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And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
欢迎收听VOA慢速英语《词汇掌故》节目。
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation – one where you had to explain yourself; where you felt like all eyes are on you; and where others were questioning your actions?
你是否曾经发现自己处于难境——你不得不解释自己；你觉得所有的眼睛都在盯着你；别人质疑你的行为？
If so, you may have been in the hot seat! That is our expression for today.
如果是这样的话，你的处境很艰难！这就是我们今天的短语。
The "hot seat" is not a nice place to be.
“hot seat”可不是一个好地方。
To be in the hot seat can be used in several different situations.
To be in the hot seat可以用于几种不同的情况。
It can be a situation where you need to defend yourself or share information.
可能会是一种你需要为自己辩护或分享信息的情况。
If you are questioned by the police or a detective, you are definitely in the hot seat.
如果你被警察或侦探审问，你的处境肯定很艰难。
A difficult job interview or school exam can also make you feel like you're in the hot seat.
一次艰难的工作面试或学校考试也会让你觉得自己处于困境。
It can be an unpleasant and uncomfortable situation.
这可能是一种令人不快和不舒服的情况。
If you are in the hot seat, someone may be closely observing your movements and actions.
如果你身处困境，可能会有人在密切观察你的一举一动。
For example, parents often put their children in the hot seat.
例如，父母经常会让他们的孩子处境尴尬。
They may want to know where they go, who they are with, and what they are doing.
他们可能想知道他们去了哪里，他们和谁在一起，他们在做什么。
These questions could feel like an interrogation.
这些问题可能会让人感觉像是在审问。
As with the earlier police example, an interrogation and being in the hot seat go hand in hand.
就像前面提到的警察例子一样，审问和处境尴尬是密不可分的。
Teachers and school officials can also put students in the hot seat.
老师和学校官员也可能会让学生处境尴尬。
If students are accused of doing something like cheating on a test or damaging school property, a teacher might put them in the hot seat to get information.
如果学生被指控在考试中作弊或损坏学校财产，老师可能会为了获取信息让他们处境尴尬。
The "hot seat" can also be a position of uneasiness or embarrassment.
“hot seat”也可以指令人不安或尴尬的位置。
For this situation, we have another saying.
对于这种情况，我们有另一种说法。
If you put someone on the spot, you have also put them in the hot seat.
如果你让某人难堪，你也就是让他们陷入了困境。
For example, let's say my best friend is married to a man who isn't very honest.
例如，假设我最好的朋友嫁给了一个不太诚实的男人。
When I see Mr. Dishonest at a restaurant holding hands with another woman, I could put him in the hot seat by asking, "So … what's going on? here"
当我在一家餐厅看到这位不诚实先生和另一个女人手牵着手时，我会通过问他，“这是怎么回事？”，让他处境尴尬。
If you are in the hot seat, you may also be faced with severe criticism or judgement.
如果你身处困境，你也可能面临着严厉的批评或评判。
At work, you may find yourself in the hot seat if you fail to finish a project on time.
在工作中，如果你不能按时完成一个项目，你可能会发现自己处于尴尬的境地。
Here's another example. Let's say Alice is in charge of the company's yearly party.
下面是另一个例子。假设爱丽丝负责公司的年度聚会。
It is a big deal for employees and their families.
这对员工和他们的家人来说是一件大事。
But she told everyone the wrong date.
但她告诉了大家错误的日期。
So, when no one showed up, she found herself in the hot seat with her boss.
因此，当没有人来的时候，她发现自己和老板处于尴尬的境地。
Here are some notes on usage.
这里有一些用法说明。
In this idiom, we use the definite article "the" and not the indefinite article "a."
在这个习语中，我们用定冠词“the”，而不用不定冠词“a”。
So, we don't say someone was "in a hot seat."
所以，我们不会说某人“in a hot seat”。
Now, let's talk about the preposition "in."
现在，我们来谈谈介词“in”。
Some online dictionaries give examples of this idiom using the preposition "on" – to be on the hot seat.
一些在线词典给出了这个习语使用介词“on”的例子——to be on the hot seat。
I commonly hear in the hot seat and not on the hot seat.
我经常听到的是in the hot seat而不是on the hot seat。
Both are correct. But in the hot seat sounds more natural.
两个都是正确的。但in the hot seat听起来更自然。
The usage of this idiom goes back to the early 1900s.
这个习语的用法可以追溯到20世纪初。
Some word experts say that it may have come from the use of electric chairs for executions.
一些词汇专家表示，它的起源可能与执行死刑时使用电椅有关。
Other experts say the idiom may come from the card game poker.
其他专家表示，这个习语可能来自纸牌游戏扑克牌。
In poker, players in the "hot seat" are under the most pressure to bet or play their cards.
在扑克牌游戏中，坐在“热座位”上的玩家在下注或出牌时面临的压力最大。
And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Until next time ...I'm Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期《词汇掌故》节目的全部内容。下次见……我是安娜·马特奥。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
