Feifei
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English. 欢迎来到《地道英语》节目，我是冯菲菲。
Rob
And hello, this is Rob. And it's an important day in the office today, isn't it, Feifei?
Feifei
Err, is it?
Rob
Yes it is! Remember that big project we've all been working on?
Feifei
Big project? 我不懂你说的是哪个大项目？
Rob
Well it's crunch time.
Feifei
Oh great – I'm starving. I'll get my crisps.
Rob
No no no, I didn't say 'lunch time'.
Feifei
我知道你没说“lunch time 午饭时间”，但你说“crunch time 嘎吱咀嚼时间”。所以我提议咱们吃“crisps 薯片”。I love crisps.
Rob
No, no – I didn't mean it's time to crunch crisps. Crunch time is an important or critical time when a decisive or difficult decision has to be made – and it's crunch time for our big project.
Feifei
If you say so, Rob. Crunch time 其实和嘎吱嘎吱吃东西没有任何关系。它用来比喻事件进行到“关键时刻，重要时刻，做决定的时刻”。So, Rob, why don't I finish these crisps while we hear some examples of the expression 'crunch time'?
Examples
We've reached crunch time in our relationship – I'm going to ask my boyfriend to move in with me. I wonder what he'll say?
The team are doing well but come crunch time, will they score that vital goal?
It's crunch time for us tomorrow – that's when we find out if our building plans have been approved.
Feifei
这里是 BBC 英语教学的《地道英语》节目。我们在这集节目中教给大家的地道说法是“crunch time”，它用来描述面对困难时，必须做出决定的“关键时刻，紧要关头”。But, Rob, I'm still not clear why it's crunch time for our big project?
Rob
Come on, Feifei, you know – the project we've been working on for months.
Feifei
哦，你是在说咱们的那个“饼干项目”吧？
Rob
Exactly! We have to decide today which biscuits we're going to buy for our meetings. If we don't order them today, we won't have anything to eat in tomorrow's meeting.
Feifei
Err. So, Rob, your crunch time is just about what you'll be crunching tomorrow. You really need to change your priorities. I think I've reached crunch time in this programme.
Rob
What's that? You've got a big decision to make?
Feifei
Yes - to finish this programme or finish my crisps.
Rob
Shall we just eat the crisps?
Feifei
OK. Bye.
Rob
Bye. Pass them over then.
Rob
…mmm.
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