A shovel-ready project, especially a building or road project, is fully prepared: land, plans, and permission are done, so the moment the money arrives, workers can put shovels in the ground and start. It is a politics and news word, not a home word.

A shovel-ready project, especially a building or road project一個shovel-ready的計畫，尤其是建築或道路工程is fully prepared已經完全準備好了: land, plans, and permission are done，：土地、計畫和許可都搞定了so the moment the money arrives, workers can put shovels in the ground and start，所以錢一到，工人馬上就能把鏟子插進地裡開工。It is a politics and news word, not a home word這是個政治和新聞用語，不是日常在家會講的字。

Barack Obama used it on the American programme Meet the Press on 6 December 2008, talking about public work that could begin at once if the government spent money. People now stretch it for any plan that is packed and just waiting for cash, even when nobody will touch a shovel.

Barack Obama used it歐巴馬（Barack Obama）用過這個字on the American programme Meet the Press，在美國節目Meet the Press上on 6 December 2008，2008年12月6日talking about public work that could begin at once if the government spent money，談的是政府一撥錢就能馬上動工的公共工程。People now stretch it for any plan that is packed and just waiting for cash現在人們把這個字用得更寬鬆，用來指任何已經準備齊全、只等錢下來的計畫even when nobody will touch a shovel，就算根本沒人會真的碰鏟子。

Though actually, if the permits are still missing, it is not shovel-ready — it is only hoped-for.

Though actually不過，if the permits are still missing如果許可還沒下來，it is not shovel-ready那就還不算shovel-ready— it is only hoped-for——只能算是「希望能這樣」而已。