學如逆水行舟，不進則退。人生有起有落，有虧有盈。
PROGRESS COLLOCATIONS : 「進展」最慣見的搭配例子：make progress：progress in doing something；slow/steady progress；good/significant/substantial rapid/progress；follow/chart/monitor/keep track of somebody’s progress；hinder somebody’s progress（make it slower）；economic/technological/scientific progress。
文法上，PROGRESS is an uncountable noun。Do not say ‘a progress’ or ‘progresses’。
形容時間的過去，通常的說法有： Time can march, fly, run and flow。 We can mark, make, kill, beat, lose, find, keep and gain it。We can get behind time。 ‘Take your time!’ means ‘Don’t hurry!’ 慨嘆時間的飛逝：How time flies光陰似箭！形容時間停滯不前，漢語可以用渡日如年，英語的比喻，較多用 as slow as a snail, 蝸步，as slow as a funeral如喪禮在進行中。
Things are Going Swimmingly
假如一切進展良好 When good progress is being made , things are going swimmingly（successfully）。時間上僥倖還趕得及：‘We are making good time’ means that we are not late, 即是還未遲到，比約會還早 ，in fact we may well be ahead of time. 補償失去的時間，例如火車班次誤點：Making up arrears of time, as a train does when it is behind time, is to make up time。To get up to date with your e-mails replies which have fallen behind, you may say you have to catch up on correspondence。
形容人生事務一切進展良好，有另外一些慣用語 progress in the affairs of life may be expressed as: He’s making good = He’s making a success of things; he’s getting on well=he’s making success。也有人喜歡說：How’s he making out? （What progress is he making?）或者How’s he shaping?（What are his chances of success?）How’s it going? 等於問人家近況如何？How are you getting on ?
IMPROVEMENT in affairs may be described in this way: Things are looking up。When PROGRESS is impeded : 當進展出現阻礙，我們說：We get stuck in a rut； We get bogged down 阻礙；We suffer a set-back挫折。It’s not getting us anywhere 等於說 We’re not making any headway。勿杞人憂天，船到橋頭自然直，Don’t cross that bridge till you come to it。
人生不如意事十常八九
DETERIORATION = to become worse 變壞 : to deteriorate into something = to develop into a bad or worse situation :The angry arguments deteriorated into a fight 憤怒的爭吵演變成打鬥。
退化DECAY的現象，很多生動的英語慣用語，例如fall to pieces （physical decay）；go to pieces（ a moral breakdown）； are on their last legs（usually of things ）；go to rack and ruin 也有被遺忘的意思。It’s seen better days means that it has become shabby and almost worn-out。
情況惡化得很快 a rapid degeneration is to go from bad to worse。從壞到更壞，最生動的慣用語有 to be out of the frying-pan into the fire（to escape from one uncomfortable situation into another that is much worse） 逃脫小難又遭大難，壞上加壞。慢慢退步，漸漸變壞，尤其是形容生意漸不如前：a gentle decline, especially in business, is expressed by the phrase to fall off 。
逆境中仍抱希望，保持樂觀態度，可以有多種方式來表達 ：things will have to get worse before they can get better, i.e. they haven’t yet turned the corner 轉危為安。Leading to improvement: when they do, they will begin to look up 冬天到了，春天還會遠嗎？When bad weather shows signs of coming to an end we say ‘The weather has taken a turn for the better’ 惡劣天氣有望轉好。
人際間出現緊張關係，多說無益，於事無補 Least said, soonest mended, more words may only make matters worse, or aggravate the situation，也可解作只要沒人再說，事情就會過去：a bad situation will pass or be forgotten most quickly if nothing more is said about it。
天下無不散之筵席，有些事物總有耗盡的一天，我們只好無奈報廢，for a thing that is no longer useful or serviceable we write it off。
（逢星期二、五刊登）
