美语训练班 第101-110课

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美语训练班  第101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: Sure! 今天，我们要一起看看提高销售业绩的好方法，看看父母出钱上大学到底好不好，还要告诉你怎么说两害相权取其轻!

B: I know that it’s common for Chinese parents to pay for their kids’ education, but in America, a lot of people have to get a student loan to go to college. I guess that’s a major culture difference.

A: 我也觉得是，美国人好像都比较独立。中国人呢，特别看重教育，所以父母为了让子女受到更好的教育都不惜花好多钱。

B: Yep…look at you…graduate student….

A: I think this is only because I’m smarter than you! (B: Hey!) 好了好了，不开玩笑了，咱们赶快来学习吧! 先来进入第一个单元，Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1688 academic

今天我们要学的词是academic. Academic is spelled academic, academic. Academic 学术的。Five states in America will add at least 300 hours to the academic calendar in some schools this year. 美国五个州今年会给一些学校的学生增加至少300个小时的教学时间。一项最新研究显示，College students whose parents pay for their tuition tend to have lower academic performance. 父母出钱付学费的大学生，成绩反而比较差。有研究显示，Annual spending on sports by public universities is about six to twelve times the amount of their academic spending. 公立大学每年用在运动项目上的开销是其教学经费的六到十二倍。好的，今天我们学习的词是 academic, academic, academic…

A: Universities spend more on sports than academics? That totally explains it…see how much attention March Madness has received!

B: Exactly! But sports are fun! (Talk about a kind of sports that you do…)

A: 我就不行! 我什么体育都不爱看，而且老觉得规则复杂，什么都看不明白啊!

B: That sounds like you!

A: 嘿! 算了，不跟你贫了，咱们回到正题，来听听今天的美国习惯用语，leave in the lurch!

Words and Idioms 823 LEAVE IN THE LURCH

美国习惯用语第 823讲

我去年在一家电器商店买了一台摄像机，当时店里的售货员告诉我说，如果发生故障，可以随时把摄像机拿回店里，五年内免费保修。结果，上星期，摄像机上的录制键坏了，我拿回去修，谁知道，那家店早就倒闭了。今天我们要学的习惯用语能够恰如其分地描述我当时的心情：

M: Leave in the lurch. Leave is spelled leave, and lurch; lurch. Leaveinthelurch. Leave in the lurch.

Leave in the lurch 这个习惯用语的意思是弃别人于危难之中，置别人于困境而不顾。这回你明白了吧，那家电器行倒闭，让我没办法修理本来可以保修的摄像机。也就是，It’s left me in the lurch.

不过，并不是所有人都会置别人的利益于不顾。让我们听听下面这个医生的故事。

M: “The interview went so well that the hospital administrator offered Dr. Long the job. The trouble is she wanted him to start right away. He explained that his clinic wouldn’t be able to find a replacement so quickly. And he couldn’t abandon his patients like that. He was too professional to LEAVE them IN THE LURCH.”

医院负责人经过面试，对龙大夫特别满意，希望他能立即开始工作。但是龙大夫解释说，他现在的诊所无法马上找到替代他的医生，他不能就这样抛弃自己的病人，作为医生，他不能置自己的病人于不顾。

这不禁让我想起了女儿的班主任。虽然她先生调到西部去工作，但是她却决定要待到学期结束，因为她觉得中途换老师对学生不好。I appreciate her not LEAVING THEM IN THE LURCH. 她对学生如此负责的态度让我深受感动。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “The interview went so well that the hospital administrator offered Dr. Long the job. The trouble is she wanted him to start right away. He explained that his clinic wouldn’t be able to find a replacement so quickly. And he couldn’t abandon his patients like that. He was too professional to LEAVE them IN THE LURCH.”

在刚才的例子里，我们提到，一位老师为了学生的利益，宁可暂时和丈夫分开，也不愿意在学期结束前辞职。但是有些人，却能对自己亲生骨肉的利益都置若罔闻。让我们一起听听看。

M: “After the divorce, Bill’s kids felt LEFT IN THE LURCH. They’d rarely see him as they grew up. Not only was he absent on special occasions like birthdays and graduations, but also during tough times when they really needed a dad. They never got over that sense of abandonment.”

离婚后，比尔的孩子感觉好像完全被父亲遗弃了。在他们的成长过程中，很少能见到他，不仅孩子过生日或是毕业典礼等重要场合上看不到他的身影，其他孩子们最需要父亲的时候他也从来不在他们的身旁。孩子们始终无法原谅他这种不闻不问的态度。

这些孩子的要求其实并不过份，虽然夫妻离异，但孩子是无辜的，不论是父亲还是母亲，只要依然在世，就应该继续陪伴孩子的成长。

我的曾祖父很早就去世了，跟当时其他妇女一样，我的曾祖母并不工作，而且又没有现在的社会保障，She was LEFT IN THE LURCH。幸运的是，她在工厂里找到了一份工作，才能勉强养家糊口。好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “After the divorce, Bill’s kids felt LEFT IN THE LURCH. They’d rarely see him as they grew up. Not only was he absent on special occasions like birthdays and graduations, but also during tough times when they really needed a dad. They never got over that sense of abandonment.”

早在十六世纪的时候，法国有一个骰子游戏叫 LOURCHE。按照游戏规则，如果你的分数远远落后于其他人，就算是 LOURCHE。后来，这个词逐渐被用在其他游戏上，并发展成了今天的习惯用语 leave in the lurch.

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: 现在失业率这么高，政府又越来越穷，A lot of people were left in the lurch. 很多人都陷入困境，艰难度日。

B:Yep! So it’s really important to keep up the good work!

A: Definitely! We need to find a way to better promote our show as well.

B: Well, I guess you just have to remind everyone of how handsome I am…

A: OMG… Where does this overabundance of confidence come from?

B: Just kidding. Well, in today’s business etiquette, we are going to talk about ways to boost sales for a company. So let’s go and take a look!

礼节美语BE233 Boosting Sales I

公司副总裁Lisa找到销售部经理Frank.

Lisa: Frank, we just got our sales figures in and the numbers are very disappointing. What’s going on here?

Frank: I haven’t actually seen the new figures. How far have we fallen?

L: We were in sixth place at the beginning of the year and we’ve now slipped to the eleventh! That’s a considerable drop.

F: Wow, that’s really bad news. Maybe we should brainstorm some ideas for a radical reinvention of our sales and marketing plan.

L: Yeah, let’s do that right now. What do you think the problem is?

公司副总裁Lisa找到销售部经理Frank, 因为最新销售数字很令人失望，年初的时候还排名第六，we’ve now slipped to the eleventh. 如今已经滑落到了第11位，下跌幅度很大，That’s a considerable drop. Frank听了这个坏消息，觉得应该 brainstorm some ideas，to brainstorm 是头脑风暴，集思广益的意思，看看怎样彻底调整一下公司的销售和市场规划。Lisa建议，择日不如撞日，说谈就谈，问Frank觉得问题出在哪里。

F: Well, it seems our competitors have managed to carve a niche in the market. They are now perceived as more “cool” or trendy than we are. Perhaps we should consider getting some celebrity endorsements.

L: You mean like a rock star or a famous sports figure?

F: Yeah, that might help. The person has to be seen as kind of a rebel so we can associate our brand with individuality.

L: That’s not a bad idea. I’ll talk to the Board of Directors about that.

F: I’d also suggest we reevaluate our packaging. Right now the box we sell our product in seems a little drab and colorless.

Frank说，公司的竞争对手 carved a niche in the market 在市场中找到了属于自己的一块地方，niche is spelled niche, niche 是缝隙的意思，动词 carve 是雕刻，划出的意思。Frank说，现在消费者都觉得公司竞争对手的产品更时尚，因此不妨找两个名人，给公司做产品代言，get some celebrity endorsements, 但选择的名人一定要带有反叛色彩，让用户觉得我们的产品有个性化，individuality. Frank 还建议，眼下的产品包装有些呆板，a little drab, 可以考虑变化一下。Lisa说：

L: Yes, we could redesign our packaging. But on the other hand, there is a recent trend to move away from excessive packaging. You know…to help save the environment.

F: That’s another way we could go. We could reduce our packaging, and then advertise our environmentallyfriendly business policies. Being”green” is definitely cool these days. Perhaps environmentallyfriendly packaging would appeal to a younger customer demographic.

Lisa说，如今的趋势是放弃过度包装，实现包装简单化，因为这样做有利环保 environmentallyfriendly. Frank觉得Lisa说得有道理，公司在包装上可以走环保路线，用环保的新思维来吸引年轻客户群，appeal to 是吸引的意思，demographic is spelled demographic, demographic 在这里指的是消费人群中的一部分。

A: Lisa和Frank谈起了如何改进公司的运营情况，Frank说，公司需要 carve a niche in the market， 在市场中找到属于自己的一块地方，get some celebrity endorsement, 找名人给公司代言，而且可以use environmentallyfriendly packing, 包装更加环保化。

B: Yanglin, didn’t you study business for your graduate degree?

A: 没错啊！

B: So in your opinion, what are the best ways to boost a business?

A: Oh there are a lot of ways, streamline the production line, cutting labor costs, and better advertisement, etc. Overall there are two major things: cutting costs, and improving exposure to the public.

B: Well, what can I say, sounds like all that money in graduate school tuition wasn’t wasted!

A：那当然！ 现在咱们接着来听听Lisa和Frank的讨论吧！

礼节美语BE234 Boosting Sales II

公司副总裁Lisa找到销售部经理Frank，商量如何提高产品销量。

Lisa: What about our pricing? Are we competitive?

Frank: Actually, we are roughly 15% more expensive than our closest competitors. But it’s going to be hard to cut costs any further, seeing as we are already operating on a very slim margin.

L: There’re always ways to cut costs, we just have to think outside the box. Perhaps we should consider relocating one of our factories to a more costefficient country.

F: We can also talk to our vendors about where they place our products. Perhaps if they’re placed in a more prominent location in stores, they’ll catch the eye of more customers.

在价格方面，Frank说，他们的产品比竞争对手高出大约15%, 但要想进一步削减成本，恐怕很难，因为他们本来就没有多少利润，we’re already operating on a very slim margin. Lisa说，要降低成本，一定有办法，必须 think outside the box 用创造性思维，比如考虑把工厂迁到成本更低廉的地方去。Frank说，也可以看看，销售商能否把产品放在商店里更显眼的地方，catch the eye of more customers.吸引更多顾客的注意。

L: Would it help if we offered a mega sale to clear out some of our inventory? We might not make a lot of money, but we might gain some brand awareness.

F: That’s a great idea. Getting people talking about our brand would be a big boost.

L: Are we harnessing the power of social network websites?

F: What do you mean?

L: I mean like setting up a Facebook page or using Twitter. It’s free to get online and set up an account. We might as well take advantage of these opportunities.

Lisa 建议清仓甩卖，增加 brand awareness 品牌知名度。此外也不能忽视社交网站的力量。We should harness the power of social network websites. harness is spelled harness, harness 是驾驭的意思。Lisa说，公司可以在Facebook脸谱网和Twitter推特网上开帐户，免费利用这些网站做宣传。Lisa继续说，

L: Another idea is for us to reevaluate where we are spending our advertising dollar.

F: Right now, we break it down between all the major media outlets. Television advertising gets 45% of our budget, 30% goes to print media, 20% goes to radio and 5% goes towards advertising online.

L: I think we should boost our online advertising. Online ads are cheap and they can reach a much wider audience.

F: All right, I’ll ask the ad department to make the changes.

L: If we can implement these new ideas by the end of this quarter, we might be able to reverse our sales slide and put ourselves in position for a major rebound come next year.

F: That would be great.

Lisa还主张在advertising dollar广告开支的分配上进行调整，增加互联网广告投入，因为在网上做广告不仅便宜，而且能 reach a much wider audience 能让更多的人看到。她说，如果能在这个季度结束前把这些措施落实的话，公司就可能reverse our sales slide扭转销售量下滑的趋势，为明年销量翻身做准备。

A: 没错！增加brand awareness品牌知名度是最重要的！一旦树立了品牌，卖什么都好卖！

B: Yeah I agree. If people trust a brand, they will think whatever products that particular brand has deserves every dollar they spend.

A: Exactly. 哎，你刚提到了deserve这个词儿，正好是今天我们Learn a word要教的！

B: And let’s listen!

Learn A Word 1689 deserve

今天我们要学的词是deserve. Deserve is spelled deserve, deserve. Deserve 应该得到。All workers deserve fair treatment and respect in the workplace. 在工作场所，所有人都应该得到公平的对待和尊重。You deserve some time off after all the long hours you put in. 你加班加点的，真是应该好好休息一下了。The coach deserves a lot of credit for taking the team all the way to the playoffs. 球队能一路打进季后赛，教练功不可没。兰斯.阿姆斯特朗承认使用禁药并表示道歉。Do you think he deserves another chance? 你觉得应该再给他一次机会吗？好的，今天我们学习的词是 deserve, deserve, deserve…

A: Hear it? Everyone deserves respect at the work place. Mike，you need to show me some respect! Stop eating all my food!

B: What? You are the one who always want to lose weight, so I’m just trying to help you on your quest!

A: Ugh I know… Like last night for dessert, I was debating between chocolate ice cream and strawberry cheese cake, finally I chose the lesser of two evils…

B: Hahaha, well, you should have brought me along. I could have eaten for you! What is it, cheese cake? Oh I love Cheese cake!

A: 好，下次打电话叫你来吃。

B：But you did just mention a very good term: lesser of two evils. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 824 LESSER OF TWO EVILS

美国习惯用语第 824讲

如果你去住旅店，只有两个房间可供选择，一个在电梯旁边，另外一个在饮料自动贩卖机旁边，你挑哪个？要是我的话，我肯定挑选饮料自动贩卖机旁边的那个，虽然不时会有人来买东西，但起码不会象电梯口那么吵。在英语里，有一种说法叫，

M: The lesser of two evils. Lesser is spelled lesser, and evils; evils. Thelesseroftwoevils. The lesser of two evils. Evil 是邪恶的意思，lesser 意思是比较小的，次要的。说 The lesser of two evils 就是说在两种令人不快的选择中，选择一个伤害相对小的，也就是中文里说的两害相权取其轻。所以说，一个房间在饮料自动贩卖机旁边，另外一个在电梯口旁边，我宁可选择在饮料贩卖机旁边的那个，这就是两害相权取其轻 The lesser of two evils。好在我随身带了一副耳塞。

不过，下面例子里这个新娘子可就没有我这么幸运了。让我们听听新郎官是怎么说，

M: “My inlaws insisted that my wife choose one her sisters as her maid of honor. She could have asked Marilyn, but she isn’t dependable at all. So she picked Ann, THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS. She may be rather unsociable, but, at least, she could be relied upon to help out with arrangements and be on time.”

我丈母娘和老丈人坚持要我妻子在她的妹妹里选一个当伴娘。她本来可以请玛里琳来当，可是她太靠不住了，思前想后，我妻子最后挑选了 Ann，Ann 虽然不怎么喜欢跟人搭讪，但至少还能指望她帮忙做一些婚礼的安排，而且知道她会准时出现。

难怪有人要跑到拉斯维加斯去结婚，这样能省掉不少麻烦！那天女儿问我，在无糖但是带有化学成分的健怡可乐，和含有很多糖分的普通可乐，哪个是 the lesser of two evils. 我想了半天，最后告诉她，还是喝水最健康。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “My inlaws insisted that my wife choose one her sisters as her maid of honor. She could have asked Marilyn, but she isn’t dependable at all. So she picked Ann, THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS. She may be rather unsociable, but, at least, she could be relied upon to help out with arrangements and be on time.”

美国大选前，很多选民都觉得，在民主、共和两党的候选人里，没有任何一个让他们感到满意，我的邻居约翰就持这种看法。让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。
M: “There doesn’t seem to be much choice in the upcoming election. Both candidates lack experience and leadership skills. I guess I’ll have to vote for the one who promises not to raise taxes. He’s THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS.”

在即将举行的选举中，好像没有什么选择。两个候选人都缺少经验和领导才能。我最后可能还是会把票投给保证不增收个人所得税的那个候选人，两害相权取其轻嘛！

如今经济不景气，很多以前从来没有考虑过的问题现在都变得格外现实了。昨天还有一个同事问我，在减少工资和不减少工资，但是增加工作小时数二者之间选择哪个。换句话说，which is the lesser of two evils? 我一时还真答不上来，这里面涉及了太多的因素，包括我的生活开销、以及时间对我有多重要等等。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “There doesn’t seem to be much choice in the upcoming election. Both candidates lack experience and leadership skills. I guess I’ll have to vote for the one who promises not to raise taxes. He’s THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS.”

THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS 这个习惯用语的历史非常悠久，最早来自古希腊，从十四世纪末开始在英语里出现。十九世纪一篇非常著名的短篇小说“美女还是老虎”，就是要在“两害”中权衡利弊，做出选择。你可能会问，evil? 美女怎么会是祸害呢？如果读过这个故事，你就会明白了。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Working with you or finishing all the work by myself…I guess I have to choose the lesser of two evils. I know I’m stuck with you…(sigh)

B: You think you have it bad? I either have to work with you or be out of a job! Life is so unfair……..

A: You may be out of a job anyways for that comment! 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102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: Sure! 今天， 我们要给大家介绍一下在职场上非常有用的仪表姿态，谈谈在办公室里玩儿幽默该怎么样把握程度，还要告诉大家怎么说“放任不管”。不过首先我们来–

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1690 counseling

今天我们要学的词是counseling. Counseling is spelled c-o-u-n-s-e-l-i-n-g, counseling. Counseling 是名词，有咨询的意思。比如，financial counseling 金融咨询。Despite extensive support and counseling, 349 U.S. service members committed suicide in 2012. 尽管能够得到广泛的支持和心理咨询，2012年还是有349名美国军人自杀。有研究显示，While the number of overweight and obese Americans is on the rise, the amount of weight counseling offered by primary care physicians has decreased. 美国超重和肥胖人口继续上涨的同时，家庭保健医生为患者提供的体重方面的咨询帮助却在减少。好的，今天我们学习的词是 counseling, counseling, counseling…

A: 说到counseling 这个词， 我认识的一对夫妇正在接受marriage counseling, 也就是婚姻出现问题，接受专业人士的咨询帮助。

B： So what happened? What seemed to be their problem?

A: 据说是因为太太生孩子的时候和婆婆闹了矛盾，结果几年过去了，一直没有解开心结。The tension in the family builds up over time, and eventually leads to their divorce!

B: That’s no good. Whatever problem she has with her in-laws, perhaps the wife should just let it slide.

A: Let it slide? 这个短语我们要解释一下。来听words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 825 Let Slide

美国习惯用语第 825讲

昨天我在办公室复印文件，结果发现，复印机里的纸用得一干二净，在我前面复印稿件的同事 Amy 竟然没有按照办公室里约定俗成的规矩把纸加好，后来我才知道，是老板当时叫她去参加临时会议，所以我就没再计较。在英语里，这就叫let slide. Slide is spelled s-l-i-d-e. Let-slide. Let slide.

Slide 是下滑、滑落的意思。to let something slide 意思是说对某事采取放任的态度，听其自然。尽管 Amy 把纸用光了，没有填纸，让我很不高兴，但是我知道，她这么做不是故意的，而是迫不得已。That’s why I chose to LET IT SLIDE. 我决定还是不跟她计较了。

在下面这个例子里，房东一开始对房客的处境还是挺同情的。让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “After my tenant lost his job, I understood why he didn’t have the rent on time. I decided to LET it SLIDE for a couple of weeks. Then I told him that he’d have to pay or plan to move out. I couldn’t overlook what he owed me.”

房东说：我的房客丢掉工作后，我知道他为什么会拖欠房租，所以头几个星期一直没有催他，再后来，我告诉他说，如果再不付房租，就得搬走了，我不能再对他欠的房租不闻不问了。

我觉得这个房东已经算得上是仁至义尽了。虽说有的事情不用过份计较，但是在教育孩子的问题上，我可是丝毫也不放松。我女儿最近在学校里学会了骂人，这在我们家可是绝对行不通的。每次发现她说脏话，我们都会严加管教，We’re not LETTING IT SLIDE. 我哥哥就不一样，他觉得说脏话也是小孩子成长的一部分。因此大部分时间，He lets it slide. 他往往都会听其自然。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “After my tenant lost his job, I understood why he didn’t have the rent on time. I decided to LET it SLIDE for a couple of weeks. Then I told him that he’d have to pay or plan to move out. I couldn’t overlook what he owed me.”

我的一个邻居，特别注意锻炼身体，锻炼固然是件好事，但是即使生病，他也不间断，我觉得这就有问题了。他的医生同意我的看法，让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

M: “When you’re not feeling well, it’s easy to LET exercise SLIDE. In fact, you should forget about working out for a while. What’s important is to get proper rest so that your body can fully recover. Soon enough, you’ll be ready to get back to your routine.”

医生说：身体不舒服的时候，很容易在锻炼上懈怠。病人其实就应该暂停锻炼，重要的是好好休息，尽快让身体康复，这样用不了多久，就能恢复日常锻炼了。

这倒是提醒了我，我该跟医生预约，去检查身体了。定期的身体检查对保健非常重要，绝对不能懈怠。You can’t let it slide. 定期去看牙也是一样。我父亲牙齿不好，但是又不肯去看牙医，结果不到七十岁，牙齿就都掉光了。Perhaps if he hadn’t LET his dental care SLIDE, he’d have all his teeth today! 如果他没有在牙齿保健上推延懈怠的话，他现在还有满口好牙呢！好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “When you’re not feeling well, it’s easy to LET exercise SLIDE. In fact, you should forget about working out for a while. What’s important is to get proper rest so that your body can fully recover. Soon enough, you’ll be ready to get back to your routine.”

听了上边这些例子，我倒要问问大家。如果听到别人在背后辱骂你的朋友，你会怎么办？Would you let it slide? 你会假装没听见吗？如果你发现同事把办公文具拿回家，Would you let it slide? 如果你看见有人打孩子巴掌，Would you let it slide? 再比如，如果你的邻居好几个星期时间不割草，Would you let it slide?

Let something slide 这个习惯用语的历史可以追溯到十六世纪下半叶。如果大家有什么问题，可以随时跟我们联系，I don’t want you to let it slide. 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

下次节目再见。

A: 我倒觉得， It’s not helpful if you always let the small things slide, 在所有所谓的小事上都放任，不计较，并不是好事。

B: Because?

A: 因为这样一来，别人不知道你心里其实不高兴，也不知道自己其实踩了你的地雷。

B: So you’re saying we should set clear boundaries by telling people their behavior has upset us.

A: 对啊，把话都说开了好啊! 特别是职场上，有时候更需要让别人知道你的底线在哪儿，不能瞎容忍。

B: Speaking of that, let’s listen to today’s Business Etiquette!

礼节美语BE-225 Body Language III

公司主管Andy又请专门研究肢体语言的Monica给公司销售员 Sara和James培训。Andy说：

Andy: This morning we once again have business consultant Monica Wolf with us. Monica is going to speak to us today about body language and how it affects business relationships.

Monica: Hello again everyone! So….did you experiment with some of the pointers I gave you last time?

Sara: I did. I found that making a conscious effort to look people in the eye has been very useful. I think people find me more trustworthy now.

M: That’s great!

Monica问大家有没有尝试着把上次她教的东西用到实践中去。她用到的一个名词 pointer 意思是指点，建议。Sara说，她发现，讲话时有意识地看着对方的眼睛真的很有帮助，别人会觉得她更可靠，让人信得过，trustworthy. 上面那段话里另一个语言点是，to make a conscious effort to do something 意思是有意识地去做某事。James说，

J: I’ve been working on my posture. I find when I stand up straight with my shoulders back, I actually feel more confident going into a business negotiation.

V: Wonderful! I’m so glad you applied the principles I shared with you. Today let’s talk a little bit about attitude. What’s the first thing you notice about a character like James Bond?

J: He’s very cool and composed.

S: Yeah, he doesn’t ever seem to get too worked up over anything.

James说，他也在有意识地改进自己的站姿和仪表，而且他发现，挺胸抬头，真地会给自己平添一份自信。Monica听说大家把上次讲到的理论付诸实践，很高兴，说今天就来谈谈工作时的态度 attitude, 她问大家英国特工007 James Bond有什么特点。James和Sara都说，007很酷，很镇定， composed, 处变不惊。这里用到的一个短语 worked up 是形容词，意思是兴奋，激动。Monica 说：

M: That’s right! The reason he’s so cool is because he’s in charge of the situation and he knows it. People who are in charge don’t get overly excited. So, what I recommend is that you try to appear to be in control by maintaining composure. If you find yourself in a very stressful business negotiation try to limit your body gestures and control the tone of your voice.

S: So even if I don’t feel confident, I should try to fake it?

M: Yes. You’ll be surprised that even if you’re faking, you’ll start to feel more in control. Try to reveal as few of your emotions as possible.

A: But of course you still have to appear friendly.

M: Absolutely. But like a poker player, you don’t want to show your cards.

Monica说，James Bond 007 之所以老是那么淡定，是因为他知道，情况都在自己的掌握之中，所以建议大家一定要保持情绪的稳定，参加十分棘手的谈判时，要 limit your body gestures and control the tone of your voice 尽量减少肢体动作，控制自己的音调，越少暴露自己的情绪越好，就好象是在打扑克牌，不能让别人知道你手里的牌。

A: wow, 看来，即使不淡定，也要装淡定。 The fewer emotions you reveal, the more in control you appear to be, and the more respect you get from others. Right?

B: (Slowly, emotionless): I suppose that is right.

A: What are you doing, Mike?

B: I’m working on being composed. Do I look like James Bond now? 看我这样子，多淡定啊!

A: No, you still look like Mike Bond.

B: Come on! Play along!

A: 算了吧，咱们还是继续听Business Etiquette吧。

礼节美语BE-226 Body Language VI

公司主管Andy又请专门研究肢体语言的Monica给公司销售员 Sara和James培训。Monica说：

Monica: Okay, so we talked about composure. Let’s go in the other direction now and talk about humor.

J: Ah, that’s something that’s always puzzled me. Is it a good idea to make jokes?

M: Research shows that people are more likely to accept an idea if it’s wrapped in humor. But the point isn’t about finding a really funny joke. Laughter is actually about bonding.

S: Yes….I’ve noticed that many times people at a meeting are all laughing about something that really isn’t all that funny.

Monica接下来谈到了幽默在生意场上的作用。他说，有调查发现，用幽默的方式把一件事情说出来，更容易被对方接受。但关键不是要讲一个特别好笑的笑话，而是笑声能加强人与人之间的纽带。

M: That’s right! They are not really joking….they are attempting to bond.

A: So go ahead and throw in a funny comment or a clever remark…but there’s got to be some minefields we should avoid as well, right?

M: Yeah….don’t make dirty, sexist or racist jokes or comments. And of course don’t humiliate anyone.

J: I have a question. I’m never quite sure where to sit during a business meeting.

M: The ancient Chinese art of “Feng Shui” teaches that you should never sit with the door behind youand actually there’s a scientific reason for that.

虽然及时讲个笑话，或是发表一点幽默的评论能有助于调节气氛，加强纽带，但讲笑话也有一些需要忌讳的地方，或者说是 minefield 雷区。Don’t make dirty, sexist or racist jokes or comments. Monica说，不要讲黄色笑话、性别歧视的笑话和种族歧视的笑话，而且不要 humiliate 羞辱别人。James问了一个很简单的问题，那就是，开会的时候应该坐在哪儿。Monica 说，按照中国风水里的讲究，后背不要对着门，这是有科学道理的，为什么呢？

M: When a person’s back is placed towards an open space he becomes stressed; his blood pressure increases and his heart beats faster.

S: That makes sense! People subconsciously worry about getting attacked if they don’t know what’s lurking behind them.

J: Interesting. I’ll be sure to sit facing the door from now on!

A: Monica, thank you for another great class! I think we all learned a lot today.

M: My pleasure! See you next time!

Monica 解释说，如果后背对着开放的空间，那这个人就容易有压力，血压升高，心跳加速，因为他们不知道身后可能会隐藏着什么危险，They don’t know what’s lurking behind them. 所以会下意识地感到不安全，因此在选择座位时，最好是脸冲着门。怎么样，大家是不是也学到了一些以前不知道的事情呢？

A: 我倒没听说过开会背对着门风水不好，离门近多方便啊，会议如果没意思，马上就能溜!

B: Is this the correct message we want to convey to our audience?

A: Okay, Mr. Worker of the Year, 那我们换个话题， 再来学个词儿吧!

Learn A Word 1696 expansion

今天我们要学的词是expansion. Expansion is spelled e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n, expansion. Expansion 扩展，扩充。The Kennedy Arts Center unveiled a $100 million expansion plan. 肯尼迪艺术中心宣布扩展计划，耗资一亿美元。President Obama supported the expansion of H1B visas from 65,000 to 115,000 a year. 美国总统奥巴马支持将每年的外籍人员工作签证发放数量从六万五千个增加到11万五千个。The Pentagon is moving toward a major expansion of its cyber security force to counter increasing attacks on the nation’s computer networks. 美国五角大楼计划扩充负责网络安全的人员和能力，抵御美国电脑系统受到的越来越多的攻击。好的，今天我们学习的词是 expansion, expansion, expansion…

B: Speaking of expansion, I have an issue against the commercial real estate expansion in my neighborhood.

A: 怎么？你们家那边的商业区又扩张啦？

B: 对啊! Now the developer is thinking about closing down a local park to make room for a shopping mall. Isn’t that a horrible idea?

A: 关了小公园建商场？不是挺好么？逛街就方便了!

B: But we already have two shopping malls nearby and we need the park for exercise, hangout with friends, and to give kids a playground!

A: 你说得也有道理，你们家那边最近是开发太快了点。

B: It’s been developed like crazy!

A: 说到这个，咱们先来听下面的words and idioms, 教一下Like crazy 这个短语。

Words and Idioms 826 Like Crazy

美国习惯用语第 826讲

今天播音我差点儿迟到。本来出门挺早的，谁知道路上遇到车祸，堵了个水泄不通，原来半个小时的路，我足足开了一个半小时。我一停好车，就向办公室飞奔，冲进演播室的时候，只剩下三分钟的时间了。这倒让我想起一个可以跟大家交流的习惯用语，叫like crazy. Crazy is spelled c-r-a-z-y. Like-crazy. Like crazy.

大家都知道，crazy 是疯狂的意思。Like crazy 就是不管不顾，象疯了一样。现在你能想象我下车后往办公室飞奔的样子了吧！在下面这个例子中，一名雇员讲述了他们公司最近是如何解决定单的难题的。让我们一起来听听他是怎么说的。

M: “Our factory is expected to ship a new product by tomorrow, but the order isn’t ready yet. That’s why the boss has ordered extra shifts. If we work LIKE CRAZY, we’ll meet the deadline. But that means there can’t be any slowing down.”

他说：我们工厂明天要运走一批新产品，但是到现在还没有完成。所以老板决定加班加点。如果我们全力以赴的话，就能赶在最后期限之前完成定单，这就意味着我们丝毫不能松懈。

这就要看老板的号召力，或是工人们的干劲了。不久前，我年迈的祖母不远万里，到美国来看我们。我们姐妹几个人连续三天，没日没夜的打扫卫生，准备饭菜。We cooked like crazy. 最后让祖母在吃住上都格外满意。

这让我想起了每年的感恩节。美国人每年十一月最后一个星期四都要庆祝感恩节，感恩节最重要的一项节目就是感恩节大餐，包括火鸡、蔬菜和甜点等，而且大家都要 eat like crazy 大吃特吃。

好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Our factory is expected to ship a new product by tomorrow, but the order isn’t ready yet. That’s why the boss has ordered extra shifts. If we work LIKE CRAZY, we’ll meet the deadline. But that means there can’t be any slowing down.”

刚才说到感恩节。感恩节过后的那天，对很多喜欢购物的人来说，恐怕比感恩节更为重要。让我们听听其中的缘由。

M: “Have you ever heard of “Black Friday”? It’s the day after Thanksgiving when stores sell electronics at significant discounts. Prices for such items as computers, plasma TVs, and MP3 players can be so low that customers stand in lines for hours, and then shop LIKE CRAZY. You’ve never seen such excitement!”

这个人说：你知道“黑色星期五”吗？黑色星期五就是感恩节的第二天，商店大降价，电器类商品，例如电脑、液晶电视、MP3播放器都降价出售，很多顾客排好几个小时的队，疯狂地购物，从来没见过这么狂热的。

这就叫“早起的鸟儿有虫吃”。不过，我来美国这么多年，感恩节第二天早上从来没有去排队抢购过，原因很简单，你不仅需要披星戴月地起床，还要在彻骨寒风里排队，这一点我可做不到。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Have you ever heard of “Black Friday”? It’s the day after Thanksgiving when stores sell electronics at significant discounts. Prices for such items as computers, plasma TVs, and MP3 players can be so low that customers stand in lines for hours, and then shop LIKE CRAZY. You’ve never seen such excitement!”

这个习惯用语最早是二十世纪二十年代前后出现的，可以跟like mad 通用。LIKE MAD, that’s M-A-D, “MAD”. LIKE MAD. 你可以说，为了录音不迟到，I had to run like mad. 为了完成订单，the employees worked like mad. 黑色星期五那天，the customers shop like mad.

最近，我同事的儿子象疯了一样学西班牙语。He is learning Spanish like crazy. 家里人很奇怪，后来才发现，原来他喜欢上了一个刚刚从阿根廷移民过来的姑娘。那个女孩不会英语，两人无法沟通，小伙子为了爱情，苦学西班牙语，看来爱情也能成为学习的巨大动力。 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。下次节目再见。

B: To preserve our local park, the residents in our town decide to write and call the government like crazy until they agree to stop the development project!

A: 好吧，祝你们成功! 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103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: Sure! 今天，我们要一起来看看一个汽车公司怎么挽回召回汽车的影响，聊聊人与人相处要互相宽容，还要告诉你如何和远方的朋友保持联系!

B: I know, long distance is the enemy of any relationship. No matter whether its friendship or romance…

A: 那也不是啊! 我跟我高中大学朋友都好着呢! 我们中间隔着个太平洋，感情还是一样好!

B: Maybe…..or maybe they are just humoring you!

A: 好了, 咱们等会再来聊这个，先来进入第一个单元…

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1705 chore

今天我们要学的词是 chore. Chore is spelled c-h-o-r-e, chore. Chore 家务事。Britons consider cleaning the oven one of the worst chores. 英国人觉得，清理烤箱是最烦人的家务活之一。美国华盛顿大学的一项研究显示，Couples who shared the burden of chores tend to have the least active sex lives. 分担家务事的夫妻性生活最少。一家英国法律事务所的研究发现，Most marriages break down over mundane arguments about who does household chores or pays the bills, rather than due to infidelity. 大多数婚姻都是因为谁该做家务，谁该付账单这些琐事引起的争执，而不是婚外情而破裂的。好的，今天我们学习的词是 chore, chore, chore…

A: Most marriages break down over mundane arguments. 所以说啊，100件小事加起来，就成了两个人分开的原因。

B: I know what you mean. Marriage is not only about love and passion, it’s also about having the same values and similar life styles.

A: 没错! But sometimes you need to be more tolerant and open-minded. If it’s not something that is a complete deal breaker for you then my attitude is to live and let live.

B: That’s a great piece of advice! Hey, you just mention a very good term, live and let live, we need to check it out!

A: Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 827 Live and Let Live

美国习惯用语第 827讲

我这个人特别喜欢整齐，不论是在办公室里，还是在家里，我都会收拾得有条有理，东西的摆放也有一定之规。不过，坐在我旁边的 Emma 跟我截然不同，她桌上永远堆得乱糟糟的。老板好几次提醒她赶紧收拾干净，可我倒是觉得，我们应该

M: Live and let live. Live is spelled l-i-v-e. Live-and-let-live. Live and let live.

live 是生活的意思，Live and let live 自己活也让别人活，换句话说，就是要相互宽容，互不干扰。Emma 的风格跟我截然不同，但我觉得，这也没什么不好，要让我说，就应该 Live and let live，只要她自己喜欢，又不会影响到别人，那就应该给人家自由。

在下面这个例子里，一个男子谈到自己的姐姐时说，

M: “My sister is raising her adopted son as a single parent. While that wouldn’t be my preference, I’m not about to criticize her. My attitude has always been LIVE AND LET LIVE. I accept people as they are even though they may do things differently from the way I do.”

他说： 我姐姐自己一个人，抚养抱来的儿子。虽然我不会选择这么做，但是我也不会对她横加指责。我始终觉得，各人有各人的生活，大家应该相互包容，虽然别人的行事规则可能跟我不同，但我还是会毫无保留地接受他们。

前不久，我到麻萨诸塞州去开会。那里是美国著名学府哈佛大学的所在地，但是如今，麻萨诸塞也是美国第一个承貌7b同性恋婚姻合法化的州。由此可见，当地人是相当开明的，对同性恋的生活方式采取了包容的态度，这就叫 live and let live；他们认为，任何人都有权选择自己的生活方式。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “My sister is raising her adopted son as a single parent. While that wouldn’t be my preference, I’m not about to criticize her. My attitude has always been LIVE AND LET LIVE. I accept people as they are even though they may do things differently from the way I do.”

刚才我们说到同性恋婚姻合法化在美国引起的争议。其实，前些年，在公共场所禁止吸烟的法律也曾引起过激烈的辩论，但是如今，已经越来越普及了。记者在下面这则健康新闻里报道说，

M: “Should smoking be allowed in places like offices and restaurants? Most Americans used to have a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude about it. But more have become far less tolerant. That’s because research clearly shows that when smokers light up, they can create serious health problems for nearby non-smokers.”

报道说： 办公室和餐厅里应该允许吸烟吗？以前，大多数美国人都对吸烟持有一种包容的态度，但是如今，拒绝采取包容态度的人已经越来越多了，因为科学研究结果明确显示，吸烟不仅对烟民本人有害，也会伤害到待在旁边的非吸烟者。

这就是大家都知道的二手烟，在英语里叫 second-hand smoke，对非吸烟者间接造成伤害，因此，主张在公共场所禁止吸烟的人现在越来越多了。你的态度如何？是赞成在公共场所禁烟？还是主张 live and let live 呢？好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Should smoking be allowed in places like offices and restaurants? Most Americans used to have a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude about it. But more have become far less tolerant. That’s because research clearly shows that when smokers light up, they can create serious health problems for nearby non-smokers.”

每个人都会有一些自己难以容忍的事情。就说我老公吧，我家邻居 Browns 夫妇对自己房子的保养特别不注意，外面一层油漆已经开始脱落，门口的台阶也已经开始腐烂，更要命的是，他们已经一个多月没有割草了，院子里凌乱不堪。对此，我老公的态度绝对不是 live and let live，他的理由是，一栋房子缺乏保养，会影响到我们整个社区的形象和居住环境。

好的，这次 美国习惯用语 就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: 我这次到Boston去，也感受到了那里的自由! People are very open-minded, they have the live and let live attitude!

B: Yeah, Massachusetts is the first state that allowed same sex marriage. so I’m not surprised.

A: But the friend who drove us there, his car got recalled right after we came back! The company said the passenger’s air bag is known to have problems deploying! 想起来好后怕呀!

B: I’m glad you are OK! Wait…am I glad? (A: You!) Hahaha, yeah I agree, car recalls can be terrifying! Actually, that is what we are going to talk about in today’s business etiquette, let’s see what we can learn from it!

礼节美语 BE-227 A Product Recall I

公司主管开会，执行总裁Rick说：

Rick: The Board of Directors has come to a decision. Our company will take an image hit, and it’s going to be very expensive, but it seems we have no other choice but to start a recall. Samantha, would you care to explain a bit more.

Samantha: A year ago we began receiving reports that several of the air conditioner models we manufacture can sometimes overheat. In very rare circumstances this overheating might lead to electrical fires. So far there have been three fires that may be connected to our air conditioning units.

R: Unfortunately, one person was seriously injured. Therefore, even though there is no definitive proof linking our ACs to these fires, we decided to take action immediately.

Samantha 介绍说，公司生产的几款空调发生过overheat–机身温度过热的现象，可能起火，到目前为止，至少有三起火灾怀疑跟他们公司生产的空调有关，还有一人受重伤。执行总裁Rick说，虽然没有definitive proof，确凿证据， 但公司董事会还是决定立即采取行动，start a recall. 召回相关型号的空调。recall is spelled r-e-c-a-l-l, recall 是召回有问题产品的意思。这样做不仅会有不小的经济损失，而且还要 take an image hit. 公司形象也会受到打击。Hank 问：

Hank: How many units are we talking about here? And what is this going to cost us?

R: We will be recalling over 15,000 air-conditioners. The company will refit them with new thermal sensors and stronger wiring.

S: As far as costs go, we estimate the company will lose well over $6 million dollars.

H: Six million??! But we’re not even sure we’re responsible. Is a recall really the best way to go?

R: I believe that from both a business perspective and a moral perspective, a recall is necessary.

S: I think Rick is right. If there’s even a chance that our products could cause injuries we have a responsibility to step in.

公司估计要召回一万五千台空调，召回的产品改用更耐热的电线，还要安装 thermal sensors 热感应器，经济损失将超过六百万美元。公司执行总裁Rick和主管Samantha都觉得，不论是从商业角度还是从道义角度出发，只要公司产品可能跟火灾的发生有一点关联，他们也有义务step in–站出来。

R: Even if we look at it purely from a financial standpoint, six million dollars spent fixing any possible errors is definitely cheaper that being defendants in a lawsuit where somebody was seriously injured or killed.

H: So what’s the procedure?

S: Next Monday we will issue a press release explaining that even though there are no definitive links between our products and fires–we want to be good corporate citizens and have therefore decided to err on the side of caution.

Rick 补充说，即使单纯从经济角度出发，花六百万美元修补产品的缺陷也比被人告上法庭的花销小。产品召回的第一步是，下星期一公司先发一份news release新闻简报，说明公司立场，虽然没有确凿证据证明火灾和公司产品有关，但公司还是决定召回产品，to err on the side of caution，是“慎重起见，保险起见”的意思。新闻简报以后还有哪些措施呢？我们下次继续谈。

A: Rick的公司决定to err on the side of caution, 慎重起见，进行product recall, 产品召回，原因是他们生产的一款空调有过热起火的危险。公司总裁Rick说，这样不仅有经济风险，而且还会take an image hit, 公司形象也会受损失。

B: I think the company is making the right decision. Whenever there’s a public disaster, the best thing to do is to take actions as soon as possible. That way the customers see you as being a responsible and moral company.

A:没错! 有时候，危机也是公关的好机会，借此塑造公司负责认真的好形象。Let’s keep listen!

礼节美语 BE-228 A Product Recall II

公司主管开会，执行总裁Rick宣布，公司要召回一批质量有问题的空调，召回行动的第一步是发表新闻简报，Rick告诉公司另外两位高管Samantha和Hank说：

R: We will then specify the year and model of the ACs included in the recall and set up a web site for our vendors and customers.

H: We should probably set up a toll-free line as well.

R: Yes, that’s a good idea, Hank.

S: The company will have to pay for advertisements in major newspapers that explain the recall.

H: Maybe I can speak to some of the members of the press I know and see if they’re interested in doing a news story on this. I’m hoping to spin it in our favor by highlighting the fact that this is a precautionary measure.

新闻简报里要说明召回产品的出厂年份和型号，还要专门开设一个网站，方便销售商家和顾客咨询联系。Hank建议再开通一条 toll-free line 免费拨打的电话，他还主动提出，联系一些跟自己关系比较好的媒体，看看有没有人愿意发一篇报道，强调公司这次的产品召回是 a precautionary measure 预防性措施，从而 spin it in our favor. 让这件事朝对我们有利的方向发展。

S: You know, a lot of big companies have been forced to recall products, and as long as they are honest about what happened and proactive in trying to make it better, most people are pretty forgiving of mistakes.

R: Yes. I think people understand that no company is perfect. The main thing we have to avoid is giving the impression of any kind of cover-up.

H: That’s right. If people believe we are being completely truthful we should be able to weather this storm.

很多大公司都曾遇到过被迫召回产品的事，只要公司对公众诚恳，并尽可能提前采取措施解决问题，一般都会得到公众的理解和原谅。Rick说，关键是不能让人觉得公司是在cover-up，掩盖些什么。Hank表示认同，只要公众觉得公司说的都是实话，we should be able to weather this storm. 我们就应该能渡过这次难关。to weather the storm 是渡过难关的意思。

R: I’m also going to order an inquiry into whether any safety measures were not heeded, or if anybody at our factory was trying to cut corners.

S: We will make the results of the inquiry public as well. We want to be as transparent and open as possible.

R: I want you to talk to all of your department heads and managers and explain our policy. If they know of any other mistakes or safety issues I want to hear about them. Heads will roll if I discover that anyone isn’t following our strict quality standards.

H&S: Yes, sir.

Rick 还说，他准备就安全措施的执行情况展开调查，还要看工厂里有没有人偷工减料，to cut corners. Samantha补充道，调查结果最后也要对外公布，尽可能让整个程序做到公开透明。Rick 最后要Samantha和Hank回去把公司的决定传达给手下的部门主管和经理，发现问题要即时汇报，如果有人不严格执行公司的质量标准，heads will roll 意思是这样的人一定会受到严厉的处罚。

A: 你看吧! 任何事情都有两面性，把危机处理好了，这次召回危机倒成了他们公司树立形象的好机会! 所以说，犯了错误就得赶快承认!

B: Exactly, exactly, 杨琳。

A: What does that suppose to mean?

B: Nothing! Just a little reminder for you though, if you ever make a mistake, say you forget to bring me cupcakes or something, you should correct the mistake ASAP!

A: 美得你! 好了，这个话题就到这儿吧! 下面咱们再来学个词儿!

Learn A Word 1706 minimum

今天我们要学的词是 minimum. Minimum is spelled m-i-n-i-m-u-m, minimum. Minimum 最少的，最起码的。You need to keep a minimum balance of $250 in your checking account in order to avoid a monthly fee. 如果不想交月费，你活期帐户余额必须维持在250美元以上。In his State of the Union address, President Obama pushed to raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour. 美国总统奥巴马在国情咨文讲话中，主张将最低工资提高到每小时九美元。NBA对球员有年龄限制。Players can’t enter the NBA draft until they are 19 or have played on a college team for a minimum of one season . 要参加NBA选秀，球员必须年满19岁，或是至少在大学校队里打过一个赛季。好的，今天我们学习的词是 minimum, minimum, minimum…

B: This reminds me of my first job. I was a waiter at a fancy French restaurant and I took the opportunity to learn some French and how to cook authentic French cuisine!
A:No wonder you cook so well!

B: I also made some really good friends! All the other waiters were students from Paris who were studying in the US.

A: Wow, cool! Are they still in the US? Can I go to that restaurant?

B: Of course you can! But unfortunately, I lost touch with all of them when they eventually moved back to France.

A: I’m sorry….but as long as I can get authentic French food! 你刚才提到了个短语，lose touch， let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and find out what it means!

Words and Idioms 828 Lose Touch

美国习惯用语第 828讲

你有没有什么特别要好的朋友搬走的？最近，我从小一起长大的好朋友 Jamie 因为换工作，要举家搬到德克萨斯去，虽然不能象现在这样定期见面，但是我们两个人相互承诺，一定不会

M: Lose touch. Lose is spelled l-o-s-e, and touch; t-o-u-c-h. Lose-touch.

Lose touch.Lose 是丢失，失去的意思，touch 是接触的意思，Lose touch 就是逐渐失去联络。我知道 Jamie 要搬到很远的地方去，但是我不希望我们 lose touch. 尽管我们保证要经常联系，但我还是很担心，在下面这个例子里，两个大学好友跟我们的情况十分相似。让我们一起听听看。

M: “I’ll never forget my best buddy in college. Glen and I belonged to the same fraternity, played on the football team and shared a lot of friends. We were constantly together. But since graduating, we’ve slowly drifted apart. It’s too bad we’ve LOST TOUCH. I’d like to reconnect with him.”

其中一个人说： 我永远不会忘记大学里最要好的朋友 Glen。我们两人是同一个兄弟会的成员，在同一个橄榄球队里打球，朋友的圈子也都一样。我们两人形影不离。但是毕业后，却逐渐疏远了。跟 Glen失去联络让我很遗憾，真希望能跟他重新取得联系。

随着生活的变化，我们会结婚，生子，承担各种家庭义务，每天在工作和家庭间奔波，就会疏于跟老朋友联络。也许上面这个人可以给校友会打个电话问问 Glen 的消息，没准 Glen 也在后悔跟他失去联系呢！好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I’ll never forget my best buddy in college. Glen and I belonged to the same fraternity, played on the football team and shared a lot of friends. We were constantly together. But since graduating, we’ve slowly drifted apart. It’s too bad we’ve LOST TOUCH. I’d like to reconnect with him.””

不要说是好朋友失去联系，有的时候，家里的某个成员也会在很长时间内杳无音信呢！让我们听听下面这段话。

M: “Nobody in the family had heard from Aunt Helen in years. One day we got a letter from her. In it, she said she regretted LOSING TOUCH with us, but promised to write more often. Since then, we’ve been getting news from her on a regular basis.”

这个人说： 多少年来，家里人一直没有小姨 Helen 的消息。突然有一天，我们收到了一封她的来信。她在信中说，她后悔不该跟家里失去联系，并保证今后会多多写信。从那以后，我们每隔一段时间就会得到她的消息。

这就体现出了互联网的好处，不用找信封、信纸、邮票，只要把想说的话打出来，一下就寄走了。

我女儿特别喜欢发短信，随时随地跟朋友联系。只有电话没电的时候，才是她唯一跟朋友们 lose touch 的时候。说句老实话，我倒是希望这种时候越多越好。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Nobody in the family had heard from Aunt Helen in years. One day we got a letter from her. In it, she said she regretted LOSING TOUCH with us, but promised to write more often. Since then, we’ve been getting news from her on a regular basis.”

lose touch 这个习惯用语可以追溯到十九世纪后期。从 lose touch 我们还可以想到很多相关的说法。例如，刚才例子里，跟大学好友失去联系的人想找到自己的老朋友，通过给校友会打电话，He might be able to GET IN TOUCH with his old friend. GET IN TOUCH 就是取得联系。还有，如果他们的联系一直没有中断，就是 KEEP IN TOUCH 或是 STAY IN TOUCH。我们可以说，Aunt Helen is KEEPING IN TOUCH with the family. 或是说 My daughter text messages to STAY IN TOUCH with her friends. 还有，很多人打电话，或是发电子邮件的时候，都会在最后加上一句，KEEP IN TOUCH. 保持联络。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: The best way to stay in touch with all your friends is to be more assertive! Pick up your phone when you have time!

B: Aw, you’re still making phone calls? That’s so quaint! (A: hey!)Time to learn how to Facebook N00b.

A: I’M NOT A N00B! 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104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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊赌博上瘾该怎么办，看看亿万富翁是如何练成的，还要告诉你怎么说严厉惩罚!

B: I’ve never really been into gambling. I lived in Las Vegas for 2 years, and honestly I think I enjoyed all the buffets more than the slot machines!

A: That sounds like you!

B: Hey! … Yeah, that’s true.

A: 好了, 咱们言归正传，先来进入第一个单元…

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1716 self-made

今天我们要学的词是 self-made. Self-made is spelled s-e-l-f, self, and made, m-a-d-e, made, self-made. Self-made 意思是凭借自己力量完成的。有统计显示，在全球各大名校中，哈佛毕业生里百万和亿万富翁人数最多。While about 14% of millionaires and billionaires inherited their wealth, 74% are self-made. 在这些百万和亿万富翁里，大约14%的人是继承了父辈的财产，还有74%的人则是白手起家，自己创业积累的财富。在中国百名首富里，八位是女性。与美国不同的是，Successful women in China are mostly self-made businesswomen. 中国最有钱的女性大部分都是白手起家创业成功的女商人。好的，今天我们学习的词是 self-made, self-made, self-made…

A: 哈佛毕业生成为百万富翁的机率最大! 这次我去哈佛参观，觉得他们的毕业生不仅自身都很优秀，而且还非常努力! 哎，怎么比嘛….

B: You don’t need to compare yourself with others. Surpassing yourself is the greatest achievement.

A: 哎哟，你还真会安慰人! Speaking of improving myself, I need to improve my time management skills! I’ve got so much going on in my life right now I feel like I’m not getting ANYTHING done! And worst of all, my reading time has gotten lost in the shuffle…

B: Ha, that must also be the reason for arriving at the office 4 hours behind me….

A: Hey! Shush!

B: (Laugh) Ok ok. . Actually you just mentioned an idiom, lost in the shuffle, let’s check it out!

Words and Idioms 829 LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

美国习惯用语第 829讲

半年前，我加入了一个读书俱乐部，每个月聚会一次，讨论读书心得。上星期聚会，俱乐部成员们没完没了地聊经济、聊大选、聊孩子上学，本来应该讨论的书根本没有涉及到，我非常失望，所以决定退出。不过，这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: Lost in the shuffle. Shuffle is spelled s-h-u-f-f-l-e. Lost-in-the-shuffle. Lost in the shuffle.

如果你喜欢玩牌的话，肯定知道，Shuffle 是洗牌的意思。lost in the shuffle 意思是在混乱之中把某件事情遗漏或是忽略了。比如说我们那个读书俱乐部。俱乐部的成员们东拉西扯，可就是忽略了俱乐部的真正目的，交流读书心得。The discussion of our book got LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
读书俱乐部的“走题事件”虽然让我很不满，但是跟下面这个人比，我简直可以说是“小题大做”。让我们一起听听他干吗那么气愤。

M: “There’s been so much controversy over the collapse of the bridge. The mayor’s office blames the engineers for poor design while they fault the city for not keeping up with routine repairs. But no one is showing much concern for commuters like me who desperately need the bridge to be fixed. We’re getting LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.”

这个人说：大桥倒塌引起了极大的争议。市长办公室责怪工程师设计失误，工程设计人员则指责市政府没有定期维修。可就是没有人关心象我这样每天开车上班，希望大桥能早日修复的人。我们完全被忽略了。

我以前一直痛恨开会，因为很多时候，开来开去，讨论的都是一些并不重要的话题。最近我们刚换了主管，每次开会都按照轻重缓急，列出会议日程，so that the most important issues won’e be LOST IN THE SHUFFLE. 保证重要问题不会被忽略掉。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “There’s been so much controversy over the collapse of the bridge. The mayor’s office blames the engineers for poor design while they fault the city for not keeping up with routine repairs. But no one is showing much concern for commuters like me who desperately need the bridge to be fixed. We’re getting LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.”

大家都希望得到重视，孩子也不例外。让我们听听下面这个人对自己童年的回忆。

M: “Growing up as a middle kid in my family could be tough. Sometimes my folks seemed to spend a lot of time looking after my younger brother and sister or worrying about my older siblings. Is it any surprise I felt LOST IN THE SHUFFLE? I wanted mom and dad to notice me more often.”

这个人说：我上面有哥哥姐姐，下面有弟弟妹妹，小时候，父母不是在照顾弟弟妹妹，就是在关心哥哥姐姐。我觉得自己简直被遗忘了，这不奇怪吧？我真希望妈妈爸爸能更多地注意到我。

我表妹就是这种情况。小时候，她大部分时间都是在跟院子里的孩子玩，经常在邻居家吃饭，甚至过夜，这倒培养了她跟人打交道的能力，如今，她已经成了一个成功的公关总裁。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Growing up as a middle kid in my family could be tough. Sometimes my folks seemed to spend a lot of time looking after my younger brother and sister or worrying about my older siblings. Is it any surprise I felt LOST IN THE SHUFFLE? I wanted mom and dad to notice me more often.”

对了！IN THE SHUFFLE 这个习惯用语源于二十世纪，毫无疑问，是从扑克牌来的。今天尽顾着解释这个习惯用语的用法，The explanation of its original nearly got LOST IN THE SHUFFLE! 差点就忘了解释它的来源。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。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。我知道，大家每天的工作生活十分繁忙，但我还是要提醒大家，英语水平的提高靠的是勤学苦练。Don’t let practicing your English get LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.
我们下次节目再见。

A: So how do you feel as the second kid in the family Mike, do you feel like you are lost in the shuffle?

B: Not at all. I think it’s because that I’m the youngest in the family. I get tons of attention from my parents. And what about you huh? You must always be the center of attention since you are the only-child!

A: Yes…but sometimes I feel like there’s just too much attention on me. My parents want to protect me from EVERTHING.

B: That sounds like my parents too. When I went to Las Vegas for my internship, they were so worried that I’m going to come home with a gambling problem!

A: 哈哈，理解父母吧! 我觉得你永远都不会成为赌徒，cuz you will be spending too much time and money at the great buffets!

B: True, true. Actually, we are going to touch on gambling in today’s business etiquette. Kelly and Patricia are going to Macau for a business trip, and Patricia seems really excited to go gamble! Let’s see what we can learn from them!

礼节美语BE-229 Gambling I

Patricia去找同事Kelly。

Patricia: Hey, Kelly…the boss just called me into his office. You and I have to go to Macau for a meeting with our international marketing department. The meeting is on a Friday afternoon so I was thinking we could spend the weekend down there!

Kelly: Macau, eh? So I guess you’re thinking about doing some gambling, right?

P: Well, it is legal in Macau. We might as well take advantage of this golden opportunity! Oh, there’s John. John and I used to win some serious money in Las Vegas.

Patricia告诉Kelly，老板让他们两人星期五去澳门出差，跟公司的国际营销部同事开会，问Kelly愿不愿意索性在澳门待一个周末，去赌场试试手气。这时候，另外一位同事John走过来，Patricia说，John和他以前就曾在美国的赌城拉斯维加斯赢过不少钱，他说的some serious money意思是可观的数额。John说，

John: Yep, Pete and I used to go to Las Vegas at least twice a year. Gambling can be a lot of fun.

K: I’ve never really seen the appeal of gambling. I know it’s possible to win big, but I’ve never won. I really hate losing money.

P: I hear you….but if you ever hit a jackpot you’ll be addicted for life!

J: Winning is a pretty good feeling, but a lot of people can take it too far. Patricia, did you hear about Joe?

P: You mean Joe Klein? How’s he doing?

J: Not so good. He lost his house and his wife left him. We didn’t know it at the time, but he actually had a serious gambling problem.

John 和 Patricia以前每年至少一起去两次拉斯维加斯。Kelly说自己逢赌必输，所以赌钱对她没有appeal吸引力。Patricia说，虽然win big赢大钱的机会不多，但是if you ever hit a jackpot, you’ll be addicted for life. 一旦中了头奖，就会一辈子上瘾。John说，赢钱感觉是不错，但千万不能 take it too far 玩过头，他们有个朋友Joe Klein had a serious gambling problem. 就是赌钱上瘾，结果输了房子不说，老婆也不要他了。

P: Really? That’s too bad.

J: He was over $75,000 in debt…so eventually the bank took his house. As you can imagine, his wife wasn’t too happy about that.

K: See? These are exactly the kind of stories I’m talking about! I think gambling can be as addictive as illegal drugs!

J: And I would have to agree. I don’t have an addictive personality by nature so I’m generally able to control myself. But…I have lost more money than I can afford on more than one occasion.

Kelly 觉得，gambling can be as addictive as illegal drugs. 赌博跟毒品差不多，让人上瘾。John 表示赞同，他说自己虽然自控能力比较强，and don’t have an addictive personality by nature 也不是那种做事喜欢上瘾的人，但是赌钱的时候，还是不止一次输得超出了自己的承受能力，这里说的 more than one occasion 意思是不止一次。

A: Kelly和Patricia讨论去澳门该不该赌博，Patricia觉得他们可能会win some serious money, 赢一大笔，但是Kelly说，同事Joe就很爱赌钱, he has a serious gambling problem, 赌钱上瘾，结果老婆房子都没了。

B: Yeah, I guess if you have an addictive personality by nature, you should just stay away from casinos.

A: 没错! 我去Las Vegas赌场的时候都不带卡，这样你有多少钱，就只能赌多少钱。

B: That sounds like a smart idea for not overspending, period! Let’s keep listen to Patricia and Kelly!

礼节美语BE-230 Gambling II

Patricia和同事Kelly要去澳门出差，准备去赌场试试手气。另一个同事John提到，自己有个朋友嗜赌成性，倾家荡产。Patricia问：

P: So what happened to Joe? How is he holding up?

J: Joe is in Gamblers Anonymous right now. He sent me an e-mail the other day and he says he’s doing better…but recovering from any addiction is a long process.

K: What’s Gamblers Anonymous?

P: Have you ever heard of Alcoholics Anonymous or AA?

K: Not really.

J: Alcoholics Anonymous is an organization that tries to help people with alcohol problems overcome their addiction. Gamblers Anonymous does the same thing for gamblers.

K: I see, so it’s sort of like rehab.

Patricia问起Joe近况。John说，Joe现在加入了Gamblers Anonymous嗜赌者互诫协会。Gamblers Anonymous跟Alcoholic Anonymous嗜酒者互诫协会差不多，是帮助赌徒戒赌的组织。在英语里，有某件事情上瘾可以用problem这个字，比如，He has a drinking problem. 他酗酒成性。He has a gambling problem. 他赌博成性。因此说，嗜赌者互诫协会差不多就是一种戒赌组织，it’s like a rehab. Rehab is spelled r-e-h-a-b, rehab 是戒毒，戒赌中心的意思。 John 接着说：

J: That’s right. Gamblers Anonymous offers a support system to gamblers who have a problem.

K: Well, I hope your friend gets better soon. So….what casino games do you usually play?

P: I’ve always liked card games….poker, especially. I don’t like slot machines because I don’t think there are any skills involved.

J: I like poker and all kinds of table games, but my favorite is Blackjack. Blackjack is a nice mix of skill and luck.

嗜赌互诫协会为赌博上瘾的人提供了一个 support system 相互支持的系统。话说到这，Kelly问Patricia和John去赌场一般都玩些什么。Patricia说自己一般都是玩card games玩牌，不喜欢拉老虎机slot machines, 因为他觉得老虎机完全凭运气，一点技术含量也没有。John说，凡是table games他都喜欢玩。在赌场里，table games除了扑克牌以外，还包括 craps轮盘骰子和罗莱特 Roulette等。John还说，但是他最爱玩的还是Blackjack, 21点。

K: I think I might be able to enjoy a game or two of Poker or Blackjack. Do you think I’ll get addicted?

P: Kelly, I’ve known you for a few years and you have excellent self-control. I don’t think you’ll have a problem controlling yourself.

J: Besides, you only get to go to Macau once in a blue moon. What I suggest is you set yourself a reasonable budget of money that you can afford to lose. Don’t go beyond that limit.

P: A little bit of legal gambling can be a lot of fun…but we have to know when to call it a night.

K: All right. You’re on! Let’s hit the casinos on Friday night.

Kelly 担心自己赌钱上瘾 get addicted. John建议她给自己设定一个合理的限度，set yourself a reasonable budget that you can afford to lose. 给自己定个输得起的预算，不要超过那个限度。John还说，况且，You only get to go to Macau once in a blue moon. 去澳门的机会少之又少，once in a blue moon 是非常罕见的意思。Patricia 也说，we know when to call it a night. 我们知道什么时候该打住。Kelly 在两人说服下，最后说，You’re on. Let’s hit the casinos on Friday night. 星期五去赌场，我们就这么说定了。

A: Exactly! A little bit of legal gambling can be a lot of fun…偶尔去一次赌场玩玩，其实还挺有意思的。

B: I don’t think you should ever try it， 杨琳。Remember your addiction to Korean sitcoms? or Cheese-cake? or Ice-cream?

A: Ugh….maybe I have an addictive personality by nature…

B: Haha, I don’t think so, but I do know of a good “Korean Sitcoms Antonymous” group if you ready to kick the habit.

A: 哈! 咱们接着来听下面的Learn a Word, 再来多学学additive这个词儿的用法!

Learn A Word 1714 addictive

今天我们要学的词是 addictive. Addictive is spelled a-d-d-i-c-t-i-v-e, addictive. Addictive 容易让人上瘾的。Deaths from drug overdoses rose for the 11th straight year in 2010. Most cases were accidents involving addictive painkillers. 2010年，药物服用过量造成的死亡事件连续11年持续上升，其中大部分案例都涉及服用后容易上瘾的止痛药。脸书网和推特网的用户总数加在一起，有十亿多人。美国芝加哥大学的研究人员发现，Social networking can be more addictive than nicotine or alcohol. 使用社交网站甚至可能比尼古丁和酒精更能让人上瘾。好的，今天我们学习的词是 addictive, addictive, addictive…

A:Social networking is totally addictive! I can’t go on one day without checking my facebook.

B:Yeah…the first thing I do in the morning is to check my gmail and facebook accounts on my cell phone, and I definitely check my email more than necessary.

A: You are totally addicted to your cell phone! You even take it with you when you go to the bathroom…

B: Well…let’s…talk about something else! We still have one last segment to go!

A: 哈哈，小样! 好吧，来听今天的最后一个单元!

Words and Idioms 830 LOWER THE BOOM

美国习惯用语第 830讲

我刚刚参加了三天的电脑安全培训班。负责培训的老师对学生要求特别严格，对我们这些大记者丝毫不留情面。我的一个同事就因为培训最后一天迟到了二十分钟，被老师请出了教室，要他下次培训班从头来过。不过，这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: Lower the boom. Lower is spelled l-o-w-e-r and boom; b-o-o-m. Lower-the-boom. Lower the boom.

大家都知道，low 是低的意思，后面加上 er, 变成 lower, 就是动词，是降低、放低的意思。 Lower the boom 里的 boom 是一个帆船上的专业术语，指的是张帆杆，又叫下桁。Lower the boom 这个习惯用语是严厉惩罚的意思。比如说刚才谈到的培训班的那位老师，对学生迟到进行了严厉的惩罚。She lowered the boom on the student.

虽说很多人都觉得这个老师的做法未免有些过火，但是在教育孩子方面，做家长的很多时候恐怕都必需得狠下心来。让我们一起听听下面这位父亲是怎么说的。

M: “We warned our teenage son not to come home late again. So when he returned after midnight, we were in the living room waiting. That’s when we LOWERED THE BOOM. For the next month, he’d have to stay in except for going to school. It was a harsh but necessary punishment.”

这位父亲说：我们的儿子十几岁了，我们事先已经警告过他，不要再晚回家，结果这次他又是晚上12点才到家，我们坐在客厅里等他，毫不留情地告诉他，作为惩罚，接下来的一个月里，除了上学以外，哪儿都不能去，这种惩罚虽然严厉，但也是绝对必要的。

在美国，家长管教孩子，不讲究打骂，经常用的手段就是在一段时间，比如一个星期内，剥夺孩子出去玩，给朋友打电话，看电视，玩电子游戏等等的权利。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “We warned our teenage son not to come home late again. So when he returned after midnight, we were in the living room waiting. That’s when we LOWERED THE BOOM. For the next month, he’d have to stay in except for going to school. It was a harsh but necessary punishment.”

刚才我们谈到家长管教孩子，是为了让孩子知道，采取行为，就要承担后果，如果违反了规定，就会受到惩罚。这个简单的道理，有时候连成年人都会忘记。让我们听听下面这个人是怎么说的。

M: “A buddy of mine is stupid if he thinks he can avoid paying income taxes. Eventually the government will find out and then LOWER THE BOOM on him. That means he’ll get a stiff fine. Well, that’s what happens when you don’t obey the law!”

这个人说：我认识的一个朋友觉得自己能逃避缴纳所得税，如果他真这么想，那简直是太愚蠢了。到头来，政府一定会发现，对他进行严厉的惩罚。也就是说，到时候，他必需要缴纳很多罚款。不遵纪守法，就是这个下场。

我注意到，一到周末，我们社区路口旁总有一个女交警在那里值勤，对来往车辆的司机进行抽查。一旦发现酒后驾驶的人，毫不留情。She lowers the boom on drunk drivers, immediately taking them to jail。马上把他们带走关起来。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “A buddy of mine is stupid if he thinks he can avoid paying income taxes. Eventually the government will find out and then LOWER THE BOOM on him. That means he’ll get a stiff fine. Well, that’s what happens when you don’t obey the law!”

即使你不精通帆船，可能也会知道，风向发生变化的时候，帆船的张帆杆会剧烈摇摆，这也是最危险的时候。Lower the boom 这个习惯用语是在二十世纪上半叶出现的，可能就来源于此。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。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。我知道，大家每天的工作生活都十分繁忙，如果不能每次按时收听美国习惯用语节目，也没有关系。I’m not about to LOWER THE BOOM!

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

我们下次节目再见。

A: Never try to escape from your taxes. The IRS will lower the boom on you!

B: I think the fashion police are going to lower the boom on you YL, I mean, seriously? That dress with those boots?

A:…..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105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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊戒烟有什么好方法，看看不同工作场合的着装要求，还要告诉你怎么说得寸进尺!

B: I feel like the dress code in DC is just formal. I see suits everywhere…

A: 没错! 每天一上地铁都一片黑压压! 好了西装男, 咱们言归正传，先来进入第一个单元…

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1719 hallmark

今天我们要学的词是 hallmark. Hallmark is spelled h-a-l-l-m-a-r-k, hallmark. Hallmark 意思是特点，标志。A strong defense has always been the hallmark for our team. 我们球队最大的特点是防守能力强。Personalized customer service has been our hallmark for over 20 years. 贴心的顾客服务20多年来始终是我们的特色。Renewable technology development has been the hallmark for Steven Chu’s tenure as the U.S. Secretary of Energy. 朱棣文在任美国能源部长期间，政策核心一直是可再生能源的开发。 好的，今天我们学习的词是 hallmark, hallmark, hallmark…

A: 看看美国推广可持续能源，我真羡慕! 这次回北京，每天都是雾霾天，想想小时候的蓝天，真让人沮丧!

B: Yeah, you should not develop your economy at the cost of the environment! It took London 40 years to fix its fog problem, I hope Beijing can fix it soon…

A: I don’t know. It seems like we are pushing our luck. I really want the old Beijing back….the blue sky and the fresh air, you don’t even need air conditioning in the summer!

B: We’ll keep our fingers crossed! But you just mention an idiom, push one’s luck, let’s check it out!

Words and Idioms 831 Push One’s Luck

美国习惯用语第831讲

我先生牙不好，但又特别不喜欢去看牙医。前不久，他补过的一颗牙里的填料掉了出来，我劝他赶紧去找牙医修补，这不，一个月过去了，他还是没给牙医打电话预约。或许现在那颗牙并不疼，不过，谁都知道，这是迟早的事。这让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: Push one’s luck. Push is spelled p-u-s-h, and luck; l-u-c-k. Push-one’s-luck.

大家都知道，动词 push 是推的意思，Luck 是运气。Push one’s luck 这个习惯用语的意思就是，有点儿运气就得寸进尺，贪心不足。就说我先生吧，牙里的填料掉了，但是牙却不疼，够幸运的吧？但是他却得寸进尺，不赶紧去找牙医修补，这就叫 push his luck.

我早上开车，路上听了一个关于汽车保养的节目。主持人念了一封听众寄来的电子邮件，让我们一起听听看。

M: “Every time I get my oil changed, the mechanic reminds me to bring the car back in another 3,000 miles. Now I see that I’ve driven almost 8,000 more miles and still haven’t had any problem. Do you think I’m PUSHING MY LUCK? Or do I really need to get my car serviced again?”

这位听众在信中说：每次我去换机油，车铺的人都提醒我，每开三千英里就要来换一次机油。可是现在我都开了八千英里了，车子还好好的，没有出现任何问题。你觉得我这样做是贪心不足吗？我是不是真地需要把车隍7d到修车行去保养呢？

要让我说，这个人绝对是在 push his luck。车子的定期保养是绝对不能放松的，车子跟人一样，人要吃好睡好锻炼好才能长寿，车子也要定期检查，保养才能长期给你服务，否则坏了，又要去修，更得不偿失。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Every time I get my oil changed, the mechanic reminds me to bring the car back in another 3,000 miles. Now I see that I’ve driven almost 8,000 more miles and still haven’t had any problem. Do you think I’m PUSHING MY LUCK? Or do I really need to get my car serviced again?”

刚才我们说到，车子要定期保养，如果本应三千英里换一次机油，结果开到八千英里还不去的话，就是在 push your luck。老实说，我也犯过类似的错误。那天我鞋的后跟掉了，我就自己粘了回去，打算坚持两天，周末有时间拿去修。我得意洋洋地穿着去上班，结果上班的路上鞋跟又掉了下来，害我当众出丑。我当时唯一的想法是，I shouldn’t have pushed my luck. 在下面这个例子中，一群登山爱好者要做出一项十分艰难的选择。让我们一起听听看。

M: “My friend and I had planned this climb for months. And there we were, almost to the top.

But the sun was going down on us. Did we want to try and hurry? We decided not to PUSH OUR LUCK and risk an accident. After all, the mountain could wait until morning.”

其中一个人说：我跟朋友们策划这次行动已经好几个月了，眼看就要到山顶的时候，偏偏太阳下山了。我们要决定，是否继续攀登，但是大家最后决定，还是不要挺而走险，可以等到早上，以免发生事故。

英语里有一句常说的话，叫 better safe than sorry，意思是宁可加倍小心，也要比发生意外好。还好这些登山爱好者比较明智，没有 push their luck, 否则发生意外，后悔就完了。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “My friend and I had planned this climb for months. And there we were, almost to the top. But the sun was going down on us. Did we want to try and hurry? We decided not to PUSH OUR LUCK and risk an accident. After all, the mountain could wait until morning.”

Push one’s luck 这个习惯用语可以追溯到二十世纪，也有人说得更简单，就叫 push it. 我可以说，我先生不赶紧去看牙医，是在 push it. 我没有及时去修鞋，也是在 push it. 看来，我们大家都有这种时候。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

我们下次节目再见。

A: Yeah, I always push my luck when it comes to dental problems…I will think it’s just a small cavity that could be fixed in a heartbeat, but it always turns out to be a bigger problem.

B: Exactly. You need to fix any health problems as soon as possible, otherwise you don’t know what’s going to happen. You just got to nip it in the bud.

A: 没错，消灭在萌芽状态。

B: Actually in today’s business etiquette, we are going to talk about a thing that can affect your health, smoking. Let’s get some tips about how to quit smoking!

礼节美语 BE-231 Quit Smoking I

Daisy在公司走廊上跟同事Johnny打招呼。

Daisy: Hey Johnny, good to see you! How have you been? I haven’t seen you in almost a month.

Johnny: Eleven days, six hours, 21 minutes, and let me see….twenty something seconds.

D: Umm….eleven what?

J: Eleven days since my last cigarette!

D: Hey…good for you! High five!

Daisy将近一个月没见到Johnny，Johnny在这期间把烟戒了，戒烟已经持续了 eleven days, six hours, 21 minutes, and twenty something seconds. 11天6小时21分钟20几秒。Daisy对Johnny表示赞扬，说 good for you! 有你的。这时候女同事Kathy凑了过来。

Kathy: Good afternoon. What are we celebrating?

D: Johnny here has been trying to quit cigarettes for years!

J: And today I’m almost 2 weeks into my program!

K: Wow, congratulations! I quit 10 years ago, but then again, I was never really a serious smoker.

D: Johnny here was a three-pack-a-day man!

K: You smoked three packs a day??! That’s some hard-core smoking! So…It must have been very difficult to quit.

J: Well, I’ve only been smoke-free for 11 days so I can’t pat myself on the back too much. But yes, it has been really tough…probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Kathy说自己是十年前戒的烟，但戒烟前其实抽得也不是很多，I was never a serious smoker. 这一点跟 Johnny 比大不一样，Johnny原来每天抽三盒，He was a three-pack-a-day man. 英文里根据抽烟的多少，可以分为 social smoker 偶尔抽着玩的人；light smoker 烟瘾不大的人；heavy smoker 烟瘾很大的人，还有 chain smoker 一根接一根抽的人，Johnny显然就是这种人，a hard-core smoker 铁杆烟民。Johnny说，自己刚刚戒了11天，还不能 pat myself on the back 自满。to pat oneself on the back 是自我表扬，自我鼓励的意思。 Daisy说，

D: I quit cold turkey, and that was pretty darn hard.

J: Quitting smoking takes a lot of willpower, but these days a lot of help is available if you look for it.

K: My uncle tried hypnosis. A specialist tried to hypnotize him to give him the suggestion that he should stop smoking.

J: Did it work?

K: He quit for a few months, but then he fell back into his old habit.

D: A lot of my friends have tried nicotine patches. Nicotine is an addictive drug and when you quit using it, you get seriously grumpy. Sometimes a patch can help reduce nicotine cravings.

戒烟需要毅力，It takes a lot of willpower. Daisy说自己当年说不抽就不抽了，to quit something cold turkey. 意思是干净利落地戒掉某种习惯。Kathy说，她叔叔曾尝试过hypnosis催眠，hypnosis is spelled h-y-p-n-o-s-i-s, hypnosis, 动词是 hypnotize, h-y-p-n-o-t-i-z-e, 但是只坚持了几个月，就又fell back into his old habit 重新捡起了旧习惯。Daisy说，他很多朋友都用 nicotine patches 尼古丁贴片，减少身体对尼古丁的 cravings, cravings 指强烈愿望，在这是指对尼古丁的瘾头。戒烟还有其他什么好办法呢？我们下次继续听。

A: Johnny是个铁杆烟民，a hard-core smoker, 原来每天都要抽三包。Daisy说，她当年戒烟，说不抽就不抽了，quit smoking cold turkey。Johnny觉得戒烟确实很难，it takes a lot of willpower, 需要很大的毅力。

B:Yeah definitely. Once your body is addicted to nicotine, it’s pretty hard to get it out of your system.

A: 我爷爷原来就是铁杆烟民，不过啊我天天在他的烟上写吸烟有害，现在呢，他每天抽三根，也算是戒烟成功一半了!

B: It’s always a good thing to have support from family and friends. Daisy is advising Johnny to participate in a therapy group so he can get support from people just like him. Let’s keep listening!

礼节美语 BE-232 Quit Smoking II

Daisy和Kathy听说同事Johnny戒烟，很替他高兴。Kathy问Johnny是怎么戒的。

K: What’s worked so far?

J: Well, for starters, I saw a doctor who specializes in helping people quit smoking. The doctor recommended a therapy group that meets twice a week.

D: So everyone in the group is trying to quit smoking?

J: yep…we were all in the same boat. We have a buddy system….if we need help, we call each other.

K: That’s really great!

J: Also, the doctor recommended getting some exercise so I started doing some cycling. I could barely make it down the street for the first couple of days, but now I’m riding as much as 10 kilometers!

原来，Johnny专门找了个医生，指导他如何戒烟，医生建议他加入一个 therapy group 治疗小组，小组成员都是想戒烟的烟民，同病相怜，they were all in the same boat. in the same boat是一个很常用的短语，意思是处境相同。另外，医生还建议Johnny锻炼身体，骑自行车。

D: When you quit smoking you also have to change your lifestyle. I had to stop drinking too much beer, because when I drank, it made me want to smoke. I started eating more fruits and vegetables and I cut down on red meat.

K: Yeah, that makes sense. Change your diet…change your lifestyle…start a new you!

J: So far the toughest time is when I’m hanging out with friends in clubs, bars or KTVs.

D: I guess you’ll just have to chew a lot of gum.

J: Yeah…the doctor told me to keep my mouth and hands busy! Chew gum, drink water, whistle, draw, hold a pencil…just try to distract my mind.

Daisy说，戒烟的一部分是要改变生活习惯，比如他自己，原来爱喝啤酒，一喝啤酒就自然而然地想抽烟，所以为了戒烟他索性连酒也少喝了，开始多吃蔬菜水果，并且 cut down on red meat. 少吃红肉。to cut down on something 是减少的意思，red meat 红肉，包括猪肉，牛肉，羊肉等，跟 red meat 相对的是鸡肉和鱼肉等 white meat. Johnny说，最痛苦的时候是跟朋友到夜总会和酒吧那种地方去，周围抽烟喝酒的人太多，诱惑太大，医生曾建议他，不要让自己的嘴和手闲着，嚼口香糖，喝水，吹口哨，或者干脆手里拿根笔，都行。

K: I applaud your efforts to quit! I’m sure you’ll be much happier in the long run.

D: Yeah…a couple of years from now, you look back and wonder how you could’ve ever been a smoker!

J: I hope so…because it’s been pretty tough.

D: Don’t worry; there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

K: Keep up the good work!

J: Thanks, guys!

最后，Kathy 和Daisy都鼓励Johnny一定要坚持，Daisy说，there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 隧道尽头能看到光明，类似中文里说的曙光就在前面。

A: 戒掉不好的习惯就靠毅力! 戒烟戒酒都是一样。

B: Yep, the key is to be persistent. It applies to everything.

A: 万事开头难! 接下去就好了。Speaking of which, I think it’s time that you should start working on your sweets addiction…

B: Meh, I also exercise everyday, unlike……some people!

A: 哈! 算了，不跟你贫! 咱们现在再来学个词儿!

Learn A Word 1720 dress code

今天我们要学的词是 dress code. dress is spelled d-r-e-s-s, dress, code, c-o-d-e, code, dress code. Dress code 着装要求。Under Iran’s Islamic dress code, women are required to cover their entire body in public. 根据伊朗的伊斯兰教着装要求，妇女在公共场合必须把身体遮盖得严严实实的。美国伊利诺伊州一个学生因为身穿美国海军陆战队T恤衫，T恤衫上画着两支枪的图案，被学校指责违反着装标准。The student’s father asked the school district to reconsider its dress code after the incident. 事发后，学生父亲要求学校所在学区重新考虑对学生的着装要求。好的，今天我们学习的词是 dress code, dress code, dress code…

A: Yeah, different work places have different dress codes. I’m so glad we don’t have any!

B:Yeah….I mean, I still want to dress up for work though. I feel like when I’m dressed in business professional clothes I’m more productive. Dressing the part really makes a difference.

A: Yeah, that’s true. If I’m wearing something casual, I feel like I should be outside exploring the city….

B: Haha, we will have plenty of opportunities for that this weekend! Now let’s move on to our last segment of the day!

A: 来听今天的美国习惯用语， Make a dent in!

Words and Idioms 832 Make a Dent in

美国习惯用语第 832讲

第一次用信用卡的人，都会觉得，这简直太方便了，身上不用带现金，就能想买什么就买什么。可以别忘了，刷卡也是花钱，银行帐户里要有足够的存款，账单来的时候才不会陷入被动。我侄女就是，第一次有了自己的信用卡，兴奋得忘乎所以，结果付不起账单，欠了信用卡公司很多钱，只好节衣缩食，用了整整一年的时间，才慢慢还上。这让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: Make a dent in. Dent is spelled d-e-n-t. Make-a-dent-in. Make a dent in.

名词 dent 在中文里是凹痕的意思。Make a dent in something 这个习惯用语的意思就是取得初步进展。从刚才我侄女的信用卡的例子里，我们就能看到，要还清信用卡债务，有多困难。It is very difficult to make a dent in credit card debt. 所以一定不能大意。

生病总是难免的，特别是冬天。大家可能都有过类似经历，在家歇几天病假，回去上班时，会发现很多工作都在等着自己处理。让我们听听下面例子里这个可怜人是怎么说的。

M: “After being home with the flu for a week, I finally returned to the office. I can’t believe how much I missed. I’ve already spent two days trying to catch up on the pile of paperwork on my desk. But I’ve barely MADE A DENT IN it. There’s still a lot more I need to do.”

这个人抱怨说：我因为流感在家歇了一星期的病假，真没想到短短一个星期，会积累下这么多工作。我花了整整两天的时间，处理桌子上堆积如山的文件，但是好象一点也不见少，还是有一大堆需要处理。

我特别理解他的感受。前不久我去墨西哥渡了一个星期的假，没带电脑。结果回来后，信箱里积累了好几百封电子邮件，我整整用了一个晚上的时间，才基本上处理完毕。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “After being home with the flu for a week, I finally returned to the office. I can’t believe how much I missed. I’ve already spent two days trying to catch up on the pile of paperwork on my desk. But I’ve barely MADE A DENT IN it. There’s still a lot more I need to do.”

每年圣诞节前夕，商店里都会拥挤不堪，大家都要给亲朋好友购买礼物。对于很多人来说，这是一件躲不过去的头疼事儿，但是下面这个顾客好象却很有成就感。让我们一起听听这是为什么。

M: “I come from a large family, so I have many people to buy for at Christmas. I’m usually rushing around in stores until the last minute, but this year is different. I’m really MAKING A DENT in my shopping list. Now I only have to pick up a few more presents and then I’ll be ready.”

这个人说：我来自一个大家庭，圣诞节要给很多人买礼物。往年我都要等到最后一分钟才匆忙跑到店里去采购，但是今年不同，购物清单上的很多东西都已经买齐了。如今只剩下几件东西，我就万事大吉了。
真是好样的，加油！

最近，我们那个社区突然出现了很多胡乱涂鸦，破坏公物的情况。虽然警察局增派警力，加强巡逻，但丝毫没有改善。It hasn’t made a dent in it. 好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “I come from a large family, so I have many people to buy for at Christmas. I’m usually rushing around in stores until the last minute, but this year is different. I’m really MAKING A DENT in my shopping list. Now I only have to pick up a few more presents and then I’ll be ready.”

有些事情不能操之过急。比如说，我女儿念书的那所学校里，去年学生□c读考试的成绩普遍下降。校长决定使用一套新教材。整整花了一年的时间，The teachers finally made a dent in test scores. 老师们终于帮助学生提高了考核的成绩。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。虽然英语里有成千上万的习惯用语，但是日积月累，必能滴水穿石。I am sure you are making a dent in them.

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

我们下次节目再见。

A: I think all that running has worked Mike! I see you are making a dent in losing your beer belly!

B: Why thank you 杨琳! When you are ready to make a dent in those love handles you are free to come with me!

A:…..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106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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊在公司报销都有什么规矩，看看别出心裁的结婚仪式，还要告诉你怎么说捉刀人!

B: Yeah, most couples want a special wedding ceremony. It’s the kind of memory that will last a lifetime. I wonder what my wedding will be like…

A: You got to find someone who is willing to marry you first!

B: Ugh…

A: Kidding kidding! You will be fine! 咱们等会再来讨论你梦想中的婚礼，现在, 先来进入第一个单元…

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1743 ghost writer

今天我们要学的词是 ghost writer. Ghost is spelled g-h-o-s-t, ghost, and writer, w-r-i-t-e-r, writer, ghost writer. Ghost writer 代笔作者，捉刀人。Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is taking heat for hiring Marc Thiessen, who vocally supports “enhanced interrogation techniques”, as his ghost writer. 威斯康辛州长沃克因为找马克.泰森代写新书而受到批评，因为泰森公开支持使用强化审讯手段。Michael Malice, the celebrity ghost writer, raised $30,000 to write an autobiography of Kim Jong-il. 著名捉刀人迈克尔.马利斯集资三万美元，准备给金正日写传记。好的，今天我们学习的词是 ghost writer, ghost writer, ghost writer…

A: Ghost writer, 代笔作者。 现在是个人就可以出书，最后都不知道书是谁写的!

B: Yep, I feel like Internet is the thing to blame. Nowadays a lot of people just go on the Internet, get whatever information that they can find and then start writing a book!

A: Yeah, the Internet is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it’s so much easier to obtain information now, but on the other, you need to have the ability to identify the useful from the useless.

B: Yep, or you can always just march to a different drummer, go back to reading academic papers!

A: 没错! 诶，你刚才提到了个很好的短语， march to a different drummer, 让我们来听今天的美国习惯用语，学学这个短语的用法!

Words and Idioms 833 MARCH TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER

美国习惯用语第833讲

我干广播这一行已经十几年了，以前的编辑都是每星期一早上开会，但是最近刚来的这位领导别出心裁，把小组会议改在了星期五下班以前。这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: March to a different drummer. March is spelled m-a-r-c-h, and drummer; d-r-u-m-m-e-r. March-to-a-different-drummer. March to a different drummer.

March to a different drummer. March 是齐步走，行军的意思，drummer 是鼓手。March to a different drummer 按照不同鼓手的节奏前进，意思就是独树一帜，标新立异。这下大家明白了吧，别人一般都是星期一早上开会，但是新来的这位编辑却规定星期五下班前开会，跟别人不一样，这就叫 march to a different drummer. 其实啊，生活中这种人并不少见，让我们听听下面例子里这个人是怎么过年的。

M: “My friends are always inviting me to these crazy New Year’s Eve parties. But I’ve always MARCHED TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER. Going to big noisy celebrations just to wait until midnight isn’t for me. I’d much rather stay home and have a quiet evening watching a good movie or reading a good book.”

这个人说：朋友们经常邀请我去参加他们那些疯狂的元旦派对，但是我跟他们不一样。我一点也不喜欢那种喧闹的庆祝活动，我更愿意一个人待在家里，晚上安安静静地看个电影，或是读本好书。

虽然我也是喜欢安静的人，大年夜可不是安静的时候，要让我说，迎接新的一年到来，跟亲朋好友在一起庆祝，一年就这么一次，是无论如何也少不了的。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “My friends are always inviting me to these crazy New Year’s Eve parties. But I’ve always MARCHED TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER. Going to big noisy celebrations just to wait until midnight isn’t for me. I’d much rather stay home and have a quiet evening watching a good movie or reading a good book.”

有时候，我还会穿上晚礼服，跟先生一起到大饭店里去参加新年庆祝活动， 玩个通宵呢！

刚才说到新年晚会，下次我要记得，一定得穿一双舒服点儿的鞋。我朋友建议我，下次买鞋，可以上网去试试。下面就让我们一起听听一家网上鞋店的介绍。

M: “Zappos, the biggest online shoe store could have copied its competitors. Instead, it MARCHED TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER. By offering free shipping, a 365-day return policy and continuously available service, it provided some of the best service in the industry. Maybe that’s why it’s grown from nothing to an almost $1 billion giant.”

这个人说：最大的网上鞋店 Zappos 本来可以效仿对手的做法，随大流，但是他们却选择了独树一帜，为顾客提供网上购物一些最优惠的服务，包括免费送货上门，购物一年之内包退包换等，这可能就是
他们白手起家，发展成为一个价值十亿美元的大公司的秘诀。

看来，这家公司的经营者还真是挺有创意的。我认识一对夫妇，他们结婚是在山崖上，婚礼最精彩的节目是蹦极。WOW，真够刺激的。这就叫 March to a different drummer. 好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Zappos, the biggest online shoe store could have copied its competitors. Instead, it MARCHED TO A DIFFERENT DRUMMER. By offering free shipping, a 365-day return policy and continuously available service, it provided some of the best service in the industry. Maybe that’s why it’s grown from nothing to an almost $1 billion giant.”

很显然，March to a different drummer 这个习惯用语的出处跟阅兵，仪仗有关，来自美国著名作家和思想家亨利•戴维•梭罗1854年著作《沃尔登》里的一句话。也许你听人说过，March to a different beat, march to a different tune, 还有 march to the beat of a different drum or drummer, 其实这些说法都是一个意思。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

我们下次节目再见。

B: That’s what I was talking about. I want to march to a different drummer for my wedding. Actually, instead of having a wedding, I would rather spend the money on an around-the-world trip!

A: 其实现在很多人都这样结婚啊! 省去了婚礼的繁琐，还多了一份共同的旅行记忆! 我也觉得这样很好!

B: And you can save a lot of money on all the useless things you have to get for a wedding, like flowers….You can actually have a better financial starting point for your future life.

A: That’s definitely true! In today’s business etiquette, we will touch on how to save expense, not for your personal life, but in business settings. Let’s check it out!

礼节美语–Expense Accounts

公司开会，最后一项讨论内容是支出账目，经理 Tim 让会计部主任 John 介绍情况。

Ok, now for the last item on our agenda: expense accounts. Let me turn the meeting over to our chief accountant, John Summers. John?

Thank you, Tim. As you all know, the current economic climate is, to put it mildly, difficult. Our company is being affected by higher prices and a downturn in orders.

Basically, we are going to have to tighten our belts.

支出账目 Expense accounts 是指员工可以因公报销的账目。会计部主任 John 说，现在经济不景气，公司成本价格上升，定单减少。经理 Tim 说，因此大家要勒紧裤腰带，tighten our belts.

Yes, that’s exactly right. And one of the first ways we can save money is by clarifying what you can and cannot claim as “company expenses.” For starters, we will henceforth limit each person’s personal expense account to $300.

That’s cutting it pretty close, no? I mean, when I have to go to New York on a business trip, 300 bucks blows by pretty fast.

John 说，要减少不必要开支，先要明确什么支出可以报销。For starters, 首先，要把个人支出账目限制在三百块以内。Shannon 认为，限制太严了cut it pretty close. 她举例说，去纽约出差，300块一眨眼就花光了。300 bucks blows by pretty fast.

Yes, we understand. But your $300 isn’t for “special expenses” such as taking a client to dinner. And, of course, the company still pays for your hotel accommodation and all airfares.

But transport while traveling such as taxis, etc., that comes out of the $300?

Yes, it would. So would food for yourself and any other small purchases.

John 说，三百块限额不包括请客户吃饭，也不包括旅馆住宿和机票，这三百块的用途是打车和自己吃饭。

It does – however — mean that you’ll have to cut back on some of the “extras.”

Like what?

Well, I don’t want to single people out, but here’s a good example: someone claimed $120 for a massage. That’s the kind of stuff that will be axed.

John 进一步解释说，要减少额外开支，cut back on some of the “extras”, e-x-t-r-a-s, extras 是指额外的东西。比如说按摩 massage. 按摩这类不必要的□
‘7d支一定要被砍掉 will be axed。

Let me speak up here. I’m the one that claimed the massage, but I think I deserved it. I was at the Berlin trade fair for three days before flying directly to Peru to visit our supplier. I was doggone tired!

Mike 承认，报销按摩的人就是他，但他觉得这是自己应得的。I deserved it. 因为他在柏林参加了整整三天的博览会后，又直接飞到秘鲁去见公司的供应商。I was doggone tired! 累死了。

A: 经理Tim说，现在经济不景气，公司预算不好，大家需要tighten our belt, 勒紧裤腰带， cut back on some of the extras, 减少额外的开支，things like massage will be axed, 像按摩这类的一定要砍掉。

B:Yeah, I feel like some of the expenses in private companies are really ridiculous. There’s an expense account called entertainment, and you basically can take your clients everywhere, including a strip bar!

A: Well…not that I agree with it, but some business is done in that way. Let’s keep listen to Tim and John about how to cut their expense!

礼节美语–Expense Accounts II

公司开会讨论支出账目，经理 Tim 和会计部主任 John 告诉大家，要紧缩开支，首先从员工可报销的账目下手。Tim 说，

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: we’ll have to cut back on our expenses or we’ll have to cut back on staff, something I’d rather not do.

But we still have discretionary spending money, right?

Sure. You can spend half of the $300 on whatever you want without providing a receipt.

经理 Tim 说，我不想粉饰太平，sugarcoat it. 实际情况是，不减少开支，就得裁员。Mike 问，是不是还有 discretionary spending money, 可以随便支配的钱。答案是，三百块里一半的开销都可以不交收据。

What other ways can we help cut costs?

Well, if it’s a flight of less than four hours, we’re going to ask you to fly economy class. For long distance flights you can still use business class.

And we need to talk about client dinners. I know you have to take the client to a nice place. I know you can’t take them to McDonald’s.

But…the five Michelin star A+1 Golden Steakhouse? That’s pushing it. I see a $265 claim here for a business dinner for two. That’s got to come down.

Tim 说，今后凡是不到四个小时的短途飞行，一律改为经济舱。John 补充说，请客户吃饭，虽然不能去麦当劳，但两个人吃牛排花265块，则未免有些过份。That’s pushing it.

Actually, I’ve been doing more Internet research before I take clients to business meals. I’ve found you can save a lot of money by choosing an interesting, special place that isn’t necessarily expensive.

Right! Say, “I know this little place…” and take them somewhere cool, but not at $265 a pop!

Shannon 建议，不用带客户去太贵的地方吃饭，可以带他们去一些更有意思，但并不贵的餐馆。Tim 赞成，说最好是 take them somewhere cool, but not at $265 a pop. A pop 是每次花多少钱的意思。

Another thing: stay out of the hotel bar! It’s outrageous what they charge for a couple of cocktails! Go find a bar down the street to meet at. It’s got more character and it’s substantially cheaper.

Yes, good thinking.

And it goes without saying, the hotel room’s “adult” movies are not business expenses. (Laughter)

No, they most certainly aren’t! Thanks guys! I appreciate your understanding.

Mike 补充说，旅馆酒吧太贵。最好能出去找个酒吧见面。不仅便宜，而且 It’s got more character. 还更有个性。Mike 搞笑道，It goes without saying 不用说，旅馆的成人电影是不能报销的。

A: I agree! A 300-dollar business meal is definitely over the limit! It’s always more fun to go to some place that has more personality.

B: Yeah, for a foodie like me, it’s always important to go where the best gourmet food is.

A: But you need to watch out though. We don’t have a big paycheck!

B: Yeah. That’s why I’m learning to cook for myself.

A: Well, let’s see how to use the word “paycheck”!

Learn A Word 1745 paycheck

今天我们要学的词是 paycheck. Paycheck is spelled p-a-y-c-h-e-c-k, paycheck. Paycheck 工资单。为了显示跟被迫停薪休假的联邦雇员同甘共苦，President Obama will give 5% of his paycheck back to the federal government. 美国总统奥巴马将拿出工资的5%来还给国库。在美国，一个典型中产阶级家庭把孩子养大到17岁，平均要花费23万5千美元。对于学龄孩子的家长来说，Costs from their children’s extracurricular activities like football, gymnastics, and music lessons, chip away at their paychecks. 家长收入的一部分要花在孩子的橄榄球，体操和声乐等课余活动上。好的，今天我们学习的词是 paycheck, paycheck, paycheck…

A: 哇，养个小孩到17岁要花23万美元，简直可以买栋房子了!

B:Yeah, kids are really expensive. In America, tuition at private schools is off-the-charts. If you send you kids to private high school, their tuition is going to be over 50k a year.

A: That’s true, but there’re also different kinds of scholarship to help those who can’t afford to pay tuition but are qualified to go to a good school!

B: Yep, I got a couple of scholarships to go to college in Ohio thanks to some local NGOs!

A: A lot of NGO are going to the mat for the students in need these days. Speaking of which, 我们来听今天的美国习惯用语， go to the mat!

Words and Idioms 834 GO TO THE MAT

美国习惯用语第 834 讲

我可不是老古董，对进步事物总是拍手称快。不过，最近有人建议，把我们家附近的一个公园推掉，盖个超市，这我可不赞成。好在，市政委员会的一名代表跟我的想法一样。他正在竭尽全力设法推翻这项提案。这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，叫

M: Go to the mat. Mat is spelled m-a-t. Go-to-the-mat. Go to the mat.

Mat 是脚垫，地板垫的意思，to go to the mat 意思是不遗余力，设法解决难题，往往是为了那些无权无势的小人物的利益。就好像刚才说到的，我们地区的那位市政议员努力说服其他人，不要拆掉我们附近的公园。I’m so thankful that he’s been willing to GO TO THE MAT for my neighborhood. 他能为我们这个居民区摇旗呐喊，据理力争，真让我感动。在下面这个例子中，上司的支持让一名雇员感激涕零。我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

M: “When I told my supervisor that I was going to be let go, she marched into the president’s office to defend me. Apparently, she told him that the company couldn’t afford to lose one of its most valuable employees. If she hadn’t GONE TO THE MAT for me, I wouldn’t still be here.”

这个人说：我告诉上司说，公司要解雇我，她马上找到总裁，为我进行辩护。显然，她告诉总裁说，公司不能失去象我这样最有价值的雇员。要不是她挺身而出，替我说话，我今天早不在这儿了。

有这么个替自己撑腰的上司，可真够幸运的。这倒让我想起我的一个高中同学，他后来在一个大学里当系主任。那所大学里很多有学习障碍的学生多年来一直抱怨说，他们得不到应有的帮助。直到我的这位同学当上系主任，他们的问题才得到了解决，She went to the mat for them. 给他们争取到了各种各样的帮助。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “When I told my supervisor that I was going to be let go, she marched into the president’s office to defend me. Apparently, she told him that the company couldn’t afford to lose one of its most valuable employees. If she hadn’t GONE TO THE MAT for me, I wouldn’t still be here.”

很显然，每个社会里都有不少需要别人代言的群体。让我们一起听听下面这个例子。

M: “What happens to the poor and sick who need to see a doctor? Fortunately, one of my favorite charities is GOING TO THE MAT for these needy people. It’s a clinic that travels across the U.S. to provide thousands with free medical services. Because of its staff of volunteer health care professionals and donated supplies, there’s a little less suffering in the country.”

这个人说：那些没钱看病的穷人该怎么办呢？幸运的是，我们最喜欢的一个慈善机构正在向这批人伸出援手。他们出资办的一个流动诊所到美国各地去，给数以千计的人免费看病。诊所里不求报酬的医务工作者和社会各方捐献的医疗设备，让我们这个国家减少了一分病痛。

真巧，我最近刚刚在电视上看过这个流动诊所创办人的人物介绍，这个人真是太了不起了。正是因为这种人的出现，社会上需要帮助的人才有了希望。好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “What happens to the poor and sick who need to see a doctor? Fortunately, one of my favorite charities is GOING TO THE MAT for these needy people. It’s a clinic that travels across the U.S. to provide thousands with free medical services. Because of its staff of volunteer health care professionals and donated supplies, there’s a little less suffering in the country.”

也许你能猜到，go to the mat这个习惯用语是从摔跤比赛来的，指把对手摁在垫子上，最早的使用可以追溯到二十世纪初。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。你现在又多了一个习惯用语，用一下试试看，如果有人敢说你用得不对，只管告诉我，I will go to the mat for you.

A: My dream is to be a journalist that can make a difference in the world! I want to go to the mat for those who are underprivileged.

B: I’m pretty sure the underprivileged would rather have someone else going to the mat for them….

A:…..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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美语训练班  第107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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊慈善捐款，看看如何表达货真价实，还要告诉你如何自控!

B: Yeah, I put aside some money for charity every year. Even though I don’t have a big paycheck, I feel like it’s everyone’s job to help those who are in need.

A: 哇，可以嘛 Mike! I didn’t know you had such a noble heart!

B: Of course! Well…we’ll save this for later in the show. For now let’s begin our lesson with….

A: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1748 prepaid

今天我们要学的词是 prepaid. Prepaid is spelled p-r-e-p-a-i-d, prepaid. Prepaid 预付的。Many states in the U.S. offer prepaid tuition plans for public universities. 美国很多州都提供预付公立大学学费的计划。Justin Bieber is launching a new prepaid debit card aimed at teens. 贾斯汀.比伯准备发行一个新的借记卡，主要吸引十几岁的青少年用户。一项最近研究显示，People between the age of 18 to 34 are more likely than other age groups to consider using a prepaid card instead of a checking account. 18岁到34岁的人，比其他年龄层的人更愿意使用预付卡，而不是活期银行帐户。好的，今天我们学习的词是 prepaid, prepaid, prepaid…

A:I guess prepaid cards are safer than credit cards. You can’t over spend since there is only so much money on the card.

B: They certainly can help you better manage your budget, but you need to be careful as well. One time I bought a gift card for my mom, but it turned out that there was less money on the card than what the store advertised!

A: Yep, you need to make sure you have the real McCoy.

B: Exactly! Our audience probably are wondering what “the real McCoy” is! Let’s check out today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 835 THE REAL McCOY

美国习惯用语第 835 讲

常听人说，如果什么事听上去好得难以想象，那八成就是骗人的。我的一个朋友不久前在小摊上买了一块钻石，只要一百块。我告诉她，这么大小的钻石在商店里起码要花三百块。结果她到珠宝店去鉴定，发现钻石是假的。这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，

M: The real McCoy. McCoy is spelled M-c-C-o-y. The-real-McCoy. The real McCoy.

大家也许会问，McCoy 是什么意思。其实啊，这个词没有意思，而是一个人名。The real McCoy 这个习惯用语的意思是“货真价实的，不是假冒仿造的”。刚才说到我的一个朋友贪便宜，结果买了一颗假钻石，就跟大街上的伪造名牌皮包和手表一样，It was not The real McCoy.下面例子里的这位男士也被假象蒙住了眼睛，不过好在没有金钱上的损失，让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

M: “I haven’t traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn’t understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I’m rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I’ll have to fly to Paris!”

这个人说：我很少出门旅行。这次到拉斯维加斯去，居然看到了埃菲尔铁塔，我真搞不懂，巴黎的标志怎么会跑到了内华达，最后发现，原来是仿造的，我可真够傻的。如果真想站在埃菲尔铁塔前面照相，我还得飞到巴黎去。

确实，我最近刚去过拉斯维加斯，那里的赌场都有自己的名堂，在拉斯维加斯大道上，不仅能看到埃菲尔铁塔，还能看到纽约的自由女神像呢。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I haven’t traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn’t understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I’m rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I’ll have to fly to Paris!”

我这次在拉斯维加斯看了一场演出，表演者模仿的是猫王。他从穿着打扮到举止声音，都酷似猫王，简直让人觉得 He is THE REALY McCOY.

在刚刚过去的2008年总统大选中，奥巴马改写了美国历史，成为第一位非洲裔总统。但与此同时，共和党的副总统候选人佩林也出尽了风头，让我们听听这是为什么。

M: “Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with.”

这个人说：佩林州长成为共和党有史以来的第一位女性副总统候选人。虽然很多评论人士对她不以为然，但她所到之处，都会吸引很多支持者，他们在佩林身上看到了跟普通政客不同的地方。对他们来说，佩林是一个真实的人，能设身处地地理解人民的疾苦。

也许再过四年，佩林又会出现在共和党的选票上，谁知道呢！好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with.”

对于 THE REAL McCOY 这个习惯用语的出处，研究辞源的专家们有不同见解。有的说 THE REAL McCOY 是从19世纪80年代中期一个苏格兰威士忌的广告来的；有的说是从美国19世纪晚期一个臭名昭著的家族纷争来的；还有人说 McCoy 是美国历史上一个有名的牧场主、或是造船主、或是走私酒的人。最为大家接受的说法是，THE REAL McCOY 跟二十世纪一个著名的拳击冠军有关，他为了防止别人盗用自己的名号，取名 Kid McCoy.

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

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

下次节目再见。

A: 没错! 这次我回北京，满大街人都背着LV包! Although I think at least half of them are not the real McCoy.

B: Well…personally I think knock-offs are not all that bad. I really can’t understand why people would spend over 2000 dollars on a bag! It’s just a bag! If I had that kind of money to spend, I would rather give it to charity to help those who are less fortunate!

A: Wow, good for you Mike! Speaking of which, I’ve already spent my entire paycheck for the month. Do you wanna…maybe…buy me lunch today?

B: Ha, I’m talking about people who really need help. But….I guess lunch is OK!

A: Deal! 咱们言归正传， In today’s business etiquette, we will touch on the topic of giving to charity. Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Giving to a Charity part 1

公司开会，讨论慈善捐款的问题，Michael说：

Michael: Ok, folks….It’s been a tough year, but we’re going to stick with our tradition and give our usual yearly amount. Any suggestions?

Frank: Perhaps we could donate to my church’s missionary group. I know a couple other good Christian organizations that could use some help.

Jenny: Um….if I might interject. I don’t have a problem with religious charities but I do object to any proselytizing.

虽然公司不景气，但还是打算依惯例捐款。Frank 建议捐给基督教团体，但是 Jenny 反对向特定宗教色彩的团体捐助，避免支持某一宗教之嫌。p-r-o-s-e-l-y-t-i-z-e proselytize 是劝人信教的意思。

M: Ok, that’s a good point to think about. We want the donations to reflect the entire company so we should avoid anything controversial.

Gina: I was thinking perhaps we could give to more international causes. The victims of that horrible earthquake in China still need a lot of help.

F: How about the Red Cross? They have a pretty good track record, right?

G: Yeah, let’s give them 10%.

M, G, J: Agreed.

Michael 同意 Jenny 的看法，因为捐助代表整个公司，应该避免任何争议。Gina 提议捐给国际慈善事业，比如说中国地震灾民。Frank 提出，红十字会的记录就不错，track record 记录。大家同意把百分之十的钱捐给红十字会。

J: I was doing some research before this meeting and I found a great website called CharityWatch.org. They have lots of tips about avoiding fraud and giving to the right organizations. Did you know that nearly 70,000 new American charity groups were founded just last year?

F: Wow….that’s a lot of choices. It’s kind of daunting!

M: So should we stick with the tried and proven groups or should we branch out?

Jenny 说，有个叫“charitywatch.org”的网站，上面有不少如何选择慈善团体的建议，去年一年，美国就成立了七万个慈善团体。Michael 问大家，我们是循规蹈矩，还是做一些新的尝试呢？ stick with the tried and proven groups 是指经过证明可靠的慈善团体。

G: Here’s an interesting one. A group called “Water-4-Africa” sponsors water-purifying kits that can help eliminate serious diseases.

M: I like it. All in favor?

G, F,: Yes.

J: It sounds good. But I think I should do a bit more research. The American Institute of Philanthropy suggests we check to see how much of the funds they use for direct charity work and how much goes to administration costs.

F: You know, Jenny has a point. All these groups look good on paper, but you never know.

Gina 提到一个为非洲提供洁净水的团体，大家都觉得不错。但是 Jenny 表示，应该再调查一下，看看捐款有多少直接用于慈善项目，多少是给工作人员发工资的。Frank 觉得 Jenny 言之有理，Jenny has a point. 这些团体写得都很冠冕堂皇，All these groups look good on paper. 但实际操作就不一定了。

A: So you mentioned earlier that you do charity work. What kind of work do you do then?

B: I help out at a local soup kitchen a couple of times a month.

A: Yeah, I’m going to donate some of my clothes to Goodwill this weekend. I’m never going to wear them, so I think they should go to those who need them!

A: Good for you! Now Let’s keep listening to Jenny and Michael.

礼节美语 Giving to a Charity part II

公司开会，讨论慈善捐款的问题，Jenny 建议事先调查一下，某个慈善团体的项目资金和行政开支的比例：

J: The recommendation is that 60% of funds should go to projects with no more than 40% going to the charity’s own costs.

M: Here’s another good website: CharityNavigator.org. You can search specific groups and check their ratings. The Red Cross is number five in the “Most Recommended Charities.”

G: There’s also animal-related groups. How about the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?

F: They’re number four on the list. Sounds good.

一般的开支规范是，慈善团体要将百分之六十的捐款用于慈善项目，行政开支不得超过百分之四十。Michael 提到了一个叫“CharityNavigator.org”的网站，在该网站推荐的慈善团体中，红十字会排名第五，反对虐待动物社团排名第四。

J: World Vision is number one. They’re a Christian group that provides lot of medical assistance in Asia and Africa.

M: And of course, while we all enjoy doing a good deed, we do need to ensure that the company can get a tax break from our contributions.

G: I’ll double check that donations to each of those groups are in fact tax-deductible.

向亚洲和非洲提供医疗帮助的基督教团体“世界视野” 名列第一。Michael 提醒说，做好事的同时，也要保证公司的捐款能抵税。We do need to ensure that the company get a tax break from our contributions. Gina 说，她会 double check 查清楚，这些慈善捐款都是能够抵税的，tax-deductible.

F: I just had a thought. Every year we give corporate donations and that’s all well and good, but we might consider giving our time instead.

G: Interesting! You mean like volunteering? I like it.

M: Hummm…. that could work. Any specific suggestions?

F: Well, we all have our pet causes. Gina is an animal lover. I have church projects. Jenny is a computer genius….we all have something we could teach or offer.

Frank 建议，在捐款的同时，也可以用做义工的方式为慈善事业出力，这一建议受到了大家的肯定。Frank 说，we all have our pet causes. 我们都有自己热衷的事情 pet causes。Gina 喜欢动物，我积极参加教会的活动项目，而 Jenny 是个电脑天才。

J: That idea is very worth considering. In some ways, that’s a lot more meaningful than giving money.

G: Yeah. Even doing something simple like volunteering to answer the phone lines at the Red Cross can be a huge help.

M: Ok, how about if we give half of our contribution as donations and for the other half we give our time or expertise to the group of our choice?

All: Agreed!

大家都觉得这个主意不错。Jenny 说，从某种角度说，这比给钱更有意义。That’s a lot more meaningful than giving money. 最后大家一致同意，捐款只做为慈善募捐的一部分，另外一部分由大家自己挑选慈善团体，为它们贡献时间或是专业技能。

A: 我也觉得贡献自己的时间比给钱更有心! I remember one time I went to an organization to help teach “English as a Second Language” courses, I felt so good helping immigrants learn English!

B: It’s always better to give than to receive. There is this place that I go to every Wednesday. Basically we help kids with ADHD learn how to concentrate. Since I had ADHD when I was a kid, I learned self-control the hard way. I want to share my experience so these kids can have a easier time than I did.

A: 你的形象简直都高大了! Now let’s look at how to use the word “self-control”!

Learn A Word 1750 self-control

今天我们要学的词是 self-control. Self-control is spelled self, s-e-l-f, self, and control, c-o-n-t-r-o-l, control, self-control. Self-control 自控。A growing body of research suggests that there is a link between low levels of self-control in childhood and serious problems later in life. 越来越多的研究显示，孩子小时候缺乏自控能力会导致长大成人后的很多问题。还有研究发现，If you’re struggling with self-control, the best way to achieve it is to surround yourself with strong-willed friends. 如果你缺乏自控能力的话，最好的办法就是多交一些意志力坚强的朋友。好的，今天我们学习的词是 self-control, self-control, self-control…

A: 缺乏自控，就交一些自控能力很强的朋友。这靠谱! 环境真的会影响人! 这就是近朱者赤，近墨者黑啦!

B: Exactly. Yang Lin, now that you work with ME everyday, I guess…we can expect an improvement in your productivity and creativity.

A: Ugh….I think the only thing that I’m going to improve on is my eating ability!

B: Hey!

A: 哈哈，好了好了，不开玩笑了! 我们来听今天的最后一个环节:美国习惯用语!

Words and Idioms 836 METHOD TO ONE’S MADNESS

美国习惯用语第 836 讲

我上个月坐火车到纽约去看朋友，上车后刚要坐下，旁边座位上的女乘客就开始很大声的自言自语，看上去好像不太正常，吓得我只好在过道对面远远地坐下。后来我注意到，每次有人要在这个女的旁边坐下，她就会开始自言自语，如果没人，她就很安静。我这才恍然大悟，原来她是在装疯卖傻，为了就是不让别人坐在自己身边。这也让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，

M: Method to one’s madness. Method is spelled m-e-t-h-o-d, and madness; madness; m-a-d-n-e-s-s. Method-to-one’s-madness. Method to one’s madness.

在中文里，method 是方式方法；madness 是疯狂。我们说 Method to one’s madness，意思是表面看似疯狂的举止，其实有它隐含的目的。刚才说到的火车上的那个女人，为了不让别人坐在自己身边而装疯卖傻。我们就可以说，There was a Method to her madness. 在生活中，让人摸不着头脑的事情有很多，但是仔细分析，往往又会发现其中的道理。让我们一起听听下面这个孩子的回忆。

M: “When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS.”

这个人说：小时候，爸爸常常带我开车到处跑，我原来以为他是开车出去兜风，后来才明白，他是在找便宜的加油站。我早该明白，他开车莫名其妙地到处走不是没有目的的。

其实，很多人都干过这种事，开车到处跑，就为了找个便宜的加油站，特别是油价特别贵的时候。不过，也不能离家太远，否则花在路上的汽油钱刨去省下来的钱，也就所剩无几了。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS.”

说到省钱，我爷爷可不是一般人，我还记得小时候到爷爷家去，看到他攒了很多空的铁罐子，后来我才发现，他把这些铁罐子整齐地摆放在一起，上面铺块布，然后睬在上面够东西。虽说我肯定不会这样做，但至少 I saw a METHOD TO THEIR MADNESS. 下面例子里有人别出心裁，为了涨工资而背水一战。让我们一起听听看。

M: “My colleagues assumed I’d gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!”

这个人说：我宣布要辞去销售部副经理的职务，同事们都以为我疯了。没人会想到，我这样做其实是为了逼着老板给我升职。我的计划居然成功了，怎么样，我看似疯狂的举动其实是有目的的。

这个人可真够意思，不过我还是建议，想升职的朋友不要效仿他的做法，搞不好连饭碗都丢了。好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “My colleagues assumed I’d gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!”

有时候，大家也会听到有人说，METHOD IN ONE’S MADNESS，特别是在英式英语里面。METHOD IN ONE’S MADNESS 跟 METHOD TO ONE’S MADNESS 两种说法的意思是一样的。莎氏比亚的名著《哈姆雷特》里面就曾出现过这个习惯用语。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

下次节目再见。

A: Wow….threatening you are going to resign to get a raise?(Pause) Mike, I think you should go try it!

B: I don’t need threats to get a raise, my work performance speaks for itself.

A:…..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108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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊绿色环保，看看怎么表达沉重的负担，还要告诉你怎么说像纽约这样的大熔炉!

B: Yep, everyone should do what they can to protect the environment. You should always recycle your garbage, always choose to go paperless with bank and utility statements, and….stop using disposable chopsticks! (Eyeing at Yanglin)

A: Who are you referring to?

B:Nobody!

A: 算了，不跟你计较! 同学们肯定等着急了，咱们赶快来进入第一个单元吧!

B: Let’s listen to learn a word!

Learn A Word 1754 in recent memory

今天我们要学的词是 in recent memory. In recent memory, recent is spelled r-e-c-e-n-t, and memory, m-e-m-o-r-y, memory, in recent memory. In recent memory 意思是在最近的记忆中。We just had the longest and coldest winter in recent memory. 刚过去的冬天是我们能记得起来的最漫长，最寒冷的一个冬天。与此同时，Skiing resorts had the best conditions in recent memory for the month of March. 滑雪渡假地三月份的雪况也是近年来最好的。Brittney Griner, one of the most dominant female basketball players in recent memory, came out as being gay. 我们能想得起来的最厉害的女篮球选手之一布兰妮.格瑞娜宣布，自己是同性恋。好的，今天我们学习的词是 in recent memory, in recent memory, in recent memory…

A: We just had the longest spring in recent memory for DC! I love spring, it’s the best season! 总觉得一切都充满生机呢!

B: Not for me! I anything less then 75 degrees is too cold! I’ve even been avoiding going out with my friends because its been so cold.夏天怎么这么慢来?

A: HAHA，aw…. you poor thing! Sounds like a real millstone around your neck! I’m sorry Mike…Look at the bright side, at least you are working with me!

B: Exactly! (Sarcastically) But you did mention a interesting idiom “millstone around one’s neck”. Let’s check out today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 837 Millstone Around One’s Neck

美国习惯用语

我有个表兄，说起来挺可怜的。他从小就立志要做律师。几年前如愿以偿，从法学院毕业，加入了一家律师事务所。如今，他一天从早忙到晚，周末都不能跟家人在一起。可是因为上法学院欠下的一屁股债，所以又不能放弃律师的工作。他面临的进退两难的局面，倒是让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，

M: Millstone around one’s neck. Millstone is spelled m-i-l-l-s-t-o-n-e. Millstone-around-one’s-neck. Millstone around one’s neck.

在中文里，Millstone 是磨石、磨盘的意思。Millstone around one’s neck 脖子上挂着磨盘，意思是沉重的负担，就象我表兄眼下的工作，虽然他不愿意没日没夜地干，但又无法放弃这份工作，成了负担。It’s a millstone around his neck.

虽然收入丰厚，又有社会地位，但是不开心的律师绝不只我表兄一个，如果在选择发展方向之前就知道做律师的辛苦，可能很多人都会选择其他职业。

在美国，除了住宅外，很多人家还有专门渡假用的别墅，但有的时候，别墅也会成为负担。让我们听听下面这段话。

M: “Imagine having your own vacation property; a place you can go whenever you want to relax! Before you invest, make sure you understand what you’re getting involved in. The reality is that a second home can often be a tremendous demand on your time, energy and resources. Do you really want a MILLSTONE AROUND YOUR NECK?”

这个人说：想象一下，如果有自己渡假用的屋子，随时可以去放松精神。但是投资前，你可得考虑周全，现实情况是，保养别墅需要占用你很多时间、精力和金钱。你想承受这样的负担吗？
我的邻居曾经有一艘私人游艇。他后来告诉我说，卖掉游艇的那一天是他除了结婚以外，这辈子最开心的一天，因为保养游艇需要太多的时间和精力。It was a MILLSTONE AROUND HIS NECK. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Imagine having your own vacation property; a place you can go whenever you want to relax! Before you invest, make sure you understand what you’re getting involved in. The reality is that a second home can often be a tremendous demand on your time, energy and resources. Do you really want a MILLSTONE AROUND YOUR NECK?”

繁重的工作、游艇和别墅，别以为只有这些事情才会成为负担，听了下面的例子，你就会发现，有时候，某个人也会成为负担。

M: “My wife and I looked forward to hosting my nephew while he looked for a job. But now it’s been weeks since he arrived. We’d probably be more understanding if he offered to help out around the house instead of playing video games all the time. Frankly, he’s become a MILLSTONE AROUND OUR NECKS. We can’t endure him much longer.”

这个人说：我侄子找工作的时候，我和太太非常愿意让他跟我们住在一起。但是现在，他已经待了好几个星期了，如果他主动帮助做些家务，而不是成天玩电子游戏的话，我们或许还能理解，说实话，他已经成了我们的负担，我们实在受不了了。

这个人也真不懂事。在英语里，这叫 overstay your welcome 已经变成了不受欢迎的人。有些人就是不自觉。我的一位同事自愿提出，招待一个实习生在家住。一开始还很愉快，但是这个实习生的要求越来越多，He became a MILLSTONE AROUND HER NECK 成了负担。我同事最后只好请他出去住。我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “My wife and I looked forward to hosting my nephew while he looked for a job. But now it’s been weeks since he arrived. We’d probably be more understanding if he offered to help out around the house instead of playing video games all the time. Frankly, he’s become a MILLSTONE AROUND OUR NECKS. We can’t endure him much longer.”

MILLSTONE AROUND ONE’S NECK 这个习惯用语最早可以在圣经里找到。好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

A: I don’t know how you can work full time and have an internship as well! From what you have been telling me it sounds like your internship has become a millstone around your neck. Why don’t you just quit?

B: Well…I made a promise to them that I’m going to stay there for 10 weeks. I don’t want to break my promise, plus I want to build some business contacts there as well.

A: Ehh, that sounds like a dilemma! Well…take it as an opportunity to learn how to manage your time better! You will benefit from it in the long term.

B: That’s true. In today’s business etiquette, we are going to talk about something that we can all benefit form in the long term as well. Go green and protect our environment!

A: Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Go Green part I

公司总裁 Tim 召集部门经理开会，讨论公司可以采取哪些节能环保的措施。对话中经常出现的 going green 走环保之路。

Tim: Good morning folks, thanks for joining us. In light of the recent economic downturn, we thought we should pow-wow some ways we can conserve energy. This is Henry Peterson, a consultant with GreenOffices Inc.

Henry: Hi everyone. As Tim mentioned, not only is saving energy good for the environment, it’s also a good way to keep costs down…and that’s a win-win situation for everyone. I’m sure some of you have suggestions for ways we could become “greener.” Anyone?

总裁 Tim 说，今天召集大家开会，商量如何节省能源开支。 pow-wow 源于北美印第安人的语言，意思是开会。参加会议的还有节能专家 Henry Peterson. Henry 说，节能既环保，又能减少开支，是双赢之举，a win-win situation. 办公室节能有哪些措施呢？

Faith: I think we could easily cut down on “vampire power.” Our computers and other electronic devices actually continue to suck power, even when they are switched off.
H: Good one! The online encyclopedia Wikipedia claims that “vampire power” or “standby power” is responsible for using as much as 10% of electricity consumption.
Dana: We could unplug the equipment or put in power strips that can completely turn off power.

T: Just imagine…we could save 10 or 15 % on our energy bill just by unplugging our computers! That’s incredible!

Faith 提议削减 vampire power 吸血鬼功率，又称 standby power 备用功率。因为即使电脑关机，只要电源不拔，电脑就会继续耗电，Henry 补充说，备用功率耗电量高达用电量的百分之十。Dana 建议拔掉电源或是采用可以切断电源的接线板 Power strip。

H: And that’s just the beginning! You see these lights above us? These use LED bulbs that are 10 times more efficient as the bulbs you are using in the rest of the office.

F: But they’re pretty pricey, aren’t they?

H: Yes, they cost more, but you’ll find that they pay for themselves.

Henry 建议使用 LED 灯泡，比普通灯泡节能十倍。Faith 问 LED 灯泡是不是很贵，pricey, p-r-i-c-e-y。Henry 承认，LED 灯泡价格确实要贵一些，但是 they pay for themselves 非常划算。

D: I’ve got one that will require a bit of sacrifice. We really don’t need to use bottled water for meetings. We could also get rid of paper cups for the water cooler and everyone could use their own mug instead.

F: Ahhh…. I love bottled water…. but I agree, Dana’s idea is certainly more environmentally friendly.

H: Yep. Sometimes going green does require that we change our mindset. It’s funny how many of us are very conscientious at home. We recycle and reuse, but when we get to the office, we sometimes become very wasteful.

Dana 建议公司取消瓶装水，不用纸杯子，得到大家的认可。Henry 指出，工作场所节能需要改变思维 change our mindset。大家在家都很注意省电、回收，可一到办公室就好象忘得一干二净了。

A: 公司总裁Tim开会要求大家注意节能，因为这样公司既能省钱，又能保护环境，it’s a win-win situation, 双赢的局面。这需要大家change our mindset, 改变思维，多用节能的东西，LED灯泡，自己的杯子等等。最开始的投入可能稍微多一点，but they pay for themselves, 非常划算。

B:That’s true. Two months ago I changed all light in my apartment to LED bulbs. I saved almost 50 bucks on my electricity bill! They are a little pricey to begin with, but they sure end up paying for themselves.

A: Exactly! 要看长远嘛! 这样还为你的儿子，还有你的儿子的儿子，你的儿子的儿子做了好事!

B: OKOK….enough for showing off your Chinese…Let’s keep listen and learn some other tips about how to save energy!

礼节美语 Go Green part II

公司总裁 Tim 召集部门经理开会，讨论节能措施。

T: I’ve recently noticed how much paper I use on a daily basis and I’ve been trying to cut down. I’ve found that I very rarely actually need to print emails. Also, by utilizing my fax-modem, I don’t ever need to print a hardcopy for faxing.

H: That’s gonna add up! In the end you’ll find it makes a huge positive difference!

D: But you know, even with all these good ideas and strategies, I feel like it counts for nothing when you factor in air travel. Our people make a lot of international trips each year and flying puts tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

总裁 Tim 说，他最近一直注意节省纸张，尽量不打印电子邮件和传真。节能专家 Henry 表示，That’s gonna add up! 日积月累，一定会有成效。Dana 提出，尽管这些想法很好，但是 it counts for nothing when you factor in air travel. 如果考虑到出差坐飞行释放的二氧化碳，那么这些措施都无异于杯水车薪。

H: Ah! Good point! Well, for starters, with teleconferencing and instant email one would hope business travel could be reduced. Did you know an economy class flight from Baltimore to Taipei makes you responsible for just over four tons of CO2? If you fly business class the number jumps to 12 tons.

Henry 说，这个问题提得好。Good point! 从巴尔的摩到台北一张 economy class 经济舱机票相当于释放四吨二氧化碳，business class 商务舱更可怕，相当于排放12吨二氧化碳。

T: But sometimes there’s just no alternative. We have to check out factories,
locations and in some countries, you really have to look the person in the eye and physically shake their hand.

H: This is true. So I’d like you all to consider buying carbon credits.

总裁 Tim 提出，有些时候，除了出差，没有其他办法 sometimes there’s just no alternative。Henry 因此建议大家考虑购买 carbon credits 碳信用额。

F: Ah, I’ve heard about that. You can actually calculate how much carbon your trip is likely to put into the environment and you can offset that by paying to plant some trees.

H: That’s right! There are web sites such as CarbonPlanet.com. They can help you work out our carbon debt, and then direct you to where you can buy carbon credits that go toward planting new trees.

D: That would make me feel a lot less guilty.

H: Well, it’s great that you are all so willing to do your part to make a difference. Let’s get back together in two weeks for another brainstorming session.

碳信用额就是把飞行里程折合成对环境的伤害，然后出钱种树，作为补偿。Henry 告诉他们，可以到 CarbonPlanet.com 等网站上寻找帮助。大家决定两周后 have another brainstorming session 再开会，继续集思广益。

A: 我也觉得咱们该多用电子版的东西! Do you know how many scripts we print out each week? It’s such a waste!

B: I totally agree. I think we could print out just one copy and hold on to it, instead of printing out new ones every other day.

A: 好嘛，互相监督! 希望大家也一样，为了我们的地球，节省能源，环保靠大家!

B: Haha, I forget how much you love slogans! All right, now let’s continue our class! Let’s listen to another learn a word!

Learn A Word 1755 on the basis of

今天我们要学的词是 on the basis of. On the basis of, basis is spelled b-a-s-i-s, on the basis of. On the basis of 根据某种原因。The study drew its conclusions on the basis of hard data. 这项研究是根据硬数据得出研究结论的。He was denied employment on the basis of nationality. 他因为国籍不符合要求，没有被录用。美国童子军正在讨论取消禁止同性恋加入的规定，如果通过的话，No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation. 任何年轻人都不能因为性取向的理由被拒于童子军的大门之外。好的，今天我们学习的词是 in on the basis of, on the basis of, on the basis of…

B: So Yanglin, what is your favorite place you have been to so far?

A: Based on my person preferences, DC is my favorite city besides my hometown Beijing!

B: Oh really? Why is that?

A: I love learning different cultures, meeting different people, and DC is the place to offer that! The city is so diverse, the next person you meet might be from Sweden, or Nigeria, or Sri Lanka! The city is a mixed bag, and I love it for that.

B: Ha, I feel the same way! And you mentioned a very good idiom: a mixed bag! Let’s check out today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 838 A Mixed Bag

美国习惯用语第 838 讲

我姐姐刚在一个高尚社区买了房子，那里住的都是医生、律师这一类的高薪单身贵族，跟我住的地方截然不同。我们这里有单身汉、有年轻父母、有双职工、也有不上班的专职妈妈；有白领，也又蓝领；而且还有不同国家、不同种族的人。这在英语里叫

M: A mixed bag. Mixed is spelled m-i-x-e-d, and bag; b-a-g. A-mixed-bag. A mixed bag.

在中文里，mixed 是混合的意思。A mixed bag 是指各式各样的人、东西或是活动。用 A mixed bag 来形容我的邻居的组成简直是再贴切不过了，they are a mixed bag. 在下面这个例子里，一位记者在介绍为美国新总统奥巴马举办的音乐会时，就用到了这个习惯用语，让我们一起听听看。

M: “Did you happen to see the concert for the new president on TV? It featured so many different styles of music, from pop to country, hip-hop to rock and roll. In addition to the talented singers, many famous actors also made presentations. The event represented such A MIXED BAG that viewers of every age and taste seemed to enjoy it.”

这位记者说：你看电视里为新总统举办的音乐会了吗？音乐会里有各种风格的音乐，从流行到乡村、从嘻哈到摇滚，除了著名歌唱家以外，很多演员也到场献艺，这次音乐会的节目五花八门，让任何年龄段、任何品味的观众都能欣赏。

那场表演我也看了，绝对一流。说到音乐，我的MP3播放机里就有各种各样的音乐，有上榜金曲，有怀旧老歌，还有古典音乐。I like listening to A MIXED BAG. 否则的话，听不了多久就会感到千篇一律。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Did you happen to see the concert for the new president on TV? It featured so many different styles of music, from pop to country, hip-hop to rock and roll. In addition to the talented singers, many famous actors also made presentations. The event represented such A MIXED BAG that viewers of every age and taste seemed to enjoy it.”

不知道大家有没有出于兴趣而去选修课程的经历，就是不为学分、学位，单纯是因为喜欢，花钱去上课。在美国，这种情况十分常见。让我们一起听听下面这个人是怎么说的。

M: “My girlfriend and I have been looking through the catalog of courses that our community offers. We thought there’d only be a few choices, but there’s quite A MIXED BAG. Among the assortment are classes in many areas, such as cooking, dancing, computers, arts and crafts, recreational activities and foreign languages! We may have to take a couple.”

这个人说：我和我的女朋友一起查看社区学校开设的一些课程，本来以为可能只有几种选择，结果发现，各种课程琳琅满目，涉及的领域包括烹调、舞蹈、电脑、艺术和手工、还有外语等等。我们可能得选上好几门呢。
尝试新鲜事物，才能永远年轻，不是吗？我记得去年，我曾经拉着我先生一起去学瑜珈，结果，其他人还在热身的时候，他就睡着了，看来，瑜珈不仅能让他放松，还能起到催眠的效果。最近，他又拽着我去学木工，虽然很辛苦，可还真是满有意思的。我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: “My girlfriend and I have been looking through the catalog of courses that our community offers. We thought there’d only be a few choices, but there’s quite A MIXED BAG. Among the assortment are classes in many areas, such as cooking, dancing, computers, arts and crafts, recreational activities and foreign languages! We may have to take a couple.”

A mixed bag 这种说法早在二十世纪上半叶就已经出现了。闭上眼睛想象一个大口袋，里面装满了各式各样的东西，保证你一定能够记住这个字。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。我是蔚然，我是 Douglas Johnson。这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。别忘了，美国之音中文部除了英语节目以外，还有新闻、时事、音乐、文化各种其他节目，种类繁多。Now that’s a mixed bag you don’t want to miss!

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

A: I feel like our agency is a mixed bag! We have people from all over the world!

B: Yep! luckily everyone seems to be hard workers, well except for you……

A:…..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109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: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊环保有什么好方法，看看如何用地道美语表达符合标准，还要告诉你怎么说上当受骗!

B: Yeah, economic development is important, but at the cost of the environment.

A: Speaking of the air quality of my hometown Beijing, I definitely agree with you.

B: Well, we are going to learn some useful tips about that later in the show. Now let’s go ahead with our first segment:

A: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1756 fall for

今天我们要学的词是 fall for. Fall for, fall is spelled f-a-l-l, fall, for is spelled f-o-r, for, fall for. To fall for 有上当的意思，过去时是 fell for。Don’t fall for that! He is just playing a prank on you. 他在拿你恶作剧，别上当。That was such an old trick. I cannot believe I actually fell for it. 这是老把戏了，简直不敢相信我居然会上当。有统计数字显示，美国有两千五百多万成年人都曾被骗局迷惑，成为受害者。The Internet is the most common place for victims to fall for scams. 互联网是受害者上当受骗最多的地方。好的，今天我们学习的词是 fall for, fall for, fall for…

A: Yeah, I agree that you need to be very careful with the Internet, especially if you do your banking online.

B: You can say that again. One time I got involved with this online charity to help kids in Africa, and I donated 5% of my paycheck for 6 months. When I was getting ready to go to Africa with the group, the contact person just disappeared! That’s was the moment of the truth. It was a total scam.

A: Aww…I’m sorry Mike. Yeah, things like that make me think twice about doing things on the Internet. 不过啊，你这个不幸的经历倒是说出了一个美国人常用的俗语: the moment of the truth! 咱们来听今天的美国习惯用语，看看这个词儿的用法!

Words and Idioms 839 Moment of Truth

美国习惯用语第 839 讲

上星期，是我婆婆七十大寿。我专门给她烤了一个生日蛋糕。因为第一次做，心里一点谱都没有，虽然蛋糕看上去样子还不错，但是吃到嘴里味道如何，就不知道了。这么关键时刻在英语里叫

M: Moment of truth. Moment is spelled m-o-m-e-n-t, and truth; t-r-u-t-h. Moment-of-truth. Moment of truth.

Moment 在中文里是时刻，truth 在中文里是真相。moment of truth 就是说最终得知一件事情是否会如愿成功的意思，特别是指一件你投入了极大努力的事情。所以，对我来说，第一口蛋糕吃到嘴里的那一刻，就是 the moment of truth. 还好，我初战告捷，蛋糕香浓可口，受到了公婆的一致表扬。下面例子里这个高中生，正用急切的心情等待 the moment of truth. 让我们一起听听看。

M: “Algebra didn’t come easy to me. But I knew I had to pass the class in order to graduate. Throughout the semester, I met my teacher after school for extra help and studied real hard for tests. My MOMENT OF TRUTH came when my grades arrived. I got a B, which was good enough to earn my diploma!”

这个学生说：代数对我来说很难，但是我知道，要想毕业，代数考试就一定得及格。整个一个学期，我下课后都要找老师补习，为准备考试做出了很大的努力。考试成绩发下来的关键时刻到了，结果我得了个 B，让我顺利过关，拿到了毕业证书。

这就叫工夫不负有心人。我有个朋友，用了大半年的时间帮她爸爸造船。船刷好漆后，就等着下水了。I was there for their MOMENT OF TRUTH. 结果竟然大功告成。去年夏天，我还跟他们一起出去远航过好几次呢！好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Algebra didn’t come easy to me. But I knew I had to pass the class in order to graduate. Throughout the semester, I met my teacher after school for extra help and studied real hard for tests. My MOMENT OF TRUTH came when my grades arrived. I got a B, which was good enough to earn my diploma!”

我们上面谈到的几个例子，关键时刻 MOMENT OF TRUTH 来到的时候，结果都是令人满意的。但是下面这个例句里的小伙子，却碰了一鼻子灰。让我们一起听听他的遭遇。

M: “I’d been going out with Kerry for months. We seemed to share similar interests and values. In my mind, she was the perfect woman for me. So I decided that the time had come to ask her if she’d marry me. It was the MOMENT OF TRUTH; a day I’ll never forget because she turned me down.”

这个人说：我跟凯莉约会已经好几个月了。我们好象有很多共同的爱好和价值观。我觉得，她是最适合我的女人。所以我决定，鼓起勇气，向她求婚。这可是紧要关头。我永远也忘不了这一天，因为她拒绝了我。

Ouch! 太残忍了。或许这个女孩子还没有做好安定下来的准备。我妹妹就是这个样子，总是朝三暮四。有一次，她心血来潮买了一条金鱼回家养，结果到家后才意识到，原来养鱼是一份很大的责任，所以马上把金鱼退了回去。我们再听一下上面的例句。

M: I’d been going out with Kerry for months. We seemed to share similar interests and values. In my mind, she was the perfect woman for me. So I decided that the time had come to ask her if she’d marry me. It was the MOMENT OF TRUTH; a day I’ll never forget because she turned me down.”

Moment of truth 这个习惯用语其实是从西班牙语翻译过来的，美国著名作家海明威在1932年出版的小说《午后之死》里第一次用到了这个习惯用语。如今，你又多掌握了一个习惯用语，可以把它用在口头、写作和电子邮件里。只要多学多练，you’re sure to sound like a native when your MOMENT OF TRUTH arrives. 到了关键时刻，你的英语听上去绝对地道。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Exactly! 这就是我们中国人说的，台上一分钟，台下十年功嘛! 欢迎同学们每期关注我们的美语训练班，这样….

B: it’s like what my dad always says “Prior planing prevents poor performance” !

A: 没错! 对了对了，上次咱们说到节能，我回家就把我们家的灯泡都换了! The moment of truth is going to come when I get my utility bill this month….

B: I’m sure it’ll be fine! In today’s business etiquette, we will continue this topic. Now let’s follow Tim for some useful tips in branding your company as “Green”!

礼节美语Go Greenpart II

公司总裁 Tim 召集部门经理开会，讨论节能措施。

Tim: Morning everyone. As promised, we are returning to our topic from a fortnight ago: How can we make this firm more “green?” I’m sure you all remember environmental consultant Henry Peterson who has joined us here today.

Henry: Hello and good morning.

Dana & Faith: Hi, Henry. Nice to see you again.

H: Thanks. Great to see you all. As a quick re-cap, last time we discussed ways to save electricity and reduce office waste. And we also talked about buying carbon credits when traveling on business trips.

根据两周前的约定，from a fortnight ago，公司总裁 Tim 再次邀请节能专家 Henry 参加会议，商讨公司节能措施。Henry 简要回顾了上次讨论的内容，包括省电、减少办公物资的浪费，购买碳信用额弥补环保损失等。Henry 说的 a quick re-cap, r-e-c-a-p, re-cap 意思是总结概述。

F: Yeah, I’ve already started implementing those ideas in my division. It’s only been two weeks, but I’d say most people are getting the hang of it.
H: That’s great! Ok, then…have you done your homework? Who’s discovered some other ways this company can save?

Faith 说，她已经开始试行一些措施，短短两个星期，most people are getting the hang of it. 大多数人已经慢慢习惯。to get the hang of it 是掌握的意思。Henry 问，have you done your homework? 有没有事先做好准备，意思是有没有想到更多的节能措施。

D: I want to talk about packaging. We use some very nice-looking plastic clamshell packaging, but I’m thinking we could cut down on the packaging and cut both our expenses and our carbon footprint.

H: Yes, I see what you mean. These days many products are over-packaged. But if you can accept using fewer materials or use mainly recycled materials you could then advertise how “green” your company is.

Dana 提到产品包装，她觉得，如果简化包装，不用 plastic clamshell packaging 硬塑料壳包装，就能减少开支和污染。Henry 补偿说，如果公司采用回收材料 recycled materials，还可以用环保做宣传。

F: But is it ethical to use environmental issues in advertising?

T: I’d vote “yes.” As long as the claim is verifiable, it can be advertised.

D: Yeah, I’d agree. People have a right to know if you are trying to help solve the problem or simply contributing to it.

H: This is a company. Companies need to make a profit. I believe there is business sense in going green and telling the world about it. Many customers will appreciate your efforts and might even pay a tad bit more if they really believe your company is doing its best to help the environment.

Faith 提出，在广告里打环保牌是否符合行业道德。总裁 Tim 觉得没有问题，只要内容属实，as long as the claim is verifiable. Verifiable 是可以证实的意思。Henry 也说，There is business sense in going green and telling the world about it. 采取环保措施，并且加以宣传是符合商业理念的。很多顾客会认可你的努力，appreciate your efforts, 即使你的产品比别人贵一点，也没有关系。They might even pay a tad bit more. A tad bit 是一点的意思。

A: 公司总裁Tim请了节能专家Henry来给大家出谋划策，短短两个星期的节能实践，people are getting the hang of it, 大家已经掌握了节能的生活方式。Henry提议说，可以在包装上做文章，采用recycled material，回收材料，这样公司还可以用环保来宣传。

B: It definitely makes good business sense in going green and telling the world about it. =

A: 没错。就拿我自己来说，如果我看见一件皮衣写明没有使用动物皮毛做成，我愿意出更高的价钱来买。也是这个道理!

B: Yep. In the following episode, Henry is talking about giving people some incentives to live a more environmental- friendly life. Let’s check it out!

礼节美语Go Greenpart IV

公司总裁 Tim 召集部门经理开会，讨论节能措施。

F: I know it might sound like an old-fashioned idea, but what about some kind of a carpooling program?

T: You know, that just might work for a few of our departments. I know a few of the marketing guys live pretty close to each other.

H: Ah! But now we come to a problem. How do we convince people to sign up for a program that will ━ at least mildly─inconvenience them?

D: I have to confess, if you asked me to volunteer, I’d turn you down.

H: Sure. So would I. So we can’t rely on the kindness of people’s hearts. We’re not bad people, we’re just busy people.

Faith 提议，可以考虑拼车计划 carpooling program。Henry 指出，拼车会给大家带来不便，inconvenience them, 问题是如何说服大家加入。sign up for something 是报名参加的意思。

T: I think I get your point. You’re talking about a fundamental motivator. What Henry’s saying is that people need an incentive.

H: Bingo! For the past few years, several companies have been experimenting with paying employees a tiny fee to carpool, use public transport or cycle. One organization in Florida pays twenty cents a mile.

D: Huh. I’d consider riding my bicycle if I was getting paid. That’s like getting paid to work out!

总裁 Tim 说，I get your point. 我明白你的意思了。Henry 是说要给大家一些好处 incentive 。Henry 说，Bingo! 这在口语里很常用，意思是没错！对了！他说，过去几年，一些公司试着用小额奖金的方式，鼓励员工拼车，坐公车或是骑车上班。 Dana 觉得这个主意不错，从员工的角度看，既锻炼了身体，又能拿奖金。

H: Yeah! The company has to consider the fee as an investment in carbon reduction and in workers’ health. Less driving means less stress.

T: It’s a very interesting idea. But I think you’re right….without an incentive, it’s doomed to failure.

H: It might seem like a lot of hassle and in the end you might only get a few people to change their commuting habits, but just to put it into perspective, here’s a fact from planetgreen.com: If every commuter car in the U.S. carried just one more person, the nation would save 8 billion gallons of gas.

T: It really adds up, doesn’t it? Thanks for the tips, Henry. I think we got a lot of food for thought today.

公司要把这笔钱看成是减少废气排放，促进员工健康的投资。总裁 Tim 表示赞同，without an incentive, it’s doomed to failure. 如果没有好处，这个项目一定会失败。 Henry 说，虽然听上去好象挺麻烦，It might seem like a lot of hassle 而且最后可能只有几个人会改变上班的交通方式，但如果美国每辆上班用的车里都多坐一个人的话，美国就能节省80亿加仑的汽油。It really adds up.

A: I think carpooling is the way to go in DC! The traffic here is terrible, but if you choose to carpool, you can drive in the carpool lane, which is way faster during rush hour!

B: That’s true. Plus it helps reduce your carbon footprint, and coworkers can bond while they sit in the car together!

A:没错! 还能省油钱，简直一举三得! (excited)

B: Alright alright, I know you’re trying to find a carpool buddy, but I’m not your guy. (A: Sigh) Now let’s go ahead with our program, another learn a word!

Learn A Word 1760 nonstop

今天我们要学的词是 nonstop. Nonstop is spelled n-o-n-s-t-o-p, nonstop. Nonstop 意思是不停歇的，不间断的。They have been working nonstop since this morning. 他们从今天早上开始，一直在不停地工作。The movie is packed with nonstop action. 这个电影从头到尾都是动作场面。The case received nonstop coverage by the media. 媒体对这起案件进行了毫不间断的报道。Delta Airlines will launch its first nonstop flight between Shanghai and Seattle in June. 达美航空公司六月份开启从上海到西雅图的直飞航线。好的，今天我们学习的词是 nonstop, nonstop, nonstop…

A: I don’t know how I feel about nonstop flight. Last time I took the nonstop flight from DC to Beijing, I was stuck in the cabin for 14 hours! I think I prefer to stop somewhere and actually breathe for a bit.

B: I think the airline you choose also makes a difference. I flew with ANA one time. Everything was perfect, the meal was delicious, the seat was comfortable and the service was great. They definitely cut the mustard for nonstop flights!

A: Cut…the mustard? 这个词儿真有意思! Does it actually have something to do with mustard?
B:Well, let’s find out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 840 Cut the Mustard

美国习惯用语第 840 讲

上星期商店大甩卖，我买了个咖啡壶，样子虽然很好看，但是质量却不咋地。刚用不到一个星期，就开始漏水，而且煮咖啡的时候噪音也很大。我决定马上把它退回去。这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语

M: Cut the mustard. Cut is spelled c-u-t, and mustard; m-u-s-t-a-r-d. Cut-the-mustard. Cut the mustard. .

动词 cut 在中文里是切割的意思，mustard 是芥末的意思。直译显然说不通。其实啊，cut the mustard 这个习惯用语的意思就是符合标准、符合要求。我刚买的那个咖啡壶，显然不符合我的要求。It simply does NOT cut the mustard. 下面这个例子里的消费者，对新买的手机很不满意，因为 it does not cut the mustard. 让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “The sales agent convinced me to buy my cell phone. But I haven’t been impressed with its service. It drops calls and takes forever to recharge. What I really need is a phone that’s much more dependable. This one just does NOT CUT THE MUSTARD.”

他说：卖手机的推销员说服我买了这部手机，但是手机质量让我很不满意，电话打到一半经常断线不说，充电还需要很长时间。我需要一部随时可以靠得住的手机，这部手机不符合我的要求。

这个人错就错在不应该轻信那个推销员的话，结果跟我一样，买了个质量拙劣的产品。在美语里面，这种质量伪劣的产品有一种说法，叫 LEMON, l-e-m-o-n. 比如说，我姐夫的新车就是 LEMON。他因为贪图便宜，买了这辆车，结果开了不到半年，就大修了两次，花了很多钱。好在美国有专门的 LEMON LAWS，保护消费者利益。我姐夫恐怕要好好研究一下这些法律，因为 His car does not cut the mustard. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “The sales agent convinced me to buy my cell phone. But I haven’t been impressed with its service. It drops calls and takes forever to recharge. What I really need is a phone that’s much more dependable. This one just does NOT CUT THE MUSTARD.”

不过，质量不过关的也并不都是产品，有的时候，不符合标准和要求的可能也会是某个人。让我们一起听听下面这个例子。

M: “After my niece had trouble finding work, I managed to get her a position as an administrative assistant at my office. What a mistake! Not only was she slow, but she was rather lazy. After two weeks, I had to let her go because she could NOT CUT THE MUSTARD.”

这个人说：因为我侄女找不到工作，所以我就在自己的办公室给她安排了一个行政助理的职务。这简直是天大的错误。她不仅做事慢慢腾腾，而且懒得要命。两个星期过后，我只好请她走人，因为她无法达到我们的要求。

给亲戚朋友安排工作，很容易遇到这种棘手的状况。值得说明的是，cut the mustard 也可以用于肯定某个人或是某件事。比如说，我们公司的老板准备给一个在我们这里实习的学生转正，因为 He can really CUT THE MUSTARD. 他已经达到了正式员工的标准。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

M: “After my niece had trouble finding work, I managed to get her a position as an administrative assistant at my office. What a mistake! Not only was she slow, but she was rather lazy. After two weeks, I had to let her go because she could NOT CUT THE MUSTARD.”

很多人想知道，CUT THE MUSTARD 这个习惯用语的来历。在这个问题上，语言学家们众说纷纭。有人认为这个习惯用语来源于芥末的制作程序；另外一些人则认为是从 pass mustard 转变而来的。If those explanations are NOT CUTTING THE MUSTARD for you, you’ll have to wait until we have conclusive research. 如果上面的解释不能让你满意的话，那你就只好等待更深入的研究后得出结论了。

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

A: Yeah…I guess it’s about time that I find a partner that can actually cut the mustard….
B: Hey, you beat me to it!

A:…..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110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: 嗯! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊如何把生意外包到国外，看看怎么表达给一个地方注入新鲜血液，还要告诉你如何表达名誉扫地!

B: A lot of companies are outsourcing part of their operations to other countries these days.

A: I know! The other day I called my phone company and the operator had a slight accent. We chatted a bit and she told me she’s working in Nairobi! I would have never guessed that a woman in Africa would be answering my questions about my phone in America!

B: Yep, the world just keeps getting smaller and smaller! Well, we will talk more about globalization later in the show. For now let’s go ahead with our first segment:

A: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1761 middle-aged

今天我们要学的词是 middle-aged. middle-aged is spelled m-i-d-d-l-e, middle, and aged, a-g-e-d, aged, middle-aged. Middle-aged 中年的。美国政府的最新报告显示，The suicide rates for middle-aged Americans climbed to a startling 28 percent in just a decade. 过去十年里，美国中年人的自杀率惊人地上涨了28%。英国的一项研究发现，The biggest new adopters of social media in the UK are not teens, but their middle-aged parents. 在英国，新近开始使用社交媒体的最大的人群不是十几岁的青少年，而是他们的中年父母。好的，今天我们学习的词是 middle-aged, middle-aged, middle-aged…

A: 父母为了解孩子的生活，开始学习使用社交媒体。这真没错! 我妈妈现在打字打得特别快，就是为了跟我在g-chat上聊天!

B: Yeah, most parents will do anything to keep up with their kids. But I personally would think twice before adding my parents on Facebook…Yeah…

A: 哈哈，I can see why you might want to censor the information that they get! (hey!) I’m so grateful that my parents are respectful to me, they never invade my privacy.

B: We are both lucky that we have great parents. My cousin isn’t that lucky though. His dad always tried to sneak a peek into his journal when he was a teenager. He pretty much stopped trusting his dad once he found out!

A:I’m sure his dad was only trying to better understand his son, but a journal is a very private thing! Once you lose someone’s trust, your name is mud with them.

B: Well said Yanglin! You also mentioned a very interesting idiom, your name is mud! Let’s check out today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 841 ONE’S NAME IS MUD

美国习惯用语第841讲

手机铃声

一定是我老公打电话来赔礼道歉，不接！今天是我们结婚十周年纪念日，我早上试探他，问他今天有什么安排，他居然象没事儿人一样，好象根本就忘了结婚纪念日这回事，简直气死我了。我决定，今天就来教一个形容他目前处境的习惯用语，叫：

M: One’s name is mud. Mud is spelled m-u-d. One’s-name-is-mud.

在中文里，name 是名字；mud 是泥巴。说一个人 His name is mud 可不是说他的名字叫泥巴，而是说此人失去信誉，名声扫地。要让我说，My husband’s name is mud. 在我心目中，他的地位急剧下跌。下面例子里的一位模范市民最近也遇到了麻烦。让我们听一听。

M: “I really admired the charity work of my neighbor. For years, she had raised lots of money to help provide food and shelter for homeless people in the community. But now a criminal investigation has found her guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors. These days HER NAME IS MUD. She should go to jail!”

这个人说：我的邻居热衷慈善事业，一直让我十分钦佩。多年来，她筹集资金，为社区里无家可归的人提供食物和住所，但如今，一起刑事案件的调查结果发现，她把募捐来的数万美元都据为了已有。现在她算是名声扫地了。她真应该进监狱！

这就叫知人知面不知心。就在不久前，我还在报纸上读到，一家著名的能源公司欺诈自己的顾客；更恶劣的是，这家公司还误导自己的员工，让他们把退休储蓄都投资了公司股票，结果变得一文不值了。Today its name is mud. 这家公司现在已经名声扫地了。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “I really admired the charity work of my neighbor. For years, she had raised lots of money to help provide food and shelter for homeless people in the community. But now a criminal investigation has found her guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from donors. These days HER NAME IS MUD. She should go to jail!”

最近有一个牧师，挪用了教会数百万美元的资产，过花天酒地的生活。很显然，His name is mud. 在下面这个例子里，一位父亲显然十分重视自己在孩子们心目中的形象。让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

M: “The kids have been asking again when we’re going to Disneyland. I realize I did promise them last summer that I’d take them. I’d better start making plans. If they don’t get to go, MY NAME WILL BE MUD. I just can’t disappoint them.”
这个人说：孩子们最近又问我，什么时候带他们到迪斯尼去。我这才想起，去年夏天曾经答应过他们。我最好马上开始计划，如果不带他们去的话，我就会完全损失信誉，我可不能让孩子失望。

One’s name is mud. 这个习惯用语的出处有好几种说法。有人说，确实曾经有个医生姓 MUDD, M-U-D-D，此人因为帮助刺杀林肯总统的凶手正骨，被叛同谋罪，因此名声扫地。这种说法听上去好象很有道理，但其实，one’s name is mud 这个习惯用语在林肯时代以前就出现了。经考证，MUD 这个字是十八世纪初期的一个俚语，意思是“傻瓜”。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

M: “The kids have been asking again when we’re going to Disneyland. I realize I did promise them last summer that I’d take them. I’d better start making plans. If they don’t get to go, MY NAME WILL BE MUD. I just can’t disappoint them.”

这是怎么回事？刚刚有人把一束鲜花送进演播室，上面还有一个卡片。卡片上写着：“亲爱的，我要在结婚十周年这个特殊的日子给你一个惊喜。做完节目马上下楼，我们要直奔机场，带你去一个浪漫的地方。 ”Huh….我怎么好象是搬起了石头砸自己的脚，刚才我说我先生的坏话都不算数，It looks like MY name is mud.

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Yeah, everything is about reputation. You never want to do anything to damage it.

B: Exactly. Especially now with the Internet, anyone can write a review or comment for the whole world to see. Once your name is mud, it’s definitely going to hurt your business.

A: True, true. In today’s business etiquette, 公司总裁Dave就要和公司成员来挑选哪家公司值得业务外包，let’s listen.

礼节美语OutsourcingPart I
公司执行总裁 Dave 召集董事会成员Helen和 Pete开会，讨论业务外包和公司重组。

Dave: I’ve called this meeting to discuss a very important decision we need to make. In the interest of cost saving, it’s been suggested that we outsource some of our operations.

Helen: I have a lot of concerns about this idea. What exactly are we talking about, here?

D: Well in my view there are benefits to outsourcing for both our company and for our customers. In our case, the cost savings are impressive. And from the customers’ perspective, outsourcing means we can expand services at no additional cost to them.

执行总裁 Dave说，开会是要讨论为节省开支、将部分业务外包的问题，to outsource some of our operations. Helen 表示有顾虑。Dave 解释说，外包对公司和客户都有利，既可以为公司省钱，也可以增加客户服务 at no additional cost 而不必增加任何成本。

Pete: Can you give us an example of exactly which divisions you’d outsource?

D: I’d say accounting is a good place to start. It would mean that we would axe around 100 jobs but we’d be able to save up to a quarter million dollars a year.

H: Where are you thinking of moving the accounting department to?

D: We have a great offer from an Indian company. They handle a lot of big clients and have a solid reputation.

Pete希望了解外包的业务范围。Dave表示，可以从财务开始，Accounting is a good place to start. 这就意味着 to axe 裁员100人，但是每年可以节省25万美元。他们看中了一家印度公司。They handle a lot of big clients and have a solid reputation. 很多大公司都找他们，信誉很不错。

P: Should we consider outsourcing customer relations? Many corporations are using Indian call centers, right?

D: Yes…that has become a trend. But in our case, I’d recommend we do not switch to a call service overseas because many companies have experienced difficulties with accents and culture. It’s created a backlash that I’d like to avoid.

H: But we could move our email customer service center overseas.

D: Yes, absolutely. We can also consider moving the development and managing of our web site to a firm in China. They have a great track record and their prices are very competitive.

Pete 提出，很多公司都把客户服务 customer relations 外包给印度呼叫中心。Dave 承认，that has become a trend. 这已经成了一种潮流，但是因为口音和文化的关系，出现了 backlash 负面的反弹，所以不准备把客户服务外包到海外去。Helen提议把电子邮件服务外包出去。Dave 同意，并表示，考虑把网站的开发和管理外包给一家中国公司，they have a great track record and their prices are very competitive. 因为他们的业绩一贯不错，价格也很有竞争力。

A: 公司总裁Dave表示，希望outsource some of the operations, 外包一些业务，以减轻公司负担。他们希望从财务开始，axe about 100 jobs, 裁员100人，把业务外包到海外。这需要看海外公司是否有 a solid reputation, 好的信誉，competitive prices, 价钱也要便宜。
B: Yeah, outsourcing is very common these days.

A: 没错! 但是把业务外包，就意味着公司裁员，这会不会导致员工的不满呢?

B: Let’s keep listening.

礼节美语OutsourcingPart II

公司执行总裁 Dave 召集董事会成员 Helen和 Pete开会，讨论业务外包和公司重组。

H: I guess one of the biggest questions here is how the general public might perceive these moves. Will we face a backlash for cutting some local jobs and moving some operations abroad?

P: Yes, it’s entirely possible that we will get some negative press over this decision. We will need to do some damage control and try to explain as best as possible the reasoning behind our decision.

D: I’ll have a chat with our public relations people and brief them on how to respond to media inquires.

Helen 担心公司业务外包，裁减员工，会引起社会反响 face a backlash。Pete也表示，媒体很可能会有负面报道 negative press, 因此要尽量控制不良影响 do some damage control。执行总裁 Dave表示，会和公关部门讨论，告诉他们如何回答媒体的问询。

P: The logic is pretty simple; either we make some needed cuts or the company risks going under and even more jobs will be lost.

D: We also want to be responsible players here. Let’s offer job counseling and let’s be reasonably generous with severance packages.

H: The companies that we plan on contracting to work for us have all been vetted by an independent auditor, right?

D: Yes, and they all passed with flying colors.

Pete表示，公司重组理由很简单，不裁员公司就可能破产，the company risks going under。Dave 建议为遣散员工提供就业咨询 job counseling，遣散费也多给点，be generous with severance packages. severance packages 是遣散员工时给的补贴。Helen问，外包公司是否都已经通过了独立审计单位的审查，vet, v-e-t, vet 是审查的意思。Dave 表示，审查结果非常好，to pass with flying colors 意思是成功通过考查。

D: The law says sub-contracted firms must follow some basic guidelines such as no child labor, equal pay for men and women, etc. If they’re not up to snuff, they have a certain number of days to rectify the situation. Otherwise, we have to find another firm.

H: So it’s decided then. All in favor of outsourcing accounting and web maintenance please raise your hand.

P: Looks like it’s a unanimous decision.

D: Thank you all for understanding. I’ll write up a memo explaining this decision to everyone and send it out in a couple of days.

H+P: Sounds good.

D: All right, then. This meeting is adjourned.

Dave 表示，法律规定，如果分包公司达不到基本要求，If they’re not up to snuff, 必须在特定时间内改正 to rectify the situation。Up to snuff, s-n-u-f-f, snuff, 意思是合格的，符合标准的。最后三人举手表决，同意将财会和网站管理业务外包。It’s a unanimous decision. 决定一致通过。Dave 准备写一份备忘录，几天后宣布。

A: 公司担心外包业务裁员会face a backlash，遭到强烈反对，不仅要面对愤怒的员工，而且要面对negative press，媒体的负面报导。所以，公司要做一些damage control, 控制不良影响，为员工提供job counseling，就业指导，而且be generous with severance package, 提供相当数额的遣散费。

B: It’s a pretty hotly debated topic right now. With outsourcing, you are going to lose some jobs domestically. Most Americans think that outsourcing was one of the things that led to the 2008 economic crisis. Too many jobs were going out to the international market instead of staying in the United States.

A:但是美国人工实在太贵了! 我记得我去修个车，换个小零件，就要150美元!

B: I’m not going to debate that with you! Well, let’s take a break from this serious topic and move on to another segment of our class!

Learn A Word 1765 open house

今天我们要学的词是 open house. Open house is open, o-p-e-n, open, and house, h-o-u-s-e, house, open house. Open house 对外开放日。My gym is having an open house this weekend for nonmembers to come in and enjoy the facilities. 我参加的健身房本周末对非会员开放，所有人都可以来使用健身房的设施。More than 40 embassies in DC are scheduled to have open houses in Mid May so the public can have a taste of their culture. 华盛顿特区四十多个大使馆五月中旬都安排了开放日，让公众可以前来感受一下他们的文化。好的，今天我们学习的词是 open house, open house, open house……

A: I love the DC embassy open houses! Every embassy offers samples of its local food and has exhibitions that represent its culture, and its all for free!

B: Which tour did you like the best?

A: I would have to say the Turkish embassy. They offered us Turkish Kabobs and coffee, had a Turkish dance show, and you could also try on the traditional Turkish clothes! It was a blast! DC always gives me something new, I’m never bored!
B: Ain’t that the truth. In today’s last segment, we are going to learn a way to express new things. Let’s listen!

美国习惯用语第 842 讲

大家千万不要误会，我对传统的事物并不反感，可我同时又很喜欢推陈出新。就拿我们的社区组织来说吧，每年都是同样的人，组织同样的活动，只有老邻居搬走，却没人设法把新邻居吸引进来。这种局面用我们今天要学的习惯用语来形容恰如其分，叫：

M: New blood. Blood is spelled b-l-o-o-d. New-blood. New blood.

New Blood 这个习惯用语指的是带来生机和活力的新生力量。我觉得，我们的社区组织需要的就是 new blood, 新成员，有了新成员，大家才能集思广益，举办更多吸引人的活动，增强社区的凝聚力。大家注意听下面这个例子，看看一家公司管理层的人员变化给公司到来了什么样的影响。

M: “When our manager passed away, his daughter took over the company. Many employees were afraid of some of the changes she might make. Yet it’s because of her ideas and energy that we’ve been able to adjust to today’s economy. Frankly, she’s exactly the kind of NEW BLOOD we needed to become profitable again.”

这个人说：老板去世后，公司由他的女儿接管。很多雇员都对她所做出的一些调整感到担心，但是正因为她提出的一些意见和她所带来的能量，我们才得以采取措施，适应了今天的经济，坦白讲，她恰恰是让公司转亏为盈所需要的新生力量。

很多人都认为，阻碍变革最大的障碍来自老一代。英语里有句话叫 You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 老狗学不会新把戏，意思是说老顽固很难接受新鲜事物。其实我觉得，抵制变革的并不一定是上年纪的人，而是那些习惯于现状，不愿意看到自己的生活和利益受到影响，发生变化的人。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “When our manager passed away, his daughter took over the company. Many employees were afraid of some of the changes she might make. Yet it’s because of her ideas and energy that we’ve been able to adjust to today’s economy. Frankly, she’s exactly the kind of NEW BLOOD we needed to become profitable again.”

我还记得姑奶奶两年前曾经搬过来跟我们住过一段时间。虽然她当时已经年界七旬，但是由于她见多识广，思路开阔，反而给我们这个家带来了一股新鲜的气息，跟她比起来，我倒成了老顽固。

如今，很多美国人都为这个国家的前途感到担心。下面这位评论人士认为，美国未来的前途走向，在很大程度上要看第44位总统奥巴马的表现。让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

M: “President Obama came to Washington promising to take the U.S. in a different direction. His enthusiasm for addressing the problems of health care, energy and the economy represent bold thinking. He may be the NEW BLOOD that will move our nation forward in these difficult times.”

他说：奥巴马总统来到华盛顿，保证要带领美国改变方向。他对解决医疗保健、能源和经济问题的热情代表着大胆的构想。他可能将成为带领我们在困境中前进的新生力量。

这位评论人士的话是否会兑现，只有时间能做出回答。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

M: “President Obama came to Washington promising to take the U.S. in a different direction. His enthusiasm for addressing the problems of health care, energy and the economy represent bold thinking. He may be the NEW BLOOD that will move our nation forward in these difficult times.”

你也许会问，new blood 这个习惯用语是什么出现的呢？我的研究显示，这种说法最早出现于1853年，指的是输血时用的“新的、新鲜的”血液供给。大家可能在阅读中遇到过 “fresh blood” 的说法，fresh blood 可以跟 new blood 通用。因此我可以说，我们社区组织需要一些 fresh blood, 也可以说奥巴马总统也许恰恰是面对挑战的美国所需要的 fresh blood.

好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Yeah..Maybe it’s about time that we had some new blood in the show, instead of, you know…you….

B: I have thought about it more than once Yanglin, but then I realized that the show would wither and die without my artistic talents!

A:…..好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

A: See you next time!

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