这两天同事小赵一直情绪不高，今天终于问出了原因，原来是上个礼拜她本以为谈妥了的一个合作对方又反悔了......外教 Lawrence 听到后非常淡然地说了一句很有哲理的话：“Don't split hairs, let's just say that nothing is set in stone.”

大家在工作生活中是不是也经常会碰到这种事儿呢？呵呵，无奈归无奈，咱们今天就来说一下这个“没有什么是一成不变的”的英语表达吧，有个很简单的短语~“set/carved in stone 刻在石头上”表达的就是“一成不变、板上钉钉”的事情，所以刚才 Lawrence 所说的正是“别再钻牛角尖儿啦，这么说吧，没有什么是一成不变的！”

set in stone

板上钉钉；一成不变；固定不变；盖棺定论

Permanent. Typically refers to a plan or idea.

永久性的。通常指一个计划或想法。

If an agreement, policy, or rule is set in stone, it is completely decided and cannot be changed.

如果一项协议、政策或规则是板上钉钉的，那么它是完全确定的，不能改变。

be written/set/cast in tablets of stone

恒久不变的

used to say that something does not change.

用来表示有些事情是不会改变的。

Stone is used in expressions such as set in stone and tablets of stone to suggest that an idea or rule is firm and fixed, and cannot be changed.

Stone用于诸如set in Stone或石板中，表示一种观念或规则是坚定的、固定的、不可改变的。

not be set/carved in stone / something is not set in stone / not be carved/etched in stone

还未确定；未成定局; 没有定论; 万事无绝对

to be able to be changed.

能够被改变。

said to mean that something such as an agreement, policy or rule is not permanent and that it can be changed.

指诸如协议、政策或规则等不是永久性的，可以改变。

used to say an idea or plan could change.

用来指一个想法或计划可能会改变。

● John has several new ideas for the show, but nothing is etched in stone yet.

约翰对这部剧有几个新想法，但还没有什么是确定无疑的。

● The programme should not be set in tablets of stone, but improved continuously.

这项计划不应该一成不变，而应该不断改进。

● He is merely throwing the idea forward for discussion, it is not cast in stone.

他只是把这个想法提出来讨论，并不是一成不变的。

● Scientific opinions are not carved on tablets of stone; they change over the years.

科学的观点不是刻在石碑上的; 它们随着时间的推移而变化。

【Scenario Example 场景示例】

● The exact terms of the scheme have yet to be set in stone. These are just preliminary ideas and nothing is set in stone.

这项计划的具体条款尚未确定。这些只是初步的想法，没有什么是一成不变的。

● These are just a few ideas - nothing is set in stone yet.

这还只是一些想法——什么都还没定下来。

● We might get brunch next weekend, but nothing is set in stone yet.

我们可能下周末去吃早午餐，但一切都还没定下来。

● Keep in mind that these blueprints are not set in stone—they're just to give you a feel for the design.

记住，这些蓝图并不是一成不变的——它们只是给你一种设计的感觉。

● Promises made two or three years before an election are not set in stone and can be changed.

在选举前两三年所作的承诺不是一成不变的，是可以改变的。

● And the judgment would be a rolling opinion, not one set in stone at the end of each reporting period.

更关键的是相应的判断需要是渐进演变的意见，而不是在每个报告结束时刻的盖棺论定。

● These ideas are up for discussion — they are not cast in stone.

这些想法有待讨论——它们并不是一成不变的。

出处：见配图水印