导读：BEC流行美语：behind schedule、behind the eightball、bell the cat、beside the point、big bucks.
1.behind schedule 落后于计划或预定时间 该习语的字面意思是"落后于预定时间".例如：The train is two hours behind schedule.（火车晚点两小时。）与之相关的习语还有on schedule,意思是"按时间表；及时；准时".ahead of schedule,意思是"提前". A: Are you OK? 你没事吧？ B: Yeah. 没有。 A: I worried about you all the time. You ve come back at last! 我一直担心你。你终于回来了。 B: I m sorry to have kept you waiting. 对不起，让你久等了。 A: What happened to you? 怎么回事？ B: The train is behind schedule. 火车晚点了。 A: No wonder. 怪不得。 2.behind the eightball 处于非常不利的地位 eightball指"台球比赛中的8号黑球".在台球比赛中，只有将其他所有的球都打进袋中才能击打黑球。因此，其他的球如果在黑球的后面，则是"非常不利的处境",behind the eightball即比喻某人"处于非常不利的地位". A: New computer companies have mushroomed in our city. 我们城市里的电脑公司好像雨后春笋般冒了出来。 B: With so many competitors, our company is behind the eightball right now. 有这么多的竞争者，我们公司正处于一种非常不利的状况之中。 A: Why not try a new line of business? 为什么不试一试其他行业呢？ B: I am looking for opportunities now. 我也正在寻找机会。 3.bell the cat 为众人利益而冒险 该习语出自一则猫和老鼠的寓言故事：老鼠们为了不被猫抓住，就想出了一个在猫的脖子上系铃的良策，但是谁去给猫系铃呢？（Who will bell the cat?）。没有一只老鼠敢去。因此bell the cat指"舍己救人，为他人利益冒险". A: It s harder and harder to find clients because of the financial depression. 由于经济萧条，寻找新客户越来越难了。 B: Yeah. But the boss wouldn t want excuses, he only wants the result. 是啊。可老板不会听什么借口，他只要结果。 A: Someone should talk to him. 应该有人去和他谈谈。 B: Who is it? That s as good as belling the cat. 谁去呢？那无异于老鼠给帽儿系铃铛。 4.beside the point 离题，不中肯 point是名词，有"要点，中心意思，核心问题"的意思；beside the point字面意思为"在核心问题旁边",引申为"偏离中心". A: Your plan won t work. I think it s your nonsense. That s beside the point. 你的计划是没用的。你简直是在胡说八道。那根本是不切题的。 B: How dare you say that? I worked it out after much calculation. 你怎么敢这么说？ 我是经过慎重考虑才提出来的。 A: Sorry. Now let s calm down and try to find a good way, OK? 对不起。现在让我们都平静下来再想个好的解决办法，好吗？ B: Well. Let s discuss it again. 好吧。我们再讨论讨论吧。 5.big bucks 一大笔钱 buck的意思是"美元",big bucks即为"一大笔钱". A: You seem to be beside yourself today. What has made you so happy? 你看起来得意洋洋的。什么事让你那么高兴？ B: I made some big bucks last week. I didn t expect that I could make so much money. 上星期我赚了一大笔钱，我可从没想过我能赚那么多钱。 A: The sun is shining on you. You must have had luck going for you. 你真是吉星高照呀，你的运气来了。 B: I guess so. 我想也是。