pan的含義可多啦，除了指“平底鍋”外，還可指“蛋糕烤盤，秤盤，抽水馬桶，淘金盤”等;用作動詞時可表示“嚴厲批評，淘金”等。

習語揭秘：

1.-Why do you have a long face?

-That’s because I jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. The money problem is driving me crazy。

[點津]

jump out of the frying pan into the fire相當于漢語中的“剛出油鍋又跳進火坑”，表示情況不但沒有轉好，反而更加糟糕。

例：We realize we’ve jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, so we don’t feel relaxed at all. 我們意識到自己剛出油鍋又跳進了火坑，所以感覺一點兒都不輕松。

[追根溯源]

這個習慣用語最早出現在十六世紀早期一名英國作家的筆下。他把情況越來越糟比喻成“放在平底鍋里用油煎的一條活蹦亂跳的魚，跳出煎鍋卻掉進了熊熊爐火中”。

2.-Done! The stone castle is taking shape now。

-Thank you for your help, or it would have gone down the pan。

[點津]

go down the pan是英國俚語，指“被糟蹋，變得無用，成為廢物”。

例：If you don’t want it to go down the pan, you’d better do as I told you. 如果你不想它變得毫無用處，你最好照我說的那樣做。

3.-Have you heard of the band called "Green Monsters"?

-Yes. It became a hit three years ago, but it was only a flash in the pan。

[點津]

pan在此意為“淘金盤”，在淘金盤里發現有閃光，就表示有金屑在里面。由于淘金盤轉速較快，這種閃光只是一閃而過，所以a flash in the pan表示“曇花一現”，比喻美好的事物或成功的人出現的時間很短。

例：During wartime, the peaceful moments like this are nothing but a flash in the pan. 在戰爭期間，像這樣的安寧時刻只不過是曇花一現。

4.-Will you forgive the guy who destroyed your plan?

-I don’t know. It depends on how things pan out。

[點津]

pan out本意為“淘出金子”，引申為“成功，結果是”。

例：Your idea is too ideal. It won’t pan out. 你的想法太理想化，是不會實現的。

[知識拓展]

pancake指“煎餅”，as flat as a pancake指“非常平坦的”。

例：I like going climbing. That’s why I dislike areas that are as flat as a pancake. 我喜歡登山，因此我不喜歡一馬平川的地方。