The english we speak(BBC教學)第163期:Pull the plug on sth. 停止
(Li comes into the office and finds Rob very annoyed)
（莉走進辦公室，發現羅布非常煩惱）Li: Good morning, Rob.
莉：早上好，羅布。Rob: Hi Li. I wish the morning was good but it's not.
羅布：嗨，莉。我本來希望這是個美好的早晨，可是並不是。
Li: Why not?
莉：發生什麼事了？Rob: Well, I came to the office very early today to write a programme about art.
羅布：我今天早上很早就來辦公室編寫一檔有關藝術的節目。Li: Interesting.
莉：有意思。Rob: Yeah, but it's giving me a headache because I don't really understand art. I think I'm going to pull the plug on this idea!
羅布：是啊，不過那讓我非常頭疼，因爲我完全不懂藝術。我想我要放棄這個想法了！Li: Pull the plug?
莉：拔掉插頭？Rob: Yes. If I pull the plug on this one I'll be more relaxed and inspired to write a programme about technology. They're the ones I like the best. I love new gadgets!
羅布：對。如果我放棄這個，我會更輕鬆，這樣我就有更多精力編寫有關技術的節目了。那是我最愛的分類之一。我喜歡新科技！Li: No problem. I can do it for you.
莉：沒問題。我可以幫你。Rob: (surprised and concerned) Oh, my computer has been switched off! What's happened!?
羅布：（又驚訝又擔心）哦，我的電腦關機了！這是怎麼回事！？Li: Here's the plug. I've just pulled it out. You can be more relaxed now. There you go.
莉：插頭在這裏。我剛剛拔掉了。你現在可以更放鬆了。好好放鬆吧。Rob: Oh Li, I didn't literally mean "pull the plug out". In English, when we tell someone we're going to pull the plug on something, we mean we are going to stop spending time or money on it. Let's listen to some examples.
羅布：哦，莉，我的意思並不是按字面理解地“拔掉插頭”。在英語中，如果我們說我們要pull the plug on sth.，意思是我們要停止在這件事情上花費時間或金錢。我們來聽些例子。Research on the new product was becoming very expensive so the company pulled the plug on the project.
這個新產品的研究費用越來越高，所以公司停止了這個產品。The play got really bad reviews and almost no one came to see it, but the theatre owner said he wouldn't pull the plug on it.
這部劇的評論非常差，幾乎沒有人觀看，但是劇院所有者稱他不會取消放映。Li: OK. So you don't want to spend time on a programme you don't enjoy writing.
莉：好。所以你不想在你不喜歡編寫的節目上花費時間。Rob: No, not really.
羅布：其實不太想。Li: So I might have done you a favour by pulling the plug out.
莉：所以我把插銷拔掉可能是幫了你個忙。Rob: Well, maybe. Yes, you're right Li. Thank you.
羅布：嗯，也許吧。莉，你是對的。謝謝你。Li: OK. Now that you sound more relaxed, I will plug it back in so you can write about... technology!
莉：好吧。現在你好像放鬆多了，那我會把插頭插好，這樣你就能寫有技術類的節目了！Rob: That's right. And I can start describing the wonders of electricity!
羅布：沒錯。這樣我就可以描述電能帶來的奇蹟了！Li: That's a great idea. You see, you see, your face has just lit up with joy! Bye.
莉：這真是個好主意。你看，你看，你因爲喜悅而容光煥發！再見。Rob: Bye.
羅布：再見。
重點講解：
1. pull the plug on sth.
停止；中斷；取消；
eg. The banks have the power to pull the plug on the project.
銀行能讓該工程下馬。
eg. Finally the president to pull the plug on selling this medicine.
最後，總裁決定停止銷售這種藥品。
2. switch off
關掉，關上（電燈等）；
eg. Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems.
請您關掉手機，因爲它會影響飛機的導航系統。
eg. In case of operation failure, please switch off the power.
如發現異常或操作有任何問題，請務必先切斷電源。
3. do sb. a favor
恩惠；幫忙；
eg. I request you to do me a favor.
請你幫我一個忙。
eg. Could you do me a favor? My computer suffered from computer virus.
能幫幫我嗎？我電腦中病毒了。
4. light up
現出吃驚的神情；露出喜色；
eg. You should see his eyes light up when he talks about home.
你真該看看他談到家的時候眼睛放光的模樣。
eg. She was relieved to see his face light up with a boyish grin.
看到他臉上現出孩子氣的笑容，她總算鬆了口氣。
