第2128期:'Dip Your Toes' or 'Take the Plunge'?

People can react differently to these kinds of situations. Some people may want to jump right in feet first. They may want to take the plunge! 人们对这些情况可能会有不同的反应。有些人可能想先用脚跳。他们可能想冒险一试！ And some people may want to test the waters. They may want to dip their toes in first. 有些人可能想试水。他们可能想先尝试一下。 Which kind of person are you? Well, imagine you are standing on the edge of a lake or swimming pool. You want to get into the water, but you don’t know the water’s temperature. 你是哪一种人？好吧，想象一下您站在湖边或游泳池边。你想进入水中，但你不知道水的温度。 Do you jump right in? If you do, you may be more bold and adventurous. 你直接跳进去吗？如果你这样做，你可能会更加大胆和冒险。 Or do you want to dip a toe into the water before you decide? If so, you may be more cautious and careful. 或者你想先试一下再做决定吗？如果是这样，你可能会更加谨慎和小心。If you dip your toes into something, you start doing it slowly and carefully. You are not sure if you will like it. You want to test the waters before beginning something, or before taking the plunge.如果你把脚趾伸进某件事，你就会开始慢慢地、小心地做。你不确定你是否会喜欢它。在开始某件事或冒险之前，你想先试水一下。 Testing the waters means you get a feel for something before committing to it. For example, if you want to move to a new city, you probably want to test the waters first by going there for a short stay. 试水意味着你在投入某件事之前先感受一下。例如，如果您想搬到一个新城市，您可能想先去那里短暂停留来试水。 Taking the plunge is the opposite of dipping your toes. When you take the plunge, you jump right into something. You do not wait or hesitate. 冒险与踮起脚尖正好相反。当你冒险时，你就会直接跳进某件事中。你不会等待或犹豫。 We use the expression dip your toes in for many situations. You may want to try an activity briefly to find out if you like it first. It can also mean you start something very carefully before becoming involved in something that you are not experienced at. 在很多情况下，我们都会使用“dip your toes in”这个表达方式。您可能想先短暂尝试一项活动，看看您是否喜欢它。这也可能意味着你在参与一些你没有经验的事情之前非常小心地开始做某件事。 Now, let’s hear some of these expressions used in a non-water related situation. 现在，让我们听听在与水无关的情况下使用的一些表达方式。A: Hey, I’m going ballroom dancing this Saturday. Do you want to join me?A：嘿，这周六我要去跳交际舞。你想加入我吗？B: Ballroom dancing? I know nothing about ballroom dancing.B：交际舞？我对交际舞一无所知。A: That's fine! This place I found is perfect for you. Before the dance starts, they give a free class to beginners.A：没关系！我发现这个地方非常适合你。舞蹈开始前，他们为初学者提供免费课程。B: Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just go and watch. You know … dip my toes in. I like to know what I’m getting into first.B：是的，我不知道。也许我会去看看。你知道……尝试一下。我想先知道我要做什么。A: Sure. But I promise you … after the first 5 minutes you are going to want to jump in feet first!B：当然可以。但我向你保证……在前 5 分钟后，你会想先跳起来！