He waited in the wings?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="He">He</span> <span word="waited">waited</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conference">conference</span>.” <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>? <span word="What">What</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="translation">translation</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span>, <span word="all">all</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> “<span word="he">he</span> <span word="patiently">patiently</span> <span word="waited">waited</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span>”.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="miss">miss</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="ignoring">ignoring</span> “<span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>”, <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="case">case</span>.</p><p>“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="originated">originated</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="theatre">theatre</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="refer">refer</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="sides">sides</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stage">stage</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="actors">actors</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="makeup">makeup</span>, <span word="rehearse">rehearse</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="lines">lines</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="taking">taking</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="limelight">limelight</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="performers">performers</span> <span word="entertain">entertain</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="audience">audience</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="applauded">applauded</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="do">do</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="backstage">backstage</span>.</p><p><span word="Two">Two</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="note">note</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>. <span word="First">First</span>, <span word="Wings">Wings</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="wing">wing</span>. <span word="Wings">Wings</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="plural">plural</span> <span word="form">form</span>. <span word="Plural">Plural</span> <span word="because">because</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bird">bird</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pair">pair</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>, <span word="too">too</span>, <span word="has">has</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>. <span word="One">One</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="side">side</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="center">center</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>, <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="curtain">curtain</span>.</p><p><span word="Second">Second</span>, <span word="since">since</span> <span word="actors">actors</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="perform">perform</span>, <span word="this">this</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="implies">implies</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="are">are</span> “<span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wings">wings</span>” <span word="are">are</span> <span word="ready">ready</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="action">action</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="opportunity">opportunity</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="so">so</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="imply">imply</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="patient">patient</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="case">case</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="above">above</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="where">where</span> “<span word="he">he</span>” <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="patiently">patiently</span> <span word="wait">wait</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="conference">conference</span>, <span word="just">just</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="actor">actor</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="patience">patience</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="behind">behind</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="curtains">curtains</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="supposed">supposed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="show">show</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="actor">actor</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="finishes">finishes</span> <span word="performing">performing</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="did">did</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="performer">performer</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="upstaged">upstaged</span> (<span word="yes">yes</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="word">word</span>), <span word="which">which</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="laughing">laughing</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="audience">audience</span>.</p>
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