The english we speak(BBC教學)第96期:Call it a day 到此爲止
Jen: Hello, and welcome to The English We Speak. I'm Jennifer, and with me in the studio is... yawn... Helen.
珍：大家好，歡迎來到我們說的英語節目。我是珍妮弗，今天我們演播室請到的嘉賓是……啊……海倫。Helen: Hi Jen... are you.a bit tired?
海倫：珍，你好……你是不是有點累？Jen: Oh yes, I really am. I've been here since seven this morning - I think I'm ready to call it a day now.
珍：對，我確實很累。我從早上七點開始就一直在這裏工作，我想現在我準備好要結束工作回家了。
Helen: What do you want to call it? Monday? Tuesday?
海倫：你想給日子起什麼名字？週一？週二？Jen: Oh no, I don't mean...
珍：不是，我不是那個意思……Helen: How about Saturday? That's my favourite day. Or we could call it a new day altogether. What about Cake-day! Or Coffee-day.
海倫：週六怎麼樣？那是我最喜歡的日子。或者我們可以起個全新的名字。蛋糕日怎麼樣？或者叫咖啡日。Jen: I don't want to rename the day. In English, if you're ready to call it a day, it means that you want to finish whatever you're doing-and usually go home.
珍：我並不想給日期重命名。在英語中，這個短語的意思是你想結束你正在做的事情，通常是指準備回家。Helen: So you want to call it a day now? We haven't finished the programme yet.
海倫：所以你現在想結束工作回家了嗎？我們的節目還沒結束呢。Jen: That's true. In that case, let's hear some examples of the phrase in action.
珍：沒錯。既然是這樣，我們來看看應用這個短語的其他例子。We're getting nowhere with this–shall we call it a day and start again tomorrow?
我們沒有什麼進展，我們今天要不要先結束，明天再開始做？I'm getting picked up from work at five, so I think I'd better call it a day.
我五點就開始工作了，所以我想我最好結束工作回家去。Helen: I see... so if you call it a day, you decide that it's time to finish the work you're doing.
海倫：我明白了……如果你說call it a day，意思是你決定現在是結束正在做的工作的時間了。Jen: That's right, so let's call it a day right now.
珍：沒錯，所以我們現在結束工作吧。Helen: Alright then. Do you fancy a quick drink after work?
海倫：好的。下班後你想不想去喝一杯？Jen: Well, I'm feeling pretty tired, but I suppose I could come out for one drink.
珍：嗯，我覺得非常的累，不過我想我可以出去喝杯酒。Helen: Let's go then!
海倫：那我們就走吧！Voice: Some time later...
話外音：一段時間之後……(Nightclub music)
（夜店音樂）Helen: Jen, look at the time-we've been here seven hours!
海倫：珍，看看時間，我們來這裏已經7個小時了！Jen: I know! I don't know where the evening went. It's probably time to call it a night.
珍：我知道！可是我不知道晚上的時間都去哪裏了。我想我們今晚可能就到此爲止了。Helen: I thought the phrase was 'call it a day'?
海倫：我想短語是call it a day吧？Jen: We can also say 'call it a night' if you've been somewhere in the evening and you know it's time to go home.
珍：我們也可以說call it a night，如果你在晚上去了某個地方，而你意識到是該回家的時候了就可以用這個短語。Helen: Well, I definitely think that you need to call it a night, then. Although look...
海倫：嗯，我當然認爲你今晚需要到此結束。雖然看起來……Jen: What?
珍：什麼？Helen: The sun is coming up already. We've been out on the town all night. Perhaps we should call it a day instead?
海倫：太陽已經升起來了。我們已經玩了一整晚了。也許我們應該回家了吧？Jen: That means it's nearly time for work again! Can I call in sick, please?
珍：意思是又要到上班的時間了！請問我能打電話請病假嗎？重點講解：
1. call it a day
到此爲止；結束；
eg. Faced with mounting debts, the decision to call it a day was inevitable.
面對着不斷增加的債務，最終難免作出將其結束的決定。
eg. I want the manager's job when he calls it a day.
等到經理不幹了之後，我想接替他的位子。
2. call it a night
今晚到此爲止；今晚就做到這裏，收工；
eg. It has been a wonderful evening! I think that we should call it a night.
真是一個美好的夜晚，我想我們該回家了。
eg. Shall we call it a night for now and continue our discussion tomorrow?
我們今晚就此結束，明天繼續討論好嗎？
3. come up
（太陽、月亮）升起；
eg. It will be so great watching the sun come up.
看着太陽冉冉升起將是十分美妙的事情。
eg. Another hour and I see the sun starting to come up in the distance.
又過了一個小時，我看到太陽開始從遠方升起。
4. on the town
（夜晚）在鬧市區玩樂；
eg. Last Saturday, I was out on the town with my mate.
上個星期六我和老友晚上去鬧市玩樂了。
eg. Tim was just arriving home from a long night on the town.
蒂姆在外面玩了一宿，剛剛到家。
5. call in sick
打電話請病假；
eg. 'Shouldn't you be at work today?' — 'I called in sick.'
“你今天不是應該上班的嗎？”“我打電話請過病假了。”
eg. I will call in sick for you. Just stay at home and rest for the day.
我會幫你打電話請病假。你今天就在家裏休息吧！
