忙碌的英语 致超人般的你—7句英文形容忙碌生活

不管你是作业写不完的学生、家务事做到烦的家庭主妇，还是手边任务一堆的上班族，今天就一起来看看除了 busy 以外，「忙碌」还能怎么形容！

be snowed under

我们都曾经历过那种被待办事项压得喘不过气的感受，整个人彷佛被厚厚的积雪压住而动弹不得，因此动词词组 be snowed under 其实就同义于 overwhelmed (负荷大到难以承受的)，后面可以搭配介词 with 加上使你备感压力的事物。

I'm afraid I have to turn down your invitation. I'm completely snowed under with several course assignments at this moment.

很抱歉我没办法接受你的邀请，我现在手边有好几份课堂作业等着我完成。

juggle between

动词 juggle 原本指的是「杂耍、玩特技」，后来引申成「努力同时应付」多项任务，如同小丑忙着向上抛接好多颗球。后面搭配介词 between 连接你忙着应付的事物 (通常是两种以上)。补充 juggling act 这个单词，它就是指同时有很多事情待处理的「棘手情况」。

Being a stay-at-home mom is far from easy. They have to juggle between endless house chores, household budgets, and any emergencies their husband or children throw at them.

当家庭主妇一点也不轻松。她们同时应付做不完的家事、盯着家庭开销，以及老公或小孩临时丢出的难题。

As an active member of two student societies and the captain of the swimming team, she finds her college life a constant juggling act.

同时身为两个学生社团的活跃会员，又是泳队队长，她的大学时光往往忙着应付各种事项。

be tied up

动词 tie 除了有一般「系住；捆绑」的意思之外，也可以解释为一件事情「束缚、限制」某人。因此 be tied up这个动词词组就用来描述一个人「忙得不可开交」，被一件事情绑住而「无法抽身」；后面可以搭配 with 或 in 来加上某个事物。

Sarah is tied up in a meeting now. Can I take a message for you?

Sarah正在开会无法抽身，我帮你记录留言好吗？

to have one’s hands full with sth.

这句话字面上的解释为「手上满满的都是东西」，意思也就是「忙到无法应付」。还有另外两个意思相同的说法：to have a lot on one’s plate，或是直接说 my plate is full 都是指同时有很多事情要忙。

You already have your hands full with a full-time job and an online diploma course; think twice before you sign up for the volunteering work.

全职工作以及在线学位课程已经够你忙了，报名那场志愿者活动前还是先考虑清楚吧！

pull an all-nighter

名词all-nighter 的意思是「通宵活动」，尤其专指「考试前的通宵温习」，因此动词词组 pull an all-nighter 就是描述一个人忙到「熬夜工作」，同义于 sit/stay up late。

The boy completely forgot about his homework until the last day of summer vacation. His mother had no choice but to pull an all-nighter with him.

男孩直到暑假最后一天才想起有作业要写。男孩的母亲只好陪着他熬夜写完。

as busy as a beaver

名词 beaver 指的是「海狸，河狸」，大家应该都看过动物纪录片里它忙进忙出打造家园的画面吧！词组 as busy as a beaver 就是指像海狸一样「忙于工作」，类似的说法还有 as busy as a bee。而在口语上 beaver 也被引申来形容「勤奋工作的人」。

She wanted this promotion so badly that she had been as busy as a beaver for months.

她非常想获得这次升职机会，所以几个月来都尽心尽力地忙于工作。

The busiest men have the most leisure.

这句俚语也可以写成 The busiest men find the most time，两者都用来描述「勤奋工作的人实际上拥有更多自由」，鼓励大家有效率地把该做的事情做完，才有空闲从事自己真正想做的事情。

A: He seems to have a perfect balance between his career and family life. How does he manage to do so?

B: Well, people always say that the busiest men have the most leisure.

A: 他似乎在职涯与家庭生活之间取得了完美平衡。到底是怎么做到的？

B: 也许就像人们所说，「最忙的人最闲」吧！

学完 7 种表达「我很忙」的英文之后，也别忘了在超人般的忙碌生活里穿插喘息空间，就像罗马诗人奥维德 (Ovid) 所言：“Take a rest. A field that has rested yields a beautiful crop.”(休息片刻吧，休耕过的土地方能孕育出美丽庄稼。)

每日例汤：