VOA慢速英语，作为国际英语学习者的重要资源，通过清晰缓慢的发音与简洁的词汇，为初学者及中等水平学习者搭建了通往流利英语的桥梁。它不仅帮助提升听力理解能力，还丰富了词汇量，增强了语感，是学习地道英语表达不可或缺的工具，对全球英语学习者的语言提升至关重要。让我们一起进入今天的VOA慢速英语听力训练：词汇故事hot seat。
英文原文
Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation, one where you had to explain yourself? Where you felt like all eyes were on you, and where others were questioning your actions? If so, you may have been in the hot seat. That is our expression for today.
你是否曾发现自己身处困境，需要为自己辩解？是否曾感到所有人的目光都聚焦在你身上，大家都在质疑你的行为？如果是这样的话，你可能处于尴尬难堪的境地。这是我们今天的表达。
The hot seat is not a nice place to be. To be in the hot seat can be used in several different situations. It can be a situation where you need to defend yourself or share information. If you are questioned by the police or a detective, you are definitely in the hot seat. A difficult job interview or school exam can also make you feel like you're in the hot seat. It can be an unpleasant and uncomfortable situation.
“热座”可不是一个好待的地方。“To be in the hot seat”可以适用于多种不同的情况。它可能是一种需要你为自己辩护或分享信息的情况。如果你被警察或侦探审问，你肯定有麻烦了。艰难的面试或学校考试也会让你觉得自己有麻烦了。它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. For example, parents often put their children in the hot seat. They may want to know where they go, who they are with, and what they are doing. These questions could feel like an interrogation, as with the earlier police example. An interrogation and being in the hot seat go hand in hand.
如果你如坐针毡，那么可能有人会密切关注你的一举一动。例如，父母经常让他们的孩子如坐针毡。他们可能想知道孩子去哪里、和谁在一起以及正在做什么。这些问题可能会让人感觉像是在审问，就像前面提到的警察审问的情况一样。“审问”和“坐立不安”联系紧密。
Teachers and school officials can also put students in the hot seat. 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. The hot seat can also be a position of uneasiness or embarrassment. For this situation, we have another saying: if you put someone on the spot, you have also put them in the hot seat.
老师和学校官员也可以让学生面临批评的处境。如果学生被指控做了某些事情，比如考试作弊或破坏学校财产，老师可能会让他们面临批评的处境以获取信息。此外，“热座”也可能是一种令人不安或尴尬的位置。对于这种情况，我们还有另一种说法：如果你让某人当场难堪，你就是让他们处于尴尬的境地。
For example, let's say my best friend is married to a man who isn't very honest. 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?"
例如，假设我最好的朋友嫁给了一个不太诚实的男人。当我在餐馆看到“不诚实先生”牵着另一个女人的手时，我可以问他：“所以……这是怎么回事？”
If you are in the hot seat, you may be faced with severe criticism or judgment. At work, you may find yourself in the hot seat if you fail to finish a project on time.Here's another example: let's say Alice is in charge of the company's yearly party. It is a big deal for employees and their families, but she told everyone the wrong date. So when no one showed up, she found herself in the hot seat with her boss.
如果你“in the hot seat”，你可能会面临严厉的批评或指责。在工作中，如果你未能按时完成项目，也可能会发现自己处于面临压力或批评的处境。再举一个例子：假设爱丽丝负责公司的年度聚会。这对员工及其家人来说是一件大事，但她却告诉了大家一个错误的日期。所以当没有人出现时，她发现自己处于被老板批评的处境。
Here are some notes on usage: In this idiom, we use the definite article "the" and not the indefinite article "a". So we don't say someone was "in a hot seat". Now, let's talk about the preposition "in". Some online dictionaries give examples of this idiom using the preposition "on": "to be on the hot seat". I commonly hear "in the hot seat" and not "on the hot seat". Both are correct, but "in the hot seat" sounds more natural. The usage of this idiom goes back to the early 1900s. Some word experts say that it may have come from the use of electric chairs for executions. Other experts say the idiom may come from the card game poker. In poker, players in the hot seat are under the most pressure to bet or play their cards.
这里有一些用法说明。在这个习语中，我们使用定冠词“the”，而不是不定冠词“a”。所以我们不说某人“in a hot seat”。现在，我们来谈谈介词“in”。一些在线词典给出了使用这个习语时带有介词“on”的例子：“to be on the hot seat”。但我经常听到的是“in the hot seat”，而不是“on the hot seat”。两者都是正确的，但“in the hot seat”听起来更自然。这个习语的使用可以追溯到20世纪初。一些词汇专家说，它可能源于执行死刑时使用电椅。其他专家说，这个习语可能源于扑克牌游戏。在扑克牌中，坐在“热座”上的玩家在下注或出牌方面面临的压力最大。
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