周五了，这周的工作计划你完成了吗？好些人做事情都喜欢拖拖拉拉，以至于周五总是异常地忙碌。形容做事拖拖拉拉的习惯用语就是：to drag one's feet。

例如：一个百货公司的雇员正在罢工，要求增加工资。这个公司的经理说：

The union is dragging its feet on agreeing to a settlement. They think the company is getting desperate to get people back to work because Christmas is coming and that's our busiest time of year.

工会拖拖拉拉地不肯就解决方案达成协议。他们认为，公司一定会迫不及待地要雇员回去工作，因为圣诞节快来了，这是我们一年最忙的时候。

又如：Billy and Sally always drag their feet when I tell them it's bedtime. They love to watch TV after dinner and they'd stay up till midnight if I didn't chase them off to bed.

每当我叫比利和萨利上床睡觉的时候，他们总是拖拖拉拉。他们喜欢吃完晚饭后看电视，要是我不催着他们上床的话，他们可以一直看到半夜。

我们不提倡拖拖拉拉的工作作风，但是做事有轻重缓急，有时候我们不得不把正在做的事或计划要做的事先搁置一边，这种积极的“拖拖拉拉”是值得倡导的。这种情况就叫做：to put on the back burner。

Back就是后边，而burner在这里是指做饭的炉子。美国的厨房里，炉台上一般都有四个炉口，前面两个，后面两个。人们往往把很快能煮好的东西放在前面炉子上煮，把一些要慢慢煮的东西放在后面的炉子上。这就是to put on the back burner这个俗语的来源。

例如：Joe, I know you're working on the Anderson contract, but let's put it on the back burner for now. We need your help on the new Jones contract--it's worth more than five million dollars.

乔伊，我知道你现在正在处理安德森合同的事情，但是，让我们先把它放一放。我们要你来帮忙处理和琼斯签订的新合同。这个合同价值达五百万美元。

又如：Honey, the boss told me today he can't give me that pay raise I was expecting. I'm afraid that means we'll have to put our plans to buy a bigger house on the back burner until next year.

亲爱的，老板今天告诉我他不能满足我的愿望给我加工资。所以我们想买栋大房子的计划恐怕不得不等到明年再说了。