Linda：I just spoke to Terry in accounting.
琳達：我剛才跟會計部的泰瑞談過。
Julie：Everything all right?
茱莉：沒事吧？
Linda：Not good. We've got problems with sales.
琳達：情況不太妙。我們銷售方面出了一些問題。
Julie：What type?
茱莉：什麼樣的問題？
Linda：Major ones. We're seriously in the red.
琳達：很大的問題。我們的赤字很嚴重。
Julie：That's not good. We need to turn things around quickly, or we could go bankrupt.
茱莉：那慘了。我們要趕快扭轉局勢，要不然我們會倒閉。
Linda：I'll try my best. Hopefully, we'll be in the black by the end of the year.
琳達：我會盡力的。希望我們到年底會有盈餘。
be in the red 出現赤字
一般公司在記帳時常用紅色數字表「虧損」或「負債」，這也是本俚語in the red（出現赤字）的由來；而in the black正好相反，表「有盈餘」。
例：The US government has been in the red for quite a few years.（美國政府財政赤字連年。）
與 red相關俚語如後：
˙paint the town red 該俚語字面上的意思是「把城市染紅」，引申「出外狂歡作樂」。
例：He paints the town red every night with hot babes.（他每晚都跟辣妹狂歡。）
˙red flag 警訊（常與動詞 raise 並用）
例：Her husband's unusual behavior raised a red flag for her.（她老公不尋常的舉動對她而言是個警訊。）
˙如果殺人兇手被當場抓到，雙手一定還血淋淋。catch sb red-handed 就帶有這個意思，引申成「當場逮住某人」。
例：She caught her husband red-handed cheating on her.（她當場抓到老公對她不忠。）
turn things around 扭轉局勢
例：Now that we don't have any money, there is no way we can turn things around.
（我們現在沒有經費，要扭轉局勢是不可能的。）
bankrupt 破產
go bankrupt 破產
例：He went bankrupt because of his gambling problem.（他因為好賭而破產。）
本版文章結集及生活美語線上教學短片請瀏覽abc.1-apple.com.tw
要英文更進步？那你絕不能錯過《翻譯王》！
