例句1：I have a contract for two million dollars a year to plug these shoes on TV. They've already filmed three plugs and you'll see the first plug next week - I think you'll like it.
他说：我有一份耗资两百万美元为这些鞋子作一年电视广告的合约。他们已经拍了三个广告片。下星期你将会看到第一个。我想你会喜欢的。
******
刚才他说: to plug these shoes。这里plug是动词，就是“做广告宣传”。他接著又说， three plugs和the first plug。这里plug成了名词了。意思就是“广告”。我们还要学一个有plug这个词的习惯用语，plug away。让我们从一个例子来判断plug away是什么意思。这是一位业余作家在说自己如何不辞劳苦努力创作，如今他写的一部新小说几乎大功告成了。
例句2：I started my novel five years ago. It's been hard to find the time with all my other work, but I've kept plugging away every weekend and yesterday I started the last chapter.
大家都听清楚了吧?这位作家是五年前开始动笔的，但是他平时还得忙于其它事务，很难挤出时间来写作，然而他又说昨天他已经开始写新作的最后一章了。他是怎么写成这本小说的呢，想必是利用周末时间埋头创作了，所以他说的plugging away every weekend就是每个周末都埋头苦干的意思。五年来一直如此。这是需要具备锲而不舍的精神的。这样说来习惯用语plug away意思就是坚持不懈、排除障碍，努力完成一件困难的工作。
******
我们再学一个带有plug这个词的习惯用语plug in。我们都知道plug通常可以指电线插头，可想而知，动词词组plug in意思一定是“插进插头”。电器一插上了插头就接通了电源，也就能发挥作用了。然而plug in常常隐含更深的意思，可以转用来说人。让我们来听个例子。两名记者看到一位政界人物刚踏进华盛顿市的一家饭店，于是他俩在私下评论这位圈内人物。请大家注意他的话里用到的习惯用语be plugged in to:
例句3：See that tall man who just walked in. He's a good news source: he's a lawyer who's plugged in to the leaders of both political parties and is really in touch with what's going on.
