The Football Season has started here in the UK. My husband is a keen Arsenal supporter and for the next few months I have the joy of listening to him shout at the television whenever a player doesn’t do what is expected of him!

英國的足球季開始了。我的丈夫是個狂熱的阿森納粉絲，接下來的幾個月，只要有球員的表現讓他不滿意，我就會聽到他沖著電視機大喊大叫。

The start of the season has also given me the excuse to introduce you to 10 football idioms that we often use in Business English. As I mentioned in a previous post, sports and business are closely related in many ways including language.

這賽季一開始，讓我有能有機會向你們介紹在商務英語中經常使用的10個足球術語。體育和商務在包括語言在內很多方面都緊密相關。

1. To keep one’s eye on (or to take one’s eye off) the ball – to keep (or fail) to keep one’s focus on a particular matter

1. To keep one’s eye on or to take one’s eye off the ball—把重點(或者沒有把重點)放在特定的事上

Ex: “In this business if you want to be successful, you need to keep your eye on the ball”.

例句：如果你想在這份生意上成功，你需要集中注意力。

2. To know the score – to know the essential facts of the situation

2. To know the score—了解重要的事實和情況

EX: “I was going to bring Jane up to date with the situation but she already knows the score”.

例句：“我本來要告訴簡最新的情況，但是她已經知道了。”

3. A game changer – an event or procedure that could have a dramatic effect on the current policy or thinking

3. A game changer—能對目前的政策或者是想法產生重大影響的事或者步驟

Ex: This new contract with The States could be a real game changer for our business.

例句：和美國的新合同對我們的生意來說扭轉了局面。

4. To blow the whistle on someone – to expose an illegal activity and the person(s) responsible within an organisation (A Whistle-Blower – Noun)

4. To blow the whistle on someone—揭露組織內某人的不法行為(名詞：A Whistle-Blower 告發者)

Ex: “She was fed up with the way things were going and decided to blow the whistle on the company’s illegal activities”

例句：“她受夠了所有事，決定告發公司的不法行為。”

5. League – a class or category of excellence and quality

5. League—高質量和品質的代表

Ex: “When it comes to showmanship, David is in a league of his own”.

例句：當說到主持能力，大衛獨樹一幟。

6. To score an own goal – an act that unintentionally harms one’s own interests

6. To score an own goal—烏龍球，無意識地損害自身利益的舉動

Ex: “Philip scored an own goal when he quit his job before signing a new contract.”

例句：菲利普在簽新合同之前就辭職這種行為就像是踢了個烏龍球。

7. To be on the ball – to be aware and quick to respond to new ideas

7. To be on the ball—能迅速意識到和對新想法做出反應

Ex: “You need to be on the ball in this job”.

例句：你在這份工作上要夠機靈。

8. To watch from the sidelines – to be an observer rather than actively involved in a situation.

8. To watch from the sidelines—作為旁觀者，而不積極參與

Ex: “Harry never gets involved in anything. He’s always watching from the sidelines.”

例句：哈里從不參與任何事情。他總是站在場外旁觀。

9. To move the goalposts – to unfairly move the conditions or rules of procedures during its course

9. To move the goalposts—在進行過程中不公平地改變條件或者規則

Ex: It’s impossible to plan anything in this company if management keeps moving the goalposts.

例句：如果管理層總在更改規則，在公司里什么都不可能實現。

10. To kick something off – to start something

10. To kick something off—開始

Ex: “Right. I’d like to kick this meeting off by welcoming our guest.”

例句：“好的。讓我以歡迎我們的嘉賓作為這場會議的開場白吧。

Enjoy the Football Season, folks.

希望你能享受這一賽季!