美语训练班 第081-090课

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美语训练班  第081课

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美语训练班  第082课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天，我们要聊聊旅游攻略，看看有没有倒时差的好方法，还要告诉你怎么说全盘交待!

B: Yeah, a lot of people suffer from jet lag, but it has never been a problem for me. I normally take an anti-histamine and pass out for the whole flight! I guess it’s just a skill you acquire when you’re a citizen of the world like me.

A: Oh my gosh! 看你自信都流出来了吧？快擦擦！ （B: But it’s true!) 好了好了，我们言归正传，赶快先来进入第一个单元， learn a word!

Learn A Word 1612 around-the-clock

今天我们要学的词是 around-the-clock. around is spelled a-r-o-u-n-d, around, clock is spelled c-l-o-c-k, clock, around-the-clock. around-the-clock 意思是日夜不停的，连续不断的。The two sides talked around-the-clock, trying to reach an agreement before the approaching deadline. 双方夜以继日地谈判，努力在最后期限来临之前达成协议。星期一是美国法定假日哥伦比亚日。The DC government gave 42 bars and restaurants permission to stay open around-the-clock on Columbus Day. 华盛顿特区政府准许42家酒吧和餐馆在哥伦比亚日这天不用关门，可以连续24小时持续营业。好的，今天我们学习的词是 around-the-clock, around-the-clock, around-the-clock….

A: 说起这个 around the clock, 我感同身受呀！I’ve been looking online around-the-clock for a cheap plane ticket to Beijing!

B: Wait, I thought you are not going back until the spring festival? Why do you want to buy a ticket now?

A: Haven’t you heard prior planning prevents poor performance? It’s a lot cheaper to book international flights early. Plus I want to travel a bit during my vacation, maybe to Southeast Asia. 这不，我一直在网上看旅游攻略呢！

B: You are making travel plans! Personally I think you should pick two or three places that you really want to visit, and leave the rest to itself. Sometimes you will be happily surprised if you just take a random walk in the city!

A: 恩，也是！不过只有在旅游攻略里我才能知道哪里的吃的最地道！哈！在今天的美语怎么说里，我们就要来告诉你旅游攻略该怎么说！

B: Let’s listen!

How to say it in American English

Jessica在北京学汉语，她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教她。今天是吴琼要问的：攻略。

Jessica: Wuqiong, what are you doing on the computer? You’ve spent hours on the Internet!

WQ: Jessica, 我下个月要去意大利，出门在外，不先看看旅游攻略怎么行？

Jessica: 攻略？Are you going to attack Italy?

WQ: 哪有! 旅游攻略就是去过那里的人写的心得体会，总结建议，这在美语里要怎么说呢？

Jessica: I see. You were referring to travel tips. You are right, Wuqiong, flipping through travel guide books and get some tips from the Internet can be really helpful, especially when it is your first trip to a new place.

WQ: Yep! For example, I was just looking for ways to get discount on museum tickets, and some of the tips that people shared online came in really handy!

Jessica: Make good use of the tips. They also help you avoid tourist traps!

WQ: Tourist traps? 哦，就是旅行陷阱吧! 这个最烦人了，Tourist traps are annoying and can spoil the whole trip!

Jessica: So, Wuqiong, how long are you going to stay in Italy?

WQ: 我当然希望可以慢慢走，慢慢看，仔细领略意大利的风景和文化，不过我假期有限，财力也有限，所以只有4天时间。

Jessica: Four days only? So you are going to stay in one city?

WQ: Actually I’m going to tour 4 cities and they are far away from each other.

Jessica: I see. This is a whirlwind tour then.

WQ: W-h-i-r-l-w-i-n-d, whirlwind 是旋风的意思，whirlwind tour 就是旋风旅游，也就是一阵风似的在很短的时间内去很多地方走马观花。唉，I can only afford a whirlwind tour right now. I really wish I had more time and money.

Jessica: You will! Italy’s not going anywhere. You can always go back someday!

WQ: 今天我们学了，旅行攻略是 travel tips, 旅游陷阱是tourist trap, 旋风旅行则是 whirlwind tour.

B: Tourist traps! This totally reminds me of the time when I was in China.

A: 啊？你去中国的时候被坑过？怎么回事？

B: The worst were the hair salon and massage combo shops. You would go in to get a hair-cut and they would always try to sell you a hot oil massage. So annoying!!!! Or my second year in China, we went to a so-called “silk factory,” but in fact it was just a tourist trap trying to sell us silk comforters! We didn’t even suspect foul play before!

A: 可不！旅游陷阱处处都是，可得当心！不过你刚才提到了一个很好的词儿，foul play！咱们来听听今天的words and idioms, 学学这个习惯用语的用法！

Words and Idioms992

现在播送美国习惯用语第 992讲。我是杨琳。

M：我是Steve Baragona.

昨天去我姐姐家，看到我的小侄女噘着嘴不高兴。一问才知道她得重新考期中考。原来，他们班好多人在最近的考试中都得了好成绩，老师怀疑有人漏题，所以全部人都要重考。这让我想到一个习惯用语，那就是:

M: Foul play. Foul is spelled f-o-u-l-, and play; p-l-a-y. Foul-play.

Foul play 这个短语的意思是”不正当的行为，严重犯规”。就像上面提到的情况，老师认为不可能所有人成绩都这么好，所以怀疑有人舞弊。She suspected FOUL PLAY. 在下面的例子里，一名公司主管谈到他看到办公室一团混乱之后的反应，我们一起来听一听。

M: “When I got back to my office, my papers were scattered. I found my file cabinet had been opened and my computer turned off. My first thought was that it was a case of FOUL PLAY. But, it turned out to be rather innocent; just my colleague’s kids playing around without any supervision.”

[这段话是说: 当我回到办公室的时候，桌上的纸撒了一地。我发现我的档案柜被打开，电脑也被关了。我第一反应是有人闯进了办公室。但后来我发现这只是虚惊一场，是我同事的孩子在没有大人看管的情况下，在我办公室里玩来这。]

大家可能已经注意到了，foul play 也经常被用在犯罪行为上，意思就是非法的暴力行径。我的一个朋友就跟我讲过，去年圣诞节他们整个社区都遭到了一场洗劫。She discovered that thieves had broken in, and other neighbors had reported similar incidences of FOUL PLAY. 她发现小偷破门而入，其他邻居也有类似遭遇。所以说，居住的社区真的很重要呢！好了，言归正传，我们再来听听刚才那句话:

M: “When I got back to my office, my papers were scattered. I found my file cabinet had been opened and my computer turned off. My first thought was that it was a case of FOUL PLAY. But, it turned out to be rather innocent; just my colleague’s kids playing around without any supervision.”

上面提到，foul play经常被用在犯罪行为上。下面的例子就提到了这样一起犯罪，让我们一起去一探究竟。

M: “Police discovered the woman’s body in the river. Her husband claimed she had accidentally fallen out of a canoe. Soon enough, it was determined that FOUL PLAY was involved. She had been struck on the head with a rock and left to die. The husband murdered her and intended to collect an expensive insurance policy!”

[这段话是说：警方在河里发现一具女尸。死者丈夫说，她是不小心从独木舟掉到河里去的。但是不久后，警方发现这其中其实参杂了非法行为。死者的头部是被石块击中，然后流血而死。她的丈夫谋杀了她，是为了一大笔保费! ]

太可怕了！不过到最后，这个丈夫肯定也被绳之以法了。这就像英语里一句俗语说的，Crime doesn’t pay. 意思就是犯罪得不偿失。好的，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “Police discovered the woman’s body in the river. Her husband claimed she had accidentally fallen out of a canoe. Soon enough, it was determined that FOUL PLAY was involved. She had been struck on the head with a rock and left to die. The husband murdered her and intended to collect on an expensive insurance policy!”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是foul play, 意思是不正当的行为，或者是暴力犯罪。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是杨琳，我是Steve Baragona。谢谢各位的收听。

A: Yeah, I definitely hate any kind of foul play. 这集可真够沉重的，咱们还是回头来说说我的旅行吧！我每次回北京，都要倒时差，太浪费我宝贵的吃喝玩乐时间了！

B: Didn’t you tell me you sleep like 10 hours per day? Why can’t you put your superb sleeping ability into use and just sleep through the flight? Then I promise you will be fine!

A: I guess I just can’t sleep on anything that’s moving. 只要是在车里，飞机，什么交通工具上我都睡不好！哎…命苦呀…

B: haha, it’s ok. In today’s business etiquette, we are going to talk about jet lag and how to deal with it! Maybe you can get some tips from our show!
A: yep! 我们赶快来听吧！

礼节美语Jet Lag I

Mike 出差刚回来，遇到同事 Larry.

Larry: Hey, Mike! Good to have you back! You look exhausted!

Mike: Hi, Larry. Yeah, I’m totally beat. I can barely keep my eyes open!

L: Was it a rough trip?

M: Well, it was actually pretty productive, but all the flying really got to me.

L: Ah, jet lag…the scourge of business travelers.

M: Yep. I flew from Beijing to Boston for a meeting, and then hopped back on a plane for a flight to the trade fair in Frankfurt. Then back to Beijing before catching a train back here to Shanghai.

Mike出差回来十分疲惫，因为要倒时差 Jet lag. Larry 说时差是 the scourge of business travelers. scourge is spelled s-c-o-u-r-g-e, 意思是灾祸。Mike 抱怨说，All the flying really got to me. 飞来飞去真是把我折腾坏了。说一件事情 get to me 意思是这件事情对我产生了影响。

L: Wow! That’s a lot of traveling! No wonder you’re exhausted!

M: The worst thing was adjusting to the time zones! It’s so hard to get used to the difference!

L: Yeah, it’s hard. You know jet lag only hits if you travel east-west or west-east. You could fly from Germany to Cape Town in South Africa and you wouldn’t feel anything.

M: Right…because it’s all in the same time zone. Unfortunately for me…all my travel was between different time zones. I’ve gotta say: I’m really suffering! Why is jet lag so nasty?

Mike 出差去的地方老是跨时区 time zones，所以 The worst thing was adjusting to the time zones. 最讨厌的就是倒时差。从一个时区进入另一个时区，为什么会有时差，让身体感觉不舒服呢？

L: Travel between time zones basically resets your body’s internal clock. M: So when you travel between time zones your body is thrown off its cycle?

L: Exactly! Some experts say it takes a full day to recover from each time zone you cross.

M: Wow, that’s a long time. I’m going to need a few weeks off!

L: (chuckle) That would be best, but unfortunately our boss isn’t quite that generous.

M: Is there anything I can do to make my jet lag less severe the next time I make an international trip?

Larry 解释说，进入一个新时区，就要重新调整生物钟。reset the body’s internal clock。换句话说，your body is thrown off its cycle. 身体原来的作息周期被打乱了。to throw off 意思是让一件事情偏离预期的轨道。比如，His performance in the game was thrown off by the injury. 伤势让他的比赛表现受到了影响。有什么办法让倒时差不那么痛苦吗？我们下次继续听。

A: 这篇文章里的Mike被时差折腾的够呛， all the flying really got to him。 Larry解释说，the worst thing is adjusting to the time zones, 最讨厌的就是得倒时差。因为 your body is thrown off its cycle, 作息被打乱，要重新调整生物钟。

B: Yep. Some experts say it takes a full day to recover from each time zone you cross. So DC to Beijing, you just need about two weeks! You will be fine, Yanglin!

A: 啊？那一个月的假期不是全用来倒时差了？那可不行！

B: Here, Larry is throwing out some tricks about how to deal with jet lag! You should pay attention Yanglin! Let’s listen!

礼节美语Jet Lag II

Mike 出差刚回来，被时差折磨得痛苦不堪，向同事 Larry 咨询缓解时差的好办法。Larry 说，

Larry: Some people take herbal medicine, but there’s really no solid proof that it works. Some people take sleeping pills and try to sleep for the whole flight.

M: I guess each person has to try and find the solution that works best for them.

L: Yeah, everyone is different. But I believe there are a few things that can definitely make jet lag a little easier to deal with.

M: Oh, yeah? Like what?

L: For one don’t drink alcohol on flights. It dehydrates you and only makes jet lag worse.

M: Oh, I usually have a few drinks when I fly. Maybe I’ll stick to water next time.

Larry 说，为了缓解时差，有人吃中药，有人吃安眠药，上飞机就睡，这些做法因人而异。不过，也有一些普遍适用的原则，其中之一就是不能喝酒，因为酒精会让人 dehydrate 脱水，从而加剧时差症状，最好是 stick to water 只喝白水。

L: Water is best because you really need to stay hydrated, especially when you’re breathing the dry air in an airplane. Also, you should try to get on the local schedule as soon as you land.

M: So even if back home it’s 3:00 in the morning, I should follow the local time and not go to bed?

L: That would be best. If you get there and it’s dinner time, go eat…try to adapt as quickly as possible and sometimes you’ll adjust quicker. If you get super tired in the afternoon, take a catnap, but don’t sleep for hours.

M: I guess that makes sense.

Larry 还建议，到达目的地后，最后立即适应当地的作息时间 get on the local schedule，如果实在太困，可以 take a catnap 小睡一会儿，catnap is spelled c-a-t-n-a-p, 但是不要蒙头大睡。

L: Your body will slowly accept a new sleep-wake cycle.

M: But the cycle is based on light from the sun, right? Then maybe I should take a walk in the morning and try to re-set my brain to the new time for light.

L: Actually, that’s probably a great idea. And the exercise can’t hurt either.

M: I think I’ll try some of these ideas next time and see which ones work for me. Thanks for your input, Larry.

L: Sure! And have a nice rest tonight.

既然人体的生物钟受到日光照射的影响，那早上出去走走，一定有帮助，让日光重新设定身体的节律。Larry 表示赞成，因为出去走走，运动一下也一定没坏处，the exercise can’t hurt either.

A: Larry说 , 有些人take herbal medicine or sleeping pills, 吃中药或者安眠药在飞机上睡觉，不过这也要因人而异。有一些原则肯定是对的，比如don’t drink alcohol，不要喝酒，adjust to local schedules as soon as possible, 尽快适应当地作息，如果实在太累，take a catnap 打个盹，但是不能呼呼大睡。Hmm, I like these tips, I think it’s really going to be helpful! Larry

B: Yeah, sometimes I start to live on my destination’s schedule a day earlier! That way it will help me adjust even faster. And of course, exercise always helps.

A: 好吧！ 我回头就要把这些窍门都用上！好了，节目快结束了，我们最后再来学个词儿！

Learn A Word 1609 tell-all

今天我们要学的词是 tell-all. tell-all is spelled t-e-l-l, all, a-l-l, tell-all. Tell-all 意思是毫无保留的，全盘揭秘的。Arnold Schwarzenegger says in his tell-all book that his affair with the maid was stupid. 施瓦辛格在他全盘大揭秘的新书中说，自己跟女佣的婚外情愚蠢之极。Pop megastar Justin Bieber’s mom revealed her painful past in her tell-all book. 流行巨星贾斯汀.比伯的妈妈在大揭秘新书中，公布了自己以往痛苦的经历。有报道说，Monica Lewinsky is set to write a tell-all book about her affair with former president Bill Clinton, including her love letters to Bill. 莱文斯基正准备写一本书，彻底揭秘她跟前总统克林顿的那段婚外情，其中包括她写给克林顿的情书。好的，今天我们学习的词是 tell-all, tell-all, tell-all….

A: 哇！全盘大揭秘！Someday when I’m famous, I can write a tell-all book as well….

B: Oh, about what? About how much you eat and sleep?

A: 听众朋友们，mike 很天真可爱，每次都不知道自己已经死到临头了。 哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

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美语训练班  第083课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天，我们要聊聊怎么及时行乐，看看在美国打官司的繁琐流程，还要告诉你怎么说自以为是!

B: Eat, drink and be merry! That’s my motto in life!

A: Exactly. That’s why I end up doing all the work for you!

B: Yeah, as if that’s true….

A: 哈哈，不过确实，我觉得好多中国人活得太累了，看欧洲小镇的人民，多潇洒! 好了，我们现在先言归正传，来进入第一个单元，Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1615 much-needed

今天我们要学的词是 much-needed. much is spelled m-u-c-h, much, needed is spelled n-e-e-d-e-d, needed, much-needed. much-needed 急需的。The school received a much-need grant to keep its band. 学校得到了一笔急需的补助金，保住了学校的乐队。It was a much-needed win for our team. 我们球队太需要这场胜利了。The students can finally get some much-needed sleep after the final exams. 期终考试结束后，学生们终于可以补补觉了。The first presidential debate delivered a much-needed boost for Romney. 总统候选人之间的第一场辩论，对罗姆尼的选战是一次非常及时的推动。好的，今天我们学习的词是 much-needed, much-needed, much-needed….

A: 说起much-needed, 我也来造个句。After this long thanksgiving road trip, I definitely will enjoy a much-needed break.

B: I agree. Well I mean, on top of that, I plan to start a much-needed diet so I can get rid of these love handles.

A: You look ok! Just keep going to the gym; I’m sure these holiday weight will be gone in a jiffy.

B: I don’t know 杨琳. I think my body has this magic power to hold on to fat. And I have really low self-control over gourmet food, especially with all the Christmas and new year family get-together coming up!

A: 哎呀，节日期间，别这么悲观嘛! In my opinion, all the holiday calories will convert into happy mood! Eat, drink and be merry! 及时行乐，回头的事儿回头再说嘛!

B: Haha, I like your attitude!

A: 刚才我说到了及时行乐，在今天的美语怎么说里，咱们就来听听看这个词儿要怎么用!

How to say it in American English

Jessica在北京学汉语，她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教她。今天是方方要问的：及时行乐

Jessica: Fangfang, how was your date last night? I heard he was quite a looker!

FF: 唉，怎么说呢…这男生长得是不错，可是话不投机! 我说我爱游泳，他说小心被淹，我说我爱旅游，他说旅游就是花钱买罪受!

Jessica: Really? He’s a Debbie downer!

FF: Debbie? 他不叫Debbie.

Jessica: No, Debbie downer refers to those who are so negative and always bring down the mood of other people.

FF: 我明白了，说一个人特消极，老说丧气话打击别人，就可以用Debbie downer. My date from last night was such a Debbie downer that I went home with a heavy heart!

Jessica: That was no fun! We shouldn’t let a Debbie downer ruin our high spirits.

FF: 就是的! 我还是喜欢积极向上，阳光型的! 这种人用美语又怎么说呢？

Jessica: You can say he has a sunny personality.

FF: 嗯! I want to go out with a man who has a sunny personality. He can cheer me up when I’m moody.

Jessica: I used to date a guy like that! He is the most positive person I’ve ever known and he always seems so contend.

FF: 可以想像。对人生要求不多，只要及时行乐，这就是我的理想男友的标准! 那及时行乐又怎么说呢？

Jessica: We say “eat, drink and be merry.”

FF: Eat, drink and be merry. 吃，喝，快快乐乐。Gosh! This is my motto in life!

Jessica: It is mine, too!

FF:今天我们学了：阴沉丧气的人是Debbie downer, 阳光向上的性格是sunny personality, 及时行乐则是to eat, drink and be merry.

A: 嗯，这里说的真对! 我就特别喜欢有sunny personality 的人，跟这种人在一起，整个人也会变得阳光起来!

B: Oh, I get it now! It is my sunny personality that attracts all the people around me! No wonder I’m so popular!

A: OMG….自以为是大王! 您的自信都流出来了吧….

B: Haha, I’m kidding I’m kidding. But seriously, laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone. (if you think this is too cheesy change it….)

A: 没错! 刚才我说Mike自以为是，在今天的words and idioms里，咱们就来学学这个词儿用美语怎么说!

Words and Idioms 993

现在播送美国习惯用语第 993讲。我是杨琳。

M: 我是Steve Baragona.

最近我们这正在招聘新的制片人。来面试的人很多，其中有个女的，她的简历特别好，但是面试过程不太顺利。她不停吹嘘自己得了多少多少奖，做过多少独家访谈，有多少新奇的创意什么的。所有面试官都认为她的性格不合适这份工作，这也让我想到了一句习惯用语，那就是:

M: Full of oneself. Full is spelled F-U-L-L.Full of oneself.

如果我们说一个人full of oneself, 意思就是他特别自以为是。就像上面我提到的这个来面试的人: All the boasting she did led the interviewers to conclude that she was FULL OF HERSELF. 她不停吹嘘自己，让面试官都觉得她特别自大。太自以为是的人确实很难成为团队的一员。下面的例子里就要谈到这样一个人，我们来听听看:

M: “It can’t be denied that Donald Trump is extremely successful in the business world. Through his many investments and ownership of luxurious properties, he’s worth about $2.9 billion. Still, his critics think he’s incredibly FULL OF HIMSELF. Maybe he wouldn’t be so great if he weren’t conceited?!”

[这段话是说: 无可否认的是，特朗普在商业界确实非常成功。通过各种投资和他所拥有的众多豪华地产，他的身价已经达到了近29亿美元。不过，批评人士仍然认为他过于高傲自大。或许如果不是这样的话，他也不会有今天的成功吧？ ]

对啊! 我想很多人都看过特朗普的真人电视秀”学徒”。在节目中，20名年轻男女争夺为他工作的机会。如果他们失败了，他就会告诉他们:”你被解雇了!” 在我看来，这并不是真正的娱乐节目。简直就是他自我炫耀的机器! 好了，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “It can’t be denied that Donald Trump is extremely successful in the business world. Through his many investments and ownership of luxurious properties, he’s worth about $2.9 billion. Still, his critics think he’s incredibly FULL OF HIMSELF. Maybe he wouldn’t be so great if he weren’t conceited?!”

自大的人当然很让人讨厌，可是世界上也有很多与此相反的人，让我们来听听下面这个例子：

M: “Cheryl and I almost didn’t go on a first date. That’s because my ex-girlfriend lied about me to her and said that I was FULL OF MYSELF. Luckily, Cheryl didn’t listen to her. After meeting me, she decided that I was actually not self-important at all. So we started going out and now are thinking about getting married.”

[这段话是说：谢丽儿和我几乎没见面，就错过了彼此。这是因为我的前女友告诉她说我特别自大。幸好谢丽儿没有听她的话。与我见面之后，她觉得我其实并不是那种自我膨胀的人，然后我们开始约会，现在已经开始考虑结婚了。]

幸好这个谢丽儿是个思想开放的人。有些人人云亦云，听到别人怎么说就会怎么做，也就导致了无法改变的刻板印象。幸好上面这对情侣没有就此错过! 好的，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “Cheryl and I almost didn’t go on a first date. That’s because my ex-girlfriend lied about me to her and said that I was FULL OF MYSELF. Luckily, Cheryl didn’t listen to her. After meeting me, she decided that I was actually not self-important at all. So we started going out and now are thinking about getting married.”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是full of oneself, 意思是自以为是。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是杨琳，我是Steve Baragona。谢谢各位的收听。

A: I really don’t want to deal with those people who’re full of themselves. I remember I used to have a co-worker who’s always bragging about how he is the best at doing everything, it’s so annoying!
B: I know. Winston Churchill once said “Attitude is little thing that makes a big difference.”

A: Yeah, exactly. Now you know how hard my life is since I have to deal with you…maybe I can get some compensation out of this….

B: 杨琳，seriously, I’m so going to sue you based on these emotional damages!

A: Don’t you know it’s illegal to threat to sue someone if you don’t mean to actually do it? 不过啊，在今天的business etiquette里，Barry的公司就真被人家起诉了! 咱们来听听他们要怎么应对吧!

礼节美语A Lawsuit I

Barry 召集公司同事开会，有个坏消息要宣布。

Barry: Well, folks…I’m afraid I have some bad news. Our lawyers told me this morning that we are being sued.

Chris: Sued? Who’s suing us?

Susan: And on what grounds?

B: An Australian man named John Smith alleged that his microwave exploded while he was using it last year. Mr. Smith suffered injuries and he wants compensation.

C: How much compensation does he want?

B: His lawyers are asking for two million dollars.

S: Two million! That’s insane!

Barry 说，公司被告了，We are being sued. sued is spelled s-u-e-d, sued, 是控告、起诉的意思。Susan问，起诉罪名是什么，on what grounds? grounds 在这里是理由、根据的意思。Barry说，原告是一个澳大利亚人，被微波炉炸伤，索赔两百万美元，Susan觉得 That’s insane! 这简直是疯了!

C: This is how the game is played. They ask for millions but it’s usually a negotiating tactic.

B: Yeah, Chris is probably right. The figure of two million dollars is a place to begin bargaining from. They are probably hoping to settle the case quickly.

S: But Barry, we don’t manufacture microwave ovens! How in the world are we responsible for an accident like this?

B: We might not manufacture microwaves, but our company does make a heat-sensing component that is part of many microwaves. Maybe Chris can shed some light on this, Chris?

Chris说，对方要价两百万只是一种谈判策略， a negotiating tactic。Barry也觉得对方希望 settle the case quickly，尽快了结案子。可是，公司不生产微波炉，为什么要为微波炉爆炸赔钱呢？Barry 请 Chris 给大家解释一下，shed some light on this. Chris 说，

C: If I’m not mistaken, you’re referring to our company’s sensor chips. They are small chips that help control how heat is regulated.

S: So our chip made the microwave blow up?

C: Not exactly. The chip might have malfunctioned, but I doubt it. We test those products very rigorously and our quality control is strong. I don’t think we are responsible for the explosion.

S: I don’t believe the sensor could cause an explosion. We are innocent! This lawsuit is totally without merit!

原来，他们公司生产的 sensor chip 感应芯片是微波炉的感热部件。不过Chris说，公司质检很严格，所以芯片应该和微波炉爆炸无关。这么说，This lawsuit is totally without merit, 这桩诉讼完全就是无理取闹。那么，公司要如何应对这桩官司呢？我们下次继续听。

A: 公司被别人告了，要求赔偿200万美金，Barry说，这只是 a negotiating tactic 谈判策略，肯定不用陪这么多钱，但是他希望能settle the case quickly 尽快了结案子。 Chris说，This lawsuit is totally without merit 这桩诉讼完全就是无理取闹。无端端被人告，真是太郁闷了!

B: Yeah, it’s never pleasant to get involve in a lawsuit. Not only you have to prepare tons of paperwork, the lawyer fee is also astronomical….plus, I always feel like lawyers are more interested in winning an argument then actually finding out the truth, so you never know what’s going to happen.

A: 可不是嘛! 不过说起来，上次我停车拿到了罚单，还去法庭上诉了呢! 结果钱就拿回来啦! 还不错!

B: Yeah, but those cases are totally different. Let’s continue to listen and find out how the company is going to deal with this lawsuit!

礼节美语A Lawsuit II

公司被人状告索赔，同事们在讨论如何应对。

S: So how does this work? What will we have to do?

B: A lawyer will stop by next week and take statements from each of us.

S: What kind of statement are they looking for?

B: It will probably be just a basic statement about what you know about our company’s heat sensors. They will want to know if you had any knowledge of a cover-up of defective products.

Barry说，下周律师会来提取证词，看看 if you had any knowledge of a cover-up of defective products. 员工是否知道公司有掩盖问题产品的行为。cover-up 意思是掩盖。defective 意思是有缺陷。

S: I don’t know anything about sensors! I’m an accountant!

B: Then that’s exactly what you tell them. Just stick to the truth.

C: I’ll start preparing our test records and compiling data about our products.

S: Why do you need to do that?

B: We need to prove that we are not liable. Let’s give Mr. Smith’s lawyers access to our internal memos and quality control data. We have nothing to hide.

跟律师谈话，要据实以告, stick to the truth, 因为 we have nothing to hide. 我们没什么好隐瞒的。 Barry还说，公司会允许原告律师查看公司内部备忘录和质检数据。To give someone access to something 意思是允许某人接触某物。

S: Does this mean I will have to testify in court?

B: That’s very possible. We might all be called as witnesses.

S: What should I tell them?

B: Just answer all the questions truthfully. We stand by our products and we’re proud of our company.

C: They will probably question me more because I’m the engineer. I’m going to have to do some homework and brush up on my knowledge.

Barry 说，大家都有可能要出庭作证。 Chris 是工程师，说自己要 do some homework， 准备一下，and brush up on my knowledge，温习一下相关的业务知识。

S: But what if we lose? If we have to make such a big payout, we might go bankrupt!

B: Hold your horses! First, we won’t lose…but if we do, our lawyers will appeal the verdict.

S: But the other side can appeal too!

B: Yes, that’s true. But eventually this case will come to a conclusion and no more appeals are allowed. Who knows? We might even counter-sue them for making false allegations.

C: Sounds like a plan.

Susan 担心，如果官司打输，就要make a big payout，赔很多钱，导致公司破产。Barry劝她说： Hold your horses! 别着急! 就算输了也可以appeal the verdict, 上诉。公司甚至可以counter-sue， 反诉原告，罪名是making false allegations 诬告。

A: 律师下周会来取证，Barry说，我们要stick to the truth, 据实相告，因为we have nothing to hide, 没什么可隐瞒的。Chris是公司的工程师，他准备brush up on his knowledge, 温习一下相关的业务知识。Barry说，即使第一次打输了，也可以appeal the verdict上诉。看来，身正不怕影子歪! 公司没做什么错事，所以也不怕来个诉讼!
aLarry
B: Yeah, normally big companies will have lawyers to deal with such things. It happens on a daily basis. Maybe I can ask my friend to represent me when I decide to sue you….

A: Well…yeah…as if you have such a friend…好了，节目快结束了，我们最后再来学个词儿！

Learn A Word 1619 disposable

今天我们要学的词是disposable. Disposable is spelled d-i-s-p-o-s-a-b-l-e, disposable. Disposable意思是可以任意处理的。The Boulder City Council approved a proposal that would charge a 20-cent fee on all disposable grocery bags. 博德尔市政委员会批准了一项对所有一次性购物袋收缴20美分的提案。日本一家化学场发生爆炸停产，这家工厂的产品是一次性尿布的重要元素。The shutdown of production triggered widespread fear about a global disposable diapers shortage. 工厂停产让外界担心，一次性尿布可能会出现全球范围内的短缺。最新报告说，A double-income family has to save all its disposable income for about 29 years to buy a new home in Taipei. 一个有两份收入的家庭，要把可支配收入全部攒下来，29年后才能在台北买一栋新房子。今天我们学习的词是disposable, disposable, disposable….

A: I know exactly the word that I can use to describe you: disposable, very disposable.

B: (say something….)

A: 哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。 如果你有什么建议，或者想提什么问题，请发电子邮件到meiyu@voanews.com.

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

---

美语训练班  第084课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天，我们要聊聊怎么对付讨厌的飞机场安检，看看现在经济情况下最好投资什么，还要告诉你怎么说行迹可疑！

B: Ugh! Airport security is such a hassle! Every time I go to China, I have to stand in line for hours! The security checks are the worst, you have to take off your shoes, take off your hat, remove your belt, and I end up feeling like a criminal!

A: Yeah, everyone hates airport security, but sometimes it’s better to be safe than sorry! Also, are you sure it’s not because you look suspicious with that beard?

B: What? My beard is awesome!

A: 哈哈，其实说起机场安检我也一肚子牢骚！不过呢这个咱们等会再说，赶快先来进入第一个单元，Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1620 hiccup

今天我们要学的词是 hiccup. Hiccup is spelled h-i-c-c-u-p, hiccup. Hiccup 打嗝，可以引伸为小障碍，小问题。Google’s Gmail had a significant service hiccup earlier this year. 谷歌电邮Gmail今年早些时候曾出现过服务大规模中断的情况。美国邮政总局今年先后两次支付不起退休员工的医疗保险费用。These two incidents are not temporary hiccups for the postal system. 这两次拖欠情况并非邮政系统遇到的暂时的困难。Apple’s Map app had some hiccups when it was first released. 苹果的地图应用刚刚推出的时候，曾遇到了一些磕磕绊绊。好的，今天我们学习的词是 hiccup, hiccup, hiccup….

A: 这个好玩，我还不知道 hiccup，打嗝，还有小障碍的意思！那我也来造个句：After an initial hiccup in submitting my time card, I FINALLY GOT PAID!!

B: WOOOHOO! That means you’re going to buy me lunch right?

A: Sure! 午饭我来请！

B: Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second, you have never been so generous to me, what’s going on here?

A: Nothing’s going on! I just want to treat my co-worker to a nice lunch, what’s wrong with that? (slow and suspicious)

B: I definitely smell some funny business. I guess I’ll pass you up on this …

A: 哈哈哈，胆小鬼！不过呢你刚才提到了一个很好的词儿，funny business, 在今天的words and idioms里，我们就要来学学这个习惯用语的用法！

B: Let’s listen!

Words and Idioms 994

现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 994讲。我是杨琳。

M: 我是Steve Baragona.

我一直觉得我的邻居看起来很可疑，他年纪轻轻，有什么正经工作，可是他却开着一辆豪华轿车，还有一艘游艇。后来我注意到，总是有人上他家做客，而且这些人都是过半个小时就出来。这可疑的情形，让我想到了一句习惯用语，那就是:

M: Funny business. Funny is spelled f-u-n-n-y, and business; b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s. Funny business. Funny business.

这两个词大家应该都非常熟悉，funny 滑稽可笑的，business 事情，生意。连起来，funny business, 意思却来了个180度大转弯，指的是非法的，或者不合道德的。所以说, After seeing people coming and going from the neighbor’s house, I began to suspect there was some FUNNY BUSINESS taking place. 看到我邻居家老是有人进进出处，我开始怀疑他们在进行什么非法交易。居然被我猜对了！1个月之后，警察就出现在他们的家门口，原来他在做毒品交易。幸好这不是个暴力案件，而在下面的例子里，我们来看看这名记者为我们讲述一场犯罪情况:

M: “The cop knew the crook was armed and dangerous. When she finally caught him, he was told to throw down his gun and put his hands up over his head. She also warned him not to try any FUNNY BUSINESS. It was clear that she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if he made any wrong moves.”

[这段话是说: 警察知道这个坏人身上带了枪，很危险。她最终抓到他的时候，警察告诉他放下武器并把手放到脑后，并且警告他不要耍任何把戏。很明显，如果他有任何举动，警察会毫不犹豫地开枪。]

警察的顾虑是对的。很多犯罪份子都会在他们的衣服或者鞋里藏另一把枪。这就是为什么警察需要随时保持警惕。The cop needs to remain cautious in case there’s any funny business. 为防止坏人耍把戏，警察必须随时随地保持警惕。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “The cop knew the crook was armed and dangerous. When she finally caught him, he was told to throw down his gun and put his hands up over his head. She also warned him not to try any FUNNY BUSINESS. It was clear that she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot if he made any wrong moves.”

上面我们说到, funny business 除了指非法的事情，还可以指不道德，不合理的行为。下面的例子就讲到了这样一个情况，让我们来听听看:

M: “Recently, Paula’s husband was busier than ever, and had to go out of town one weekend every month to meet with clients. She started to wonder if there was some FUNNY BUSINESS going on. Soon enough, she found purchases of women’s jewelry and lingerie on his credit card bill. He was having an affair with his secretary!”

[这段话是说：宝拉的丈夫最近比以往都要忙，而且每个月都有一个周末要出差，去跟客户见面。宝拉开始怀疑是不是有什么问题。不久之后，她发现丈夫在用信用卡购买女士珠宝和内衣。原来他跟他的秘书有一腿!]

女人的第六感通常特别准! 就像上次我带我的前男友回家，我妈妈就特别不喜欢他! 她觉得这个人看起来不够正直。之后的几个星期，我们竟然一起看到这个男人在跟别的女生约会! 可真不怎么样! 呵呵，好了，言归正传，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “Paula’s husband was having to work late more and more. Then, he was expected to spend one weekend every month away to meet with clients. She started wondering if there was some FUNNY BUSINESS going on. Soon enough, she found purchases of women’s jewelry and lingerie on his credit card bill. He was having an affair with his secretary!”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是funny business, 意思是非法的，不合道德的。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是杨琳，我是Steve Baragona。谢谢各位的收听。

B: Ugh, it would be awful to find out that your husband or wife is cheating on you! I’m so glad that I don’t have to deal with that kind of funny business.

A: Well, I don’t think you need to worry about that Mike. 你姐姐不是都说了么？你们家娶不上儿媳妇啦！（B: Hey!!) I am kidding, I’m kidding. Yeah, I hope that never happens to either of us!

B: Well, I think your best bet is to make sure your relationship with your spouse is based on good communication. I feel like if people could learn to talk about what makes them angry instead of bottling things up, everyone would be a lot happier.

A: True! You also mentioned another good word “best bet” , 咱们来看看这个词儿该怎么用！

Learn A Word 1624 best bet

今天我们要学的词是 best bet. best is spelled b-e-s-t, best, bet is spelled b-e-t, bet, best bet. best bet 意思是最好的选择。投资业界人士说，Stocks are still the best bet for long term investment. 从长期投资来说，股票依然是最佳选择。银行业专家说，Credit Unions are still the best bet for consumers. 对消费者来说，信用合作社依然是他们的最佳选择。在美国目前这种经济不景气，工作不好找的大环境下，A college degree is still your best bet for getting a job and a decent pay. 拥有一个大学学位，依旧是帮大家找到一份工作，得到像样收入的最有效的手段。好的，今天我们学习的词是 best bet, best bet, best bet….

A: Hmm, what do you think is our best bet to make our show go viral? I think we need to interact with our fans more on 微博.

B: Well, that leopard print dress you have might do the trick (laughs) ok ok, actually I think our best bet is to use social media more effectively by posting more practical language points everyday as well as interact more with our fans.

A: Lucky for us, I am the Office’s social media expert!

B: 杨琳, spending all day on Facebook when you should be working does not qualify you as an expert!

A: What? That’s YOU! You had better get wise to who is in charge here, otherwise I might have to bring you back to heel again (both laugh)

B: (Laughs) ok ok, speaking of “get wise to”, now let’s get wise to the meaning of this idiom!
Words and Idioms 995

现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 995讲。我是小北。

M: 我是Dan.

我有个朋友在政府部门工作。他这工作以前可是个“肥缺”，经常用公款吃喝旅游。可好景不长，这种挥霍公款的行为被发现了，他被调查机构请去喝茶了。这让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是:

M: Get wise to. Wise is spelled w-i-s-e. Get-wise-to.

Wise, 形容词，是“明智”的意思。Get wise to somebody or something 是“知道，了解到”的意思。The investigators began to get wise to the reckless spending of taxpayer money. 调查人员开始察觉到挥霍纳税人钱财的行为。 在下面的例子中，也有一个人像我的朋友一样，没法继续过舒服日子了。

M: “Our department is so big. That’s why no one noticed that Fred was often out of the office on Mondays. But then the boss started holding staff meetings at the beginning of the week. Soon, she GOT WISE TO Fred and his frequent absences. Since she became aware of the situation, Fred hasn’t missed a day of work!!”

[这段话是说: 我们部门太大了，所以没人注意到弗莱德经常星期一时不在办公室。不过后来，老板开始星期一召开员工会议。很快，她就发现了弗莱德经常不在的情况。从那以后，弗莱德再也没逃过一天工!]

不来上班？旷工？他胆子还真大。不过说起来，办公室里经常有些人偷偷上网买东西，或者网上聊天，Then they act shocked when their supervisors have gotten wise to them. 当他们的领导发现他们的这些小动作时，他们往往会吓一跳。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “Our department is so big. That’s why no one noticed that Fred was often out of the office on Mondays. But then the boss started holding staff meetings at the beginning of the week. Soon, she GOT WISE TO Fred and his frequent absences. Since she became aware of the situation, Fred hasn’t missed a day of work!!”

我一个好朋友交了个新男友，这人看上去随和幽默，绝对是个好男人。可有一次，我朋友无意间发现这男人手机中有不少暧昧短信，When he knew that she was getting wise to his deception, he stopped calling her. 这个男人知道我朋友已经察觉到他不忠的行为后，就不在联络她了。所以说，看人不能光看外表。当然，买东西的时候，也不能光听商家的花言巧语，让我们来听听下面这个句子:

M: “My wife is a smart consumer. She’s often alert to products that advertise being healthy when they actually contain too much sugar, fat or chemicals. She also notices when products claim to offer more, but actually contain less. When she GETS WISE TO those manufacturers, she blogs about them. She simply doesn’t want anyone else to be fooled.”

[这段话的意思是说：我太太是个聪明的消费者。她经常会留意那些把自己标榜得很健康，但其实含有大量糖、脂肪或化学成分的商品，以及那些声称很实惠其实很不划算的东西。一旦识破这些商家的把戏，她就会去网上写博客揭露它们。她不想让其他消费者上当。]

我们要感谢这种热心人! 我们小区里也有这样的人，他们会定期给所有居民写信，告诉大家社区的最新动态，以及地方政府都做了些什么事情。Thanks to these people, I’ve gotten wise to all kinds of recent decisions by my town council. 托他们的福，我对镇政府近期做出的决定都有所了解。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “My wife is a smart consumer. She’s often alert to products that advertise being healthy when they actually contain too much sugar, fat or chemicals. She also notices when products claim to offer more, but actually contain less. When she GETS WISE TO those manufacturers, she blogs about them. She simply doesn’t want anyone else to be fooled.”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是get wise to, 意思是知道，了解到。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是小北，我是Dan。谢谢各位的收听，下次再见。

A: I can’t wait to fly home for 春节 this year! It’s been almost five years since I’ve been home for the spring festival.

B: Five years? Man that is a long time! It’s always nice to spend time with your family, but the flight to China is such a pain in the neck!

A: Tell me about it! The security check for international flights is such a hassle. 这两天我就琢磨呢，我怎么带两台苹果电脑回去捏？

B: Well, you can give one to me, and I will bring it back for you….. whenever that is.

A: 你又开始做梦了….I’d better get wise to the new airport and custom rules before my trip!

B: In today’s Business Etiquette, Lisa is telling her co-worker Jonah about what happened on her trip back home. Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Airport Hassles I

Lisa 从美国出差回来，同事Jonah问她此行的情况。

Jonah: Lisa! You’re home! Nice to see you! How was your trip to America?

Lin: The trip was good, but boy, American airport security is such a hassle!! I was standing in line for over two hours!

J: Oh…that’s a long time!

L: You said it! They made me take off my shoes, take off my hat, remove my belt…and then they still frisked me! I felt like a criminal!

J: Well, you know what they say: better safe than sorry!

Lisa 抱怨美国机场安检麻烦，American airport security is such a hassle, hassle is spelled h-a-s-s-l-e, hassle意思是惹人烦恼的事。脱了鞋帽，解了腰带不说，they still frisked me! 安检人员还是搜了她的身。frisk is spelled f-r-i-s-k 意思是搜身。不过Jonah说，better safe than sorry 小心总比出事好。

L: Yeah…but I’m not too sure they’re making us any safer. I saw them pat down this old lady. She was at least 80 years old! There is no way she could be a terrorist!

J: Yeah, well the U.S. government says they are doing random searches. So if you are the fifth person to walk through security, you’ll get searched.

L: But isn’t that sort of ridiculous? What if the fifth person is a pregnant mother with a small child? Are they really very likely to be involved in terrorism?

J: Maybe not, but the government says it’s the only fair way to do it…otherwise people might say they are doing racial profiling.

Lisa说，她看见一个老太太也被搜身，I saw them pat down this old lady，pat down和frisk一样，也是搜身。Jonah说，这是 random search, 随机抽查，如果不这么做，就会有人觉得安检人员是在racial profiling。什么是racial profiling呢？

L: What’s racial profiling?

J: Racial profiling means singling out a certain group of people for special investigation. For example, if a security agent only searches people who look like they are from the Middle East, that would be racial profiling.

L: But not many 80-year old great grandmothers are terrorists, either!

J: I see your point, but it’s hard to know how to do the searching fairly. Should we stop everyone who has a beard?

L: No, of course not. But there must be a better way than making me wait for more than two hours while they search the inside of my shoes. Do I look like a terrorist?

原来，racial profiling 就是把某个种族的人作为调查目标，有歧视之嫌，这里所说的 to single out someone 就是把某人单独挑出来的意思。Jonah说，虽然随机检查有它的缺点，但除此以外，很难找到公平的办法。Lisa 似乎并没有被说服，我们下次继续听。

A: Lisa向同事Jonah抱怨美国机场安检太过苛刻，it’s such a hassle, 让人恼火，不仅要脱鞋，解腰带，而且每五个人就要frisk or pat down, 搜身。Jonah说，这是机场的random search，随机抽查，不然安检人员可能就会被控racial profiling, 有种族歧视的嫌疑。

B: It’s really hard to single out who poses a real threat though. I agree the US airport sometimes go overboard with these security checks. Sometimes they will even stop pregnant women!

A: But it’s possible that she’s hiding something in her belly! Actually they are strict with everybody. Last time when I entered the U.S., the customs officer made me list all the courses I was taking at graduate school, and then the security officer asked me to open my suitcase and checked the items one by one! I was about to faint after 20 hours of flying and all these hassles!

B: Tell me about it. I always want to go to China, but customs and airport security are the biggest things that hold me back. But again, 911 was such a real shock for our nation. I guess better safe than sorry.

A: 没错！好了，Lisa还在跟Jonah抱怨这些麻烦的安检，咱们继续来听吧！

礼节美语-Airport hassles II

Lisa 向同事Jonah抱怨，美国机场安检太麻烦。Jonah解释说：

J: Anyone could be a bad guy. Remember that guy who tried to blow up a plane with a bomb in his shoes? He got through security too easily because he had a UK passport.

L: Yeah, these days it is hard to know who to trust. And I guess I can understand if the United States is a bit overprotective.

J: Yeah, 9-11 changed America in a big way. Everyone got really freaked out…maybe too freaked out.

Jonah说，人不可貌相，现在谁都可能是坏人。Lisa表示，I can understand if the United States is a bit overprotective，就算美国的保护措施有点过份了，也可以理解。Jonah说，9-11恐怖袭击改变了美国，Everyone got really freaked out， 所有人都吓坏了。

L: I can understand that. The attacks on New York and the Pentagon were a real shock!

J: But I have to agree that maybe the U.S. went overboard with precautions. The last time I flew into New York, they told me I had to throw away a tiny bottle of aftershave! It was only a five c.c. bottle, but they said it could contain some kind of explosive material!

L: Yeah, no liquids are allowed. They even confiscated my tiny scissors! I don’t think it’s possible for a five foot woman like me to hijack a plane with tiny scissors!

J: (Chuckle) Yep. But as they say: rules are rules…no exceptions.

Jonah 说，maybe the U.S. went overboard with precautions，美国的预防措施可能确实有些过份。overboard is spelled o-v-e-r-b-o-a-r-d, go overboard 意思是过头了。Jonah就曾被迫扔掉一小瓶刮胡水，throw away a tiny bottle of aftershave. Lisa 的小剪刀也被没收过。

L: I was going to complain to the security personnel, but they looked so serious and scary!

J: Yeah, you don’t want to complain because that will get you nowhere. Just try to be as
cooperative as possible. If you raise a fuss, they will arrest you!

L: Well, I hope someday the threat of terrorism will be gone and we can travel without all these hassles.

J: I’d like that too, but don’t bet on it. I don’t know if terrorism is going away anytime soon.

L: I guess I’d better learn how to live with the hassles then.

J: That’s probably the wiser choice!

Jonah告诉 Lisa，抱怨也没用，that will get you nowhere. 此外，If you raise a fuss, they will arrest you! 如果你找麻烦，他们还会把你抓起来！只要恐怖威胁不消失，就只好 learn how to live with the hassles，学习如何在麻烦中生活吧！

A: Learn how to live with the hassles, 学习在麻烦中生活！ 这简直就是说出了我的心声呀！ I think I’m just going to have to learn to live with the hassle of working with you.

B: Hassle indeed! You wouldn’t know what to do without me in this office!

A: 哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

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美语训练班  第085课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天我们要聊聊神秘的直觉，看看在美国如何闪购，还要告诉你怎么说有商有量!

B: Yeah, I have this gut feeling that I should start investing into Chinese companies! I bet I can make a ton of money on the Chinese stock market!

A: Whoa wait, can you even buy stocks on the Chinese stock market? I thought you had to be a Chinese citizen to do that!

B: Well, you do. But I have this friend in Shenzhen that I met over QQ. He says if I send him a check for 3000 dollars and my bank account info he’ll buy stocks for me!

A: You realize in all likelihood this is a scam, right?! He’s not your friend, he’s just trying to steal your money!

B: What? No no no! You are just being overly paranoid Yanglin.

A: 你真是二中最二! 那我也不劝你了，咱们赶快先来进入第一个单元，Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1626 likelihood

今天我们要学的词是 likelihood. likelihood is spelled l-i-k-e-l-i-h-o-o-d, likelihood. likelihood 可能性。美国西维吉尼亚州连续六年，一直是开车最容易撞到鹿的州。The likelihood of a West Virginian driver to hit a deer is 1 in 68. 西维吉尼亚州有驾照的人，每68个人里，就有一个人可能会撞上鹿。 飓风Sandy在美东登岸前，天气预报说，The likelihood of a big storm, with monster winds and heavy rains is increasing. 天气出现狂风暴雨的可能性越来越大。以往八届总统大选，美国科罗拉多大学都事先准确地预测出了选举结果。这次，The model indicates that Mitt Romney has a 77 percent likelihood of winning the popular vote. 该模型预计，罗姆尼有77%的可能赢得全民选票。好的，今天我们学习的词是 likelihood, likelihood, likelihood….

A: Mike, just to let you know, there’s a 99% likelihood that you are going to have to take over all my work when I go home for the spring festival.

B:What!! That’s not fair!

A: But you always claim that you are doing all the work! So it shouldn’t be a problem right?

B: (laughs) Fine, but I feel like I need to be compensated. What are you willing to offer?

A: (Jokingly) I can tell you about all the great things I eat in Beijing when I’m back.

B: Sorry girly, but this is a give and take relationship. (Both Laugh)

A: Jokes aside, you mentioned a really good phrase: give and take. Why don’t we listen and find out what it means

Words and Idioms 996

现在播送美国习惯用语第 996讲。我是小北。

M: 我是Dan.

咱们生活中常有这样的人：能力强，热心肠，点子多，可就是听不得别人说“不”。给这种人提意见，很难被采纳。因为他们不喜欢—

M: Give and take. Give is spelled g-i-v-e, and take; t-a-k-e. Give-and-take.

大家一定都知道Give是给的意思，Take则是“拿”，give and take有给有拿，引伸为“有商有量”，妥协折衷。Those who don’t appreciate give and take are not likely to listen to others. 那些不喜欢妥协折衷的人不太可能听取别人的意见。在下面的例子中，我们要听一听，在夫妻相处之道中，是不是也需要一些妥协。

M: “It’s natural for couples to argue once in a while. But whether those two people will have a long future together often depends on how well they work out their differences. Conflicts shouldn’t always be about one person being right and the other wrong. There has to be a healthy GIVE AND TAKE. Without that ability to negotiate, couples can’t survive.”

[这段话是说: 夫妻间有时发生争吵是很正常的。但是两人是否能长久地一起生活下去通常取决于他们能不能调和彼此间的差异。在有冲突时，并不一定要分出谁对谁错。俩人之间必须有健康的商量妥协。如果俩人都不肯低头，那日子过不长久。]

很多幸福夫妻都说，过日子的秘诀是宽容对方的缺点，而不是争辩是非对错。英文里有句话叫My way or the highway! 意思就是“不按我说的做就拉倒!”，大有顺我者昌逆我者亡的意味。要是按照这个原则去经营婚姻，恐怖得一路打到离婚。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “It’s natural for couples to argue once in a while. But whether those two people will have a long future together often depends on how well they work out their differences. Conflicts shouldn’t always be about one person being right and the other wrong. There has to be a healthy GIVE AND TAKE. Without that ability to negotiate, couples can’t survive.”

Do you negotiate with others or do you feel that give and take is a sign of weakness? 你会和别人妥协么？还是觉得和别人商量就等于服软？其实，遇事和他人有商有量，达成大家都喜欢的结果，对一个团队是非常有益的，下面这个句子就是一例，我们来听听:

M: “Our labor union has few complaints with the managers of our factory. That’s because everyone works pretty well together. Whenever there’s a conflict, we sit down together and discuss the best way to deal with it. Each side is willing to let the other get some of what it wants. That GIVE AND TAKE makes for a much better environment.”

[这段话意思是说：我们的工会从来不会收到对工厂管理人员的投诉。这是因为大家共事得相当愉快。每次有矛盾出现时，我们都坐下讨论最好的解决办法。每一方都愿意让另外一方达到部分目的。这种凡事有商有量的方式营造了一个更优良的环境。]

这种相互尊重的态度往往能带来双赢的结果。不是说偏听则暗，兼信则明么。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M:“Our labor union has few complaints with the managers of our factory. That’s because everyone works pretty well together. Whenever there’s a conflict, we sit down together and discuss the best way to deal with it. Each side is willing to let the other get some of what it wants. That GIVE AND TAKE makes for a much better environment.”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是give and take, 意思有商有量，妥协折衷。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是小北，我是Dan。谢谢各位的收听，下次再见。

A: Ah, I miss shopping in the night markets in China! I loved the give and take of haggling with the merchants to get the best deal possible.

B: Really? I was always so intimidated and felt like I was getting ripped off. I think I would rather just pay whatever is on the price tag…..

A: You are such a baby! 跟小商贩打交道，砍价是必备本领!

B: Well, bargaining is not my strong point. Generally I just go online and look for flash sales, which are a lot cheaper than the ticket price.

A: Because I’m your friend I’m going to give you the facts: you have zero strong points. But you just mentioned a really good word, flash sale! 咱们来学学这个词儿是什么意思!

Learn A Word1635 flash sale

今天我们要学的词是 flash sale, flash is spelled f-l-a-s-h, flash, sale is spelled s-a-l-e, sale, flash sale. Flash sale 是限时抢购，也叫闪购。有研究显示，Accessories are among the most sought after items on flash sale sites. 闪购网站上，服装配饰属于最抢手的商品。Flash sale web sites claim to offer deep discounts on brand products to attract consumers. 闪购网站以低价出售名牌产品为卖点，吸引消费者。The new flash sale site is targeting young mothers with small children at home. 这个新开的闪购网站，希望吸引的消费人群是那些家里孩子还小的年轻妈妈们。好的，今天我们学习的词是 flash sale, flash sale, flash sale….

A: 闪购是不错，不过我觉得这样特别容易让人冲昏头脑，看见特便宜就拼命买! 最后买的都是一些你永远不会用的东西。

B: Exactly, It’s an old marketing trick. They create a false sense of urgency so the buyer doesn’t have time to talk themselves out of the purchase.

A: Exactly. Sometimes the companies try to gloss over any defects the product has, which is probably why they are so cheap in the first place!

B: Yep, they definitely tend to gloss over things! Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and find out what it means!

Words and Idioms 997 glass over

美国习惯用语第 997讲。我是小北。

M: 我是Dan.

上个月我和一个好朋友一起出去旅行，整个旅程差强人意。回来之后，别人问我们玩儿得如何。还没等我张口，我那快人快语的朋友抢先说我们的旅程多精彩，看到的景色多迷人，没有一句不好，没有一点抱怨。我当时简直怀疑我们俩去的不是一个地方!

M: Gloss over. Gloss is spelled g-l-o-s-s and over; o-v-e-r. Gloss-over.

Gloss over意思是把不好的事情隐瞒起来或者轻描淡写。我的朋友没把旅行中的种种不好对人提起，She chose to gloss over all of them. 而是决定把这些不好的部分都忽略不计了。这种“报喜不报忧”的情况也出现在下面的例句里，我们听一听：

M: “My daughter likes the sweet icy drinks at our local convenience store. But she’s tried to avoid them because they have so much sugar. Now that she’s heard that new flavors are being offered with artificial sweeteners, she’s excited. I’m not. Because they still have no nutritional value. The company GLOSSES OVER that information in its ads!”

[这段话是说: 我女儿喜欢喝我家附近便利店卖的甜味冰饮料。不过她尽量少喝，因为这些饮料里糖分太多。现在她听说，新口味的冰饮里面用了代糖，所以她高兴极了。不过，我可不高兴，因为这种饮料还是没有任何营养价值。不过对于这个事实，厂家在广告中一句都没提。]

商品广告当然是捡好的说，这样才能吸引顾客! 不过说起来，现在各种饮料的卖点真是五花八门，不过要是我说，还是白水最解渴，绝对没有不良成分。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: “My daughter likes the sweet icy drinks at our local convenience store. But she’s tried to avoid them because they have so much sugar. Now that she’s heard that new flavors are being offered with artificial sweeteners, she’s excited. I’m not. Because they still have no nutritional value. The company GLOSSES OVER that information in its ads!”

美国的教育制度时常受到称赞，美国的大学也是国际学生们出国深造的首选，不过，美国大学的学费也贵得可以。在这里，学生贷款负债平均值达到10万甚至20万美元，每个月的还款额可能相当于毕业生半个月的工资！不过，Universities don’t include those numbers on their web sites. They conveniently gloss over these shocking statistics! 大学不会把这些数字发在他们的网站上，他们很“方便”地忽略了这些统计数据！说起隐瞒不报，我们听听下面的例句

M: “People can be fascinated with celebrities. We love how they overcame great challenges in their rise to success. But often their life stories fail to mention drug or alcohol addictions, problems with relationships or criminal behavior. Indeed, biographers have a habit of GLOSSING OVER such unpleasant facts.”

这段话意思是说：很多人崇拜名人。他们在通往成功的道路上克服巨大的困难，这种故事让我们喜爱不已。不过，他们的人生故事通常不会提及吸毒、嗜酒、感情问题或者犯罪行为。事实上，写传记的作家们都有把不好的事情轻描淡写或者干脆不提的习惯。

其实，人无完人，写出自己生活中阴暗的经历，并不一定会破坏在粉丝心中的形象，反而会让大家觉得你更真实，更立体。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M:”People can be fascinated with celebrities. We love how they overcame great challenges in their rise to success. But often their life stories fail to mention drug or alcohol addictions, problems with relationships or criminal behavior. Indeed, biographers have a habit of GLOSSING OVER such unpleasant facts.”

今天我们学习的习惯用语是gloss over, 意思是把不好的事情隐瞒起来或者轻描淡写。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是小北，我是Dan。谢谢各位的收听，下次再见。

B: Never gloss over things with me Yanglin! If I’m not doing good enough on the show, just tell me!

A: 这可是你说的啊! 说到你的缺点那简直是一箩筐了! 比如说吧，吃得太多，说话太多，表演不够自然，逻辑性一般….

B: Hey!! Come on!! I didn’t think I was that bad!

A: Hahah, well if it helps, from the very beginning my intuition told me that you would be a great team member! And turns out I was right!! 在今天的Business Etiquette里，Faith和Katie就在讨论直觉这个话题，咱们一起来听听吧!

礼节美语 Intuition 1

MC: 销售部的 Steve, Faith 和 Katie 开会讨论项目进展。Steve说，

Steve: Ok, so are we all agreed that we’ll move forward on this project?

Faith: You know, I’m not so sure. I have a funny feeling about this.

Katie: You smell a rat?

F: Kind of. All I can say is that something is definitely not right. I just “feel” it.

Steve 征求大家意见，决定项目可否进入下一阶段。可Faith说，她总觉得哪不对劲。I have a funny feeling about this. funny 在这里不是好笑，而是奇怪的意思。Katie 问，you smell a rat? smell a rat 也是觉得可疑、不对劲的意思。Faith 承认，她也说不清楚，I just “feel” it. 就是一种感觉。

S: But Faith, do you really think we should base a decision on a feeling?

F: Well, feelings can be a warning. I believe very strongly in the power of intuition.

K: Do you mean that emotions are important, even in the business world?

F: Yes, I do. You know how people say, “I have a gut feeling?” What they really mean is that their intuition is giving them a signal.

Faith 说自己特别相信直觉。I believe in the power of intuition. intuition is spelled i-n-t-u-i-t-i-o-n, intuition 直觉。很多人都说，“I have a gut feeling.”gut, g-u-t, gut. gut feeling 也是直觉的意思。

S: But we should make choices based on data and information…not emotions!

K: I think perhaps both information and intuition are necessary.

F: I agree. Data is for the brain but intuition is for the heart.

S: But every decision we make in life is based on the available facts, no?

F: Not really. When we go on a date with someone, we usually make a decision about whether or not we like someone almost instantly?

Steve 好象很理性，认为一切决定都应该以事实为依据。Faith却认为，不能一概而论，比如说，When we go on a date with someone, 跟别人约会，俩人是否会继续交往下去往往都是一上来就决定了。

K: That’s true. I usually only have to meet a man for less than a minute before I know whether or not I want to date him.

S: And that’s intuition?

F: Yes, and we use it every day. Intuition is very important in business. Remember your first job interview here?

S: (chuckle) Yep. I was so nervous! I was sweating and stammering.

F: But my intuition told me you would make a good employee…and I was right!

Faith说，我们其实每天都会用到直觉。Steve 第一次面试，紧张得浑身冒汗，说话也结结巴巴的，可Faith却说，直觉告诉她， My intuition told me…Steve 一定会是好员工，结果一点没错。

A: Faith说，I believe in the power of intuition, 我很相信直觉。她觉得Intuition is really important in business,在生意场上特别重要，经常能发现别人发现不了的蛛丝马迹。 I would never be able to live my life just by intuition. I just don’t think it’s reliable.

aLaB: Huh, that’s funny, I find that a lot of the time I end up just following my gut feelings.

A: Really? Well, it looks like your “gut feelings” lead you to a lot of restaurants huh? (HEY!) (both laugh)

B: Seriously though, you can’t tell me you never follow your intuition.
Didn’t you say that you can tell if a guy is a good person or not within just a few minutes of meeting him?

A: That’s different! That’s just because I am a very good judge of character.

B: Right….. Well, Steve, Faith and Katie are still talking about intuition, let’s continue!

礼节美语 Intuition II

销售部的 Steve, Faith 和 Katie 围绕直觉展开了讨论。Katie 说

Katie: I think perhaps everyone has different kinds of intuition. I’m a pretty bad judge of character, but I’m a wiz at picking stocks!

Steve: You should go to Las Vegas! You’d make a killing!

Katie: (Chuckle) That’s not a bad idea!

Faith: But what Katie is doing is not exactly the same as gambling. She reads and watches business news, but her intuition is better that other people’s. She can pick out the signs and clues that the rest of us miss.

Katie 说，人跟人不一样，比如她自己，I’m a pretty bad judge of character 看人就经常走眼。但是 I’m a wiz at picking stocks. 挑选股票确是奇才，wiz, w-i-z, wiz. Steve 开玩笑说，Katie应该到赌城拉斯维加斯去，You’d make a killing! 保准走运，赚大钱。可Faith却说，Katie选股票不是盲目下注，而是她在这方面的直觉比其他人更敏感，可以 pick out the signs and clues that the rest of us miss. 发现很多其他人注意不到的线索和迹象。

K: I’ve read books by famous CEOs and most of them talk about how important it is to develop your intuition. Of course, not every hunch you have will turn out to be right.

F: That’s true. Sometimes my intuition is really off! Like with my last two boyfriends.

K&S: (laughter)

S: Intuition might play a bigger role than I think it does. My brother is a police officer and he says nine times out of ten he will just feel that something isn’t right. Then when he investigates, he usually discovers he was right.

直觉也不是每次都对。除了Intuition 和 gut feeling，hunch, h-u-n-c-h, hunch 也是直觉的意思。Faith 承认，Sometimes my intuition is really off! off, o-f-f, off 在这里意思是不符合标准。例如，His performance was really off recently. 他最近的表现不太好。Steve 最后承认，直觉可能确实比他以为的更重要，他当警察的哥哥就说，nine times out of ten 十有八九都是他的直觉告诉他有问题，调查结果还真是那样。

K: So what should we do about this deal? Faith’s intuition says there’s something wrong.

S: How about if we crunch the numbers again and see if there is anything fishy?

F: Sounds good. Let’s go over all the documents with a fine-tooth comb and see if we can find the problem.

K: Will do. I’ll work on it this afternoon.

F: Thanks for your input, guys!

Steve 建议，从头再算一遍 crunch the numbers again, crunch, c-r-u-n-c-h, crunch 在口语里有计算、处理的意思。Faith表示赞成，决定把所有文件重新仔细地过一遍，with a fine-tooth comb 用一把细齿的梳子，引伸为仔细检查。

A: Hmmm, My female intuition tells me that you were the one who stole the Oreo cookies from my desk!

B: Hmm I have a hunch that your Female intuition is wrong! I didn’t steal Oreos! I just took some chocolate….

A: Got you! 回头再给买10块就行! 哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

---

美语训练班  第086课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天我们要领略一下大城市的生活方式，看看怎么表达动用关系，还要告诉你怎么说吊胃口!

B: I used to think I was from the “Big city” growing up. Then I went to Beijing and realized how small my hometown really is!

A: I would say Columbus is a medium sized city. I love growing up in Beijing, there’re always so many things going on; you could never ever get bored in Beijing!

B: Yeah, Columbus may not be as big and exciting as Beijing, but there’re still tons to do!

A: For example?

B: Well, I mean…you know, there’s…there’s…Oh we had three horses growing up!

A: 哈哈，actually there are advantages to growing up in small towns as well. 但是这个咱们等会再聊，现在，我们先赶快先来进入第一个单元，Learn a word!

Learn A Word1646 questionable

今天我们要学的词是 questionable, questionable is spelled q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n-a-b-l-e, questionable. Questionable 意思是有问题的，尚未确定的。The quarterback hurt his knee in the first quarter. His return to the game is questionable. 美式足球四分位比赛第一节膝盖受伤，能不能继续比赛，现在还不能确定。

Jill Kelley, the woman who sparked former CIA director Petraeus’ scandal, founded a questionable cancer charity with her doctor husband. 美国前中央情报局局长彼得雷乌斯丑闻事件的导火索，一个叫吉尔.凯利的女人，跟自己做医生的丈夫一起开办了一个很有问题的癌症慈善机构。好的，今天我们学习的词是 questionable, questionable, questionable….

A: I find something very questionable these days.

B: What’s that?

A: So, all the cookies in my second drawer will mysteriously disappear! Especially after you’ve been sitting here helping me write a script…

B: Well…hahaha….I mean…Anyways, are we still going salsa dancing this Friday? I should warn you, I have been practicing!

A: 你又撇开话题！ 去salsa也行，不过最近要写的稿子实在太多了，如果就光我自己写的话，我可能写不完耶….

B: Maybe I can help you out a bit, and then you should be able to go, right?

A: EXACTLY. Don’t worry, there’s not a lot to do. Just finish these three scripts and reply to all the fan emails. Oh, also, my yoga ball seems flat; could you inflate it for me as well? Oh, and then could you……..

B: (Cutting in) Yanglin…I’m not stupid! You are totally stringing me along!

A: Woops! 被你发现了！开个玩笑嘛！不过呢你刚才提到了一个很好的词儿，string someone along, 咱们来听听今天的words and idioms, 看看这个习惯用语怎么用！

Words and Idioms 800 String Someone Along

现在播送美国习惯用语第八百讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我朋友 Jenny 的老板实在很糟糕。两个月来，他一直让Jenny觉得自己有机会被提升为部门主管，所以就没完没了地加班，自我表现。其实我觉得，她老板根本就是在欺骗她，牵着她的鼻子走。在英语里，有一个习惯用语，专门形容这种情况，叫 String someone along.

M: To string someone along. String is spelled s-t-r-i-n-g. String. Along is spelled a-l-o-n-g. Along. To string someone along.

String 是绳子的意思。To string someone along 是指为了让别人替自己做事，而愚弄、蒙蔽他，或是吊他的胃口。刚才我们说到的Jenny 的老板，就是用提升作为诱饵，让Jenny加班加点地替他工作。

在生活中，我们经常能遇到这种情况。在下面这个例子里，一名男子对他女友的真实想法摸不着头脑。让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “It seems like she’s happy, but whenever I bring up our future she always changes the subject. I just bought her this diamond necklace and she told me she loved me, but then she said she’s busy this weekend. Do you think she’s just “STRINGING ME ALONG?”

他说，[看上去她跟我在一起还是挺高兴的。但是每次我一提到我们今后的打算，她就会转移话题。我刚卖了一条钻石项链送给她，她说她爱我，但又说这个周末没时间。你觉得她是在吊我的胃口吗？]

依我看，这个女孩不是真心的。我就听说过好几个这样的女孩，完全是看上了男朋友的钱。有些甚至在取消婚约后，也不把订婚戒指还给男方。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “It seems like she’s happy, but whenever I bring up our future she always changes the subject. I just bought her this diamond necklace and she told me she loved me, but then she said she’s busy this weekend. Do you think she’s just “STRINGING ME ALONG?”

女：这种男人就象是被拴在线上的木偶一样，任人摆布。其实啊，To string someone along 这个习惯用语的就是由此而来的，其历史可以追溯到二十世纪早期。

我觉得干推销员的，都是很厉害的人物，不知道你有没有同感。他们凭着三寸不烂之舌，总能把商品推销出去。不过，下面这个例子里的推销员却是被客户牵着鼻子走。让我们听听看。

M: “I love getting all these free lunches and baseball tickets from this salesman. He really thinks I’m going to buy his computer system. I think I might STRING HIM ALONG just a little longer, so I can get tickets to the playoffs─then I’ll say we’ve changed our mind.”

客户说，[我从这个推销员那里得到了很多免费的午餐，还有棒球比赛的球票，真是太棒了。他还以为我肯定会买他的电脑系统呢！我得再哄他一段时间，等拿到免费的棒球季后赛球票后再告诉他，我们改变主意了。]

女：这人可真够损的。吃了免费的午餐，看了免费的球赛，最后才告诉别人，你的东西我不买了。好，让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “I love getting all these free lunches and baseball tickets from this salesman. He really thinks I’m going to buy his computer system. I think I might STRING HIM ALONG just a little longer, so I can get tickets to the playoffs─then I’ll say we’ve changed our mind.”

美国人气颇旺的真人秀《幸存者》，要求参赛者不仅要有一个好身体，还要有过人的情商和为人处世的技能，要会拉帮结派，挑拨离间，努力坚持到最后，不被别人挤出去。当然了，他们的策略之一就是要 string other people along, 牵着别人的鼻子走。不过，参赛者蒙蔽对手的手段一定要高超，否则一不小心，也许自己就成了别人蒙蔽的对象。

这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Mike, 我问你一个问题，你要老实回答。

B: I always tell the truth!

A: Have you ever strung a girl along? I bet you have!

B: Me? Of course not! A girl actually strung me along when I was in high school, I thought she really liked me but in fact she just wanted me to do her homework for her!

A: That’s awful! 可怜的mike，肯定又心灵受伤了…

B: The result is now I am very careful not to string anybody along. You could probably say its part of my identity.

A: Hmm, I don’t know about that, but I think eating non-stop is definitely part of your identity. (B: Hey!) 开玩笑开玩笑，不过既然说到了identity，我们就来学学这个词儿的用法！

Learn A Word1647 identity

今天我们要学的词是 identity, identity is spelled i-d-e-n-t-i-t-y, identity. Identity 有个性，个体，个人身份的意思。identity theft 身份盗用。有统计数字显示，As many as 9 million Americans have their identity stolen each year. 美国每年有多达900万人身份被盗。There are about 10,000 identity theft rings in the United States. 美国从事盗取身份的团伙就有大约一万个。为了保证自己的经济安全，Roughly 40 million Americans purchased some sort of identity theft protection service in 2011. 2011年美国大约有四千万人购买了某种形式的防范身份被盗的服务。好的，今天我们学习的词是 identity, identity, identity….

A: 我记得我刚到美国的时候，就好像有些 identity crisis，身份危机。特别想跟美国朋友混在一起赶快融入美国社会，可是有时候又觉得自己中国生中国长大，怎么可能融入美国社会嘛！

B：Aww, but now you have a lot of friends from both sides, and you are working to introduce American culture to our Chinese audience. It’s a great use of your language and cultural skills!

A: Thank you Mike! You are never this sweet to me, 我都不知道说什么了….I’m totally going to pull some strings and help you find a girlfriend!

B: Haha, I mean, who wouldn’t love this handsome face? (A: ugh…) Ok ok, you just mentioned a good phrase, “pull strings”! Let’s listen to another words and idioms

Words and Idioms #801 Pull Strings

现在播送美国习惯用语第八百零一讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我的邻居 Johnson 特别有女人缘，三天两头换女朋友。他不仅财大气粗，而且手眼通天，只要他愿意，随时都可以请人到城里最好的餐馆去吃饭。即使是星期六晚上，而且是在没有提前订座的情况下，只要他的一个电话，就能把一切搞定。在英语里，我们说：

M: To pull strings. Pull is spelled p-u-l-l. Pull. To pull strings.

Pull 是拉的意思。String 是绳子的意思。To pull strings 连在一起，就是通过重要人物，在幕后操纵，在幕后牵线的意思。在下面这个例子里，一个学生私下里告诉自己的朋友，说他的一个同学可能是走后门才被学校录取的。让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “I think Will’ father PULLED A FEW STRINGS to get him in here. Do you know his father’ an old friend of the college President? It’ so unfair. I mean Will’ a nice guy, but he should have to work to get in like everybody else.”

他说，[我觉得，威尔的爸爸肯定是走后门才让他被录取的。你知道吗，他爸爸是学校校长的老朋友。这太不公平了。威尔其实挺好的，但是他应该跟我们大家一样，通过努力被录取进来。]

走后门上大学确实不公平。不过，世界上很多事情就是这样。在英语里，有一种说法叫 “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” 意思是说“重要的不是你知道多少，而是你认识什么人”。

你能猜到 to pull the strings 这个习惯用语的来源吗？没错，是从木偶来的。To pull the strings 这个习惯用语出现于十九世纪下半叶，最初是指操纵木偶，因为操纵木偶的人可以让木偶按照他的意志行事。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I think Will’ father PULLED A FEW STRINGS to get him in here. Do you know his father’ an old friend of the college President? It’ so unfair. I mean Will’ a nice guy, but he should have to work to get in like everybody else.”

我侄女不久前申请一家大公司的工作，因为申请资料寄丢了，所以没有赶上申请的最后期限。我的一个朋友正好在那家公司工作。He pulled a few strings. 最后让我侄女有了一次面试的机会。

大家肯定还记得，去年美国的豪门千金帕丽斯•希尔顿因为酒后驾车、无照驾驶，发生车祸等罪名被判入狱的事情。不过，下面例子中这个著名的演员，却设法摆脱了牢狱之苦。让我们听听看。

M: It doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m sure he knows more than a few politicians. All he had to do was PULL SOME STRINGS and he got special treatment. That’s the way it works.

这个人说，[他能躲过牢狱之苦并不让我吃惊。我敢肯定，他一定认识不少政界人物。只要他打通一下关节，就等得到特殊的对待。不就是这么回事嘛！]

真希望哪天我遇到难事，也能有人 pull some strings for me.

大家要注意，使用这个习惯用语的时候，通常都是说 pull some strings, 或者是 pull a few strings。好，让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: It doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m sure he knows more than a few politicians. All he had to do was PULL SOME STRINGS and he got special treatment. That’s the way it works.

我同事的小女儿过生日，临时找不到举办生日聚会的场地。最后还是她妈妈公司的老板 pulled a few strings, 不仅找到了合适的场地，而且还邀请到了最热门的少年演唱组合来表演。

能有别人 pull a few strings for you 固然好，不过我倒是觉得，在大多数情况下，凭借自己的努力得到的东西，才更货真价实，也更值得珍惜。况且，很多时候，别人 pull a few strings for you 都是指望有回报的。英文里说，no free lunches. 天下没有免费的午餐。这种说法肯定有它的道理。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

B: Well, I don’t see what the big deal here is. I pulled some stings to find this job and look how well it has worked out! You got a great co-worker and I get to live in the big city!

A: (sarcastically) Great co-worker huh? Yeah 80% of the time I’m really glad you are my co-worker, the other 20%… (both laugh) 言归正传， So what’s your favorite part of living in the city?

B: (thinking while answering) the museums, the cultural events, and…oh oh, all the ethnic food! It’s like being able to go on an around-the-world vacation without the expensive plane ticket!

A: 哈哈，就知道你要说吃的！在今天的Business Etiquette里， Jack和Pete就在讨论大城市生活的利与弊，我们赶快来听听吧！

礼节美语– Big City Comparison I

MC: 美国总公司代表Pete来北京视察，由中国雇员Jack接待。

Jack: Good evening, Pete. I trust you had a nice siesta.

Pete: Yes. It was just what the doctor ordered.

J: I’d like you to meet Henry Johnson. Mr. Johnson has been working at our Beijing office for over a year now. I think you two are from the same city.

P: Hey there, Henry. Call me Pete. A New Yorker, eh?

Henry: Born and raised in Brooklyn. Good to meet you, Pete.

Jack 问 Pete 休息得怎么样，siesta is spelled s-i-e-s-t-a, siesta 指午饭后的短暂休息。Pete 的回答，it was just what the doctor ordered. 说一件事情 is just what the doctor ordered 意思是这正是最需要的。Jack 给 Pete 引见 Henry, Henry 在北京办事处工作。Pete和Henry都是纽约人，New Yorker. Henry 说自己是 born and raised in Brooklyn 土生土长的纽约布鲁克林区的人。

P: Brooklyn…that’s a great neighborhood. I’m originally from Queens but moved down to Manhattan a while back. So…you’re an expat in China…how’s life over here working out for you?

H: You know—I really love it. There are frustrations of course, such as traffic, pollution and the language barrier, but all in all, I give China a big thumbs up.

J: Before you two get carried away in conversation let’s finalize our plans for the evening. I was thinking of dining at a well-known dumpling restaurant and then hitting a Karaoke bar for some fun!

Henry说，在中国生活，all in all, 总的说来非常棒，I give China a big thumbs up. give something a thumbs up 意思是高度评价。Jack 建议晚上先吃饺子，然后去K歌。

P: Everything sounded good until I heard the word “Karaoke.” If there’s one thing you don’t want to hear, it’s me singing.

H: (Chuckle) I sound like a frog that’s suffering from a bad cold! But Karaoke is so popular in Asia that I’ve been dragged to at least two dozen of them so far. I’ve even learned a Chinese song or two.

Pete 和 Henry 都不是K歌高手，不过，Henry 入乡随俗，已经被拽着去唱过很多次歌了，甚至学会了几首中文歌曲。

J: Hey…no Karaoke…no problem! We’re here to have fun and if singing isn’t fun…then forget it! I assume you like beer.

P: Beer is quite possibly my very favorite liquid.

H: Chinese beer is actually pretty good. I’ve sampled all of them so I should know!

J: Great! So we’ll have dinner and then we’ll go down to the bar district. In Beijing there are literally thousands of bars.

P: Sounds like a plan.

Jack说，不去K歌没关系，可以去酒吧。Henry则说，中国啤酒味道不错，因为 I’ve sampled all of them. 他尝过所有牌子的。最后大家一致决定，晚上去酒吧喝酒。

A: Henry已经是个中国通，an expat in China。他向Pete介绍说，I give China a big thumbs up, 中国生活非常棒。Pete特别提出他不喜欢karaoke，卡拉ok，Henry提议去酒吧，he’s sampled all of them, 尝过所有牌子的，知道哪个好，哪个不好。Seems like Henry really likes Beijing!

B: I mean, who’s not going to like Beijing? Great history, great people, great food! I enjoyed the entire time I stayed there.

A: 那当然了！其实我觉得华盛顿跟北京的感觉很像，都是首都，都有很多文化，都有好多小偷！

B: Right…the crime rate in big cities is usually a lot higher. Which just so happens to be what Pete and Henry are talking about, let’s see what they have to say!

礼节美语 Big City Comparison II

美国总公司代表Pete来北京视察，Jack和Henry陪他出去吃饭。Jack 说，

J: You two gentlemen wait here for a second and I’ll go make reservations and pick up the car.

H: Alright. So Pete…first time in China?

P: Second. The first time we spent the whole visit at the factory in Guangzhou. Beijing is good…I like it.

H: Yeah, I’m not so fond of Guangzhou. Too crowded and hot. Beijing is more like New York, I guess.

P: Except New York has a population of eight million while Beijing has like 20 million.

Jack 去订位拿车的功夫，Henry 跟 Pete 开始闲聊。两个人都不太喜欢广州，觉得北京跟自己的家乡纽约很象，除了北京人口要远远多出纽约以外。

H: Yeah…but you know…for having that many people, the city seems to flow quite well.

P: How bad is the crime rate?

H: It’s reasonably low. Beijing has crime, of course, but compared to most other places…it’s very safe. You could take a stroll at two o’clock in the morning without worrying.

P: Really! That’s pretty amazing. You think it’s safer here than back home?

Henry 说，考虑到北京的人口，整个城市管理得还是不错的。Crime rate is reasonably low. 犯罪率相对低，夜里两点在大街上逛都不用担心。Pete 觉得不可思议，问北京是不是比 back home 美国还安全。

H: Actually, yes. Last time I was in Baltimore…I saw a mugging happen less than 10 feet away from me. One night I could hear gunshots from my hotel room!

P: New York has gotten a lot better over the last 10 years or so. These days I feel pretty safe if I know the neighborhood. But you’re right—many places in the States are crazy.

Henry 说，他觉得北京确实比美国安全，上次回美国在巴尔的摩他亲眼目睹拦路抢劫，mugging is spelled m-u-g-g-i-n-g, mugging 是拦路抢劫的意思，晚上在旅馆还听到过枪声。

P: But overall, the cities are safe for tourists and business people?

H: Right. Only once in a blue moon do we hear stories of foreigners becoming victims of crime. It’s likely the worst thing that could happen to you is you lose your wallet to a pickpocket. Oh, Jack is back, Hungry?

P: Starving! Let’s go eat!

总体上看，外国游客和商人在中国大城市里的安全还是有保障的。Henry 说，只有在很偶尔的情况下，才会听说外国人成为犯罪的受害者。他这里说的，once in a blue moon 是一种习惯用法，意思是很少见的。Henry 还说，做为外国人，你遇到的最倒霉的事，可能就是钱包给小偷偷走。小偷扒手英语是 pickpocket. p-i-c-k pick 后面加上 pocket, pickpocket 是小偷的意思。正说着， Jack 回来了，三个人一起去吃饭。

B: Chinese cities seemed pretty safe when I was there last. Though part of that may have just been because I was a foreigner, so people just left me alone.

A: Either that or they took one look at the way you dressed and realized that you’re not worth mugging. (B: Ouch! A: Laughing) 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

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美语训练班  第087课

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美语训练班  第088课

A: 新年快乐同学们! 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: Happy New Year Everyone! 新年快乐! 好，杨琳，快来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天我们要聊聊怎么买便宜货，看看公司怎么进行不信任提案，还要告诉你野蛮驾驶的危险性!

B: Tell me about it. Christmas and New Year is definitely my favorite time of the year, but it’s also a time that you have to be extremely careful while driving. All these New Year parties lead to a lot of drunk drivers on the road.

A: True true. 不过这会儿，也有很多便宜货可以买呀，我最近就成天上网购物，都停不下来!

B: Why am I not surprised? (A: you…) Kidding kidding. Well, we’ll talk about how to catch the flash sales later in the show. Now let’s go ahead with our first segment learn a word!

Learn A Word 1650 reckless driving

今天我们要学的词是 reckless driving, reckless is spelled r-e-c-k-l-e-s-s, reckless, driving, d-r-i-v-i-n-g, driving, reckless driving. Reckless driving 野蛮驾驶，危险驾驶。Reckless driving is a leading cause of accidents on the highways of the United States. 危险驾驶是美国高速公路事故的主要原因。Reckless driving carries heavy penalties upon conviction. 一旦定罪，危险驾驶者会受到重罚。Ryan Crocker, the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving. 前美国驻阿富汗大使克罗科尔承认危险驾驶，接受了轻度指控。好的，今天我们学习的词是 reckless driving, reckless driving, reckless driving….

A: So Mike, tell me about your trip back home! Judging from your love handles and double chin, I’m guessing that you must have had a good time…

B: Hey! [A: (laugh) 开玩笑开玩笑!] Yeah, Christmas at home was really nice. I had tons of home made cookies and went on a shopping spree after Christmas! There were a lot of great sales! I got a bunch of video games for a song!

A: For a song? You are not saying you actually sang in the store right? Those poor people….

B: Haha, of course not! Let’s check out today’s words and idioms and you will know what I mean!

Words and Idioms 802 For a Song

美国习惯用语第八百零二讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我一直想买幅油画，挂在客厅墙上，可是这里卖的画儿都特别贵。星期天，我开车路过一个小区，几家人正在一起卖旧货。我一眼就看中了一幅特别好看的油画，卖主让我开价，我说 50 美元，本以为根本没戏，谁知他却一口答应。在英语里，我们可以说：

M: For a song. Song is spelled s-o-n-g. For-a-song. For a song.

大家知道，Song 是歌曲的意思。For a song 这个习惯用语的意思就是说买了便宜货。我最近买的油画，就可以说，I picked it up FOR A SONG.

眼下，美国的房屋市场特别不景气，不过，这对买方，却是一个利好的消息。让我们听听下面的报道。

M: “The recent downturn in the U.S. housing market represents good news for buyers. In states like Florida, you can find expensive properties going FOR A SONG. But you had better take advantage before prices start going up.”

这个记者说，[美国房屋市场最近不景气，这对买房子的人来说却是个好消息。在佛罗里达这样的州，本来很贵的房子现在很便宜就能买下来。但是你最好抓住时机，不要等房价再涨上去。]

目前的房屋市场虽然对买方十分有利，可是却要让急着卖房子的人吐血了。为了能让房子尽快脱手，他们不得不一再降价，还要答应买方不少额外的要求。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “The recent downturn in the U.S. housing market represents good news for buyers. In states like Florida, you can find expensive properties going FOR A SONG. But you had better take advantage before prices start going up.”

买了房子还不够，还得买家具。我上个月到朋友 Jenny 家里去，她让我猜客房里那套家具多少钱，我怎么也猜不到。原来是她的邻居正好要搬家，便宜处理给她的。 She got them for a song.

刚才我们谈到，美国现在的房屋市场是买方市场，对卖方不利。但是在下面这个例子中，买卖双方似乎对成交的生意都很满意。让我们听听看。

M: “My cousin is thrilled. He just accepted a marketing job overseas. Since he won’t be needing his sports car, he’s willing to let me have it FOR A SONG. I’ll be paying so little for it, in fact, it’s almost like he’s giving it away.”

这个人说，[我表兄刚刚接受了一份新工作，要到国外去做市场营销，他高兴极了。但是他这一走，跑车就没用了，所以想要卖给我。他开的价格简直就等于白送，算是让我捡了个便宜。]

我们家附近，每个周末都有跳蚤市场、古董拍卖、或是二手货的出售。只要有时间，I can find lots of good stuff FOR A SONG. 新年的时候，我痛下决心，要开始锻炼身体，结果正赶上一家体育用品商店大减价，I got a treadmill for a song. 我买了一台特别便宜的跑步机。

不过，有时候买便宜货也要小心。我的一个朋友最近就买了一台价格特别便宜的 HD DVD 高清晰度 DVD播放器。She got it for a song. 不过，HD DVD 这种格式已经过时了，再便宜的机器，今后恐怕也派不上用场了。好的，让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “My cousin is thrilled. He just accepted a marketing job overseas. Since he won’t be needing his sports car, he’s willing to let me have it FOR A SONG. I’ll be paying so little for it, in fact, it’s almost like he’s giving it away.”

For a Song 这个习惯用语可以追溯到十六世纪晚期。最早的时候，For a Song 是指给街头艺人的便士，也就是几个小钱的意思。

便宜货一般很少有人拒绝，但毕竟不如免费来的好。我们的美国习惯用语节目不仅能教给大家习惯用语的使用，还会告诉大家它们的历史渊源，听众们唯一要做的，就是按时坐到收音机旁，收听我们的节目。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: 原来for a song就是便宜货! 为什么是唱首歌呢?

B: Originally, inns would give performers free rooms for the night if they would perform for the other customers. So we say they got to stay for “a song and a dance”.

A: Interesting! Now with all the after New Year sales, a lot of things are being sold for a song!

B: Yep, now is the best time to shop since a lot of stores are getting rid of all the extra stock they have left over from the holidays. It’s perfect timing for you! You can get a lot of gifts for your family back in China for great prices!

A: Yep. But I have this lingering feeling that I might accidentally forget to get a gift for somebody. 我可怕少给谁买了什么….

B: Well I mean, you also need to think about those people who work with you everyday and provide you with great ideas…like someone who’s currently sitting next to you!

A: Dream on friend. 我刚才提到了个词， lingering, 咱们来听听今天的learn a word, 来学学这个词儿要怎么用!

Learn A Word 1651 lingering

今天我们要学的词是 lingering, lingering is spelled l-i-n-g-e-r-i-n-g, lingering. Lingering 形容词，持久的，挥之不去的。Despite what he said, I still have a lingering doubt about his real intentions. 尽管他说得好听，可我还是对他的真实目的持怀疑态度。飓风桑迪已经过去几个星期了，然而，The lingering damage from the storm is still weighing on the U.S. economy. 风暴造成的破坏依然给美国经济带来持续压力。Former U.S. President George HW Bush was hospitalized last week for treatment of a lingering cough. 美国前总统老布什因为咳嗽迟迟不好，上星期住院接受治疗。好的，今天我们学习的词是 lingering, lingering, lingering….

B: Speaking of lingering, even after Christmas, I’m still having this lingering desire for sweets….

A: Well…didn’t you just finish being on a diet? Be careful Mike, if you keep eating cookies and cake like this, you will have to rebuild you body from the ground up…

B: I know I know. I guess in America January is the hardest month to deal with. You come back from the holiday vacation and it’s freezing outside…all I want to do is eat and sleep….

A: I thought that’s your all-time hobby! 哈哈，好了不开玩笑了，我刚才提到了from the ground up, 再来听听今天的words and idioms, 来学学这个习惯用语的用法!

Words and Idioms 803 From the Ground Up

美国习惯用语第八百零三讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我刚刚打电话约堂兄 Jimmy 周末来吃饭。我伯父以前是开干洗店的，Jimmy 从小就在店里帮忙，什么都干，后来伯父退休了，就把店交给了他。说到这儿，让我想起了一个美国习惯用语，叫 From the ground up.

M: From the ground up. Ground is spelled g-r-o-u-n-d.
From-the-ground-up. From the ground up.

大家都知道，ground 是地面的意思。From the ground up 这个习惯用语的意思就是从头开始，或是全部的，彻底的。刚才说到，我堂兄 Jimmy 从小就在干洗店里帮工，从头开始，学会了这个行当的方方面面，我们可以说 He learned it from the ground up.

在美国历史上，中西部地区的开拓是一段很有意思的篇章。让我们听听下面这段记载。

M: “Back in the 1860s, the U.S. government offered land in the Midwest to anyone willing to settle there. Adventurous pioneers came pouring in and began to build communities FROM THE GROUND UP. Soon towns and cities developed where none had existed.”

[十九世纪六十年代的时候，美国政府宣布，凡是愿意去中西部地区定居的人都可以得到土地，大批有冒险精神的开拓者因此蜂拥而至，他们从无到有，开始兴建社区。大小城镇拔地而起。]

这些分得政府公有土地的定居移民在美国历史上被称作 Homesteaders. 对于这些人来说，那可是一个绝好的机会。如果你也生活在那个年代，你会象他们一样，自愿去垦荒吗？现代人恐怕很难想象当时的艰苦。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Back in the 1860s, the U.S. government offered land in the Midwest to anyone willing to settle there. Adventurous pioneers came pouring in and began to build communities FROM THE GROUND UP. Soon towns and cities developed where none had existed.”

很多时候，一切从头开始确实需要很大的勇气。我的一个朋友在中国学的是中文专业，她跟随丈夫来美国之后，不仅很快就学好了英语，而且还在短短三年的时间里，拿到了一个电脑的硕士学位。She learned it from the ground up. 实在令人敬佩。

刚才我们讲到美国人是如何从无到有，开发中西部地区的。在后来人眼里，那可是历史上的壮举。在下面这个例子里，我们要看看，什么事情能让一位公司主管感到如此地气馁。

M: “I don’t know what my assistant finds so difficult. All I asked her to do was make a few revisions to the employee handbook. It’s not like she has to create the whole thing FROM THE GROUND UP!”

这位公司主管说，[真不明白我的助手为什么会觉得我交给她的工作那么难。我只不过是让她对雇员手册进行一些修改，又不是要她从头写起！]

我前两天跟一个当会计的朋友吃饭。她跟我抱怨说，她们公司准备启用一套全新的财会作业程序。老板要求她必须在两天的时间内，掌握新的票据系统。She has to learn it from the ground up.

不过另一方面，我也经常会想，当个企业家一定特别棒，可以发明一件产品，然后开一家公司，把这件产品推向市场。事业成功的若干年后，回首往事，你会看到自己白手起家 from the ground up 创造的一切。好了，不白日做梦了，还是让我们再听一下上面的例句吧。

M: “I don’t know what my assistant finds so difficult. All I asked her to do was make a few revisions to the employee handbook. It’s not like she has to create the whole thing FROM THE GROUND UP!”

大家肯定已经猜到了， from the ground up 这个习惯用语是从盖房子打地基来的。对于那些刚刚开始收听美国习惯用语的听众，或者是那些英语初级水平的听众，I am happy to help you FROM THE GROUND UP. 我很愿意帮助你从头学起。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: From the ground up, 从头开始，白手起家。现在很多留学生都回国创业，It must be so hard to start a company from the ground up!

B: That’s for sure. Starting a company is just the first step. There’s tons of things to deal with in running a company. I think having a solid management team is the most important thing. If they are not good enough, they will pull the rest of the company down.

A: In that case, you can always have a Vote of No Confidence and change the management. 在今天的Business Etiquette里，公司董事会成员 David 和Ken 就在谈论这个话题，咱们一起来听听吧!

礼节美语 Vote of No Confidence I

公司董事会成员 David 找 Ken 谈话，显得很神秘。

David: Hey, Ken…I need to talk to you.

K: Sure…what’s up?

D: Can we step into the conference room? This is a more private conversation.

K: Sure…

D: Ok…I’m just going to lay it all out on the table: What do you think of Vincent’s management style?

K: Well, Vincent has only been CEO for a couple of years and … well…um…

D: I don’t want to put you on the spot. Here’s what I’m getting at: I don’t think Vincent is the man for the job.

原来，David 找 Ken 谈话，是因为觉得公司首席执行官 Vincent is not the man for the job. 不称职。David 说，I don’t want to put you on the spot. 意思是我不是故意为难你。to put someone on the spot 意思是让某人回答很难回答的问题。David 在上面那段话里还说 I’m just going to lay it all out on the table. 我就直截了当说吧。to lay something out 是讲清楚；on the table 意思是放在桌面上讨论。Ken 问 David 为什么觉得 Vincent 不称职。

K: Really? And what led you to this conclusion?

D: As I see it, he lacks the proper vision. His style is more about survival, and he’s not taking the company anywhere. He’s treading water instead of swimming.

K: Well, I confess I’ve had my doubts about his abilities before. It seems he mainly got the job because his famous aunt pulled some strings.

David 觉得 Vincent 缺乏远见，lacks the proper vision. 只能维持现状，不能推动发展，就好像在水里，He’s treading water instead of swimming. 光是原地踩水，不向前游。Ken说，Vincent 担任CEO, 靠的是自己姑姑的关系，His aunt pulled some strings. to pull some strings 意思是动用关系。

D: I’ve been with this firm for 26 years and I’d hate to see it go down the drain due to poor leadership skills.

K: Me too. But what can we do? This isn’t a reality TV show…we can’t just vote him out.

D: Yes and no…We can’t ask for a show of hands on who thinks he should be fired, but we can introduce a vote of no confidence at the next board meeting.

K: Interesting idea. You might be on to something.

David 说，自己在公司已经26年了，不想看着公司go down the drain就这么垮掉。to go down the drain 是失败，白费的意思。David 觉得，虽然这不是电视真人秀 reality TV show，不能让大家表决把他赶下台，a show of hands 是举手表决的意思，但是可以在下个董事会上提出一份 a vote of no confidence 不信任提案。

A: David找Ken谈话，因为他觉得公司首席执行官Vincent is not the man for the job, 不称职，他觉得Vincent lacks the proper vision, 缺乏远见，自己已经在公司这么多年了，不想看着公司垮掉go down the drain, 所以想提出一份vote of no confidence不信任提案。

B: Yeah, seems like Vincent doesn’t have strong leadership skills. It’s definitely difficult to work under someone who doesn’t know how to lead.

A: In your mind, what kind of person is cut out to be a leader?

B: Well, they need to be certain and decisive, and they need to be able to inspire and motivate people. Overall, they need to be a coach.

A: Hmmm….why do I have the feeling that you are talking about me?

B: Riighttt.(sarcastically) Well, David and Ken are still talking about how to deal with this thorny situation, let’s continue!

礼节美语 Vote of No Confidence II

公司董事 David 和 Ken谈话，觉得公司CEO Vincent 不称职。David说，

David: One of Vincent’s biggest problems is his tendency to micro-manage everything. He sticks his nose into everything instead of leaving the day-to-day decisions to the guys who know what they’re doing.

K: That’s true. He also seems rather uncertain and indecisive about many things.

D: Yeah…we need a leader who can inspire us. The CEO needs to be a coach, not a referee. You know…not everyone is cut out to be a leader.
K: I think one of the primary skills a leader needs is the ability to listen.

David 觉得 Vincent 最大的问题之一是喜欢 micro-manage 管得太细。He sticks his nose into everything. 不论什么事他都要插手，to stick one’s nose into something 意思是插手某事。Ken 也说，Vincent 在很多问题上优柔寡断，而且不会听取意见。David 还说，not everyone is cut out to be a leader. 不是人人都能当领导的。to be cut out for something 意思是适合做某事。

D: Vincent is terrible at that. He frequently seems to completely misunderstand what we’re trying to get across. Just between you and me, I’ve spoken to a few other board members and they say if there is a vote of no confidence, they’ll vote “no.”

K: But will Vincent be forced to resign if there is such a vote?

D: No…but it will do one of two things: one, it will serve as a wake-up call and he might change his style – or two: he might step down if he realizes he’s lost the support of the board.

David 已经跟其他一些董事会成员打过招呼，他们都表示，如果有不信任案，他们会投不信任票。这样可能会有两种结果，it will either serve as a wake-up call. 要么会给Vincent 敲响警钟，让他自觉改变管理风格，要么会让 Vincent 意识到，自己已经失去董事会的支持，自觉下台。

K: Shouldn’t we try to find a way to give him a chance to avoid embarrassment?

D: Yes we should. I’ll be writing him a private letter next week and expressing our thoughts on the matter. I’d appreciate it if you would sign the letter as well.

K: Humm…well, I guess that’s the best way. We’ll give him a chance to either improve or resign.

D: And if he rejects those options, we’ll try a vote of no confidence.
K: Ok, David….I’m on board. Let’s give it a shot.

Ken 建议 give him a chance to avoid embarrassment 设法避免让 Vincent 难堪，David 表示赞同，决定先给 Vincent 写封私人信件，阐述他们的意见，希望 Ken 能在上面联署。Ken 承认，这可能是最好的方式，说，I’m on board. 算我一个，Let’s give it a shot. 咱们试试看。

A: So, to give you a chance to avoid embarrassment…if you buy me two boxes of chocolate, I would consider withdrawing my vote of no confidence against you….

B: You wouldn’t know good leadership if it came up and bite you on the…..

A:哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

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美语训练班  第089课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，赶快来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天我们要聊聊凑份子给同事买礼物，看看如何跟别人摊牌，还要告诉你怎么说地下交易!!

B: Yeah, contributing to an office birthday present for a co-worker is always a pain in the neck, especially if you don’t know the person that well. But I mean, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, you don’t want to be a party pooper.

A: That’s a catch-22, 进退两难的局面. My dad is always telling me I should set aside some money to build and maintain business ties. Around 10% of your income…

B: True, but all the gourmet food in this town often cause me go over my budget!

A: Haha, that’s understandable…because you are Mike! (B:What’s that supposed to mean?) 哈哈， 言归正传，现在我们赶快来进入第一个单元，learn a word!

Learn A Word 1652 big-box store

今天我们要学的词是 big-box store, big, b-i-g, big; box, b-o-x, box, store, s-t-o-r-e, store, big-box store. Big-box store 超级商场，一般是连锁店，比如沃尔玛。Compared to big-box stores, Amazon’s prices are cheaper because of lower overhead. 跟超级商场相比，亚马逊网站商品的价格更低廉，因为他们的管理费用没那么高。Due to their convenience and cheaper prices, big-box stores are becoming a popular alternative to local stores even for grocery shopping. 由于超级商场的便利和低廉价格，跟当地的小商店相比，消费者越来越愿意选择去超级商场购物，甚至到那里去买菜。好的，今天我们学习的词是 big-box store, big-box store, big-box store….

A: Big-box store, 就是超级市场! 我觉得这个词儿特别形象，在沃尔玛买的东西包装都是超大盒的! 我要是买了，一个人根本吃不完!

B: Well, you can always ask for my help if you can’t finish your cookies…I don’t mind, that’s what friends are for…

A: Why I’m not surprised…Actually there was this one time I nearly took a job as a Walmart Cashier. I only had a student visa at that time, so I had to give it up since I didn’t want to get paid under the table.

B: That’s a smart move. You don’t want to be caught doing something illegal. You just mentioned a really good term, under the table, let’s check out today’s words and idioms and see what it means!

Words and Idioms #804 Under the Table

美国习惯用语第八百零四讲。

我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我有个朋友不久前从中国来美国旅游，后来想留下来。现在的问题是，他没有工作许可，所以不能合法工作。最好的办法当然是申请工卡。不过，美国其实也有不少非法移民，他们找的都是支付现金的工作，所以不用交税。英语里有个习惯用语，专门指这种交易：

M: Under the table. Under is spelled u-n-d-e-r. Under. Table is spelled t-a-b-l-e. Table. Under the table.

Under the table 在桌子下面进行的交易，也就是不能见人的，而且往往是非法的。下面这个例子里的商人怀疑，他的竞争对手之所以很快就拿到了卖酒的许可，可能是私下里贿赂了管事的人。让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “I’ve been waiting for over a year to get a liquor license for my restaurant, and this guy comes along and gets one in two months. I’m sure he must have paid the official UNDER THE TABLE. How else could he have gotten one so fast?”

他说，[我的餐馆申请酒牌已经一年多了，但是这个人刚来两个月就拿到了，我敢肯定，他一定是私下里给了管事的官员什么好处，也不然，他怎么能那么快就拿到呢？]

虽说见不得人，但是很多生意都是通过 under the table 办成的。有趣的是，中国人说在饭桌上谈事，意思是酒足饭饱后就好说话了，但是西方人却说，under the table 在饭桌下面办事。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I’ve been waiting for over a year to get a liquor license for my restaurant, and this guy comes along and gets one in two months. I’m sure he must have paid the official UNDER THE TABLE. How else could he have gotten one so fast?”

在一个高度廉洁、高度透明的体制中，公司为了得到政府的合约，应该通过公平竞争，而不需要私下里打通门路，行贿受贿。They should not have to compete under the table with kickbacks.

虽说 under the table 听上去在生意场上应该是由来已久了，但事实上，这个习惯用语最早出现于二十世纪二十年代，历史并不久远。当时，合法交易都是在桌面上完成的，所以，在桌子下面 Under the table 进行的交易，就是指不光明磊落的。

在下面这个例子中，我们要看看美国一个最可能从 under the table 得到的收入来源。你能猜到吗？让我们一起听听看。

M: I run a restaurant and I get a lot of young people asking me for part-time waitering jobs, and they all want to be paid UNDER THE TABLE, you know, cash. This way they can avoid paying taxes. It’s easier for me because I don’t have to put them in my books.

这个人说，[我有一家餐馆，很多年轻人都想在我的餐馆里打零工，做服务员，而且都希望我能付给他们现金。这样他们就不用交税了。这样做其实我也愿意，因为我报帐的时候不用把他们包括进去了。]

对呀，在餐馆当服务员赚的小费也是现金，难怪那么多年轻人喜欢在餐馆打工，赚的钱可以全部进入自己的腰包。而且呀，还有很多学生放假专门跑到旅游景点去打工呢！好，让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: I run a restaurant and I get a lot of young people asking me for part-time waitering jobs, and they all want to be paid UNDER THE TABLE, you know, cash. This way they can avoid paying taxes. It’s easier for me because I don’t have to put them in my books.

这也让我想起，很多墨西哥人为什么会愿意背井离乡到美国来打工，原因很简单，An American salary, even if below minimum wage and paid under table, would be much higher than what they can earn at home. 在美国赚的工资，即使低于政府规定的最低工资，而且是私下里的现金交易，也要比他们在家乡赚到的多得多。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: I heard a lot of people in America work as waiters as a part time job because you can get paid under the table. Is it true?

B: It depends. Sometimes you can get paid in cash, and tips can be very generous.

A:哈! 我原来特别羡慕西餐厅的女服务生，觉得她们又能在高级餐厅工作，小费还特别多!

B: Yeah, but the downside is that if IRS caught you not paying taxes, you could be in serious trouble.

A: Exactly. 在美国交税可是头等大事，要是你哪次逃了税，不管隔了多久, IRS 都会找到你的….好了，刚才Mike提到了downside, 咱们来听听这个词怎么用!

Learn A Word 1654 downside

今天我们要学的词是 downside, downside is spelled d-o-w-n-s-i-d-e, downside. Downside 是指某件事情不利的方面。One of the downsides of being a celebrity is the loss of privacy. 做名人的代价之一是，你的隐私会受到损伤。The downside of working from home is being forgotten by your boss for work and promotion. 在家上班的缺陷是，很容易被老板遗忘，不光是布置工作的时候，提拔的时候也是一样。The biggest downside of owning a cell phone is that you can never truly get away from it all. 带手机最大的不利之处是，你再也不能彻底摆脱周围的一切了。好的，今天我们学习的词是 downside, downside, downside…

A: Yeah, I love telecommuting. But the downside is that you might be forgotten by your boss…

B: You definitely don’t want her to forget you when it comes time for a promotion! Working from home is really efficient though. It saves up on time and gas.

A: 我觉得吧，如果你想远程工作，就要跟老板先都谈好，让他知道你每天都在做什么，both sides need to lay their cards on the table so you know what to expect.

B: Exactly. I also feel like you need to go into the office from time to time. I can’t stand working from home all the time, I need to talk to people!

A: Yeah I noticed….(sarcastically) (B: You…) 哈哈，好了,我刚才提到了lay your cards on the table, 再来听听今天的words and idioms, 来学学这个习惯用语的用法!

Words and Idioms 805 to lay or put your cards on the table

美国习惯用语第八百零五讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

在上次节目中，我告诉过大家，我的一个朋友因为没有工卡，所以想找那种能支付现金的工作。我告诉他，这么做太悬了，如果被抓住，不仅他自己，而且雇用他的老板也要倒霉。所以他最好坦白地告诉别人，自己没有工作许可，英语里有个习惯用语，专门指开诚布公地说明事实，叫：

M: To lay your cards on the table. Lay is spelled l-a-y. Lay. Cards is spelled c-a-r-d-s. Cards. To lay your cards on the table.

Lay 是动词，放的意思。To lay your cards on the table 就是摊牌，和盘托出的意思。我们也可以用 put 代替 lay, 说 To put your cards on the table. 在下面这个例子里，一个男人在向女朋友求婚前，主动交代了自己的经济状况，让我们听听他是怎么说的。
M: “I don’t want to keep any secrets from you. So, I’m going TO LAY MY CARDS ON THE TABLE and tell you that I’m no millionaire, and that if you marry me, you’ll have to work for a while─at least until my business starts to grow.”

他说，[我不想对你有任何保留，所以我现在全都告诉你。我不是什么百万富翁，你如果嫁给我，可能还得工作一段时间，起码要等到我的生意开始有些起色为止。]

出去工作对大多数美国女性来说可能并不是什么难以接受的事情，除非这个女性出身在一个极其老式，极其保守的家庭。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I don’t want to keep any secrets from you. So, I’m going TO LAY MY CARDS ON THE TABLE and tell you that I’m no millionaire, and that if you marry me, you’ll have to work for a while─at least until my business starts to grow.”

起码这个男人很老实，婚前就警告未婚妻婚后不会马上过上阔夫人的日子，恐怕还要辛苦一段时间。确实，很多专家都建议，婚前要把各自的财政状况告诉对方，to lay all your cards on the table 其中包括学生贷款、信用卡债务等等，还要看双方在理财方面是否看法一致，否则一个省吃俭用，一个大手大脚，肯定过不到一块儿去。

大家肯定已经想到，to lay one’s cards on the table 这个习惯用语是从打牌来的。打牌的时候，牌是不给别人看得，所以说，to lay one’s cards on the table or to put one’s cards on the table 就是指把原来保密的东西公开出来。这个习惯用语大约有100年的历史。在下面这个例子中，两家公司的老总正在就一项交易讨价还价。让我们一起听听看。

M: “I think we should just LAY OUR CARDS ON THE TABLE and tell each other exactly what we’re here for.”

“Okay then, our international business is failing and we need cash to keep it going.”

其中一个人说，[我觉得我们应该把底牌都亮出来，告诉对方我们到底想到得到些什么。]另外一个人说，[那好，我们公司的国际业务很失败，我们现在需要现金支撑。]

我就不相信上面这两位公司老总会和盘托出。他们肯定会对对方有所保留，这样才能讨价还价嘛！让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “I think we should just LAY OUR CARDS ON THE TABLE and tell each other exactly what we’re here for.”

“Okay then, our international business is failing and we need cash to keep it going.”

最近，我们附近一家公司的劳资双方围绕工资问题陷入了纠纷。Both sides need to put their cards on the table for any progress to be made. 要想在谈判上取得进展，纠纷双方必须坦诚相见。与此同时，我认识的一个朋友就在那家公司上班。他觉得形势不好，所以马上就找到了一份新工作。He laid his cards on the table and told his boss about the job offer. 他坦率地把准备换工作的消息告诉了自己的老板。

好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Before a couple decide to get married, they need to lay their cards on the table and talk about things such as financial habits, living styles and so on.

B: Exactly. Being candid can prevent a lot of future unhappiness. Speaking of which, you owe me ten bucks.

A: What are you talking about?

B: I got a gift for me on your behalf since you didn’t give me a Christmas present this year. So you owe me ten bucks for the gift.

A: 好无语…不过有时候，同事凑份子确实是个让人头疼的事儿。 在今天的Business Etiquette里，Amanda就跟老同事Sarah抱怨起新办公室里的一些事儿，咱们一起来听听吧!

Sarah 转到新部门工作不久，在去吃午饭的路上遇到原来的同事 Amanda.

S: Hi Amanda, how are you? I’ve missed working with you and the whole gang since my transfer last week.

A: We’ve missed you too. The office just isn’t the same without you. How is your new job?

S: It’s great. I really get to focus on what I like to do and everyone has been very nice and welcoming. However, I’m having a small problem with my new colleagues.

A: What happened?

Sarah告诉Amanda她很想念原来的同事，I missed working with you and the gang. 大家都知道，Gang 有团伙的意思，在这里指常聚在一起的一群人。 Amanda 也说，The office just isn’t the same without you. Sarah走了，办公室好像就不一样了。虽然Sarah很喜欢她新的工作， 但是在跟新同事相处时却遇到了一些小麻烦，我们继续听。

S: Well, three people are celebrating their birthdays this month and the policy here is for everyone to contribute ten dollars to a card and cake for each person.

A: Wow, so you’ll be out thirty dollars on your first week at work!

S: I know. It is a lot of money and I haven’t gotten to know any of the people celebrating their birthdays well enough yet. At our old department, it was only three dollars for each birthday and there were only ten of us.

原来，这个月有三个新同事过生日，Sarah 不得不跟着一起凑份子，买卡片和蛋糕为同事庆祝。They want her to contribute to the card and cake. Contribute is spelled c-o-n-t-r-i-b-u-t-e, contribute 是贡献的意思。这样一来，She will be out thirty dollars. 一下要出三十块。Sarah 跟这些同事还不熟，所以觉得有点亏。Amanda 安慰她说，

A: Well, every department is different. You wouldn’t want your new co-workers to think you’re a Grinch, right?

S: What is that? It doesn’t sound like a good thing to be.

A: A Grinch is a person who spoils the mood at a happy occasion by being selfish or unenthusiastic. You know — a party pooper.

S: I definitely don’t want to be that! But, I still think it’s unreasonable for them to ask me for such a big sum of money when we don’t know each other very well. What should I do?

Amanda 警告Sarah，如果她不出份子钱的话，同事会认为她是 Grinch, Grinch is spelled g-r-i-n-c-h, grinch 专门用来形容自私，而且没有情趣的人。Sarah当然不想让新同事觉得她是个败兴的人，a party pooper， 可她还是很不甘心，觉得新同事的要求不合理 unreasonable. reasonable 是有道理的，前面加上 un, unreasonable 就变成了没有道理的。这笔份子钱，Sarah最后会出吗？我们下次继续听。

A: Sarah 跟Amanda抱怨，说刚到新办公室，同事就要她出30块钱来给其它同事庆祝生日。Sarah觉得she will be out 30 bucks， 一下出30块钱，有点多，可是又不想人家觉得她是 grinch, 自私的人，或者 party pooper， 败兴的人。

B: It’s a catch-22. On the one hand, you don’t want to go over the budget; on the other hand, no one wants to have the reputation of being a grinch.

A: Especially if you are in a new team! First impressions are extremely important.

B: Let’s see if Amanda can offer Sarah some good advice!

Sarah 向原来的同事 Amanda诉苦，说刚换了新工作，就赶上三个人过生日，都要凑份子，感觉心理很不平衡。Amanda 劝她说，

A: If I were you, I would just bite the bullet and hand over the money. First impressions are important and it’s not worth getting a reputation for being a Scrooge. Think about it this way: when your birthday comes around, you’ll have at least one card and cake to look forward to.

S: A Scrooge is someone who is stingy with his money even though he has plenty, right? I wouldn’t want my colleagues to think I am refusing to contribute to the pool even though I can, but this would put me way over my weekly budget.

Amanda 建议Sarah硬着头皮凑份子， Bite the bullet 意思是硬着头皮接受自己不愿意做的事情。她说，first impressions are important, 第一印象很重要，不能为了这点钱给别人留下“守财奴”的印象。 It’s not worth getting a reputation for being a Scrooge. Scrooge is spelled s-c-r-o-o-g-e, scrooge 意思是讨厌的守财奴。Sarah 说自己不是不肯出钱，contribute to the pool, 这里的pool, p-o-o-l, pool 指的是大家凑的钱，可如果出钱，一星期的预算就会超出很多。

A: What about a compromise? Maybe you could sit down privately with the person in charge of collecting the money and explain that coming from a smaller department you’ve never had to deal with so many birthdays at once. Offer to give her five dollars for each birthday instead, and promise that you will make your famous brownies for the celebration.

S: That sounds like a good plan. I hope they understand where I’m coming from and don’t hold it against me.

Amanda 建议Sarah去找负责收钱的同事商量，try to make a compromise. 看能不能找到一个居中的妥协方案，把份子钱从十块减少到五块，但同时保证烤自己拿手的蛋糕，来庆祝同事的生日。Sarah觉得这个办法不错，希望同事能 understand where I’m coming from. 意思是能明白和理解我的本意，don’t hold it against me 不要记恨我。

A: I’m sure they will understand. Lots of people have been in the same position before. And, maybe once you get to know them better, ten dollars won’t seem like such a big deal anymore.

S: Thanks so much for your advice, I feel a lot better about the situation.

A: You’re welcome. Let’s make sure we keep in touch, Sarah!

S: Sure, I’ll talk to you again soon and let you know how it goes. Enjoy your lunch!

Amanda 叫Sarah放心，一定有很多人遇到过这种情形，lots of people have been in the same position before. 她还说，等Sarah和同事们熟了以后，凑十块钱的份子钱可能也就没什么大不了的了。

A: Yeah! It would be great if she can find a compromise! Speaking of which, since I compromise everyday by working with you, I should get some compensation….

B: Working with me everyday IS your compensation!

A:哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

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美语训练班  第090课

A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，赶快来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 没问题! 今天我们要聊聊继续深造需要考虑些什么，看看怎么表达如法炮制，还要告诉你现在最潮的个人设计师要怎么说!!

B: Having a personal stylist used to be limited to celebrities, but now a lot of ordinary woman are hiring their own personal stylist to look their best!

A: Yep. I’ve always been interested in the fashion industry. Being a personal stylist sounds like a fun job to me! You can appreciate all the new fashions without spending a dime! 哎呀，这才是我该进入的行业呀…

B: Hmm….yeah. We…will discuss that later. Now, let’s go ahead with our first segment, learn a word!

Learn A Word – 1655 hi-tech

今天我们要学的词是 hi-tech, hi-tech is spelled h-i, hi, t-e-c-h, tech, hi-tech. Hi-tech 高科技的。Hi-tech companies 高科技公司。Hi-tech gadgets are sure-fire gifts for the holidays. 过节送高科技产品的礼物一定不会错。上星期，The House of Representatives voted to make green cards accessible for foreign students graduating with advanced science and math degrees from U.S. Universities, a step strongly backed by the hi-tech industry. 美国国会众议院投票决定，允许从美国大学毕业，获取理工科高学位的外籍学生申请绿卡，这一做法得到了高科技工业的强烈支持。好的，今天我们学习的词是 hi-tech, hi-tech, hi-tech…

A: 说起高科技，我最近刚换了新的智能手机, 觉得生活都变了! GPS, 照相机，上网，发微博什么都能用手机，太方便了！

B: Yeah, the smart phone is a wonderful invention, and with everyone having a smart phone right now, related industries are booming! I have a friend who is a smart phone app developer. After working at Google for two years, he now has his own firm that is in full swing!!

A: 可不！现在IT人才真吃香！我再次感叹自己入错了行…

B: The important thing is that you have to be doing what you love. My friend loves hi-tech stuff, so for him, going to work is like having fun!

A: 对对对！找一份自己喜欢的工作，每天都高高兴兴的才是人生真谛！好了，你刚才提到了一个很好的词 in full swing, 咱们来听听今天的美国习惯用语，学学这个短语的意思！

Words and Idioms 806 IN FULL SWING

美国习惯用语第八百零六讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

我的一个朋友正在参加社区代表的选举。过去几个月来，为了帮他拉选票，我贡献了不少自己的时间，给选民打电话，还要登门拜访，分发资料。离投票的日子越近，我就越忙。形容目前的选举阶段，在英语里叫：

M: In full swing. Full is spelled f-u-l-l, and swing; s-w-i-n-g. In-full-swing. In full swing. Full 是全部的，彻底的意思，swing 是摇摆。In full swing 连在一起，就是进入高潮阶段，正在全力进行当中的意思。说到我朋友参加的选举，这个习惯用语恰如其分。The campaign is in full swing.

下面这位新郎的弟弟讲述了婚礼招待会的场面，让我们听听看。

M: “When the wedding reception began, it wasn’t very lively. But it really picked up once the band started playing some popular favorites. Now everyone’s out on the dance floor having a great time. The party is IN FULL SWING.”

他说，”婚礼招待会刚开始的时候并不是很活跃，后来乐队开始演奏一些特别受欢迎的曲子，场面才开始热烈起来，大家都跑到舞池里面，蹁蹁起舞，尽情享受，使聚会进入了高潮。”

这不禁让我想起了参加1999年迈进2000年的跨世纪新年晚会的情景。晚会刚开始的时候，大家都很拘谨，但是随着午夜的临近，晚会的气氛越来越热烈，直到午夜钟声响起，The celebration was in full swing. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “When the wedding reception began, it wasn’t very lively. But it really picked up once the band started playing some popular favorites. Now everyone’s out on the dance floor having a great time. The party is IN FULL SWING.”

据语言学家考察，in full swing 这个习惯用语大约是在十九世纪中期出现的。最早的时候，in full swing 是指身体的剧烈摇摆。

刚才我们提到了新年元旦晚会。除了新年以外，美国还有很多人尽皆知的日子。大家肯定知道十一月份最后一个星期四的感恩节，也就是火鸡大餐的日子、12月25号的圣诞节、7月四号以烟火表演著称的独立日，还有10月31号大鬼小鬼粉墨登场的万圣节，可是你知道4月15号是什么日子吗？如果你猜不到的话，就让我们一起来听听。

M: “As a tax accountant, my busiest time of year is between February and April. That’s because working Americans must file their tax documents with the federal government by April 15th of every year. So when my office is IN FULL SWING, I’m expected to stay late and come in on weekends.”

这个人说，”做税务会计的，一年里最忙的就是二月份到四月份这段时间，因为美国工薪阶层每年4月15号以前要向联邦政府报税。在这段时间里，我们公司要全力以赴，晚上和周末都要加班。”

美国著名的政治家和发明家富兰克林曾经说过一句很经典的话，叫 “The only things certain in life are death and taxes.” 意思是说生命中只有死亡和税务是确定无疑的。让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “As a tax accountant, my busiest time of year is between February and April. That’s because working Americans must file their tax documents with the federal government by April 15th of every year. So when my office is IN FULL SWING, I’m expected to stay late and come in on weekends.”

报税确实是一件很让人头疼的事情，所以我宁可花点儿钱，也要请别人帮我报税，这就是社会分工的好处！

今天我们学到，在说起政治选举、社交聚会和工作进入高潮的时候，都可以用到 in full swing 这个习惯用语。如果你是我们节目的忠实听众的话，I bet your learning of new idioms is in full swing. 好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: 我也来造个句，with the presidential inauguration coming next Monday, the operations are all the news agencies are in full swing!

B: Exactly. Everyone in the building is busy preparing for the swear-in ceremony! Luckily with all the hi-tech cameras and phones out there, we can just ask the audience to send in clips of the event!

A: 没错，we need to make full use of our hi-tech devices! I don’t know if I want to go to the event myself though, it’s going to be freezing standing outside in 0 C temperatures.

B: Of course you want to go! This only happens every four years and you can’t guarantee you are going to be in DC next time! Come on!

A: 也是！而且，我也想看看Michelle Obama穿什么衣服！每次她出席这些场合的时候都好优雅, 不知道这次她的造型师是谁…

B: Exactly. Whatever the reason, you have to go!

A: 哈哈，好吧好吧。我刚才说到了造型师，咱们就再来听听这个词要怎么说！

Learn A Word – 1657 stylist

今天我们要学的词是 stylist, stylist is spelled s-t-y-l-i-s-t, stylist. stylist 设计师，造型师。Monica is studying to become a hair stylist. Monica正在学习，想当一名发型设计师。”Twilight” actress Kristen Stewart’s stylist says that Kristen has always been a “tomboy at heart.” 暮光之城女主角克里斯汀.斯图尔特的造型师说，她本质上一直是个假小子。个人造型设计师如今已经不再是有钱人的特权。Many ordinary women are hiring their own personal stylist to look their best. 很多普通女性也开始雇佣自己的个人造型师，让自己以最好的形象示人。好的，今天我们学习的词是 stylist, stylist, stylist…

A: Maybe I should consider becoming a stylist…I love fashion and I’ve always been interested in … studying it!

B: Well… From what I have seen, you are really just interested in shopping. Other than that, I don’t see enough talent…

(A: What? ) kidding kidding. Actually, you should consider doing it as a side-job! You have a good sense of fashion, why not use that to make others feel better?!

A: What? You are never this nice to me…I think I’m about to tear up…

B: 哈哈哈, this only happens once in a blue moon, so don’t get used to it! Now let’s go ahead with our show. Another words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 807 Beat Someone at Their Own Game

现在播送美国习惯用语第八百零七讲。我是杨晨。我是 Douglas Johnson。

如今互联网这么发达，什么东西只要一放到网上，就会一发不可收拾。如果你突然发现，朋友没有经过允许，就把你的一张很丑陋的照片放到了网上，你会怎么做？我的朋友 Jennifer 就被同事这么捉弄过一回。她也不示弱，立即找出一张同事更丢人的旧照片，发给了更多的人。这种做法在英语里叫：

M: Beat someone at their own game. Beat is spelled b-e-a-t, and game; g-a-m-e. Beat-someone-at-their-own-game. Beat someone at their own game.

beat 在中文里是打击的意思，game 是比赛，游戏。beat someone at their own game，就是以其人之道，还治其人之身的意思。我的朋友 Jennifer 如法炮制，把同事一些见不得人的照片放到网上，让更多的人都看到，就可以说是 She beat them at their own game.

如果说这是一场搞笑的恶作剧的话，那么在下面这个例子里两家餐馆之间的血拼大降价，就没有这么好笑了。让我们听听看。

M: “The restaurant across the street from ours was running a special. Guests who ordered a dinner entrée could receive another at half price. So we introduced an even better deal: buy one entrée, get the other free. Now our place is packed. We’re BEATING THE COMPETITION AT THEIR OWN GAME.”

其中一位老板说: “街对面的餐馆推出特价活动，点一道主菜，第二道菜半价。我们以其人之道，还治其人之身， 决定买一送一，结果现在我们餐馆里的生意特别红火。我们在这次较量中战胜了对手。”

如果是我，我也会光顾这家餐馆的。经济不好的时候，商家就更要想方设法地吸引顾客。商业竞争真是英语里常说的 “Dog-Eat-Dog”残酷无情。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “The restaurant across the street from ours was running a special. Guests who ordered a dinner entrée could receive another at half price. So we introduced an even better deal: buy one entrée, get the other free. Now our place is packed. We’re BEATING THE COMPETITION AT THEIR OWN GAME.”

刚才我们谈到了商业竞争的残酷无情。不过有的时候，beat someone at their own game 也会给生活增添不少乐趣。让我们一起来听听下面这对夫妻之间的小故事。

M: “I thought taking my wife sailing was a pretty cool birthday surprise. But, for my big day, she took me skydiving in Mexico. Every year is the same. No matter what gift ideas I come up with, hers are cleverer. She BEATS ME AT MY OWN GAME all the time.”

这个人说: “我本来以为带妻子去航海是一个绝妙的生日礼物，但是我过生日的时候，她却计划好了一起到墨西哥去跳伞。每年都是这样，她总能想出更棒的生日礼物来，让我自愧不如。”

去年冬天，我跟老公学下国际象棋，怎么也赢不了他，结果我正好有机会采访了一位象棋高手，跟他学了几招，回家就把老公打败了。I finally beat him at his own game. 让我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “I thought taking my wife sailing was a pretty cool birthday surprise. But, for my big day, she took me skydiving in Mexico. Every year is the same. No matter what gift ideas I come up with, hers are cleverer. She BEATS ME AT MY OWN GAME all the time.”

最近美国经济不景气，很多公司都在裁员。我前些天做了一个梦，梦见早上去上班，结果接到通知，说我们被另外一家电台取代了。They beat us at our own game. 一下子惊醒过来，好在是个梦。

从上面的例子大家肯定已经看出，to beat someone at their own game 这个习惯用语里的 game 可以用来指任何努力和工作。这个习惯用语可以追溯到十三世纪中叶，真可以说是历史悠久了。

好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。
M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Our previous host Kat is super creative. Whatever ideas I had, she would come up with a better one. She always beats me at my own game!

B: You sure that’s because Kat’s creative? Or is it because you are … a little bit slow in some aspect? (A:You…) Whoops…

A: Actually we were just chatting yesterday. She’s thinking about going back to college for graduate school and wanted my advice. I don’t know…just the idea of going back to school gives me a headache! It’s a huge commitment of time and money, and you don’t want to choose the wrong major!

B: True. In today’s Business Etiquette, Lisa is asking Shirley for advice about going to graduate school, let’s check it out!

BE 202 Continuing education I

Lisa请Shirley吃饭，有事征求Shirley的意见。

Lisa: Hey, Shirley! Want to join me for lunch…my treat!

Shirley: Wow! Sure!

Lisa: I must confess I have an ulterior motive for asking you to lunch.

S: Oh….that’s OK….as long as you’re buying!

L: I really want to pick your brain about something I’ve been thinking a lot about.

S: I’d love to help if I can.

请别人吃饭，可以说 my treat, 也可以说 it’s on me. 原来，Lisa请Shirley吃饭别有用心，She has an ulterior motive. motive是动机，ulterior is spelled u-l-t-e-r-i-o-r, ulterior意思是暗藏的，别有用心的。Lisa告诉Shirley, I really want to pick your brain about something. to pick someone’s brain意思是跟某人交谈，获取信息，征求意见。

L: Well, as you know, I have a Bachelor’s degree in English literature and that’s served me well so far, but I’ve always wanted to do some post-graduate work…maybe even get a Doctorate!

S: Wow! Just the idea of going back to school fills my head with pain.

L: But you have a Master’s degree…hasn’t that helped your career?

S: Yeah, I’d have to say it has. But I’m still paying for it, you know.

L: I know education is expensive, but it’s been my lifelong dream. Call me crazy, but I’ve always wanted to have that PhD at the end of my name.

原来，Lisa是考虑要回去上学。她已经有了a Bachelor’s Degree学士学位，想再拿个Master’s Degree硕士学位，甚至是a Doctorate博士学位，这是她的lifetime dream这辈子梦寐以求的。Shirley承认，硕士学位确实对自己的事业有帮助，但是在美国接受高等教育很贵，I’m still paying for it.我上学的钱到现在还没有还清。Shirley还说，

S: Well, getting a Doctorate degree would mean close to a decade of school. Can you afford that? Can you survive that?

L: I certainly can’t afford it, but I’m sure I could find some good student loans.

S: I think you need to separate the dream of having a PhD from the reality of years of more schooling. It’s not as romantic as you might think.

L: Yeah….I keep thinking about what I’ll do with a Master’s or Doctorate. I love language but I don’t think there are a lot of well-paying jobs out there for experts on Shakespeare.

S: Uh huh, that’s for sure. You might find that your only career choice is teaching other graduate students.

Shirley劝Lisa不要把回去读书想得太好，要看自己经济上能否承担得起，Can you afford that? 还要看自己能不能坚持下来，Can you survive that?Lisa会不顾一切却追求梦想吗？我们下次继续听。

A: Lisa请Shirley吃饭，想要pick her brain，征求她的意见。Shirley觉得, 虽然继续深造是有帮助的，可是要想清楚自己经济能否负担。Shirley is still paying for her master degree, Shirley还在为自己的硕士学位买单。

B: Exactly. Higher education in the U.S. is really expensive. I know a lot of people who are still paying for it 7 or 8 years after they graduated.

A: You also want to be really careful when choosing your major. 你可能特别喜欢历史，可是市场上不需要那么多历史学家。

B: Let’s see if Shirley can offer Lisa some good advice!

Lisa请Shirley吃饭，说自己想回学校去读个硕士或是博士学位，征求Shirley的意见。Shirley说，

Shirley: I got my Master’s in Business Management. It’s helped my career, but it took several years of hard studying. If I didn’t have a supportive family and a husband with a good job, I don’t think I could have done it.

L: So you’re counseling me against this idea?

S: Not necessarily, but I do recommend taking a slow approach. Can you take some night classes or find some way to keep working while you go back to school?

L: Might be difficult.

Shirley念的商业管理硕士学位，她觉得，自己之所以能读下来，靠的是家人的支持，和老公的高收入。Lisa问Shirley是不是劝她放弃这种想法，so you’re counseling me against it? to counsel someone against something意思是劝说某人不要做某事。Shirley说，not necessarily那也不一定。她建议Lisa慢慢来，take a slow approach, 看能不能边工作边选课。Lisa觉得不太实际。

S: Maybe you could get an MBA or something more marketable.

L: That’s worth considering.

S: I got my BA from Brown University. My major was Environmental Studies but that hasn’t been as useful as the business courses I took.

L: Or maybe I should just take some courses that I’m interested in, but skip the Master’s.

S: That’s another idea, but if you really have a dream, don’t let anything stop you from going for it! Going back to school is hard, but it’s not impossible.

Shirley劝Lisa考虑其他更容易找高薪工作的专业。不过，她同时也鼓励Lisa说，if you really have a dream, don’t let anything stop you from going for it! 如果这真是你的梦想的话，那就不要让任何事情阻挡你。

L: You’re right! I need to decide if this is truly what I want.

S: And take your time. You’re still young. Maybe there’s even a correspondence course you can take during your free time.

L: Yeah! Then I could slowly build up credits and maybe later transfer into a university program.

S: There you go! That’s some clear thinking.

L: I guess I just love learning! I remember the day my SAT test scores came back….I was so excited!

S: (Chuckle) I don’t remember loving school quite so much….most of the time I was either bored or totally stressed out. But like I said earlier, if you have a dream, don’t let anything hold you back!

Shirley说，Lisa甚至可以抽空先选几门correspondence course函授课程，这样可以慢慢积攒一些学分credits, 以后如果真想读学位，也可以用得上。她再次强调说，If you have a dream, don’t let anything hold you back. 意思是有梦想，就不要让任何事情拉你的后腿。

A: Don’t let anything hold you back! 不顾一切，去追求梦想。

B: What exactly is your dream? Buy…more clothes?

A: 当然是吃遍全世界了！

B: Actually, I second that!

A: Why I’m not surprised…哈哈， 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。 如果你有什么建议，或者想提什么问题，请发电子邮件到meiyu@voanews.com.

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

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