迷你对话：

A: Please tell us the exact time when the big fire broke out.

请告诉我们大火发生的确切时间。

B: The exact time? Let me think. You know, it happened at night.

确切时间？让我想一想。你知道，火灾是晚上发生的。

A: But we need the exact time. What time?

但我们需要具体时间，那是几点钟。

B: Oh, I remember. It was about 10 o'clock. When I was about to go to bed, suddenly I heard "help" outside.

噢，我想起来了。那时大约10点钟。当我正准备上床睡觉时，突然听到门外有人喊“救命”。

地道表达：

break out

小编讲解：

突发的事件常令人措手不及，而突然出现在脸上，身上的东西也会叫人不知如何是好，出现在脸上的一般是指青春痘或是红疹之类的，它们通常是生活失常或紧张的情绪下产生的。短语break out包括的范围有两种：一种是指“突发的战争，争论，打架等”，另一种则是指“突然出现的青春痘等”。

支持范例：

Eg. He predicted that war would break out in the next few years. 

他预言战争将在下几年中爆发。 

Eg. A huge forest fire broke out after the lightning struck.
 
闪电打下来之后，突然引起一场森林大火。

Eg. I break out in a rash if I eat chocolate.
 
我一吃巧克力, 就出皮疹。

Eg. The thought made him break out in a cold sweat.
 
这么一想，他轰的一下冒了汗！ 

Eg. This made me break out in a cold sweat.
 
这吓得我出了一身冷汗。 

词海拾贝：

1. be about to do something：正准备去做某事

Eg. She was about to dish up when some guests came. 

她刚要上菜开饭，这时来了一些客人。

Eg. As she was about to speak, I frowned her down.
 
她刚要开口，我就皱皱眉示意她别出声。

2. at night：在深夜

Eg. He warned me against going there at night. 

他警告我晚上不要到那去。

Eg. They decided to attack at night. 

他们决定夜晚进攻。

Eg. It is a bad habit to sit up late at night. 

熬夜是个坏习惯。

3. go to bed：去睡觉，就寝

Eg. I shall have a hot bath and go to bed. 

我要去洗个热水澡，然后睡觉。

Eg. There is nothing to do, so I may as well go to bed.
 
没什么事可做，我还是上床睡觉好了。

4. exact time：确切时间

5. big fire：大火