B get（his）bearings 理出头绪

MP3-38

Idiom Defnition

This is the term used if someone is confused and disoriented about anything. It's what they do to get back on track.They pause long enough to figure out where they are, and what they should do.

成语定义　如果某人对某事感到困惑或迷惘时，就会用到这个惯用语。表示要做点什么才能回到正轨。他们会停下来一段时间，想清楚现在所处的位置，接下来应该怎么做等等。

Examples

例　No meetings on the frst day, he'll use the time to get his bearings.

第一天不开会，他便利用时间好好理出个头绪。

例　Things are happening so fast that I need a minute to get my bearings.

事情发生得太快，我需要一点时间理出头绪。

Word Defnition Used

“bearings”a person's orientation, the process of finding out where you are exactly in regards to your physical location, or the subject under discussion.

使用的字词定义　“bearings”（方向）指的是一个人的方向，找出实际所在位置或目前讨论主题进度的过程。

Background

Originally used for physical location alone it is now frequently applied to political social and religious orientation.

背景资料　原来只用来指实际的地理位置，现在则经常用在政治、社会和宗教的方向上。

Business Use

This term describes the process of studying the details of a situation to determine what is the best way to handle it. It's also code, or a short version of what's between the quotation marks.“Give him the new data, let him rest up over night so he has time to fgure out what's what.Then we can discuss it tomorrow when he's rested.”

商业用法　这种说法用来形容研究情况细节以决定最佳处理方式的过程。以下面这句引号里的话为例：“把新资料给他好好想一个晚上，这样他就有时间把来龙去脉弄清楚。等他想得差不多了，我们明天就能进行讨论。”，这个惯用语就是描述这类情况的一种简短说法。

Variations

The pronoun used is one of several possibilities. The parentheses indicate other pronouns could be substituted, and where they should go.

代替词这里用的代词只是其中一种可能。括号的地方表示也可以用其他代词代替，依所要描述的对象而定。

Alternatives 相关用语

◇fgure out which end is up 想清楚后续情况

◇fnd out what’s what 把来龙去脉弄清楚

◇see which way the wind is blowing

看看风往哪里吹（事情接下来如何发展）