[ti:'That Train Has Left the Station!' (or...It's too late)] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:08.64]And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. [00:18.92]On this program we explore words [00:21.72]and expressions in the English language. [00:25.20]We give examples, notes on usage [00:28.96]and sometimes we use them in a short story. [00:33.84]Today we talk about transportation expressions [00:37.84]involving ships, boats, and trains. [00:43.56]A train ride can be a wonderful adventure. [00:51.92]Imagine that you are in your final days of study in Budapest. [00:57.96]You have lived there as a student for over a year [01:03.04]but have never traveled to Prague. [01:06.60]So, on your last weekend, you plan a train trip [01:11.00]from Budapest to Prague. [01:14.28]But you only have a couple of days to make the trip. [01:19.64]You buy a ticket leaving late on a Friday night. [01:23.88]You plan to catch the train after your last class. [01:29.32]You are so excited! [01:31.88]But after class your professor offers to buy you dinner. [01:37.28]He wants to send you off with a celebration. [01:41.64]You don't want to be rude. [01:43.96]So, you agree, but your eye is always on the clock. [01:50.72]Dinner takes longer than you thought it would [01:53.36]and soon it's nearing your time to catch the train. [01:58.28]So, you thank him and say you have a train to catch. [02:02.72]But he insists that you stay for a quick dessert [02:06.88]and offers to drive you to the station. [02:10.92]You do the time math in your head [02:13.64]and figure that if he drives you, [02:16.48]you will have just enough time to catch your train. [02:21.32]But then, after dessert, he remembers, [02:25.40]"Oh I didn't drive. How silly of me!" [02:29.48]You tell him, "Thanks. I really have to go!" [02:34.20]You rush to the station! [02:36.72]But by the time you get there the station, [02:39.16]the train – your train -- is pulling away. [02:43.72]And there won't be another one until the next night. [02:48.36]You have missed your train [02:50.28]and your chance to see Prague before returning home! [02:55.92]And that brings us to our expression for today. [02:59.24]"That train has left the station." [03:04.12]It means you have missed an opportunity. [03:07.80]The chance to do something [03:09.84]– something you really wanted to do – has passed. [03:15.04]We say this when a process is already underway. [03:19.28]The time for discussion is over. [03:23.08]It's too late to change your mind. [03:26.32]And it's too late to make changes. [03:30.52]Some possibility or choice is no longer available or likely. [03:38.36]If you like boating expressions, you can also say: [03:42.24]"That ship has sailed," or that someone has "missed the boat." [03:49.00]They are all used the same way. [03:52.56]Besides missing an opportunity, [03:55.96]all of these expressions could be used in another situation: [04:01.08]When events have been put into place [04:04.16]and there is no stopping them. [04:07.96]For example, let's say your mother wants to fix you up [04:12.84]with the nice child of her boss. [04:15.84]She arranges the whole date without talking to you first. [04:21.48]You don't want to go, but she has [04:23.88]already told her boss that you would. [04:28.56]If you were to tell me about it, [04:30.92]I would probably say to you: [04:33.92]"Sorry. But that train has already left the station. [04:38.16]You must go on that date." [04:42.12]Usually when we use "that train has left the station" [04:46.88]or "that ship has sailed" it means events are going forward [04:52.32]and you can't stop them. [04:55.92]Now, here is a note on usage. [04:59.08]Simply put, these sayings mean, [05:01.92]"It's too late. So, save your breath." [05:05.64]So, they could sound rude or thoughtless. [05:09.60]And they are informal. [05:13.20]So, I would say them to a friend and co-worker. [05:16.64]But I wouldn't say them to my boss or my professor [05:21.68]– although it was his fault that I missed my train in the first place! [05:26.88]And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. [05:30.96]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. [05:33.92]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM