最后的关键时刻 the eleventh hour
<p> 激烈的球赛要到最后一刻才见分晓，艰难的磋商要到最后一刻才见成败，两难的决定通常也到最后一刻才会做出。这种“最后的关键时刻”有个贴切的英文表达，就是<span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>。</p><p> </p><p> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="describe">describe</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="final">final</span> <span word="moments">moments</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="given">given</span> <span word="event">event</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="possibility">possibility</span>.</p><p> “第十一个小时”用来形容某件事的最后一刻，不过扭转局势依然是有可能的。</p><p> <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="something">something</span> – <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="involving">involving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="difficult">difficult</span> <span word="decision">decision</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> – <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="absolutely">absolutely</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="minute">minute</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="deadline">deadline</span>.</p><p> 如果你在“第十一个小时”做某事（经常是做一个艰难的决定），你到最后不得不做的时候才做。换而言之，就是截止日期前的最后一刻。</p><p> <span word="In">In</span> <span word="olden">olden</span> <span word="times">times</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="daytime">daytime</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="dawn">dawn</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="dusk">dusk</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="roughly">roughly</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="twelve">twelve</span> <span word="hours">hours</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="o">o</span>’<span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="morn">morn</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="six">six</span> <span word="o">o</span>’<span word="clock">clock</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span>. <span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="arrive">arrive</span> <span word="at">at</span> 5<span word="pm">pm</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span> <span word="late">late</span>, <span word="obviously">obviously</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Bible">Bible</span> <span word="story">story</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="laborers">laborers</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eleventh">eleventh</span> <span word="hour">hour</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="received">received</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="full">full</span> <span word="day">day</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="pay">pay</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="break">break</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="borne">borne</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="burden">burden</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="heat">heat</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="day">day</span>.”</p><p> 在古时候，人们只在白天工作，从黎明工作到傍晚，如果按十二小时来粗略计算，就是从早上六点工作到下午六点。那些到第十一个小时才来工作的人从下午五点才开始干活，显然到的相当迟了。在圣经故事当中，有些工人到第十一个小时才来，却能领到一整天的报酬，和那些天破晓就来干活、担负重担、饱受酷热的工人拿得一样多。</p>
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