看美剧学英语高频短语：have/got big fish to fry
Have/got big fish to fry：it means to have more important, valuable, or pressing matters to deal with than the current one. It’s often used to downplay a situation or explain why someone isn’t interested or available for something less significant. （有更重要或更值得关注的事情要做。常用来表示某人没有时间或兴趣去处理次要的小事。可翻译为：“有更要紧的事要办”“有更大的事要处理”“有更重要的目标要追”）
以下是实用短语“have/got big fish to fry”在美剧语料库中的相关例句：
🎬 场景一：《新闻编辑室 The Newsroom》S01E06 10:34
Will McAvoy: The thing about the Internet is it’s a populist [‘pɒpjəlɪst] tool. Populists have names, too. 网络是一种平民工具，而平民领袖也都有名字。
——>> William Jennings Bryan, Will Rogers, me. 威廉·詹宁斯·布莱恩、威尔·罗杰斯，还有我。
——>> Will. – Unless you’re Deep Throat or in the Witness Protection Program, anonymity is cowardice. 威尔。——除非你是“深喉”或证人保护计划里的对象，否则匿名就是懦弱。
Deep throat：水门事件线人
Will McAvoy: You’re in a mob. You’re lobbing smack from the cheap seats. 你就是躲在人群里，从安全距离乱扔脏话的家伙。
“lobbing smack from the cheap seats”：To criticize, insult, or make snide remarks from a position of little involvement, authority, or risk. （在没有真正参与、不了解实际情况或不承担风险的情况下，对别人进行讽刺、指责或冷嘲热讽。这个短语带有讽刺意味，意思是：
其中：lobbing smack 指“抛出讽刺或侮辱性的话语”；cheap seats 则指“便宜座位”，也就是在场边、离核心很远的位置。
整个表达的画面感是：某人坐在远处、花最少的钱、没付出什么，却在对场上真正努力的人“指点江山、口出狂言”。
Mackenzie McHale: Don’t we have bigger fish to fry than the… 我们难道没有更重要的事要做吗……
Will McAvoy: Yes, but we can fry more than one fish at a time. 有啊，但我们可以同时炸几条鱼。
Sloan Sabbith: And how could we possibly verify someone’s name, age, occupation, and level of education? 那我们该怎么核实别人的姓名、年龄、职业和学历？
Will McAvoy: Neal? 尼尔？
Neal Sampat: We implement a third-party verification service. 我们可以启用第三方验证服务。
🎬 场景二：《奔腾年代 Halt and Catch Fire》S02E08 18:32
Joe: Yeah, Gordon Clark’s got a unique mind. 是啊，戈登·克拉克的脑子确实不一般。
Tom Rendon: Clearly. This is pretty cool. 显然如此，这东西真不错。
Joe: Yeah, if you’re gonna switch over to a more conventional setup, maybe it’d be best if I stuck around for a few days to help troubleshoot with you. 是啊，如果你要改成更传统的系统，也许我该再待几天帮你排查问题。
Tom Rendon: You got bigger fish to fry. 你还有更重要的事要忙。
——>> California’s calling, right? 加州在召唤你，对吧？
Joe: Yeah. 是的。
——>>You should definitely bring on a hardware specialist. 你一定得请一个硬件专家。
——>> The expansion’s gonna require lots of expertise in that area. 系统扩展需要那方面的大量专业知识。
Tom Rendon: I got it from here. 我可以搞定。
——>> It’s my problem to worry about. 这是我该操心的事。
🎬 场景三：《金装律师 Suits》S02E01 23:54
Jessica Pearson: You think I don’t know what you’re doing? 你以为我不知道你在搞什么？
Harvey Specter: I know you know what I did. 我知道你知道我做了什么。
Jessica Pearson: You baited Louis into working with Ross, so if he leaves abruptly, Louis will start asking questions. 你诱使路易斯和罗斯合作，这样如果罗斯突然离开，路易斯就会起疑。
Harvey Specter: I said I knew you knew. Now you’re just showing off. 我都说我知道你知道了，现在你只是在炫耀聪明。
Jessica Pearson: You think I’m gonna let you get away with it? 你以为我会放你一马？（Cut someone some slack）
Harvey Specter: I think we’ve got bigger fish to fry. 我觉得我们有更重要的事要处理。
Jessica Pearson: Alicia Hardman’s dead. 艾莉西亚·哈德曼死了。
Harvey Specter: Which means Daniel Hardman’s coming back. 这意味着丹尼尔·哈德曼要回来了。
Jessica Pearson: You don’t know that. 你不确定。
Harvey Specter: Yes, I do. And so do you. 我确定，你也一样清楚。
Jessica Pearson: No, you’re just using this situation to get Mike Ross out of the crosshairs. 不，你只是在利用这件事让迈克·罗斯脱身。
Harvey Specter: Need I remind you that the only reason we were able to get rid of the other half of Pearson Hardman in the first place was by threatening to tell her about his affair? 要我提醒你吗？当初我们能赶走皮尔森·哈德曼另一半，是靠威胁揭露他的婚外情。
Jessica Pearson: That was the means, not the end. 那只是手段，不是目的。
Harvey Specter: We had a good reason, and you know that. 我们有正当理由，你很清楚。
Jessica Pearson: That’s not my point. 我不是这个意思。
Harvey Specter: Alicia’s dead. Our leverage is gone. 艾莉西亚死了，我们的筹码没了。
Jessica Pearson: That was five years ago. 那是五年前的事了。
Harvey Specter: A lot can happen in five years. 五年能发生很多事。
——>> And what Daniel Hardman’s been doing for the last five years is dreaming of the day he comes back and screws us both out of our jobs. 而这五年来，丹尼尔·哈德曼一直在幻想有朝一日回来，把我们俩都踢出公司。
Jessica Pearson: There’s an easy way to find out. 很容易就能知道真相。
Harvey Specter: Then let’s do it. 那就去做吧。
——>> ‘Cause I can tell you this, that asshole’s coming back. 我告诉你，那混蛋一定会回来。
——>> And he isn’t coming because he wants to be number two. 而且他回来可不是为了当第二。
(A brief pause — both observing the funeral scene)
Harvey Specter: I got to say, he looks good. 不得不说，他看起来还不错。
Jessica Pearson: Being a prick keeps you handsome. 当混蛋的人通常都保养得好。
Harvey Specter: Are you saying that I’m handsome? 你是在说我帅？
Jessica Pearson: The fact that you think that comment was directed at you makes you self-centered and vain at the same time. 你居然以为我是在说你，说明你既自恋又虚荣。
Harvey Specter: Doesn’t mean it wasn’t directed at me. 但也不代表我不是你说的那种人。
Jessica Pearson: It was. 是的，就是说你。
Harvey Specter: Which means I’m also omniscient [ɒm’nɪsiənt]. 那说明我还挺全知的。
Jessica Pearson: And handsome. 还很帅。
Harvey Specter: You left out arrogant. 你漏了“傲慢”这个词。
Jessica Pearson: You know, you and Daniel are cut from the same cloth. 你知道吗？你和丹尼尔是一丘之貉。
Harvey Specter: That’s why I don’t like him. 所以我讨厌他。
Jessica Pearson: “There can be only one.” “只能有一个。”
Harvey Specter: We’re at a funeral, and you’re quoting Highlander? 我们在葬礼上，你居然引用《圣战奇兵》？
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy–action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, and Clancy Brown. The story follows Connor MacLeod, a Scottish warrior from the 16th century who discovers he is one of a group of immortal beings destined to battle each other through the centuries until only one remains. The film’s famous tagline is “There can be only one.”
《Highlander（时空英豪 / 圣战奇兵）》是一部1986年的奇幻动作片，由罗素·穆凯希（Russell Mulcahy）执导，主演包括克里斯托弗·兰伯特（Christopher Lambert）、肖恩·康纳利（Sean Connery）和克兰西·布朗（Clancy Brown）。 故事讲述16世纪的苏格兰战士康纳·麦克劳德（Connor MacLeod）发现自己是少数拥有永生之力的不死者之一，他们必须在漫长岁月中彼此厮杀，直到“只剩下最后一人”。
Jessica Pearson: Yeah, a lot of people die in it. Seems appropriate. 是啊，那片子里死的人多，挺应景的。
Harvey Specter: You know the one key difference between the two of us? 你知道我们俩最大的区别是什么吗？
——>> He’s a lying snake in the grass who’ll say or do anything. 他是条阴险的蛇，为达目的什么都干得出来。
以下是实用短语“have/got big fish to fry”在美剧语料库中的相关例句：
Example Sentences (Daily Conversation):
-
I can’t worry about that right now—I’ve got bigger fish to fry.
我现在没空管那个——我还有更重要的事要处理。 -
He didn’t show up to the club last night; I guess he had bigger fish to fry.
他昨晚没来夜店，估计有更要紧的事要办。
Example Sentences (Business Related):
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We shouldn’t waste time on minor clients when we’ve got bigger fish to fry with potential investors.
我们别在小客户身上浪费时间了，现在要专注于潜在投资者这些“大客户”。 -
The CEO skipped the product demo meeting—apparently, he’s got bigger fish to fry with the board.
CEO 没参加产品演示会，据说他要去应对董事会那边更重大的事务。
