off-track
off-track — 慣用語
1. used to say that a plan, project, or activity is not developing as expected and
偏離正軌
計畫或活動無法正常進行
used to say that a plan, project, or activity is not developing as expected and may fail.
Leo's bakery plan went off-track when he could not find a good location.
Leo 的麵包店計畫偏離了正軌，因為他找不到合適的地點。
collocation: go off-track
If the hospital renovation goes off-track, we must ask the investors for more time.
如果醫院的翻新工程偏離正軌，我們就必須向投資者要求更多時間。
conditional: if ... get off-track
The school's renovation project went off-track after a flood damaged the building materials.
學校的翻新工程在洪水損壞建材後偏離了正軌。
Gita worried that her career was going off-track when she took a year off traveling.
Gita 擔心自己的職涯偏離正軌，因為她休了一年假去旅行。
Folake realized the marketing campaign had gone off-track when sales dropped for three months.
Folake 意識到行銷活動已偏離正軌，因為銷售量連續三個月下滑。
- derail
stronger image of complete failure; often used for plans and careers
- go wrong
more general; does not carry the directional metaphor of off-track
- stray from the plan
more literal; suggests a minor deviation rather than serious failure
- stay on track
the opposite idiom, meaning to continue as planned
2. saying things during a conversation or discussion that are not related to the ma
離題
談話內容脫離主要話題
saying things during a conversation or discussion that are not related to the main subject being talked about.
During the meeting, Andrei went off-track and started talking about his holiday in Thailand.
會議期間，Andrei 離題了，開始談起他在泰國的假期。
collocation: go off-track in meetings
The teacher went off-track when a student asked about last year's final exam paper.
當學生問起去年的期末考卷時，老師離題了。
I tried to focus on the budget, but Bilal kept going off-track about office parties.
我試著專注在預算上，但 Bilal 一直離題談論辦公室派對。
Joshua warned the committee not to go off-track by discussing budgets instead of safety rules.
Joshua 警告委員會不要討論預算而離題，應該專注於安全規則。
Let's not go off-track — we only have thirty minutes to finish this report.
我們不要離題了——我們只有三十分鐘來完成這份報告。
- digress
more formal; used in academic or professional writing
- stray from the point
slightly more formal than off-track
- wander off the subject
less common; implies a gradual shift away from the topic
用法筆記
Commonly used to gently redirect a conversation back to the main point.
常見錯誤
3. not competing in a race at a racetrack, or relating to betting on races that hap
場外
不在賽道上或場外投注
not competing in a race at a racetrack, or relating to betting on races that happens away from the racetrack.
The horse had been off-track for three months after twisting its ankle during training.
這匹馬在訓練時扭傷腳踝後，已經離開賽道三個月了。
Rania placed an off-track bet on the Kentucky Derby through a website on her phone.
Rania 透過手機上的投注網站對肯塔基德比下了場外賭注。
used as adjective before noun: off-track bet
My uncle prefers off-track betting because the racetrack is too far from his house.
我叔叔比較喜歡場外投注，因為賽馬場離他家太遠了。
The champion racehorse was off-track for six months after a fall during training.
這匹冠軍賽馬在訓練中摔倒後，有六個月沒有出賽。
Off-track betting shops in the city let people gamble without going to the racecourse.
市區的場外投注站讓民眾不用到賽馬場也能賭博。
- off the track
interchangeable in the literal racing sense
- away from the racecourse
more formal and explicit
- on-track
racing at the racetrack; also used for bets placed at the track
用法筆記
This is the original literal sense of the phrase, from which the metaphorical meanings developed. In horse racing, an 'off-track bet' or 'off-track betting' (often abbreviated OTB) refers to wagers placed outside the racetrack.