take up/pick up the slacka) to make a system or organization as efficient as possible by making sure that money, space, or people are fully used 〔通过充分利用金钱、空间、人员等〕使效率提高 Without another contract to help pick up the slack, employees may face job losses. 如果不能再承接一份合同把闲散人员都利用起来的话,员工就可能面临失业。
b) INSTEADto do something that needs to be done because someone else is no longer doing it 接过别人停下的工作
c) TIGHTto make a rope tighter 把绳子拉紧
→4 See picture of 见图 slack → take up/pick up the slack at slack2(1)