How late is too late? 多晚算太晚？_BBC_英语广播-查字典英语网

How late is too late? 多晚算太晚？

随身英语 How late is too late? 多晚算太晚？

How late is too late? 多晚算太晚？1

你也许听说过“better late than never 晚来总比不来强”这个说法。那么，到底多晚算太晚？生活在不同文化背景中的人，对时间的概念、对“迟到”的定义大相径庭。本集《随身英语》带你了解来自不同国家的人对“迟到”的定义和看法。

课文内容 Vocabulary: time 词汇：时间

Time flies, or so they say. No matter where you are, humans are constantly measuring and checking time. Some of us are good at it – planning and doing things way ahead of time - while others are always trying to beat the clock and do things at the eleventh hour. And that’s only if you’re on time. What about if you are behind time?

Tardiness can be serious. If you were one minute late for work, would you resign? It may sound extreme to many of us, but that is exactly what occurred in the UK upper chamber of parliament, the House of Lords, in January 2018. International development minister Lord Bates arrived one minute late, and, as a result, was unable to answer a scheduled question. Instead of trying to make up for lost time, as many might do, he resigned on the spot. He apologised for his discourtesy and stated that he was ashamed. His resignation, though, was not accepted by the UK prime minister.

So, how late is too late? Many cultures take punctuality very seriously, whereas others seem to accept lagging behind as just the normal way of things. Members of the BBC from various different cultures were asked about the concept of timekeeping in their native countries and responded with a raft of answers.