣的詞組嗎？William: Well, yes there is but I don't think I'm going to tell you.
威廉：當然有，但是我並不想告訴你。Yang Li: Please tell me.
楊李：請告訴我。William: No. No.
威廉：不，不告訴你。Yang Li: Oh, please.
楊李：請你告訴我吧。William: No. Maybe next time?
威廉：不。要不下次再說吧？Yang Li: Are you not going to tell me?
楊李：你真的不打算告訴我嗎？William: No I'm not going to tell you.
威廉：不，我不打算告訴你。Yang Li: Oh, I've this gun and I'm going to gun you down if you don't.
楊李：哦，我這兒有槍，如果你不告訴我我就開槍打你。William: No, no, er…
威廉：不要，不要，額……Yang Li: Are you going to or not?
楊李：你到底要不要告訴我？William: No, no.
威廉：不告訴你。Yang Li: Yes or no?
楊李：告訴還是不告訴？William: No…Er…
威廉：不說……Gun Shot
槍聲重點講解：
1. watch out
小心，提防（不愉快的事情或陷入困境）；
eg. I advised them to watch out for slick spots on the sidewalk.
我叫他們當心人行道上路滑的地方。
eg. Watch out that you don't get them into trouble.
當心，別讓他們碰到麻煩。
2. jump the gun
搶先行動；過早地行動；
eg. It wasn't due to be released until September 10, but some booksellers have jumped the gun and decided to sell it early.
這本書定於9月10號發行，但是一些書商已搶先一步，決定提前銷售。
eg. Don't jump the gun. We need a further discussion.
不要草率行事，我們還需要作進一步討論。
3. switch off
關掉，關上（電燈等）；
eg. If the result seems a foregone conclusion, people switch off.
如果比賽似乎將要發展成賽前預料的結局，很多觀衆將選擇關掉電視機。
eg. Always switch off the power supply after using electrical equipment.
電氣設備使用完畢後，一定要關掉電源。
4. be eager to do sth.
熱切的；渴望做某事；
eg. I'm eager to know what your decision is.
我急於想知道你的決定是什麼。
eg. He is eager to make a parade of his own abilities.
他急於炫耀自己的才幹。
5. gun down
槍殺；開槍射傷；
eg. He had been gunned down and killed at point-blank range.
他被近距離開槍射殺。
eg. He is gunned down in the street outside his office.
他在他辦公室外的街上被槍殺。
