To Nip Something in the Bud 防患于未然

The script of this programme 本节目台词

Helen: 大家好，欢迎收听 BBC 地道英语节目，我是 Helen.

William: Hi, I'm William. Today Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is opening.

Music, birdsong

Helen: Oh, Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 世界上最大的花展！我在新闻上看到过。If only I had a garden!

William: Ah yeah, you live in an apartment, don't you Helen?

Helen: That's right. So William, let me guess, today we are going to do a phrase relating to flowers and gardening.

William: Exactly.

Helen: So...? What's the phrase?

William: Er... Well... How about... er... no... it's gone. It's no good, Helen. I can't think of a phrase right now.

Helen: Oh well. 我反正也不是很想学新短语，我们聊聊天算了吧。

William: So how are you Helen? How are the kids?

Helen: Yeah, they're both really well. My little boy eats too much chocolate though!

You might have to nip something in the bud before it becomes a problem.

William: Oh really? Well, you want to nip that in the bud.

Helen: Eh? Nip it in the bud?

William: Nip it in the bud. If you nip something in the bud, you stop it before it becomes a problem.

Helen: To nip something in the bud 意思就是在什么事情成为问题之前，早早地消灭于萌芽状态， 防患于未然。

William: Listen to this example from a business context:

Example

Man: The last few deliveries we've had from this company have all had broken parts in them!

Woman: Well we need to nip that in the bud! Tell them that unless their service improves, we're going to look for another supplier.

Helen: 那么刚才这个例子中，那位先生抱怨供应商服务态度不好，他的同事认为应该 nip it in the bud, 她想早点采取行动以防问题变得更糟。 那么 William 这个短语 to nip something in the bud 是从哪里来的呢？

Music, birdsong

William: Well actually, it comes from gardening Helen. A bud is the part of a plant that becomes a flower, leaf or stem.

Helen: Ah, a bud 就是植物刚刚冒芽的那一部分。

William: So if you nip something in the bud, you cut the bud off the plant.

Helen: To nip something in the bud 直接的意思就是在植物刚长芽的时候就把这个萌芽给剪掉。That's not very nice!

William: Well, gardening is a tough game, Helen. You have to nip things in the bud sometimes. You also have to kill slugs and snails.

Helen: Eugh! I'm glad I don't have a garden.

William: Bye!

Helen: Bye!