节目简介

被没过头顶的水所淹没，难免会让人窒息和恐惧。英语表达 “in over your head” 正是借用这个字面场景，来形容那种 “超出能力范围，感觉无法应对” 的无力感。不过，可别把这个表达和 “over your head” 搞混了。想知道它们之间的区别吗？听本期 “地道英语” 节目 。

文字稿

（关于台词的备注: 请注意这不是广播节目的逐字稿件。本文稿可能没有体现录制、编辑过程中对节目做出的改变。）

Feifei
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English, where we explain phrases and expressions used by fluent English speakers so that you can use them too. I'm Feifei.

Becca
And I'm Becca.

Feifei
Oh, you don't sound like your usual happy self.

Becca
Well, I just have so much work to do. I feel like I'm in over my head.

Feifei
Oh no! I'm sorry you feel that way. Is there anything I can do to help?

Becca
Hmm, I don't think so. I've just got to focus and get this stuff done.

Feifei
Alright. But, before you do that, would you mind explaining the phrase 'in over your head'?

Becca
Sure. Imagine you have many things to do, and it almost feels like you're drowning in your tasks. The phrase 'in over your head' comes from the literal, dangerous situation of being in water that is deeper than your height.

Feifei
I see. So, it's a pretty negative feeling?

Becca
Yes. When you're involved in a situation that's too difficult or maybe overwhelming to manage, or you don't know where to start, you're in over your head.

Feifei
Let's hear some more examples of this phrase 'in over your head'.

Examples
I'm trying to learn Chinese at the moment, and I thought it'd be easier, but it's really not. I think I'm in over my head.

We're supposed to plan a surprise birthday party for Georgie, but there's so much to do. We're completely in over our heads.

My dad's cleaning out the attic, but I don't think he realised just how much was up there. I think he's feeling a bit in over his head.

Feifei
你正在收听的是 BBC 英语教学制作的 “地道英语” 节目。在本期节目中，我们正在学习表达 “in over your head” 的用法。“In over your head” 的字面意思是 “水没过了头顶”。想象一下被深水淹没时，那种无法掌控局面的无力感，所以 “in over your head” 生动地比喻了一个人 “深陷困境，面临的问题超出了自己的能力，或承担了超出自己能力范围的任务”，它侧重表达那种 “力不从心” 的压迫感。

Becca
Yes. And as we've heard from the examples, you can change the possessive pronoun depending on who you're speaking about. "She is in over her head" and "he is in over his head".

Feifei
Becca, what else do we need to know about this phrase?

Becca
Well, don't forget the preposition 'in' at the beginning – in over your head. Because if I say 'over my head' without the preposition 'in', it means I didn't understand something. For example, if I don't understand a joke, the joke went over my head.

Feifei
是的。我们在说 “in over my head” 的时候，一定别漏掉前面的介词 “in”，因为没了 “in”，意思就变成了 “太深奥了，超出了我的理解能力”。

I guess it could also apply to a lecture or some instructions.

Becca
Yes, anything that you find difficult to understand. "The lecture went over my head." "The instructions went over my head."

Feifei
Good to know! Your explanation of being in over your head didn't go over my head.

OK, that's it for this programme, but join us next time to learn more English phrases and expressions. Goodbye!

Becca
Bye!