美语训练班第121-130课

美语训练班第121课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Today we will take a look at the dark side of the business world. What would you do if someone ask for a kickback? Is there a better way to deal with it than being ripped off? We will look for answers in today’s business etiquette.

A: 手机上瘾会带来亚健康状态? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “mixed blessing” and “rough and read” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1809 fitness

今天我们要学的词是fitness. Fitness is spelled f-i-t-n-e-s-s, fitness. Fitness 身体健康状况。随着网络空间战的激烈化，各国都在招兵买马，搜罗网络电脑人才。Britain is waiving the fitness test when recruiting new cyber soldiers. 英国招募空间战斗人员时，不要求他们接受体格考核。In the U.S., fitness DVDs bring in about $265 million annually. 在美国，健身DVD每年的销售额高达2.65亿美元。美国肯特州立大学的一项研究显示，High cell phone use is linked to poor fitness levels in college students. 手机使用率的高低跟大学生的身体健康水平之间，有着直接的联系。好的，今天我们学习的词是 fitness, fitness, fitness…

A: High cell phone use is linked to poor fitness levels? That would explain me…I tried to run yesterday and I couldn’t catch my breath when I hit one mile…

B: Ha! You just need to train more! No one can run marathon without training.

A: You are getting really fit these days Mike! Any secret?

B: No secret, just eat well and go to the gym everyday. My personal trainer forbids me from consuming carbs, and I eat tons of protein everyday.

A: See, that’s what I was afraid you were going to say. If someone tells me that I can’t eat something, I will start to have serious craving for that kind of food…

B: Haha, that sounds like you. But you know, being too fit is a mixed blessing, sometimes I get a lot of unwanted attention…

A: OMG! You know there is a difference between self confidence and over confidence right? 简直是给点阳光就灿烂的典范!

B: I’m kidding, kidding! I only mentioned it because it’s the idiom that we are going to teach next!

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

Words and Idioms 863 MIXED BLESSING

美国习惯用语第 863 讲

有时候，家里有钱也未必就是件好事。我老板 Johnson 的儿子，就是因为家里有钱，不仅不求上进，还三天两头惹事生非，在英语里，我们说 born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth, 生在有钱的家庭，是一个

M: Mixed blessing. Mixed is spelled m-i-x-e-d. Mixed. Blessing is spelled b-l-e-s-s-i-n-g, blessing. Mixed blessing.

Mixed 意思是混合的。Blessing 是恩惠、赐福的意思。mixed blessing 意思是福祸兼俱，有好处也有坏处的事情。也就是说，出生在一个有钱的家庭，一方面，想买什么就买什么，不用担心钱的问题；但是另外一方面，孩子如果什么都有了，反而会失去自己去奋斗争取的动力。在下面这个例子中，一个父亲为什么会对女儿的美貌而大发感慨呢？我们一起来听听。

M: “Well, my daughter gets a lot of attention because of her beauty, but people are less likely to take her seriously because of it─especially at work. Her beauty is definitely a MIXED BLESSING.”

这个父亲说：我女儿因为长得漂亮吸引了很多人的注意，但是也正因为长得好看，所以大家反而不太重视她的能力，特别是在工作中。她的美丽是一件既有好处，又有坏处的事情。

MIXED BLESSING 这个习惯用语是二十世纪上半叶才开始出现的，之所以出现时间较晚，是因为十八世纪的时候人们笃信宗教，只有到了二十世纪，才开始有人觉得上帝的赐福也不一定都是好的，可能会是 mixed blessing. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在接下来这个例子里，尽管大多数人都觉得香港的开发是件好事，但是下面这个人却看到了发展带来的负面效应。让我们一起来听听。

M: “I think the project is a MIXED BLESSING. Of course, it will create a lot of jobs for Hong Kong, but it will also destroy much of the natural habitat on the island. Many of the native birds and small animals will disappear.”

报道说：我觉得这个项目有好处，也有坏处，这个项目确实会给香港创造很多就业机会，但同时也会破坏很多动物的自然栖息地。很多只有香港岛上才有的鸟类和小动物都会消失。

这是典型的发展给经济和环境，给目前和未来所带来的困扰。随着世界人口的不断增加，这个问题只会变得越发严重。发展对地球来说永远都是 a mixed blessing. 人类文明的代价就是地球的生态环境。现在全球气候变暖已经给人类敲响了警钟，督促我们去寻找更为环保的发展方式。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

我老公马上要被调去上早班了。他自己觉得这是一个 mixed blessing. 好的一方面是，下班后有充足的时间去健身房锻炼身体，不好的地方当然是需要早起，再也不能睡懒觉了。

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.

B: See, this is what I’m talking about. Having to start working at 6am is a mixed blessing. One the one hand, I hate waking up at 5 everyday; on the other hand, I love all the free time I still have after getting off work at 2.

A: That’s true. 事情都有两面性嘛!

B: Which is exactly what we are going to talk about in business etiquette! We’ll see how this company deals with a particularly harsh situation.

A: Let’s find it out in today’s Business Etiquette!

礼节美语kickbacks I

项目主管Donny急冲冲地来找老板Simon.

Donny: Simon, there’s something we need to talk about.

Simon: Go ahead, shoot.

D: I think maybe we better step into your office. It’s a bit of a sensitive issue.

S: Oh, sure. Come on in. What’s on your mind?

D: You know that project we have in the south of the country?

S: Do you mean the new processing plant we’re building?

D: Yes. I’m afraid we’ve run into a couple of setbacks.

S: Oh? What’s the problem?

Donny 有事找 Simon, 但是不方便在外面谈，说 we better step into your office. 最好去你办公室谈。原来是他们在南方兴建的加工厂遇到了麻烦。Donny 说，We’ve run into a couple of setbacks. run into something 是遇到的意思，setback, 意思是挫折。

D: I just got a call from the on-site manager and he says the local area’s building inspector says our building is not up to code.

S: But that’s impossible! I personally made sure that we followed all relevant local laws and I even insisted on a better standard than the code requires! How can this be?

D: Well sir, the on-site manager says the real problem is that we need to grease the wheels. In other words, there’s nothing wrong with the building, the inspector just wants a kickback.

原来，问题出在当地检查施工建筑的官员身上。他为了拿回扣，kickback, 居然说Simon公司的建筑 not up to code. 不符合建筑规格。这里的 code, c-o-d-e, code 指政府关于建筑标准的法规。按 Donny 的话说，要想达标也不难，we need to grease the wheels. grease is spelled g-r-e-a-s-e, grease. Grease 是上油的意思，wheels 是车轮的意思，给车轮上油，引伸为让事情进行得更顺利。

S: I see. Hmm…this is frustrating.

D: On the one hand, the inspector is not asking for very much, a couple of thousand dollars will make this problem go away. But on the other hand, bribery is illegal.

S: Bribery is certainly illegal, but even more important for me personally, it’s immoral. I’ve always tried to do the right thing in my business dealings and it’s important to me that I run a clean shop.

Donny 说，一方面，几千美元就能解决问题，make the problem go away, 让这个问题消失；但另外一方面，行贿是非法的, bribery is illegal. Simon 说，行贿不仅非法，更重要的是，他个人认为这样做是不道德的，it’s immoral. Simon 还说，自己做生意一概奉公守法，努力 run a clean shop. 这里的 clean 指正派的，遵纪守法的，shop 在口语里可以用来泛指生意、公司、店铺等等。Simon 最终会让步吗？我们下次继续听。

A: Donny向老板汇报说, 他们的项目 run into a couple of setbacks, 遇到了一些麻烦。原因是检察人员说他们的项目not up to code, 不符合规定，其实是想借机索取kickbacks, 回扣。Donny很矛盾，因为其实几千美元就能make the problem go away, 让问题消失，可是bribery is illegal and immoral, 行贿不仅非法，而且也不道德。

B: Not only its is illegal and immoral, but people who ask for kickbacks are not going to stop if you make the first payment. Once you start, you are stuck with them because you violated the law and that knowledge gives them the leverage on you.

A: That sounds awful. I really dislike all these hidden business rules. Luckily 老板 Simon seems to be against paying kickbacks.

B: Let’s keep listening and see how this is going to play out!

礼节美语kickbacks II

项目主管Donny急冲冲地来找老板Simon，因为公司即将竣工的加工厂遇到了麻烦，当地质检官员以不合格为由，索取贿赂。Donny 说，

D: I hate to play devil’s advocate, but doesn’t everyone who does business here pay kickbacks? It’s a part of the local culture. Maybe it’s easier to look the other way this time.

S: Oh, it would certainly be easier to just pay it, that’s for sure. We could wrap up this construction ahead of schedule if we can just clear this mess up. But…I’m having a hard time telling my conscience that this is OK.

Donny 说，I hate to play devil’s advocate, 我不是要故意唱反调。advocate is spelled a-d-v-o-c-a-t-e, advocate 是支持者的意思。to play devil’s advocate 扮演魔鬼的支持者，指的是虽然你认同某种看法，但却要故意从反对者的立场出发，提出质疑，以便证明这种看法确实是正确的。Donny还说，行贿受贿在当地似乎司空见惯，或许最简单的做法是 look the other way 睁一眼闭一眼。Simon 承认，这是最简单的解决方式，这样他们就能提前完工，wrap up this construction ahead of schedule, wrap up 是收尾的意思，ahead of schedule 意思是提前。不过，Simon 觉得良心上过不去。I’m having a hard time telling my conscience that this is OK. conscience is spelled c-o-n-s-c-i-e-n-c-e, conscience 意思是良心。

D: I’ve heard stories about situations like this getting out of hand. Sometimes when you pay the first time, they start blackmailing you for more.

S: Yeah, I’m worried we could end up in jail.

D: The on-site manager says if we don’t pay up, the processing plant will be held up for at least six months and we’ll end up paying an additional 25% in costs.

Donny说，如果第一次屈于压力给钱了，对方就可能变本加厉讹诈你，blackmail, b-l-a-c-k-m-a-i-l, blackmail 是讹诈的意思，搞不好局面还会失去控制，get out of hand. 但是不付钱，工期就要被拖延至少六个月，让开支平白无故地增加25%。

S: Six months? That’s totally unacceptable! We should be on line in three months!

D: I know. That could really set us back. We might not be able to catch up with the orders already coming in.

S: You know what? I’m angry. I’m so angry that I’m going to do something about this!

拖延半年绝对不行，Simon说，we should be on line in three months! 我们还有三个月就应该开工了。这里说的on line意思时投入生产。如果耽误半年的话，that could really set us back, 就会让我们的进度延后。Simon 会怎么做呢？我们下次继续听。

A: Donny表示，他不想play the devil’s advocate, 故意唱反调，但是给回扣好像已经成了这里做生意的潜规则，最简单解决问题的方法就是look the other way，睁一眼闭一眼。但是老板Simon不愿意这样解决问题，他说 I’m having a hard time telling my conscience that this is OK. 良心上过不去。

B: I think a lot of companies choose to pay kickbacks because their product is not 100% up to code. If you have nothing to hide, you don’t need to deal with this crap.

A: 哎，你跟公司老板Simon想的一样!

B: Great minds think alike! (A: Ugh…) Let’s see what action the company is going to take!

礼节美语kickbacks III

项目主管Donny急冲冲地来找老板Simon，因为公司即将竣工的加工厂突然遇到了麻烦，当地质检官员以建设标准不合格为由，索取贿赂，Simon 表示，这个钱坚决不能给。Donny 问要怎么办？

D: What would you like me to do?

S: How much does this lowlife inspector want?

D: About 2,500 dollars, sir.

S: Well, I’m going to spend that same amount on lawyers and we’re going to sue this guy!

Simon 问，那个质检官员想要多少钱。Simon 用 lowlife 来形容此人，lowlife is spelled l-o-w-l-i-f-e, lowlife 意思是卑鄙的，下流的。原来，此人要价并不高，只要两千五百美元就能解决问题。Simon 决定，就用这笔钱来 sue this guy 把此人告上法庭。

D: You want to take legal action against him?

S: That’s right. Call our legal department and tell them to get a team and get down there.

D: Maybe I can get the on-site manager to record their conversation. Then we’ll have evidence.

S: Good idea! But don’t forget, our best evidence is our building. It’s completely up to standard so if it’s re-inspected, anyone can see we are following the law.

D: That’s true. The building will speak for itself.

对某人提出诉讼，可以说 sue someone, 也可以说 to take legal action against someone. Donny 建议把跟质检官员的对话偷偷录下来，做为证据，evidence. 不过，Simon 强调说，我们的工程才是最有力的证据。因为这一工程完全符合标准， completely up to standard。Donny也说，The building will speak for itself. speak for itself 无需解释，明摆着的，意思是建筑工程就在那里，是最有说服力的证据。

S: And tell the legal team not to cut any corners and to proceed with this case by the book. We are sending a message here that bribery won’t be tolerated.

D: Wow, sir! I’ve never seen you so worked up.

S: Well, I’m sick and tired and I’m not going to put up with this anymore! Let’s get this bad guy!

D: I’m on it, sir!

Simon 说，让律师们不要 cut corners, cut corners 意思是偷工减料，一切要按法律上的规定去办，by the book 意思是严格遵守法律。Donny 从来没见老板 Simon 如此激动过，I’ve never seen you so worked up. worked is spelled w-o-r-k-e-d, worked up 是激动的意思。Simon 说，I’m sick and tired. 在这里，sick and tired 不是我又病又累，而是指厌倦了某件事情。Simon 还说，I’m not going to put up with this. put up with something 指忍受一件事情。Donny 最后说，I’m on it. 意思是交给我吧，我这就去办。

A: 老板Simon决定，take legal action against this lowlife, 对要求回扣的人提起诉讼，让公司法律部门do this by the book, 严格按照法律程序处理这件事。因为公司的项目completely up to standard, 完全符合标准，所以呢，他们没什么可害怕的。

B: Wow, I wish every company’s CEO had the guts to stand up for what is right like Simon! Then we could cut out bribery in the business world altogether!

A: That’s true! 好啦，严肃的回扣问题就到这里吧! 现在咱们来进入今天最后一个单元….

B: Let’s listen to another words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 864 Rough and Ready

美国习惯用语第 864 讲

我这个人，干什么事情都喜欢做好准备充分。谁知道昨天早上，老板突然通知我，两个小时内要做好一份新节目的展示报告，这就意味着我要马上搜集节目话题、筹划预算开支和人员分配，把相关信息综合起来。最后总算是完成了任务，虽然并不尽善尽美。这也让我想起了一个习惯用语，叫

M: Rough and ready. Rough is spelled r-o-u-g-h, and ready; r-e-a-d-y. Rough-and-ready.

形容词 Rough 是粗糙的意思，ready 的意思是准备好。Rough and ready 连在一起，意思就是虽然有些粗糙简陋，但是可以用。我上面说的展示报告就是 rough and ready, 虽然因为时间紧，报告做得不够精细，但是已经达到了目的。我侄女是高中学生，她本来以为，申请大学只要考试成绩好行了，其实不然。我们一起听听下面这位大学招生专家是怎么说的：

M: “Scores on standardized tests don’t completely show a student’s potential. They’re only a ROUGH AND READY guide. That’s why colleges look at a wide variety of data, including grades, a list of extracurricular activities, a personal essay, and recommendations from people who have assessed the candidate’s talents and personal characteristics.”

这位专家说：标准化考试的成绩并不能全面显示一个学生的潜力，只能做为基本参照标准。这就是为什么大学招生要考虑诸多因素，包括学习成绩、学生参加的各种课外活动、学生自己写的作文、还有推荐人对学生的能力和性格的评价。

还好，我侄女即时了解到了这种情况。如今，她不仅学习成绩优秀，而且课余时间还参加学校足球队、乐队和戏剧社。让我们再来听听上面那段话。

刚才提到，我侄女参加学校的足球队，经常出去巡回比赛，长了不少见识，眼界比接下来例子里这个人开阔多了。让我们一起听听下面这段话。

M: “I grew up in a small town in the country. So it was a big change when I moved to the city. Going to fancy parties and dealing with so many different kinds of people are new to me. But I guess I do o.k. in those situations. Still, there’s no denying I’m a ROUGH AND READY kind of guy.”

这个人说：我是在乡下的一个小镇长大的。搬到城里住给我的生活带来了巨大的改变。参加各式各样别致的派对、跟各种类型的人打交道对我来说都非常新鲜。不过，我的表现还算说得过去。尽管如此，不能否认的是，我就是一个粗人。

我觉得，性格粗犷有时候反而更具魅力。现在我们市正在举行地方选举，我支持的那个候选人就不是一个典型的政客，不会花言巧语笼络选民。He is ROUGH AND READY. 好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: I think you’re definitely the rough and ready type Mike, well rough at least, ready might be stretching it a bit.

B: OOOOOO, well played Yanglin, well played.

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!

美语训练班第122课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Need to know how to prepare for an important trade expo? We will give you some insights in today’s business etiquette.

A: 给小费是美国的社交礼仪，到底给多少合适呢? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “give someone a run for one’s money” and “run into the ground” means!

A: All coming up on today’s American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1810 etiquette

今天我们要学的词是etiquette. Etiquette is spelled e-t-i-q-u-e-t-t-e, etiquette. Etiquette 是礼节，规范的意思。Talking loud over the phone in public places is a major breach in basic etiquette. 在公关场合大声讲电话是基本社交礼仪的大忌。

A judge ordered rapper Meek Mill to enroll in a social media etiquette class. 法官裁决，要求说唱歌手米克.米尔去上社交媒体礼仪课程。在美国，给小费是一种常规礼节。不过，Even within the U.S., tipping etiquette tends to change over time and across regions. 然而，美国国内给小费的规范，也会因为时间和地域的改变而存在差异。好的，今天我们学习的词是 etiquette, etiquette, etiquette…

A: 我刚来美国的时候就特别困惑，完全不知道该怎么给小费!

B: Yeah, tipping is definitely an important aspect of American culture.

A: What’s the standard tipping etiquette?

B: It’s about 15% for lunch and 20% for dinner. Of course, it all depends on your personal experience.

A: Yeah but there are so many different tipping situations, like taking a taxi, staying in a hotel, or getting a haircut. I need detailed instructions for all these!

B: I guess the general rule is 15%-20%, with a smile and a Thank you!

A: Ha, that’s cool! All right, enough about tipping. Let’s go ahead with our class.

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

Words and Idioms 865 Give Somebody a Run for One’s Money

美国习惯用语第865讲

我最近一直在忙园艺俱乐部的事情。一年一度的玫瑰节要到了。周围地区很多园艺俱乐部都要大显身手，竞争相当激烈。我们俱乐部虽然规模不大，资金也不充沛，但是非常有创意，所以别小瞧我们哦。这也让我想起了一个习惯用语，

M: Give somebody a run for one’s money. Run is spelled r-u-n, and money; m-o-n-e-y. Give-somebody-a-run-for-one’s-money.

To give somebody a run for one’s money 意思是对竞争对手构成挑战。我们俱乐部就打算在玫瑰节的比赛中挑战其它参赛俱乐部，绝不能让他们轻松获胜。We plan to GIVE THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. 下面例子里的这个水手看来也是个不甘示弱的家伙。

我们一起听听他是怎么说的：

M: “Parker loves to remind me how badly he beat me in last year’s regatta. Since then, I’ve been spending every weekend rebuilding my sailboat and practicing maneuvers. I’m determined to GIVE HIM A RUN FOR HIS MONEY next time. He’s going to be surprised by how competitive I’m going to be.”

他说：帕克老是喜欢提醒我，去年帆船大赛他把我赢得多惨。那次输了以后，我把每个周末的时间都花在改造帆船、练习各种动作上。我决心，下次比赛一定要给他点儿颜色看看。他看到我的竞争实力，一定会大吃一惊。

我女儿跟她小表哥Jimmy在一个学校读书。二年级学校汇演，Jimmy是重要角色，而我女儿只是个跑龙套的。她后来一定让我带她去上唱歌跳舞的才艺班，结果三年级再汇演，一下子成了主要演员之一。She GAVE HER COUSIN A RUN FOR HER MONEY. 成了表哥 Jimmy 的竞争对象。让我们再来听听上面那段话。

从上面的例子里，我们可以看出，绝不能满足于过去的成绩，一定要戒骄戒躁。让我们一起听听下面这家公司的经验。

M: “Our motorcycle company’s enjoyed being the industry leader. But lately one of our rivals has been GIVING US A RUN FOR OUR MONEY. Their technical innovations and bold designs have proven surprisingly popular with younger riders. We realize how competitive the market has become.”

这段话说的是：我们公司在摩托车行业一直占据主导地位，但是最近一段时间里，我们的一家竞争对手对我们构成了威胁。没想到，他们的科技创新和大胆设计深受年轻人的喜爱，我们这才意识到，现在的市场竞争越来越激烈了。

To give somebody a run for their money 最早出现在十九世纪中期，是从赛马比赛来的。最初的时候，是指某个人虽然赛马赢不了多少钱，但是能看到一场竞争激烈的比赛，也还是很开心，后来逐渐发展成了今天的意思。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: In today’s competitive market, you need to constantly improve your products and customer service. Or else your competitor could give you a run for your money.

B: True to that. And one of the best way to expand your customer pool is to attend an trade fair!

A: Exactly! In today’s business etiquette, we will go see how to prepare for an international trade expo.

A: Let’s listen!

礼节美语A Trade Expo I

公司开会，经理 Nick 高兴地宣布，

Nick: Well folks…I’ve got good news! Everything is finalized and we will be setting up a booth at the trade fair in Frankfurt!

(Sound of people clapping)

Elaine: That’s great news! The application process was so difficult, but I’m glad we made it!

Mark: The trade show in Frankfurt is the biggest textile show in the world so it’s great that we can have a presence there!

公司在法兰克福纺织品博览会上申请到了一个展台 we will be setting up a booth。法兰克福纺织品博览会是世界上规模最大的纺织品展示会，能去参加，有个 presence，当然是好消息。presence is spelled p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e, presence 在这里是出席、在场的意思。

N: But…now comes the hard part. We’re going to need to do a lot of preparation work before we leave.

E: I was thinking about a new brochure. I’m not really fond of the old one…It looks a little drab.

M: Yeah, I agree. Let’s get our design team to create a new one.

N: Sounds good. We want the brochure to be really eye-catching. It’s got to capture your attention right away.

展台申请到了，now comes the hard part. 意思是现在剩下不好办的事情了。出发前有很多准备工作要做。Elaine 建议重新设计一个宣传小册子，因为原来的看起来有些 drab. Drab is spelled d-r-a-b, drab 意思是枯燥、乏味。经理 Nick 表示赞成，因为宣传小册子必须 eye-catching 吸引眼球。So it can capture your attention right away. 立刻引起人的注意。

M: That’s one thing about trade fairs; there are so many items on display it’s easy for our products to blend into the background. We need to think about how to arrange our booth so we don’t get lost in the crowd.

E: Good thinking! I’ll talk to the designers about how we can make our booth stand out.

N: We’ll be sending two teams to the trade show. One team will be the face of our operation and the other team will provide support.

Mark说，博览会上展台多，让人看得眼花缭乱，自己的产品很容易就会淹没在汪洋大海之中。在这里，Mark 用了两种说法，一个是 to blend into the background 另外一个是 to get lost in the crowd, 意思都是跟别人差不多，放那儿就找不着了。 Elaine说，应该让设计展台的人想办法，to make our booth stand out. 让我们的展台与众不同。Nick 同意，决定派两班人马去参展，一组人做门面，be the face of our operation, 另外一组人提供后勤保障。

A: 经理Nick很高兴，原因是他们公司在最大的纺织品交易会上得到一个展台。Now comes the hard part, 现在剩下不好办的事情了，他们需要an eye-catching brochure, 一个吸引眼球的宣传册，还要make our booth stand out, 让展台与众不同。

B: Preparing for an expo can be quite challenging. There are so many details to attend to, and you need a fresh and unique idea to make your products stand out.

A: Yep, people’s first impression of your booth might make or break a deal. Let’s keep listening and see how this is going to play out!

礼节美语A Trade Expo II

公司开会，经理Nick宣布，他们要在法兰克福的纺织品博览会上设展台，大家头脑激荡，看需要做哪些准备。Elaine说，

E: I think we should have a little pow-wow with the team who will be manning the booth. They need to understand how important their role is. First impressions are crucial!

M: That’s a good idea, Elaine. Seeing as I will be leading the team, I think I’ll get everyone together before departure and go over these points. It’s really true that first impressions can make or break a deal.

Elaine建议跟负责展台的人 have a little pow-wow. pow-wow is spelled p-o-w-w-o-w, 意思是碰头会，因为他们在展台接待客人 man the booth, 是公司门面，而且 first impressions are crucial. 第一印象是非常关键的。Mark同意Elaine的看法，因为第一印象 can make or break a deal. 既能促成交易 make a deal, 又能 break a deal 让交易泡汤。

N: That’s another thing to stress to your team, Mark. We should remind them to never judge a book by its cover. The guy wandering around our booth might not look like a major buyer, but you never know!

E: Looks can be deceiving!

N: That’s right. We need to treat each person who stops by our booth as a potential customer. Many times I’ve met someone who didn’t look like a major player, but then they pull out their business card and they turn out to be the vice-president of a huge company.

经理Nick说, 负责展台的人必须记住，never judge a book by its cover. 不要以貌取人。Elaine 也说，looks can be deceiving，外表有时是有欺骗性的，外表其貌不扬的人，说不定却是个大人物，a major player. 因此，不论什么人从展台旁边走过，都必须把他当做 a potential customer 潜在的客户来对待。

M: These are all good points, but we also have to be aware of industrial espionage. Some of the people milling around could be spies!

N: Yes…there are always people trying to steal ideas. We do need to be careful. We should let our staff know what kind of information they can give away and what kind of information they should not make public.

Mark提醒大家，参加商品博览会要小心 industrial espionage. industrial is spelled i-n-d-u-s-t-r-i-a-l, industrial 工业的, espionage is spelled e-s-p-i-o-n-a-g-e, espionage 间谍。连在一起，industrial espionage 就是工业间谍。在展台附近游荡的人 those who are milling around the booth, 很可能是寻找机会 to steal ideas 盗取别人的想法，所以必须让负责展台的员工知道，什么信息可以公开，什么信息不能公开。

A: Nick说，never judge a book by its cover, 不要以貌取人，把每个前来展台参观的人都当作potential customer, 潜在的客户。但是呢同事也要小心 industrial espionage, 工业间谍，小心对待那些总在展台附近游荡的人，确保他们不会steal ideas, 盗取公司的秘密。

B: Sounds like a lot of work! I mean, competitors can wander around your booth and steal your ideas, but it’s also a great opportunity for a company to learn the market trends and maybe take a look at what others are doing!

A: 哎，你跟公司老板Nick想的一样耶!

B: Great minds think alike! (A: Ugh…) Let’s keep listening and see what else they need to prepare!

礼节美语 A Trade Expo III

公司开会，经理Nick宣布，他们要在法兰克福的纺织品交易会上设展台，大家头脑激荡，看需要做哪些准备。Mark说，

M: The booth staff shouldn’t give away too much info about our manufacturing process. Basically the only things they should make public are our company profile and our product line.

E: But…let’s not forget to do a little spying of our own! We won’t do anything illegal of course, but we should walk around and see what new trends are on the market. We want to stay on the cutting edge of our industry.

Mark认为，负责展台的人不能过多泄露公司的生产程序，只能向参观的人介绍 our company profile 公司概况和 product line 产品系列。Elaine 建议，他们也应该设法在博览会上了解一下市场最新动向。the new trends on the market. 因为公司必须力争 stay on the cutting edge of our industry. 走在纺织工业的最前沿。cutting edge 意思是最新的，最先进的。

N: Absolutely! I’m definitely going to be checking out our competitors!

M: We should have a chat with the support staff since they have an important role to play. They’ll be setting up the booth each morning and logging the contact info of all the potential customers we meet. I want them to scan every business card into our database so we don’t lose any contacts.

N: Great idea, Mark! That should make our follow-up effort much easier.

经理Nick说，他一定会利用这次机会 to check out our competitors 看看竞争对手的产品和实力。在这里，to check out something or someone 意思是检查，查看。Mark 说，负责后勤服务的人员也很重要，他们每天要把收集到的名片输入数据库。经理 Nick 觉得这是个好主意，It should make the follow-up effort much easier. 以后跟这些潜在的客户联系可以方便很多。

E: I’m so excited! I think this expo will really boost our sales! Plus, Frankfurt is a really cool city.

M: Yeah, after the show I’ll definitely explore Frankfurt. Maybe we can take a day or two off after the expo for some R&R!

N: Sounds like a plan! Ok, folks…let’s get busy! We have a lot to do.

会议结束前，大家都很兴奋。Elaine 觉得参加这次博览会一定会推动公司销量，而且法兰克福又是一个很好玩的城市。Mark 也说，准备交易会结束后，顺便请一、两天假，for some R&R. 这里的 R&R 代表 rest and relaxation 休息和放松。经理 Nick 最后说，sounds like a plan 意思是听起来不错。let’s get busy 那就行动起来吧。

A: Mark说，在开展会的时候，公司也可以check out our competitors看看竞争对手的产品，以确保stay on the cutting edge of our industry, 走在工业界的最前沿。还要让展台工作人员把所有来参观的人的信息保存好，这样follow-up effort would be much easier, 以后联系也方便。

B: Plus after all that they are going to need some R&R, rest and relaxation! It’s always a great idea to explore a city while you are on a business trip!

A: That’s true! 好啦，博览会就到这里吧! 现在咱们来进入今天最后一个单元….

B: Let’s listen to another words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 866 Run Into the Ground

美国习惯用语第866讲

前天晚上我去参加本地校董会的公开例会，大家一晚上都在谈责任的问题。学校管理人员说老师要为教学质量负责；家长说校董要为纳税人的钱负责；有些老师说学生要为自己在学校里的表现负责，最后听得我头都大了。不过，这倒让我想起了一个习惯用语，叫

M: Run into the ground. Run is spelled r-u-n, and ground; g-r-o-u-n-d. Run-into-the-ground.

Run意思是跑。Ground意思是地面。Run into the ground 这个习惯用语的意思是彻底讨论或是去做一件事情。刚才说到，在校董公开例会上，所有人都大谈责任的问题，一直讲到没有什么好讲了为止。这就可以说 They had run it into the ground. 在下面这个例子里，一群抗议示威者也又类似表现。我们一起听报道：

M: “Protesters have been arguing for months that the mayor is a racist. They assert that that’s why he doesn’t have more minorities working for him. And why he doesn’t deserve to be re-elected. They’ve talked about racism so often that they’ve RUN IT INTO THE GROUND! They need to find something new to say.”

这个记者说：几个月来，抗议示威者一直指责市长种族歧视。他们指出，这就是为什么市政府里没有更多的少数族裔，因此他不配连任市长。他们已经把种族歧视的话题说烂了，得找点儿别的新鲜话题说说了。

也许他们没有意识到，一件事情说得太过头就会失去效果。我正在上高中的侄女最近一直吵着，说自己需要一个 iPhone. She’s been RUNNING the topic INTO THE GROUND. 让我们再来听听上面那段话。

今天学习的习惯用语 run into the ground 还有另外一个意思，指彻底摧毁某个人或是某件事。我们一起听下面这个员工讲述他所在的部门发生的事情。

M: “Kathy should never have been promoted to supervisor. Her bad decisions led to poor sales and the loss of many talented employees. She almost RAN the department INTO THE GROUND. Fortunately, a replacement was hired, who slowly returned us to profitability.”

这个员工说：Kathy压根儿就不应该被提升为部门主任。她的一些错误决策造成了销售额的下跌和优秀员工的流失。她差点儿把这个部门搞垮。幸好换了个新领导，才慢慢让我们转亏为盈。或许，这个Kathy给自己手下的员工压力太大，She RUN them INTO THE GROUND, 让他们疲惫不堪，这些人被逼无奈才会辞职。我的邻居 Tom 曾经告诉过我，他从来不会把开了几年的旧车卖掉，每次都是买新车，使劲开，He run it into the ground. 直到开不动了为止，然后索性扔掉。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Mike, seriously, your laziness is running me into the ground! Either pick up the slack or I’m out!

B: Funny, your boyfriend was saying something very similar about you last night…….

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!

美语训练班第123课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Want to know how to enjoy life on a tight budget ? We will offer you some good tips in today’s show.

A: Is “staycation” even better than vacation? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍!

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “seal one’s fate” and “sign one’s own death warrant” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1815 blood drive

今天我们要学的词是blood drive. Blood is spelled b-l-o-o-d, blood, and drive, d-r-i-v-e, drive, blood drive. Blood drive 是献血活动的意思。The first national gay blood drive was held recently to combat the FDA’s ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. 美国不久前举行了第一次全国性的同性恋献血活动，专门针对美国食品药物管理局禁止同性恋和双性恋男性献血的禁令。Blood drive organizers wanted to show how much blood gay communities can contribute. 这次献血活动的组织者希望借此证明，同性恋人群到底能捐献多少血液。好的，今天我们学习的词是 blood drive, blood drive, blood drive…

A: 我最怕献血了! 看见那个大粗针头我就直哆嗦!

B: Yeah, I’m not a fan as well. Needles terrify me! But there is also a real need for blood donors and the knowledge that I might be sealing someone’s fate by not donating is more than I can handle.

A: That’s true. 诶，你提到了一个有意思的短语， seal one’s fate, let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 867 Seal One’s Fate

美国习惯用语第 867 讲

我侄女好几个月来，一直在为学校的圣诞舞会做准备，可她爸警告她说，如果物理成绩拿不到 B，就不许去参加舞会。我真替她捏把汗。不过，这倒让我想起一个习惯用语，叫

M: Seal one’s fate. Seal is spelled s-e-a-l, and fate; f-a-t-e. Seal-one’s-fate.

在这里，seal 是确定，决定的意思。fate 大家都知道，是命运。 to seal one’s fate 意思就是决定命运，往往指不好的命运，就象刚才说到的，如果我侄女的物理成绩不能提高的话，It will SEAL HER FATE. 她就别想去参加什么圣诞舞会了，那她一定失望死了。下面这个例子里的年轻人似乎也很失望，是什么事情决定了他的命运呢？让我们一起听：

M: “My son graduated 1 in his class, got near perfect scores on the national aptitude tests and had an impressive background. We were so hopeful when he sent in his college application. But the rejection letter he received SEALED HIS FATE. He wouldn’t be getting into Harvard after all.”

这位妈妈说：我儿子毕业时，是班里第一名，参加全国能力考试几乎得了满分，而且过去表现一直特别棒，他递交大学申请的时候我们满怀希望，但是一封不予录取通知书就决定了他的命运。他最终还是没能上成哈佛大学。

这么厉害的学生，进不了哈佛也一定会有出息。美国的好大学多得是，很多事业有成的人，其实并不是长春藤名校的毕业生。不过，这个孩子的失望心情是可想而知的。让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在下面这个例子里，一个保龄球队的队长谈到了他们即将参加的比赛。我们一起听听，这场比赛为什么那么重要。

M: “We’ve been bowling strong all season. Yet everything depends on tonight’s play off. We’ll be up against our toughest challenger. If they beat us, they’ll SEAL OUR FATE. Since only the winning team will advance to the finals, we’ve got to play our best! ”

他说：我们整个赛季发挥得都很好，但关键还是要看今天晚上季后赛的表现。我们要对付的是最厉害的对手，如果他们赢了，一切就都完了，因为谁赢谁就能获得决赛的资格，所以我们一定要发挥出最高水平。

我最喜欢的经典电影之一是“雨中曲”， Singing in the Rain. 片子结尾的时候，观众才发现，原来他们最崇拜的女明星说话的声音居然如此难听。That sealed her fate. 好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

Seal One’s Fate 这个习惯用语历史久远，出现于十七世纪中期。我最近收到一封新听众的来信，他说自己以前错过了很多集习惯用语，担心会影响到英语水平的提高。我告诉他，missing a lot of our previous shows won’t SEAL HIS FATE. 我们的文字和声音文档在网上都是可以找到的。

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: Hear that Mike? You need to find a way to cure your laziness, otherwise it will seal your fate…

B: Haha, If I do then that just gives me an excuse to have a “staycation at home!

A: Wait…staycation? What’s that?

B: With the bad economic situation, maybe families are turning vacations into staycations. That is, staying at home, spend time around each other, and be cozy!

A: That…actually sounds not bad at all!

B: Haha, sounds like you have a lazy bone as well! (A: Ugh…) Speaking of getting laid off, In today’s business etiquette, we will take a look at how to live on a tight budget!

A: Let’s check it out!

礼节美语Living with less”Staycation” I

很久不见的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃饭。Lisa 先到，注意听她帮朋友点了些什么菜。

Lisa: Karen! Gina! So good to see you! Sit down!

Karen: Hi, Lisa!

Gina: Good to see you, too! It’s been so long!

L: Indeed it has! I ordered your favorite dish: spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and I got Gina the vegetarian pasta!

G: Excellent!

K: I really do love the spaghetti here.

Lisa 最早一个到，已经帮 Karen 和 Gina 点好了她们爱吃的菜 their favorite dish，Karen 爱吃 spaghetti with cherry tomatoes 加小西红柿的意大利面条；Gina 爱吃 vegetarian pasta 素的通心粉，vegetarian is spelled v-e-g-e-t-a-r-i-a-n, vegetarian 吃素的，素食的。

L: So what’s new? Are you planning a vacation this summer?

G: Well…frankly…I’m not sure we have the budget for a vacation this year.

K: Yeah, actually we’re thinking about skipping the vacation too.

L: I think money is tight for everyone these days. Last year we went to the Indonesian resort island of Bali for six days! It was incredible, but we did end up spending over five grand!

K: We went to Mexico last year and stayed at a villa by the beach!

G: Last year we did Alaska…absolutely gorgeous…but pretty pricey as well.

Lisa 问大家，夏天计划去哪里渡假。Gina 说，I’m not sure we have the budget for a vacation this year. 今年恐怕没钱出去玩了。Karen 也说，考虑 skip the vacation 渡假就免了。Lisa 说，现在大家手头都紧，money is tight for everyone. 去年她们一家去巴厘岛，结果花了五千多美元。end up doing something 意思是最后，结果做了某事。five grand 就是 five thousand dollars. Karen 去年去了墨西哥，Gina 去了阿拉斯加，都很贵，pricey, pricey is spelled p-r-i-c-e-y, 是价钱很贵的意思。

L: Well, we have to face reality and adapt to it. There just isn’t any extra money lying around these days.

K: You can say that again! I’ve been penny-pinching all year!

G: Our family has basically stopped eating out. I cook almost every meal and while it takes some extra effort…cooking at home saves us a lot of money!

Lisa 说，大家都要面对现实，适应现实，to face reality and adapt to it. 如今谁都没有多少闲钱，There isn’t any extra money lying around. Karen 马上表示赞同，说她一年来花钱一直特别节省，I’ve been penny-pinching all year. penny-pinch 意思是一分钱掰成两半花，节省。Gina 也说，她们一家现在基本上不出去吃饭 to eat out 是出去吃饭的意思，相反的是 cook at home 自己在家做，能省不少钱。她们三个人还有什么省钱的诀窍呢？我们下次继续听。

A: 三个好朋友聚在一起吃饭，Lisa说，她可能需要skip the vacation, 不能去渡假了，因为现在出去渡假对她来说too pricey, 太贵了。现在的经济环境下there isn’t any extra money lying around, 谁都没有什么闲钱。Karen说，I’ve been penny-pinching, 意思是一分钱掰成两半花。

B: I’ve been watching my budget too. Dining out is a really big part of the DC culture, but once I start cooking by myself, it saved me a lot of money!

A: True, and I bet it’s healthier! Let’s keep listening to Lisa, Karen and Gina and see what good tips they have on saving money!

礼节美语Living with less”Staycation” II

很久不见的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃饭。三个人都说，现在手头很紧，彼此交换勤俭持家的经验。Karen 说，

K: We’ve stopped going to the theater! We used to take the kids every Saturday, but with each ticket costing about 10 bucks, it adds up to a couple of hundred dollars a month! These days we just rent a movie and stay at home.

G: But you know, even though we can’t do as many things as we used to, I feel like our family has grown closer since we’ve been spending more time together.

Karen 说，原来每星期六都要带孩子去看电影，但是电影票一张十块钱，10 bucks, buck is spelled b-u-c-k, buck 是口语里提到美元时常用的词。一个月下来，一家人看电影就要两百块，上面用到的 it adds up to 是加在一起的意思，把这笔钱省了，一家人租影碟在家看。Gina 说，虽然没那么多钱玩这玩那了，但是一家人经常在一起，our family has grown closer 感情反而更亲密了。

L: That’s true for us as well. We play board games at night with the kids and when we watch movies we do it as a family. It’s funny, but the recession is forcing us to get creative and actually…it’s kind of fun!

K: You know the old saying: troubles can be a blessing in disguise.

L: I think it all depends on your attitude. If you stay positive, saving money can be a fun challenge. But being depressed about it doesn’t help anything.

Lisa 也有同感，因为经济衰退逼得大家不能花钱买娱乐，不得不回去陪孩子玩游戏，一家人一起看电影，反而其乐融融。老话说，troubles can be a blessing in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。Lisa 表示同意，说一切都取决于心态，如果心态是 positive 积极的话，省钱也能变成一件开心的挑战，萎靡不振 doesn’t help anything. 于事无补。

G: Another thing that has really helped our family is instituting the thirty-day rule.

K: What’s the thirty-day rule?

G: Well, every time we think about buying something we don’t really need, we wait thirty days and then ask ourselves if we still want it. A lot of times after thirty days, we can’t even remember why we wanted it in the first place!

Gina 说，为省钱，她们家还采纳了 thirty-day rule 三十天原则，就是买一件东西之前，必须等30天，如果30天后还是想买的话，才可以买。Gina 说，a lot of times 很多时候，30天过后，她们早就记不起来当初为什么想买了。三个人省钱还有什么高招吗？我们下次继续听。

A: Gina说，现在没有闲钱出去，一家人反而经常在一起，our family grow closer since we’ve been spending more time together。Lisa也有同感，troubles can be a blessing in disguise, 塞翁失马，焉知非福。

B: Exactly! If you stay positive, saving money can be a fun challenge! And once you form healthy spending habits, it’s going to benefit you for the long run!

A: True! Gina also invented this 30 day rule! Will it work? Let’s listen and find out!

礼节美语Living with less”Staycation” III

很久不见的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃饭。三个人都说，现在手头很紧，彼此交换勤俭持家的经验。Gina 说，她们家实行三十天规则，想买什么东西，先要等上三十天，如果三十天过后还觉得需要的话，才能买，Lisa 觉得这个办法不错。

L: What a great rule! My kids keep bugging me to buy a flat screen TV and I really think we can wait until next year when they will be cheaper. I’m going to institute the thirty-day rule and see if they still want it!

K: I find that if I write a very specific shopping list before I go to the mall and stick to it…I’m much less likely to buy unnecessary stuff. The trick is to force yourself to stick to the shopping list! No exceptions!

Lisa 说，孩子一直吵着要买个平面电视，bug someone to do something 意思是缠着某人做某事。Karen 又说，如果把需要买的东西列在单子上，write a shopping list, shopping list 意思是购物清单，就不会看见什么买什么，结果买了一大堆不需要的东西回来。她还介绍经验说，The trick is to force yourself to stick to the shopping list! 诀窍是必需严格遵照购物清单，stick to something 是严格遵守的意思。No exceptions. 不能有例外。

G: Yep…Sticking to it is the hard part! In any case, this recession is teaching all of us to have better discipline and that’s a good thing.

L: Yes, it sure it. We could all learn some self-control!

K: We sure could! The days of free spending are over. No more “putting it on the card.”

Gina 表示赞同，说 sticking to the shopping list is the hard part. hard part 指难度较大的部分，换句话说，Writing down the things you need to buy is the easy part.

Sticking to the shopping list is the hard part. 把需要买的东西列在购物清单上很容易，能完全按照这个单子买东西就没那么容易了。Karen 在上面那段话中还说，The days of free spending are over. 花钱不假思索的日子结束了。no more “putting it on the card.” 这里所说的”put it on the card”意思是刷卡。

G: Hey! I’ve got a great idea! Let’s have a three-day “staycation”…it’s a vacation at home! You can bring the kids over to my place and we’ll all have fun together.

L: That sounds like fun!

K: Super idea! Let’s start our “staycation” this Saturday!

G: Great! See you then!

Gina 突发奇想，建议大家一起来个三天的 “staycation,” staycation is spelled s-t-a-y-c-a-t-i-o-n, staycation, 是 stay 跟 vacation 连在一起组成的，是这两年出现的新词，指经济不好，在家渡假。大家一致同意，觉得这个主意真不错。

A: Karen说，一个省钱的好方法是每次都写一个shopping list, 购物单，然后force yourself to stick to it, 严格按照购物清单的条款来买，no exceptions，不能有例外。

B: Yep, I guess the days of free spending are over! But it might be a blessing in disguise, it could help the whole nation learn how to save.

A: 哈哈哈，没错! 好啦，staycation 就到这里吧! 现在咱们来进入今天最后一个单元….
B: Let’s listen to another words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 868 SIGN ONE’S OWN DEATH WARRANT

美国习惯用语第 868 讲

我刚跟我一个做银行出纳的朋友吃完午饭。她最近失业了，不过也要怪她自己。不久前开会，她好心建议，可以增设自动提款机，减少开支，银行高层接受了她的建议，结果非常成功，反而不需要她们这些出纳了。这让我想起一个习惯用语，叫

M: To sign one’s own death warrant. Sign is spelled s-i-g-n; death is d-e-a-t-h, and warrant; w-a-r-r-a-n-t. To-sign-one’s-own-death-warrant.

Sign 是签署的意思。death warrant 死亡证书。to sign one’s own death warrant 自己签自己的死亡证书，显而易见，就是自我毁灭，自寻死路的意思。就象我那个出纳朋友，主动提议银行增设自动提款机，全自动了，还要他们这些出纳做什么呢？这就叫 She signed her own death warrant. 在下面这个例子里，一位作者怎么会搬起石头砸了自己的脚呢？我们一起听：

M: “One of my best selling authors became a multi-millionaire with the continuing adventures of “Detective X”. So why did he decide to have his lead character murdered? I don’t understand. He must have known that by doing so he was SIGNING HIS OWN DEATH WARRANT. His long career with the series is now over!”

这个作家的经纪人说：我的最畅销的作家之一就是仗着他的‘侦探X’系列才成为百万富翁的。他为什么要让主角给人谋杀呢？这我就不懂了。他一定知道，这样做是自毁生路。他写了这么长的系列就算结束了。

美国不久前刚刚发生了一起气球男孩事件，孩子的父亲承认，他们欺骗媒体和警方，说孩子爬到热气球里在天上飞，其实完全是为了增加知名度，争取能做个真人秀。可事实上，he signed his own death warrant. 不仅没做成真人秀，反而可能要去坐牢。让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在下面这个例子里，一家录像出租店顺应时代潮流，改变经营模式，让我们听听他们的诀窍。

M: “Star Video did a thriving business when everyone was going to their stores to rent movies. Then the industry began to change. So they added an online mail-order service, featuring all kinds of entertainment, including video games. They could have SIGNED THEIR OWN DEATH WARRANT. Instead, they made a smart move that kept them competitive.”

这段话说的是：原来，所有人都到明星录像店去租电影看，他们的生意火得要命。后来，整个录像带租赁行业发生了变化，他们就增加了网上邮购的服务，提供各种娱乐产品和电子游戏。他们不仅没有自毁前程，反而采取了很聪明的做法，保存了竞争力。

跟 to sign one’s own death warrant 相类似的，还有一种说法，叫 to order one’s own execution 自己下令处死自己，意思也是自绝生路。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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.

B: Seriously Yanglin, if you don’t start dressing in more appropriate cloths when you come to work, you’re signing your own death warrant when you dress like that!

A: Keep talking and You’ll be signing yours!

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!

美语训练班第124课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Wanna know the differences in business culture between American and Chinese companies? We will offer you some great tips on how to perform in an international business environment.

A: 中国人到底有多要面子? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “slippery slope” and “small potatoes” mean!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1828 expired

今天我们要学的词是expired. Expired is spelled e-x-p-i-r-e-d, expired. Expired 形容词，意思是过期的。He was pulled over by the police and got a ticket for having an expired registration. 他开车时被警察拦下来，因为车子注册已经过去，吃了一张罚单。Flushing expired medicines down the toilet is a source of pollution. 把过期药品从马桶里冲走，会对环境造成污染。A Chinese woman accused of defacing The Washington National Cathedral was traveling on an expired visa. 被控在美国华盛顿国家大教堂上胡乱涂抹，破坏建筑外观的一名中国女子所持有美国入境签证已经过期。好的，今天我们学习的词是 expired, expired, expired…

B: I always look at the expiration dates when I go grocery shopping. I guess that’s a good habit.

A: I think you should pay more attention to the calorie chart instead!

B: Very funny, 杨琳，very funny.

A: I’m sorry! You know I’m kidding! It’s just I’ve been eating a lot lately since the weather is getting colder, and I need to look at those numbers carefully!

B: Actually I can see that…sounds like you are already on a slippery slope! (A: Hey!) Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms, slippery slope!

Words and Idioms 871 slippery slope

美国习惯用语第871讲

我最近收拾东西，翻出一张十年前的照片，当时我在一家进出口公司做市场开发，老板 Sue 是我遇到的最严厉的上司，开会迟到一分钟都会挨骂，她的理论是，这次晚一分钟，下次就会晚两分钟。今天我们要学的习惯用语恰恰跟她的信条相吻合，那就是：

M: Slippery slope. Slippery is spelled s-l-i-p-p-e-r-y, and slope; s-l-o-p-e. Slippery-slope. Slippery 是打滑的意思；slope 是斜坡。不言而喻，A slippery slope 打滑的斜坡，意思是越来越糟。你现在一定明白了，为了我以前的老板 Sue 眼睛里揉不进一粒沙子。在她看来，迟到一次不纠正，Then you were on a SLIPPERY SLOPE. 以后就会越来越糟。在下面这个例子里，一个父亲发现十几岁的女儿在商店偷东西，我们一起听听这位父亲的反应。

M: “I realize when my 12 year-old took a bottle of perfume from a store without paying, she was shoplifting. But that doesn’t mean she’s heading down a SLIPPERY SLOPE towards a life of crime. She understands the seriousness of what she did. And she promises never to steal again.”

这位父亲说：我知道，十二岁的女儿在商店里拿香水不交钱是偷东西，可这并不意味着她已经走上了一条越陷越深的犯罪道路。她已经明白了这件事情的严重性，而且保证以后再也不偷了。

我同意这个父亲的看法，只要让孩子了解问题的严重性，以后不犯就好了。但是有些事情，则万万不能开先例。比如说，我家狗还小的时候，老公觉得它可爱，让它进卧室更我们一起睡，我当时就警告他，We are on a slippery slope. 结果被我不幸言中，如今狗大了，可是再也赶不出去了。

让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在下面的例子里，一个小镇居民在是否愿意在镇子里兴建大型游乐场的问题上存在严重分歧。让我们听听下面的报道。

M: “The citizens are divided over whether to allow an amusement park to be built in our historic town. Supporters argue that it will bring entertainment and a needed source of tax revenue. Critics say we’d be getting on a SLIPPERY SLOPE. Before long, they contend, we could expect more and more traffic problems, and undesirable development. As they see it, our community’s quality of life would eventually be destroyed.”

这个人说：小镇居民在是否应该在这个历史性小镇里兴建游乐场的问题上存在意见分歧。支持者说，游乐场会给小镇带来娱乐活动和税务收入。批判者说，我们会在这条路上越陷越深，用不了多久，交通堵塞和其它大家不愿看到的商业开发活动就会接踵而至。他们认为，我们社区的生活质量终将受到破坏。

这倒让我想起我的一个邻居。他坚决主张公民有权拥有枪支，反对任何限制枪支的立法。在他眼里，It’s a SLIPPERY SLOPE. 用不了多久，政府就会全面禁枪。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: Gosh, I hope the government shutdown get fixed soon, otherwise it’s going to be a slippery slope…

B: I know! The last government shutdown was in 1995 and it lasted for 21 days. That for sure hurt the economy enormously.

A: I feel like this is bad for everyone in the U.S., and it’s such a loss of face for the congress!

B: Well, that’s what happens when no one is willing to compromise! Actually in today’s business etiquette, we will discuss this exact topichow to save face!

A: Ha, my favorite! Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 saving face/guanxi I

Jerry 要去中国出差，找同事 Amy 请教。

Jerry: Hey Amy…your family is from China, right?

A:Yep. I was born and raised in Shanghai. Why do you ask?

J: Well, I hope you don’t mind…but I’m planning a business trip to China soon and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers.

A: You mean like where to go for food or shopping?

J: That would be good, too. But I’m actually hoping you might give me some insights into doing business in China.

A: Ah…sure! I think I can help. Do you have a specific question?

Jerry 准备去中国出差，希望Amy能给自己点建议 give me some pointers. pointer is spelled p-o-i-n-t-e-r, pointer 是指点，建议的意思。Amy 从小在上海长大，看来 Jerry 算是找对人了。Jerry 并不是想了解吃饭、购物的事，而是想知道在中国做生意的一些规矩。

J: Well, for starters, what do they mean by “saving face?”

A: “Saving face” is a catch-all term for the concept of honor. In China there is a protocol to everything and it should be followed, otherwise you and the other party might be embarrassed.

J: So in short…saving face is about avoiding embarrassment?

A: Exactly. Say you’re late to a meeting. This would cause you to lose face.

For starters, 首先，Jerry想知道什么是有面子，saving face. Amy 解释说，saving face is a catch-all term for the concept of honor. 有面子包括了所有跟荣誉和颜面有关的问题。这里所说的 catch-all is spelled c-a-t-c-h, catch, a-l-l, all, catch-all 意思是全部包含、统统适用的。Amy 说，中国人干什么都讲究规矩，protocol, p-r-o-t-o-c-o-l, protocol, 按规矩做事，大家都有面子，破坏了规矩，就会让人 lose face 丢脸，比如说开会迟到。

J: How can you go about regaining your “face”, or your honor?

A: It depends on how serious the offense was. If you were late, you can repeatedly apologize and the other person will probably forgive you.

J: But I would need to apologize more times than I would if I was late here in America?

A: Yes. Make many apologies. The person will probably say it’s not a big deal, but in fact it could be a pretty big deal to them, so make sure to say sorry if you make a mistake.

如何才能 regain face 挽回面子呢？Amy 说，这要看你错误的严重程度。It depends on how serious the offense was. 如果开会迟到，你最好使劲道歉，请求对方原谅。对方可能嘴上会说，it’s not a big deal. 没什么大不了的，但事实上，他们心里可能非常在意，所以一定要再三道歉。

A: Jerry要到中国去出差，向同事Amy询问中国的企业文化, ask for some pointers, 寻求一些建议。Amy说，中国人很看重saving face, 有面子，所以要按规矩办事 follow protocols。如果做错了什么事，make many apologies, 使劲道歉。

B: That’s what was frustrating for me when I was in China. Most of the time people don’t mean what they say! They might tell me that it’s not a big deal, but actually it can be a pretty big deal to them!

A: Yep, you got to learn how to pick up subtleties for you to do well in a Chinese cultural environment. Let’s keep listening to Amy and see what pointers she has for us!

礼节美语 saving face/guanxi II

Jerry 要去中国出差，找同事 Amy 请教。

Jerry: My book on Chinese culture says that the idea of shame is a big part of how society works.

A: That’s true. Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual.

J: Pretty much the opposite of the U.S. huh?

A: Yeah. In China your actions at work reflect on your employer and your daily conduct reflects on your family.

J: So if you shame yourself you’re also shaming your employer?

A: In some cases, yes.

集体的概念在中国文化里很重要。Amy 说，Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual. 相对个人而言，中国文化更重视集体，the opposite of the U.S. 跟美国正相反。你工作时的表现会影响到你公司的形象，你的日常举止行为能反映出你的家庭教养，to reflect on someone 是影响到某人形象的意思。

A: Chinese culture doesn’t encourage showboating or aggressive self-promotion.

J: Ha! In America, we promote ourselves all the time! It’s the only way to get noticed.

A: But in Chinese society, you might have a better chance at getting a promotion at work by being a real team player. The best advice I can give to a foreigner who wants to do business in China is this: be sincere, try not to offend and tone down the volume.

中国文化不鼓励 showboat 自我吹嘘，也不鼓励 self-promotion 自我宣传。在美国，只有自我宣传才能得到上司的注意，然而在中国，最好的途径是 be a real team player. 做团队的一员。Amy 说，她给外国人最好的建议是：be sincere 真诚；try not to offend 不要冒犯别人；以及 tone down the volume. 调低音量。

J: What do you mean when you say, “turn down the volume?”

S: Well, for one thing: don’t talk so loud! Americans are loud and although China is a very noisy country, people don’t like it when you draw attention to yourself.

J: Would that include how I dress as well?

A: Certainly. Try to blend in as much as possible. The locals will appreciate the effort.

J: Wow, Amy….I’m so glad I talked with you! You’ve been a great source of information.

A: Sure. Let me know if you need more specifics.

Amy 建议 Jerry 讲话不要太大声，因为 People don’t like it when you draw attention to yourself. 大家不喜欢那些故意吸引别人注意的人。另外，穿着打扮也不要太醒目，Try to blend in as much as possible 意思是融入周围的环境，也就是说，Jerry 应该尽量设法跟周围的人打成一片。

A: Amy说，Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual. 中国文化的核心就是集体的概念比个人概念更重要。中国公司里不鼓励self-promotion 自我宣传，最好的方法就是be a real team player, 做团队的一员。她给Jerry的建议是: be sincere 真诚；try not to offend 不要冒犯别人；以及 tone down the volume. 调低音量。

B: Yeah, I found that all to be true when I was in China. Its more about succeeding as a group than finding personal success.

A: That’s true. Alright, 面子的话题就到这里吧! 我们接着进行我们的课程，来听下面的learn a word!

Learn A Word 1830 outright

今天我们要学的词是outright. Outright is spelled o-u-t-r-i-g-h-t, outright. Outright 形容词，意思是全面的，彻底的。An outright lie 彻头彻尾的谎言。The company has no other choice than an outright sale. 这家公司已经别无选择，只能准备把公司卖掉。在美国，The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, but it can’t ban it outright. 食品和药物管理局有权规定香烟里尼古丁含量的多少，但是不能彻底禁止香烟里尼古丁成分的存在。好的，今天我们学习的词是 outright, outright, outright…

A: Speaking of cigarettes, I heard DC is coming out with a law that will ban smoking in public places and within 20 feet of a building, but it can’t ban it outright.

B: I kinda wish it could be a outright ban, I hate the smell of cigarettes!

A:I know, but compare to the old days when smoking was not banned at all, I enjoy bars and restaurants a lot more today!

B: Ah, you are so content with what you have! It might be small potatoes for you, but it’s a big deal for me!

A: 知足长乐嘛! 好啦，你刚才提到了一个词儿，small potatoes, let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 872 SMALL POTATOES

美国习惯用语第 872 讲

我的一个朋友要买房，我周末陪她一起去看，我看着最满意的一栋房子有三个卧室，两个卫生间，地下室全都铺了硬木地板，新装修的厨房，还有一个一英亩大的花园。可我那个朋友居然因为不喜欢厨房的橱柜，就一口回绝了。这倒让我想起一个习惯用语，可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Small potatoes. Potatoes is spelled p-o-t-a-t-o-e-s. Small-potatoes.

SMALL POTATO 小土豆，说一个人或是一件事是 SMALL POTATO 意思就是无足轻重，微不足道。就好比我那个朋友，买房子不看房子的格局和设计，反而对厨房的抽屉，橱柜挑三拣四。我认为，其实这些东西都是 SMALL POTATOES 根本不重要。

不过话说回来，有时候，对一个人微不足道的事情对另外一个来说却是举足轻重的大事。为了说明这一点，让我们一起来听下面这个经济记者的报道。

M: “How much would you guess the United States annually spends on its agriculture and forests? $10 million? $1 billion? Actually, last year, it was about $20 billion. That might seem like a huge amount of money. But compared to the more than $610 billion dollars on both defense and Social Security, it’s really SMALL POTATOES.”

这位记者说：你猜猜，美国每年在农业和林业上的开支是多少？一千万？十亿？告诉你吧，去年美国在农林业上的支出有大约两百亿美元。这听上去好象是很大的一笔钱，但如果跟花在国防和社会保障上的6100亿比，那可真是微不足道了。

说起来不好意思，我上周末在家还因为请客吃饭买什么牌子的葡萄酒跟先生斗嘴。转念一想，跟那些失去工作，或是失去房子的人相比，我生活中那些问题全都是 SMALL POTATOES. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在下面这个例子里，年轻画家 Dorothy 的作品最近引起了很大反响。让我们一起听听她哥哥是怎么说的。

M: “Dorothy’s getting lots of attention for her paintings. Her recent exhibit made headlines in the local paper. And she just received the top prize at our town’s art festival. Some people dismiss her work as SMALL POTATOES. Then again, perhaps one day it may hang in important museums.”

她哥哥说：Dorothy 的画引起了很多人的注意，她最近的画展登上了本地报纸头条，她还赢得了镇里艺术节的头等奖。有些人说她的作品微不足道，可谁知道呢，她的作品没准哪天还能出现在大博物馆的墙上呢！

如果Dorothy真有天才，运气又好的话，没准真能出名！这倒让我想起，几个星期前，韩国歌星 Rain 来华盛顿为自己的新电影做宣传，我打了几通电话，没想到 Rain 的经纪人居然同意让他跟我做专访。没想到，我这种 SMALL POTATO 居然能请到 RAIN 这样的大牌明星。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

SMALL POTATO 这种说法最早可以追溯到1836年。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: So are you finally coming to grips with the fact that you are small potatoes around here Mike?

B: Sure! At least a potato is useful, unlike some people I know……

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!

美语训练班第125课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Need to know how to negotiate for a business loan? We will offer you some tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 完美主义会对你的生活产生什么影响? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “have a soft spot for” and “square away” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1834 perfection

今天我们要学的词是 perfection. Perfection is spelled p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n, perfection. Perfection 意思是完美，尽善尽美。The lamb chop was cooked to perfection. 这羊排做得无懈可击。She is a workaholic, who always strives for perfection. 她是个工作狂，而且做什么事都追求尽善尽美。皮尤研究中心的统计数字显示，2011年美国人里只有51%处于已婚状态，远远低于1960年时的72%。Experts say part of the reason is that some people are demanding an unrealistic degree of perfection from their partners. 有专家认为，部分原因是有些人很不现实地要求自己的伴侣是完美的化身。好的，今天我们学习的词是 perfection, perfection, perfection…

A: Guilty as charged. I always want to find someone who’s perfect, but now I realize that’s just unrealistic.

B: Yep, we all need to learn how to be tolerate and accept the flaws of our partners.

A: Knowing you, a girl could easily win your heart as long as she’s good at cooking. Food is the way to your heart, ha?

B: Haha, you know me! I do have a soft spot for gourmet food. Luckily for me my girlfriend is a gourmet chef!

A: Good for you! 你刚才提到了一个说法，have a soft spot for. 我们来听听今天的美国习惯用语，学学这个短语的用法!

Words and Idioms 873 Have a Soft Spot For

美国习惯用语第 873 讲

周末朋友从外地来华盛顿玩，我陪他们去参加一日游。可怜的导游，一看就是新手，被七嘴八舌的游客问得难以招架。我年轻的时候也当过导游，所以感同身受，深知她的苦衷。这也让我想起一个习惯用语可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Have a soft spot for. Soft is spelled s-o-f-t, and spot; s-p-o-t. Have a soft spot for.

to have a soft spot for something or someone 意思是因为喜爱，所以对某个人或是某件事心软。比如说，Grandpa has a soft spot for Jimmy, his first grandson. 爷爷偏爱长孙 Jimmy. 在刚才的例子中，正因为我以前做过导游，所以很能理解那个年轻导游的感受，I have a soft spot for tour guides.

下面例子中的这个人谈到了自己一个表面冷酷无情、其实内心善良的叔叔，让我们听听他是怎么说的。

M: “Uncle Phil has a reputation as a tough guy who’s unfeeling. But what most people don’t know is that he can be quite caring. He’s donated a lot of time and money to charities that help those less fortunate than him. Clearly, he HAS A SOFT SPOT FOR the underprivileged.”

这个人说：菲尔叔叔一直以冷酷无情的硬汉形象著称。可是，大多数人并不了解的是，他是一个很关心别人的人。他向一些慈善机构捐赠了很多时间和金钱，帮助那些不如他幸运的人。显然，他很同情那些弱势人群。

这也让我想起2009年刚去世的美国政治家泰德•肯尼迪。他是美国前总统约翰•肯尼迪的弟弟，在国会参议院当了46年参议员。虽然他生长在一个富有的政治世家，Ted Kennedy had a soft spot for people who didn’t grow up with the advantages he had. 泰德•肯尼迪对生长环境不如他优越的人格外关心。他将自己毕生的精力用于争取民权、消费者利益和医疗保健。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

美国人非常关心动物。在下面的例子中，一位妇女开办了一个服务中心，为狗寻找温暖的家。让我们听听她先生是怎么说的。

M: “My wife started an adoption service for dogs. What started out with finding a home for one unwanted puppy became a full-time occupation. Thanks to her, over 200 dogs have been rescued. She could have chosen a job that’s easier and higher paying. But she HAS A SOFT SPOT for dogs in need. It’s very fulfilling.”

他说：我太太办了一个狗收养中心。最初只是要给一只没人要的小狗找个家，后来居然变成了全职工作。在她的帮助下，已经有两百多只狗被救。她本可以选择一个更容易做、工资更高的工作，但是她看见那些需要帮助的狗就会心软。这份工作让她很充实。

我一直想去动物收容所做义工，可我老公不同意，因为他知道，I have a soft spot for kittens. 我特别喜欢小猫咪，一定会带一堆回家。不过，如果我女儿提出养猫，那就另当别论了，因为 My husband has always had a soft spot for our daughter. 我老公特别疼爱女儿，对她百依百顺。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: I totally have a soft spot for cute doggies! When they look at me with their watery eyes, my heart just melts! But then comes the responsibility of feeding them, petting them, and taking them out for walks…

B: I know! A lot of people get puppies when they don’t have the time or energy to take care of them. But I guess you can do it now since you got your own place!

A: 呵呵，I think I should focus on paying off my mortgage for now.

B: Yeah…loans, gah and numbers are so complicated!

A: Not for Asians! (笑) Actually in today’s business etiquette, we will discuss this exact topichow to take out a loan!

B: Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Taking Out a Loan I

三角洲通讯公司老板John Smith到银行申请贷款，接待他的是银行负责人 Ted Johnson。

Ted Johnson: Hello, Mr. Smith. Thanks for stopping by.

Smith: Hello, and call me John.

Ted: Sure…but only if you call me Ted.

J: Done.

T: So you are the CEO of Delta Communications. What exactly does your firm make?

J: We are the leading supplier of walkie-talkie radios and other shortwave communication devices.

John Smith 和 Ted Johnson 相互问候，彼此坚持要对方用 first name 称呼自己，以便拉近距离，不会显得太客气。史密斯是三角洲通讯公司的CEO, Chief Executive Officer 首席执行官，这家公司主要生产对讲机等短波通讯工具。walkie-talkie 是中文里说的对讲机。

T: Ah…I see. How’s business these days?

J: Actually, not bad. We landed a couple of major contracts in Southeast Asia recently and in spite of the recession, we’re humming along quite nicely.

T: That’s good to hear. It’s been a rough couple of years. I’ve had to deny hundreds of loan applications and we’ve had to take legal action to recover loans as well.

史密斯说，他们公司的业务没有受到经济危机的影响，刚在东南亚签了几个重要合同。we’re humming along quite nicely. 生意蒸蒸日上。 hum is spelled h-u-m, hum 有忙忙碌碌的意思。Ted 则抱怨说，最近两年贷款很不好做 It’s been a rough couple of years，rough, r-o-u-g-h, rough 在这里是困难的意思。不仅很多贷款申请不符合标准被退回，而且还不得不采取法律手段追缴贷款。

J: That sounds tough.

T: It is! No one wants to be the bad guy and people have a stereotype of bankers as unfeeling and cruel. But contracts are contracts and I have to run my business, right?

J: Yeah. You know what they say: business is business-it’s not personal.

T: Well, I do sympathize with people’s difficulties. But there’s really nothing I can do.

Ted 说，No one wants to be the bad guy 谁都不想当恶人，大家对银行家有成见，成见 stereotype is spelled s-t-e-r-e-o-t-y-p-e, stereotype，普遍认为银行家冷血，不尽人情 unfeeling and cruel，但是做生意是为了赚钱，contracts are contracts合同就是合同，或者说，business is business. It’s not personal. 这是做生意，不是针对任何人。Ted 同时也表示，他很理解和同情大家的难处，但又没有办法。这里用的 sympathize is spelled s-y-m-p-a-t-h-i-z-e, sympathize 是同情。

A: Ted说，现在经济危机， It’s been a rough couple of years, 近几年来生意不好做，他们需要对很多人追债。大家都对银行家有成见，people have a stereotype of bankers, 但是 business is business, it’s not personal, 生意就是生意，不是针对任何人。

B: Guilty, I often think of businessmen as being heartless and cruel, but it’s a stereotype, and it’s not fair to everyone.

A: Yep, 亲兄弟明算账嘛! Let’s keep listening to John and see how he’s going to ask for a loan!

礼节美语 Taking Out a Loan II

三角洲通讯公司老板John Smith到银行申请贷款，接待他的是银行负责人Ted Johnson，Johnson 抱怨最近两年经济危机，贷款很难做，经常会迫不得已走法律程序，追缴贷款。

T: I do sympathize with people’s difficulties. But if I don’t foreclose on mortgages or call in bad loans. I’ll go bankrupt, too!

J: Yep…that’s just how it goes.

T: So John, you mentioned in your email that you’re thinking about taking out a loan.

J: Yes. You see, my company has been expanding quite rapidly and I’d like to construct a new warehouse.

Ted 说，他很同情大家的困难，但是如果他不去没收贷款抵押的财产权，不清理呆帐，自己就会破产。上面说的 foreclose is spelled f-o-r-e-c-l-o-s-e, foreclose 是银行没收抵押产权的意思，to call in 意思是收回，bad loan 指无力偿还的呆账。俩人的对话接下来切入主题。John因为公司扩大规模，打算加盖一个仓库，所以需要贷款。

T: Well, you came to the right bank. We have a long tradition of supporting young entrepreneurs like yourself. What kind of figure are we looking at here?

J: I think 200,000 dollars is the estimate for construction costs.

T: Well, that shouldn’t be a problem. Your company is worth a lot more than that amount.

Ted 说，他们银行一贯支持象史密斯这样的年轻创业者，entrepreneur is spelled e-n-t-r-e-p-r-e-n-e-u-r, entrepreneur 是企业家的意思。John Smith 说，工程费大约需要二十万。Ted 觉得，that shouldn’t be a problem. 应该没问题，因为史密斯公司的价值要远远超过这个数字。

J: Yes, but because we’re a public company with shareholders, it’s hard to get proposals passed. I was thinking of taking out a personal loan.

T: Ah…a personal loan. That is a bit more complicated. Can I ask what kind of collateral you could offer?

J: Well, I have my personal stock in the company and our family has a yacht as well.

T: Sounds like that should cover it. I’ll need you to bring in the original deeds and certificates.

J: Sure. I can stop by on Friday.

原来，John的公司是上市公司，a public company, 让股东们通过提案太麻烦，所以他希望以个人身份贷款，to take out a personal loan. 个人贷款需要 collateral is spelled c-o-l-l-a-t-e-r-a-l collateral抵押物品。John 说自己手里有公司股份，还有一艘私人游艇，yacht, y-a-c-h-t yacht. Ted 觉得这些就够了，让John把产权证拿来, deed is spelled d-e-e-d deed 是产权、所有权证书的意思。

A: Ted说，他们的银行 have a long tradition of supporting young entrepreneurs，一项支持年轻的企业家，John说，他想以个人的身份贷款，take out a personal loan, 以 personal stock in the company, 手里的公司股份，和yacht，游艇，来做collateral，抵押物品。

B:That’s why your credit score and credit history is so important if you live in America. It determines what kind of interest rate you can get for a loan, or if you can get a loan at all!

A: That’s true. 咱们接着来看看John和Ted谈得怎么样吧!

礼节美语 Taking Out a Loan III

三角洲通讯公司老板John Smith到银行申请贷款，接待他的是银行负责人Ted Johnson。史密斯想申请个人贷款，用来修建公司的新仓库。Ted Johnson说，除了需要物品抵押外，还有一个要求。

T: I know this can be a problem, but we generally require at lease one guarantor.

J: Hummm….what kind of person would be best, a relative or a business associate?

T: Either one is OK, but most people pick a relative because it’s usually a little easier.

J: Ok…I’m sure my brother won’t mind helping me out.

Ted 说，一般情况下，银行还要求至少要有一个贷款担保人，guarantor, g-u-a-r-a-n-t-o-r guarantor 是担保人的意思，可以是 a relative 亲属，也可以是 a business associate 生意上的伙伴。John 想了想了说，I’m sure my brother won’t mind helping me out. 我哥哥一定不介意帮我。mind doing something 是介意做某事的意思；to help someone out 指帮某人的忙。

T: Good. So finally we need to discuss the terms of the loan.

J: What kind of interest do you charge?

T: It depends on how long you take the loan out for. If you plan to pay it back within two years, the interest rate is six percent. A four-year deal works out to seven and a half percent.

贷款申请符合要求后，就该具体谈谈贷款的条款了，the terms of the loan. John 想知道，what kind of interest do you charge? 贷款利率多少。Ted回答说，贷款利率高低取决于贷款时间的长短。如果是两年还清，利率只要百分之六，如果是四年还清，则要百分之七点五。

J: I think two years should be fine. But six percent is a bit high. Is there any way to get a better rate?

T: Well, you’ve been a customer here for over a decade. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to get it down to five percent. How’s that sound?

J: Five percent works for me. Ted, I can’t thank you enough for your help.

T: Don’t mention it! See you Friday.

John 说，贷款两年就应该可以还清，这一点没有问题，但是他嫌百分之六的利率太高。John 是银行的老客户，使用这家银行的服务有十几年了，Ted 表示，对老客户可以关照，I can’t make any promises, 虽然不能保证做到，但是他会试试看把利率从百分之六降低到百分之五。John 听了很高兴，说 Five percent works for me. 百分之五我可以接受，并对 Ted 表示感谢，贷款就这样谈成了。

A: 个人贷款需要 guarantor, 担保人，这既可以是a relative 亲属，也可以是a business associate 生意上的伙伴。John说，他觉得他哥哥可以help him out, 帮他的忙。他们讨论了terms of the loan, 贷款的条款，把interest rate, 利率订在了5%。

B: Interest rates have been on the rise, but they are still pretty low these days. A lot of people are trying to get mortgages and financing before it rises again!

A:Yeah, I love now that I have a nice condo, but getting the Financing squared away was not fun at all.
B: I bet! But no pain, no gain! Aaaand, you just mentioned an idiom, square away, let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 874 Square Away

美国习惯用语第 874 讲

下个月我要跟老公一起去加勒比海坐豪华游轮，我现在是翘首以待，终于可以暂时逃离华盛顿的严寒，奔往阳光和海水了。让人头疼的是，出发前有太多的事情需要处理，包括完成手头的项目，付好所有账单，租车开到佛罗里达去等等。这也让我想起一个习惯用语可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Square away. Square is spelled s-q-u-a-r-e, and away; a-w-a-y. Square-away.

大家都知道，square 是正方形的意思。to square away 意思是处理安排妥当。比如说，He is trying to get all his legal troubles squared away as soon as possible. 他努力把所有法律上的麻烦搞定。就好象刚才提到的，在启程前往佛罗里达渡假之前，There is a lot I need to square away. 我有很多事情需要处理。

在下面这个例子里，一个怕冷的人想换个工作，搬到温暖的地方去，可是走之前，有很多事情需要处理。

M: “My job interview went so well that I was offered the job in Arizona. I would love to move away from the long cold winter weather here in New York. But it’s not that easy. To begin with, I’d have to get out of my contract with my company, and then sell my condo. It’s only after I SQUARE those AWAY that I can focus on relocating.”

这个人说：我的求职面试非常成功，他们马上让我去亚利桑那上班。我也很想离开纽约这里没完没了的寒冷冬天，但要走又没那么容易。首先，我必需解除跟公司的合同，然后还得把我现在的公寓卖掉。只有等这些事情都处理妥当了，我才能专心准备搬家。

起码，这个人听起来好象没有拖家带口，来去一身轻，说搬就可以搬，否则，不说别的，就算只有个女朋友，也不是那么容易就能 square away 的。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

Square away 这个习惯用语常用于被动语态。在接下来的例子中，一位老先生提出了如下建议。我们一起听：

M: “Take my advice. Don’t wait until you’re old to organize your will. What if something tragic happened, such as a fatal accident? Without a legal document to explain your wishes after you die, your loved ones could suffer unnecessarily. Make sure your plans are SQUARED AWAY.”

他说：听听我的建议吧。不要等老了再去定自己的遗嘱，万一遇到车祸之类的意外事件呢？如果没有法律文件说明你死后的愿望，你的亲人们就要受不必要的罪。所有最好是尽快把遗嘱处理好。

虽然谁都不愿意去想死的事，但老人这番话确实有道理。我一个同事的祖母去世时就没有留下遗嘱，结果一家人不得不走法律程度，跟法院打了很长时间的交道。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

我侄子那天开着新车来看我。他前一段时间一直怕申请不到贷款。如今看他开着新车，不用问就知道，他一定是拿到了贷款。He must have managed to square away the financing.

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: Have you gotten everything squared away for your trip back to Ohio?

B: Meh, there’s no rush. I’ve still got a couple hours before I leave. I’ll just pack right before I leave.

A: 唉呀! Mike, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

B: Prior Planning Prevents Fun!

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!

美语训练班第126课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Are you a smart investor? Do you know how to better manage your money? We will offer you some useful tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 调皮的小孩长大后更容易成功? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “squeak by” and “long shot” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1839 misbehaving

今天我们要学的词是 misbehaving. Misbehaving is spelled m-i-s-b-e-h-a-v-i-n-g, misbehaving. Misbehaving 形容词，意思是表现不好的，行为不端的。A new study listed a number of signs that misbehaving children may become extremely successful. 一份最新研究列举了一系列迹象，那些表现不好，但是带有这些特征的孩子，长大后很可能会极其成功。Compelled by the U.S. Justice Department, a Mississippi school district has agreed to keep more misbehaving students in the classroom instead of suspending or expelling them. 在美国司法部的要求下，密西西比州的一个校区同意让更多表现差的学生留在学校，不让他们暂停或是开除学籍。好的，今天我们学习的词是misbehaving, misbehaving, misbehaving…

A: Misbehaving children may become extremely successful? OMG does that mean I’m gonna be super successful soon?

B: The study says “may”, not “will” YL. I’m willing to bet that you belong to the latter group…

A: Ugh…At least I’m intelligent enough to squeak by in life, unlike some people I know…

B: Ouch! That was harsh…but since you only said to introduce the idiom we are going to teach…..I guess I’ll let it slide….

A: Haha, you know I’m kidding! 我们来听听今天的美国习惯用语，学学squeak by 这个短语的用法!

Words and Idioms 875 Squeak by

美国习惯用语第 875 讲

我不久前带侄子去考驾照，眼看着他倒车上了马路牙子，本以为这下没戏了，没想到考官居然给了他第二次机会，最后擦着边儿通过了路考。这也让我想起一个习惯用语可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Squeak by. Squeak is spelled s-q-u-e-a-k. Squeak by.

听过老鼠的尖叫声吗，这种叫声在英文就是 squeak. To squeak by 意思是勉强通过，侥幸成功。刚才说，我侄子驾照路考的成绩刚好过线，我们就可以说，He squeaked by. 不过，我的邻居詹姆斯太太就没有这么幸运了。75岁的她为了延驾照，要接受视力测试，考官让她从后视镜里分辨苹果和桌子两个图像，她居然问考官，你说什么桌子？What table? 结果驾照没延成。The official didn’t let her SQUEAK BY.
下面例子里的学生拿到考卷后如释重负，我们一起来听听是怎么回事。

M: “My university doesn’t allow graduate students to get any Cs. So I was really nervous about my final exam in chemistry. But when my grades were posted, I discovered that I had gotten an 80, which qualified as a B. Whew! If I hadn’t SQUEAKED BY, my dad would have been furious.”

这个学生说：在我们学校，研究生是不允许得C的。我这次化学期终考完试后，心里特别紧张，最后成绩下来，我得了八十分，刚好够得上B，真是万幸，如果没能侥幸过关的话，我爸一定会气炸了。

还记得前年带孩子去游乐场玩，儿子因为个头不够高，很多姐姐能玩的东西他都不能去。一年下来，他长了足足两英寸，去年再去，刚好擦边够高，所有翻滚过山车都能坐了。He was thrilled to have squeaked by. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

如果让你在富有但却空虚，和贫穷但却充实这两种生活之间选择一个，你会选哪个？我们一起来听听下面的例子：

M: “I admire my friend Alice. She could have easily chosen a high-paying career. Instead, she took a position with a non-profit organization dedicated to saving endangered tigers. I don’t know how she manages to pay her bills on her meager salary. But somehow she SQUEAKS BY.”

这个人说：我很佩服我朋友 Alice. 她原本可以选择一份高薪的工作，但是她没有，反而加入了一个挽救濒危老虎的非盈利机构。我真不知道她挣的那点儿钱，怎么够付账单，不过她好象也能凑合过。

我们刚结婚那会儿，两个人没多少钱，家里开支却很多。It wasn’t easy SQUEAKING BY. 一分钱掰成两半花的日子确实不好过。那会儿我们还年轻，在英语里，叫 Salad Days, 意思是少不更事的青春年华。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

To squeak by 这个习惯用语是二十世纪上半叶出现的，想想看，squeak 指的是勉强发出来的声音，所以，用 squeak by 来指勉强通过，侥幸获胜，也就不难理解了。

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.

B: When I had just graduated from college I couldn’t find a job right away, it sure wasn’t easy squeaking by.

A: Look at you now, things worked out just fine!

B: Yeah. I feel like I need to learn some investing skills though, no one gets rich by living paycheck to paycheck every month.

A: That I agree! And in today’s business etiquette, we will discuss that exact topichow to make smart investment!

B: Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Investing I

Frank 去见投资顾问 Jerry.

Frank: Jerry! My financial counselor! Good to see you… as always.

Jerry: Hey Frank, nice to see you, too. How’s your stock portfolio these days?

F: Not that bad. I bought into a hedge fund and it helped minimize my losses.

J: Wise! You seem to beat the market at its own game pretty often. What’s your secret?

F: I don’t really have a secret. I just read a lot and pay attention to trends.

投资顾问 Jerry 问 Frank 投资的股票赚不赚钱，How’s your stock portfolio? portfolio is spelled p-o-r-t-f-o-l-i-o, portfolio 是投资组合的意思。Frank 说他买了 hedge fund 对冲基金，减少了不少损失。Jerry说Frank投资总能赚钱，beat the market at its own game. 这里所说的 to beat someone at his own game 意思是以其人之道还治其人之身，在这里意思就是利用市场规则，成为市场投资的赢家。

J: Well, I commend your business sense. You seem to be staying ahead of the curve.

F: You win some and you lose some, that’s business. So, I hear you have a sales pitch for me.

J: Well, actually…it’s not really a sales pitch…I have a vision I want to share with you! This idea could turn your company into a leader in the industry!

Jerry对 Frank 的商业头脑 business sense 表示赞赏，说 Frank 总是 stay ahead of the curve, 走在别人前面，stay ahead of the curve 意思是比别人更有远见，更能预见未来走向。Frank则说，You win some and you lose some, that’s business. 做生意就是有赚有赔。you win some and you lose some. 是很常用的一句话，意思是有输有赢，正常现象。Frank 问 Jerry 想向自己推销什么。a sales pitch 是推销的意思。Jerry 说有个投资想法，能让 Frank 的公司成为行业领军人, turn your company into a leader in the industry。Jerry 的想法是什么呢？

F: Ok…you’ve got me interested. Let’s hear the idea.

J: You know that old expression: strike while the iron is hot?

F: Uh huh.

J: Well, it comes from blacksmiths. They would get the iron really hot so they could shape it. But, if the iron cooled down, the blacksmith couldn’t beat it into the shape he needed.

F: Ah…I never thought about where that expression came from…Makes sense: you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot.

Jerry 问 Frank 听没听说过 strike while the iron is hot 趁热打铁这句话，这句话是从打铁来的，铁匠打铁，一定要趁热，等铁冷却下来，就不行了。可这跟 Jerry 的投资想法有什么关系呢？我们下次继续听。

A: 投资顾问Jerry询问Frank他的stock portfolio 投资组合怎么样，Frank说，他买了hedge fund, 对冲基金，所以还不错。Jerry说，I commend your business sense, 赞扬Frank的商业头脑，说他总是stay ahead of the curve, 走在别人前面。

B: That’s why he’s ready to pitch an investing idea to him! Smart people always share information with each other, and that information can help them really stay ahead!

A: True. Let’s keep listening to Jerry and see what idea he’s going to pitch!

礼节美语 Investing II

投资顾问 Jerry 跟客户 Frank 见面，向他推销一种投资想法。

Jerry: I believe the iron is hot right now in the field of energy and transportation. Everyone is looking for new ways to reduce energy consumption.

F: Yeah, you’re right. I bought a hybrid car last month…saves me as much as 50% in gasoline use!
J: Hybrids are the hottest thing on the market these days, and I think they fill a niche right now, but I’m betting that the future belongs to fully electric-powered vehicles.

Jerry 觉得，能源和交通是投资的正确方向，一定要趁热打铁。Frank 表示赞成，说自己上个月刚买了一辆汽电混合动力车 hybrid，耗油量少了一半。Jerry 承认，汽电混合动力车现在很流行，有自己的市场定位 niche, niche is spelled n-i-c-h-e，但他觉得，汽车今后还是要向纯电动的方向发展。

F: That might be true. But I manufacture in China. Millions of people there don’t even have a gas-powered car yet.

J: Yes…but don’t you see? This is a golden opportunity! Millions of middle class Chinese could potentially leapfrog over the old technologies and embrace electric vehicles.

F: It’s an interesting idea. I know the government is supporting electric vehicles since many cities have serious air pollution.

Frank 的工厂在中国，而中国很多人连汽油动力车都没有，哪谈得上什么纯电力车呢？Jerry 却觉得，这是绝好的机会。This is a golden opportunity. 因为中国数以百万计的中产阶级都可以跨越陈旧的技术，直接利用新技术，这里所说的 leapfrog 蛙跳，是跃过，跨过的意思。Frank觉得，这种想法有道理，因为中国政府为了治理空气污染，非常支持电动汽车的发展。

J: Just imagine! You could make a lot of money AND help make China a better place for people to live.

F: So you want me to invest in producing electric cars?

J: I think the real area of interest here is batteries. Battery technology needs to catch up. We already have a lot of companies that can make the cars, but batteries are far too expensive.

开发电力汽车，这种既能赚钱，又能改善中国生活环境的事何乐而不为呢？Jerry 补充说，他其实不是建议 Frank 投资电力汽车，The real area of interest is batteries. 真有干头的是电池这一块，因为 battery technology needs to catch up. 电池技术还需要改进。Frank 会被 Jerry 说服，投资电力汽车电池技术的开发吗？我们下次继续听。

A: 原来Jerry想让Frank投资电动汽车业，it’s a golden opportunity, 绝好的机会，像中国这样的发展中国家可以leapfrog，蛙跳，直接接触最新的电池技术。

B: That’s actually a really good idea! If everyone chose hybrid cars over traditional cars, I bet the smog in Beijing would improve!

A: That’s true. 咱们接着来看看Jerry和Frank谈得怎么样吧!

礼节美语 Investing III

投资顾问 Jerry 跟客户 Frank 见面，建议他投资电动汽车电池技术的开发，Frank 似乎有顾虑。

F: I don’t know….sounds like a gamble to me.

J: All investing is a gamble! But sometimes gambling pays off big time!

F: That’s true…but sometimes you lose your shirt.

J: I’d recommend we take it step by step. The first step is to do lots of research. We really have to do our homework.

F: And then? What’s step two?

J: I’m recommending buying a small Chinese company called WinTron Power. They hold several key patents and they have a good R&D department.

Frank觉得投资电池技术的开发听上去有些象 gamble 赌博，可是话说回来，投资就要有风险，堵注下对了就会赚一大笔钱，pay off big time, 全军覆没则会 lose your shirt 倾家荡产。Jerry 已经做好了全盘规划，第一步是要做一下市场调查，do our homework 意思是先做好准备工作。第二步是收购一家叫 WinTron Power 的小公司，这家公司掌握着好几项关键专利，而且有优秀的 R&D Department 研究和开发部。

F: How much is this going to cost me?

J: The initial investment is about five million.

F: Five million U.S. dollars? That’s steep!

J: Yes…but you could end up becoming a major supplier to the auto companies of the future. Invest millions for a chance to make billions.

F: It’s a tempting idea. It could be huge.

Jerry 说，首期投资 the initial investment 估计要500万美元，Frank 说，that’s steep. 这么多钱。steep is spelled s-t-e-e-p, steep 意思是倾斜度大，坡陡，也有过份的意思，比如说 The price is steep. 意思是价钱太贵。 Jerry 劝他说，如果成功，投个几百万，就有机会赚回几十亿，是个上算的买卖。Frank说，It’s a tempting idea. 他好象动心了。

J: China has the potential to be the leader in the field. This is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I think it would be foolish to let it slip away.

F: Jerry…you sold me. I’ll get working on this project right away. This could be my big break! Thanks for the info!
J: Just doing my job.

Jerry 说，This is an once-in-a lifetime opportunity. 这可是千载难逢的好机会，过了这个村就没这个店了，这样的机会千万不能错过。Frank 终于被说动了。他说，you sold me. 意思是你把我说服了。This could be my big break. 这回没准我的机会来了。big break 往往用来指突如其来的好运气。Jerry 回答说，Just doing my job. 这是我份内的工作，这是我应该做的。

A: Jerry想让Frank投资500万，Frank说，that’s steep, 钱真够多的。Jerry说，投资就像赌博，有时pay off big time, 赚一大笔，但是不注意也会lost your shirt, 倾家荡产。最后Frank被说动了，this could be my big break,没准我的机会来了。

B: Wow, invest millions to make billions! I wish I had that kind of initial investment capital…

A: Maybe one day, but that’s a long shot!

B: Haha, very funny. (A: Ha!) Well you just mentioned an idiom, long shot, let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 876 Long Shot

美国习惯用语第 876 讲2010年，我的宏伟目标是锻炼身体。从1月1号开始，我一直坚持去健身房，每周四次，每次一小时，刚开始的时候，我只能跑一公里，现在已经能跑三公里了。教练鼓励我去参加小型马拉松。我知道自己肯定跑不下来，不过觉得，试试看也没什么不好。这倒让我想起一个习惯用语可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Long shot. Long is spelled l-o-n-g. Long. Shot is spelled s-h-o-t. Shot. Long shot.

在中文里，long 是长的意思，说一件事情是 long shot，意思就是成功的可能性很小，不过还是值得尝试。就好比，我想去参加小型马拉松比赛，明明知道跑下来的机会很小，it’s a long shot. 但我还是很想去试试看。下面例子里这个人正在鼓励自己的弟弟去申请一份管理层的工作，我们一起来听听他是怎么说的。

M: “Sure, it’s a LONG SHOT, but why not? You thought you weren’t going to get your current job! You said they’d never hire you straight out of college. But you got that job and who knows, maybe you’ll get this one too.”

这个人说：没错，申请到这个工作的机会确实不大，但为什么不去试试看呢？你原来也没想到能争取到现在这份工作啊！还说什么他们死活不会招个象你这样大学刚毕业的新人，结果他们还是雇了你啊，谁知道呢，没准这次你又能拿到呢。

我最近一直在鼓励女儿申请去做校刊编辑。I know it’s a LONG SHOT, 我也知道可能性不大，但我还是希望她能去试试看，起码可以积累点儿经验。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

A LONG SHOT 这个习惯用语是从十九世纪末开始流行的。最早起源于打枪。枪支刚刚出清b时，准性很差，距离稍微远一点就打不中目标。因此，A LONG SHOT 就成了成功可能性很小的意思。这个习惯用语在赛马中也很常用，指不被大家看好的参赛马匹，但是赔率一般很高。我们一起来听下面这个例子中有关肯塔基赛马大会的一段报道。

M: “In this year’s Kentucky Derby, Brother Derek is a safe bet but if he wins you’ll only win a small amount. However, if you want to take a LONG SHOT, put your money on Giacomo. He doesn’t have the best record, but if he wins you’ll win a lot of money!”

这段话说：今年的肯塔基赛马大会，把赌注押在德拉克弟兄身上很保险，但是如果它赢了，你只能赢一点点钱。不过，如果你决定选择一匹胜算不大的马，那就把钱押在 Giacomo 身上吧，它的比赛记录虽然不是最好的，但如果它赢了，你就能赢很多钱。

最近，我的一个朋友决定去参选市议员。他明明知道，It’s a LONG SHOT, 胜选的可能性微乎其微，但还是打算试试看，因为他觉得，美国华裔参政的比例太小，希望尽自己的一份力，增加华裔在政治事务中的能见度。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: I have to admit, when I first met you I thought it was a long shot that you would last this long!

B: I know! but now it’s a long shot that you will ever get rid of me!

A: guh, don’t remind me! 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!

美语训练班第127课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Do you know how to shop for the best, the most unique souvenirs? We will offer you some tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 在菜单上标上卡路里好不好? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “to give one’s best shot” and “stop cold” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1845 in a pinch

今天我们要学的词是 in a pinch. Pinch is spelled p-i-n-c-h, in a pinch. In a pinch 意思是在必要的时候可以做为替补之用。感冒是学生缺课的主要原因，新学年开始之际，医生建议孩子们在学校要注意多洗手，如果条件不允许的话，Hand sanitizer works in a pinch. 免水洗手液也可以做为替代品。咖啡提神谁都知道，不过，A cup of coffee should only be used in a pinch, rather than as a substitute for adequate sleep. 必要的时候可以靠咖啡提神，但是咖啡不能取代足够的睡眠。好的，今天我们学习的词是 in a pinch, in a pinch, in a pinch…

A: For me, adequate sleep and coffee are both extremely important. Otherwise I’m ineffective for the whole day.

B: Well, that explains some things…. (A: Ugh…) Kidding, kidding! I do think plenty of shut-eye is very important. People today tend to trade health for money!

A: I know! Did you hear about the Accenture analyst who died at his office desk and it took his co-worker 5 days to discover the body? That’s terrifying.

B: I know. A lot of young people will give their best shot in hopes of climbing the corporate ladder, but you got to listen to your body at the same time.

A: That’s a valid point. 你正好提到了一个用法，give one’s best shot. 我们来听听今天的美国习惯用语，学学这个短语的用法!

Words and Idioms 877 to give one’s best shot

美国习惯用语第 877 讲

我朋友 Mark 受到我去跑马拉松的鼓舞，最近也报名参加业余铁人三项比赛，包括游泳、骑车和长跑，他知道自己不可能赢，但他告诉我说，He will give it his best shot. 他一定会尽力而为。这也是我们今天要学习的习惯用语。

M: To give one’s best shot. Give is spelled g-i-v-e. Give. Best is spelled b-e-s-t. Best. To give one’s best shot.

大家都知道，give 是给；best 是最好的。to give one’s best shot 意思是不管会不会成功，都会尽力而为。我朋友 Mark 去参加业余铁人三项比赛，他不太看重结果，但是 He will give it his best shot. 他会努力发挥出自己最好的水平。在下面这个例子里，一位男子正鼓足勇气，准备邀请一个漂亮姑娘出去约会。我们一起来听听他是怎么说的。

M: “She probably has a boyfriend. Or even if she doesn’t, she probably likes rich guys or tall guys. Then again, who knows? Ah, what the heck. I might as well GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT. If one thing’s for sure: I have no chance if I don’t ask her.”

这个人说：她八成已经有男朋友了。就算还没有，可能也会喜欢那种有钱的，或是高个子的男生。不过，也不一定。嗨，不管那么多了，我还是要努力去试试看。起码有一点是肯定的，如果我不去邀请她的话，那就一点机会都没有了。

没错。很多女孩子都喜欢自信、有男子汉气概的男生，有时候，这一点比金钱和外表还要重要。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

To give one’s best shot 这个习惯用语是从十九世纪中期开始流行的，因为 shot 有尝试和努力的意思。

我前天晚上车突然坏了，到修车铺，修理工告诉我，两天后来取。可我第二天还急等着用，经过百般恳求，他最后才同意，He will give it his best shot. 最后晚上加班到九点多，终于帮我把车修好了。在下面这个例子中，一个参加世界杯足球赛的队员对比赛结果十分痛心，但是他同时又说：

M: “We have no regrets. Of course it hurts to lose but we GAVE IT OUR BEST SHOT and you can’t do more than that. This time the other side was just too good.”

这个队员说：我们无怨无悔。输了比赛心里当然很难过，但是我们已经尽了自己的全力了。这次实在是对手实力太强了。

我同意。其实，不管是什么比赛，输赢都是次要，as long as you gave it your best shot.

但是，如果输了比赛，下来后捶胸顿足，因为明知自己本来可以做得更好的话，那才是最让人遗憾的。

不久前，女儿要去参加地区性小学组的钢琴大赛。她准备了好几个月，但是比赛前还是紧张得不行。我告诉她说，输赢不要紧。Just give it your best shot. 弹出自己的最高水平就行了。好的，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

M: “We have no regrets. Of course it hurts to lose but we GAVE IT OUR BEST SHOT and you can’t do more than that. This time the other side was just too good.”

大家不要忘记，学习英语口语首先要学会张嘴，大胆说出口，不要顾及发音和语法的对错。Just give it your best shot! 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.

B: That’s the best way to learn a foreign language. You got to give it your best shot! Try to speak as much as possible, and don’t worry about your accent and grammar too much.

A: True! That’s what I did when I was learning English! Well…I’m still learning…

B: Ha, you are pretty good! My Chinese was way better when I was in China when I had to speak it everyday! I miss China so much…

A: Ha, I bet! In today’s business etiquette, we will take you to China, and introduce you to all the interesting souvenirs you can get there!

B: Let’s check it out!

礼节美语Souvenir Shopping I

公司副总裁 Jason 到上海，由Gina接待。

Jason: Hello Gina! We’ve spoken so many times on the phone but’s it’s so good to finally meet you in person!

G: Hello sir. Good to meet you, too.

J: Oh, please don’t call me “sir.” Just call me Jason.

G: Ok, Jason. So how was the flight?

J: Pretty good. There was a bit of turbulence while we were over the Pacific Ocean but it wasn’t too bad. The worst thing was the guy behind me. He snored all through the night!

G: Really? But you were in first class! Nobody woke that guy up?

Jason和Gina以前只在电话上沟通过，Jason说，it’s so good to finally meet you in person. 见到你本人很高兴。寒暄过后，Gina问Jason路上是否顺利，Jason说，飞机在太平洋上空遇到气流有些颠簸，turbulence is spelled t-u-r-b-u-l-e-n-c-e, turbulence 是气流的意思。但最糟糕的是，坐在Jason后面的人打了一夜呼噜。

J: The stewardess said it’s not company policy to wake people up for any reason.

G:That’s terrible! So you didn’t get any sleep?

J: Not much…but that’s ok…I’m a night owl anyway.

G: So, aside from visiting our factory and offices, are there any other things you want to accomplish while you’re in China?

J: I’d love to squeeze in a trip to the Great Wall.

G: That’s not a problem. We can have a company car take you there. It’s only about a two hour drive.

空服拒绝把打呼噜的人叫醒，因为 it’s not company policy 不符合公司规定。Jason说，自己反正是 a night owl 夜猫子，所以问题不大。除了视察工作外，Jason 说还想抽时间去爬长城，I’d love to squeeze in a trip to the Great Wall. Gina说，长城不远，只要两小时车程，所以没问题。

J: Also…I’d like to do some shopping while I’m here.

G: Well, you’ve come to the right place! China is a shopping paradise. Name it–we’ve got it.

J: To be honest, I’m not really sure what I’m looking for. But I need gifts for my wife, kids and I should bring something back for the senior partners of my firm as well.

G: Hum…I’d recommend silk for your wife. Maybe a bathrobe or perhaps a shawl. Silk dresses and shirts are good, too.

J: Yeah…that sounds good. But my wife is picky so I’ll need your help to choose the right one. It should be classy and not too flashy.

G: I think I know just the store to visit. Leave it to me.

除了观光，Jason还想购物，给太太、孩子和公司合伙人买礼物。Gina 建议Jason 给太太买丝绸制品。Jason说太太很 picky，picky is spelled p-i-c-k-y, picky，picky 是挑剔的意思，衣服要典雅 classy, 不能过于招摇，flashy. Gina说，leave it to me. 包在我身上。

A: 老板Jason第一次来中国，除了工作，他想squeeze in a trip to the Great Wall，抽时间去趟长城。他还需要给家人和合伙人买礼物，他说太太很picky，挑剔。Gina说，leave it to me, 包在我身上，建议他买silk dress or silk bathrobe, 丝制裙子或者睡袍。

B: There are so many thing you can get in China! When I went to China for the first time, everything seemed so exotic to me!

A: For example?

B:The hand-carved stone seals! I couldn’t believe I could get a hand-made piece of art for so little!

A: Alright, let’s keep listen and see what Gina is going to suggest!

礼节美语Souvenir Shopping II

公司副总裁 Jason 到上海出差，由Gina接待。Jason让Gina帮忙选礼物。

Jason: Hey! You know what might be good gifts for my business associates? Chinese antiques!

G: Well, we certainly have lots of antique art, statues and carvings, but in most cases it’s not legal to take genuine antiques out of China.

J: Oh, I see. That makes sense. You have to preserve your heritage.

G: But there are many reproductions of antiques for sale.

J: you mean fakes?

G: A fake is when the dealer lies and says the piece is ancient. A reproduction is legal and they can be quite beautiful.

Jason 想给同事买中国古董 antiques 做礼物，但是Gina告诉他，古董不能带出中国，建议Jason考虑买reproduction复制品。Jason 以为 Gina 是指 fake 假货，Gina 解释说，fake 假货是商人故意欺骗顾客，以假乱真，而复制品则是合法生产和出售的。

J: Yeah! That would look cool. Maybe some scrolls or traditional paintings.

G: Good idea. Scrolls with Chinese cursive calligraphy look great on an office wall. And…they might even bring you luck!

J: You can’t beat that! But what about the kids?

G: Humm…that’s a bit trickier. There are of course, lots of counterfeit goods available like software or music, but buying them isn’t recommended.

J: No, I don’t buy counterfeits. Besides…my sons have loads of computer games and CDs.

Gina 建议 Jason 买中国国画或是书法作品，挂在办公室墙上很气派，但是给孩子买什么礼物呢，Gina 说, that’s a bit trickier. 这可有些麻烦。Jason 说，他不愿意给儿子买盗版软件或音乐，counterfeit is spelled c-o-u-n-t-e-r-f-e-i-t, counterfeit, counterfeit 是盗版的意思。

G: Hey! I know. You could have old-style Chinese suits custom-made for them! They can go around looking like little Chinese emperors! I know a great tailor!

J; Ha! Perfect! They’d like that for sure. Wow Gina.. You’re full of great ideas. I should tell your boss to give you a raise.

G: But you are my boss!

J: (Chuckle) Right! Then I’ll make a note to myself! Really though… I can’t thank you enough for all your help.

G: Not at all. Just demonstrating some traditional Chinese hospitality.

Gina 突然来了灵感，说可以找裁缝给孩子量身定做中国的传统衣服，custom-made 是定做的意思，把他们打扮成中国小皇帝的样子。Jason对Gina的建议非常满意，说要告诉Gina的老板，给她涨工资，give someone a raise 是给某人涨工资的意思。Gina笑着提醒Jason说，你就是我的老板啊，我不过是表现一下中国人的传统好客罢了。

A: Gina建议说，给生意伙伴可以买reproduction of antiques, 古董复制品，而给孩子们呢，可以买custom made old-style Chinese suits, 也就是定制的中山装。Jason觉得这些建议很好，他说: I can’t thank you enough for all your help, 意思是十分感谢。

B: Yep! With an informed local to guide you around and give you advice on what to get for souvenirs, it’s hard to go wrong!

A: 没错! 咦，你提到了一个词儿，informed, 我们再来听听learn a word,学学这个词儿要怎么用!

Learn A Word 1848 informed

今天我们要学的词是 informed. Informed is spelled i-n-f-o-r-m-e-d, informed. Informed 形容词，意思是知情的。More and more restaurants are listing calories next to items on their menus to help customers make informed decisions. 越来越多的餐馆开始在菜单上注明每道菜的卡路里热量，帮助顾客在知情的情况下，做出明智的决定。

Consumer Reports rated almost 2,500 hospitals for common surgical procedures, giving patients the information they need to make informed choices. “消费者报告”针对近2500家医院做例行手术的治疗效果打分，为消费者提供信息，帮助他们在选择医院时做出明智选择。好的，今天我们学习的词是 informed, informed, informed…

A: I hate to look at the calorie index on menus. All the dishes I want have high calories!

B: Well, it’s a universal fact that anything that tastes good has a lot of calories…..

A: I know! And once you start eating, you end up finishing the whole thing! Nobody can just stop cold when it comes to gourmet food.

B: Haha, I’m the same way! But you just mentioned a good idiom: stop cold, let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 878 Stop Cold

美国习惯用语第 878 讲

我星期二晚上在家烤蛋糕，参加女儿学校的义卖活动，结果材料都准备好了，电动搅拌机没用一分钟，却突然罢了工，没办法，只好改电动为手动，累得我胳膊都快折了。不过，这也让我想起一个习惯用语可以跟大家分享，那就是：

M: Stop cold. Cold is spelled c-o-l-d. Stop-cold.

Stop cold 意思是突然停止。我烤蛋糕的时候电动搅拌机突然坏了，就可以说 It stopped cold. 再比如，孩子跳舞表演，我兴致勃勃地拿着录像机，打算全程录下来，谁知道，The camcorder stopped cold five minutes into the program. 表演刚开始五分钟，摄像机就不工作了。原来是没电了。在下面这个例子里，一个公司经理被困在了电梯里，我们一起听听他的经历。

M: “I’ve rarely thought about the possibility of getting stuck in an elevator. Yet, as I was heading up to my office on the tenth floor, the elevator STOPPED COLD. There I was trapped with no way to get out. Finally, after about half an hour, it started moving again. Maybe it was a sign that I should take the stairs and get some exercise!”

这个人说：我几乎从没想到自己会被困在电梯里。可刚才，我上十楼去办公室，电梯中途突然停了。我被困在了电梯里面。差不多半个小时后，电梯才又恢复工作。这是在暗示我，应该去爬楼梯，多锻炼锻炼。

我侄子现在正处于青少年开始对异性产生朦胧意识的阶段，跟男同学在一起有说有笑，可是只要一有女孩子加入进来，他立刻就哑巴了。Girls just STOP him COLD. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

我这个人虽然不是追星族，但如果真有个大明星突然出现在我眼前呢？有一次，我正在做采访，电影明星乔治•克鲁尼突然走进了演播室，我当时就晕了。His present stopped me cold.

下面例子中这只球队整个赛季过关斩将，我们听听队员是怎么说的：

M: “Many of the teams we’ve faced off against expected to advance to the finals. But they haven’t been able to beat us. We’ve got some excellent players this season. That’s why we’ve been STOPPING our opponents COLD. If we keep it up, we’ll make it to the finals!”

这个队员说：跟我们交手的很多球队都是想进决赛的强队，但谁也打败不了我们。这个赛季我们有很多优秀队员，这就是为什么对手都过不了我们这一关。照这样下去，我们一定能进决赛。

Stop Cold 这个习惯用语是十九世纪末出现的，因为 cold 除了寒冷以外，也有突然和彻底的意思。现在，大家知道这个习惯用语的意思了，下次如果有人用到这个词，你一定不会感到陌生和意外。It won’t stop you cold next time you hear it. 好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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.

B: So Yang Lin, I heard a rumor….

A: I’m going to stop you cold right there Mike.

B: Ok ok, have it your way!

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!

美语训练班第128课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Are you a good bargainer? Do you want to know the secrets of bargaining? We will offer you some tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 如何用能源来帮助人们增加收入? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “stumbling block” and “swallow one’s pride” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1851 to the tune of

今天我们要学的词是 to the tune of. Tune is spelled t-u-n-e, tune. To the tune of 有总计的意思。近年来，美国很多州石油和天然气产量出现增长。最新数字显示，Higher energy production in the states is boosting people’s energy bottom line to the tune of $1200 per household per month. 这些州增加能源产量，让每户居民每个月的收入多了1200美元。可再生能源的使用要以基础设施的存在为前提。有研究说，The amount of investment required for new energy infrastructure, through 2030, will be something to the tune of $11 trillion. 到2030年，建设新能源设施需要的投入大约要11万亿美元。好的，今天我们学习的词是 to the tune of, to the tune of, to the tune of…

A: I think new energy is the way to go if China wants to solve big city pollution. I really hope we can see the blue sky again in Beijing like we used to.

B: True dat! But it’s going to take a very long time to tackle the issue. You know, it took London 40 years to deal with the famous “London fog”.

A:Yep, it’s always hard to find a balance between protecting the environment and developing the economy. But now pollution is a stumbling block for China, I don’t think we can hold any important international event until we get rid of the Beijing smog.

B:And…you mentioned a good idiom: stumbling block. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 879 Stumbling Block

美国习惯用语第 879 讲

我先生准备在家开派对，请朋友来一起看世界杯总决赛。他早早就把客人名单和购物清单都列好了，现在剩下的唯一障碍就是-我。今年春节我们在家开派对，结果我整整做了一天的饭，又花了一天的时间打扫卫生。这就是为什么我坚决抵制在家开派对。这也让我想起一个可以跟大家分享的习惯用语，叫：

M: Stumbling block. Stumbling is spelled s-t-u-m-b-l-i-n-g, and block; b-l-o-c-k. Stumbling-block.

Stumbling block 意思是障碍物，绊脚石。就象刚才说的，我先生想在家开派对，请朋友一起看世界杯，我是他计划的唯一绊碉d石，I am the only stumbling block. 最后他没办法，只好同意，承担所有打扫卫生的工作。在下面这个例子里，一个汽车修配厂的车间主任，开会讨论如何才能绕过限制加班的规定，我们一起听。

M: “If there’s any possibility of working overtime, we’re going to have to get a change in our contract. As it is, we aren’t allowed to put in more than 40 hours per week. That rule remains a STUMBLING BLOCK. Let’s discuss a strategy for dealing with it at our next union meeting.”

这个人说：要想有加班的可能性，我们就必需修改合同。按照目前的规定，我们每星期的工作量不得超过四十个小时。这项规定是我们的绊脚石，咱们下次工会开会的时候，可以讨论采取什么样的策略，解决这个问题。

我八岁的侄女觉得，只要撒娇就能说服她妈，允许她去扎耳朵眼儿。我知道，在这个问题上，我妹妹可不会轻易答应，我妹夫则是更难搬掉的 stumbling block，他绝不会同意八岁的女儿带耳环。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在下面的例子中，一个大学生正在考虑去哪儿度春假，让我们听听他有些什么选择：

M: “My friends and I are sick of all the winter weather. That’s why we’re thinking about heading down to Florida for spring break. But none of us have much money or a car. Those are a couple of STUMBLING BLOCKS we’ll have to get around. Maybe we can pick up part-time jobs and earn some money and then rent a car!?”

这个人说：我跟我那些朋友都烦死冬天的天气了，所以想去佛罗里达过春假。可是我们这群人谁都没有钱，也没有车。这是我们必需解决的两大障碍。兴许我们可以去打点零工，赚钱租辆车。

这倒是个不赖的主意，不过，除了车，他们还得考虑住宿、吃饭、汽油费、和玩的开销。交通工具固然重要，但是这个学生好象没有考虑到其它这些 stumbling blocks. 好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

stumbling block 这个习惯用语早在十六世纪初期就开始出现了。不难想象，如果你在树林里散步，遇到被砍倒的树，不小心，可能会被剩下的一节树桩绊倒，这不就是 stumbling block 吗？

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: During the government shutdown, the lack of manpower was a stumbling block for producing our show.

B: You can say that again. With this whole shutdown thing being over, I really hope the two parties can work together and keep us from going through the same thing ever again.

A: 嗯! 好了，不谈政治了，我们接着来看看下面的内容!

B: You will totally love this topic Yang Lin. In today’s business etiquette, we will teach you how to bargain!

A: Ha, my favorite! Let’s check it out!

礼节美语 Bargaining I

Gina带美国老板Jason去购物。

Gina: Good morning, Jason. How did you sleep?

Jason: Pretty well, thanks. Still feeling the effects of jet lag a bit, but last night I got at lease six hours of rest.

G: Great! So, are you ready for a full day of shopping?

J: Yep. Let’s do it. I’m pretty excited!

G: I know a place that should be perfect. It’s called the “China Friendship Shopping Center” and it’s pretty much like an American mallexcept with more variety. You can even buy a live chicken there if you want.

Jason虽然有时差，但晚上睡得不错，做好了去购物的充分准备。Gina 要带他去“中国友谊购物中心”，It’s just like an American mall. 跟美国的购物中心很象，mall is spelled m-a-l-l, mall, mall 是美国购物中心的通称，mall 里有很多店家，出售各种商品。

J: Live chicken? (Chuckle) Thanks, but no thanks. So….tell me about bargaining. How can I do it like a local?

G: Well. I’ll be honest and say you’ll never be as good at bargaining as a local person. You’re a foreigner and the sellers can see that. But…if you’re smart, you can get bargains that are not too far away from the “local price.”

J: Cool! Teach me!

Jason听说购物中心还能买到活鸡，觉得很好笑，说 thanks, but no thanks，意思是谢谢，但不必了。Jason让Gina教他讨价还价，bargain is spelled b-a-r-g-a-i-n, bargain, 是砍价的意思，Gina 说，你长一张老外脸，不可能 as good at bargaining as a local person. 意思是不可能象本地人一样砍价，local is spelled l-o-c-a-l, local 意思是当地人。不过如果懂行的话，还是能拿到跟本地人差不多的价格的。

G: For starters, you want to do a lot of scouting first. You’ve got to know what things cost.

J: Someone told me to go to a convenience store and see how much a soft drink or a tube of toothpaste costs. The idea is that by comparing the prices of those items, you can figure out the relative prices of everything else.

G: That could be helpful. But when you go into a shopping center…prices become very flexible. You have to be able to read the market.

Gina说，Jason首先要去摸清情况， scout is spelled s-c-o-u-t, scout, scout 是搜集信息的意思。有人曾告诉Jason, 可以找个便利商店，a convenience store, 看看饮料、牙膏等生活用品的价格，了解大概齐的价格标准。但是 Gina 说，到了购物中心，价格弹性就会变得很大，所以还是要学会 read the market 弄懂市场行情。

A: 老板Jason准备去购物，Gina说，要先scout，搜集信息，找个便利店, a convenience store, 看看基本生活用品的价格，以便figure out the relative prices of everything, 了解相对价格。

B: It’s hard to read the market as a foreigner. When I was in China, I thought everything was so cheap, but it turned out I always paid twice as much as the locals!

A: I know! It’s the same everywhere! I got ripped off by a car mechanic because apparently he could tell that I’m not a local…

B: I’m sorry 杨琳! Next time bring a car expert, aka me, with you. I’m sure you won’t get ripped off!

A: Ha thanks! I’ll take it! 好了，我们接着来听听Gina的建议吧!

礼节美语 Bargaining II

Gina带美国老板Jason去购物，Jason让Gina教他砍价。

Jason: So what’s the general amount that they mark up by? Thirty percent? Forty?

G: They could mark it up seventy percent or even one hundred! That’s why you’ve got to have an in-depth working knowledge of local pricesthat way, if they quote an outrageous price, you can just laugh.

Jason 想知道购物中心商品标价一般要比合理价格高出多少，mark up 是把抬高价格的意思，相反的，mark down 则是减价销售。Gina 说，有时价格会故意标高70%，甚至100%，这也就是为什么要了解当地的价格行情，have an in-depth working knowledge of something 是深度了解的意思，in-depth is spelled i-n in, and d-e-p-t-h, depth, in-depth，这样如果别人 quote an outrageous price, 抬出宰人的高价，outrageous is spelled o-u-t-r-a-g-e-o-u-s, outrageous, 意思是超乎寻常的，另外需要注意的，要价动词用的是 quote, q-u-o-t-e, quote.

J: In America we generally can’t get away with bargaining in many shops. The prices are listed on the price tag and that’s that. Sometimes you can get a discount, but it’s usually never more than ten percent or so.

G: In China, pretty much all prices are negotiable. Some vendors tell me they actually respect buyers who can drive a hard bargain.

J: That’s interesting.

Jason说，在美国，商店都是明码标价，The prices are listed on the price tag. Price tag 是价格标签的意思，有时也能享受优惠discount, discount 是减价、打折的意思，但是一般很少超过百分之十。Gina 说，在中国，几乎所有价格都可以砍，negotiable is spelled n-e-g-o-t-i-a-b-l-e, negotiable是可以商量的意思。有些卖主甚至更瞧得起会砍价的买主，drive a hard bargain 是固定用法，意思是会砍价。

G: Yes…but of course the seller will always try to win the bargaining battle…that’s the nature of the game.

J: Yeah, it is like a game, isn’t it? Both people are bluffing, just like in poker.

G: That’s right. But you have to get a sense of where the bottom line is. After a while you learn to recognize a look in the seller’s eyes that says: I’m really not going to go any lower.

确实，砍价就象打牌，讨价还价的双方都要虚张声势，bluff is spelled b-l-u-f-f, bluff, bluff 是虚张声势的意思。Gina 说，没错，关键是要识别卖主的底线，bottom line, 要能从卖主的眼神里看出，他真的不会再降价了。砍价还有其他招数吗？我们下次继续听。

A: I totally enjoy bargaining at 秀水街! All the prices are negotiable.

B: I think I enjoy the American style. The prices are listed on the price tag, and you normally don’t get ripped off.

A: 没错! 我们接着来听Gina给Jason支招吧!

礼节美语 Bargaining III

Gina带美国老板Jason去购物，Jason让Gina教他砍价。

Jason: What about walking away? Some friends back home told me if I don’t like the price, just walk away and the vendor will run out and give me their best price.

G: (Chuckle) Oh…the vendors know that tactic as well! The shopkeeper will only chase you if they are 99.9 percent sure you’ll buy something. They have a knack of knowing who is serious and who isn’t.

J: So, what’s our first purchase of the day going to be?

Jason问，如果觉得卖主是在宰自己，转身就走这招管不管用。Gina 说，这种策略卖主早就知道，tactic is spelled t-a-c-t-i-c, tactic 是策略的意思，卖主只有在觉得你百分99.9会在他那买东西的情况下才会追出来，而且他们一眼就能看出谁是真心要买，knack is spelled k-n-a-c-k, knack, have a knack of doing something, 是十分擅长做某事的意思。他们今天先要去买什么呢？

G: I think we should start with some silk items. First, I’ll make sure it’s the genuine article and not a fake. Then we’ll start bargaining.

J: Can I pay with a credit card?

G: In an established store, sure. But when we go into the area with lots of little stalls, they generally only take cash. Also when they see cash in your hand…prices do come down a bit more.

Gina 建议去买丝绸制品，她要先确认产品是真货，不是fake,假货，然后开始砍价。Gina 还说，在 established store 正规的大商店里，Jason 可以用信用卡付费，pay with a credit card, 但在小店里，就要用现金了，而且卖方看到你手里拿着现金，the prices do come down a bit more 价格能降得更低些。

J: We have an expression in English: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

G: Oh…I think I get it. That means it’s better to have something tangible, even if it’s not as exciting as other possibilities.

J: That’s right. You know something, Gina? I think I like China’s way of doing business. It’s a little wild, but it’s a challenge and much more interesting than shopping back home.

G: Ah…there’s the store. Now let’s get down to business.

英语里有种说法叫 a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush 一鸟在手胜过两鸟在林，意思是现在已经有的，要比追求更多而失去一切强。Jason说，他觉得中国人讨价还价的购物方式比明码标价更有意思，更具挑战性。正说着，商店到了，Gina 说，let’s get down to business. 开始了，意思是咱们开始杀价吧。

A: I think using cash can help you save money. Whenever I have my credit card in hand, I always overspend!

B: Well, you can use it like a debit card and be sure to pay it back every month! Never carry too much debt, it will eat you up in the end!

A: True, true! I don’t want to end up like you! (B: Hey…) 好了，砍价就到这里，我们来听今天的最后一个单元，学学swallow one’s pride 这个短语是什么意思!

Words and Idioms 880 Swallow One’s Pride

美国习惯用语第 880 讲

我昨天跟同事争得面红耳赤。美国联邦最高法院明明是11位大法官，可她非说只有9个，我还理直气壮地说人家连这点基本常识都没有，结果一查，才知道，原来真是9个，是我自己错了。这也让我想起一个可以跟大家分享的习惯用语，叫：

M: Swallow one’s pride. Swallow is spelled s-w-a-l-l-o-w, and pride; p-r-i-d-e. Swallow-one’s-pride.

Swallow 是吞咽，pride 是骄傲，从字面上看，swallow one’s pride 意思是吞下自己的骄傲，引伸为放下自尊，忍气吞声。本来嘛，最高法院明明只有9个大法官，我却很无知地非说有11个，最后也只好忍气吞声地承认自己错了。I had to swallow my pride and admitted that I was wrong. 在下面这个例子里，意大利厨师罗伯特好象跟我有类似遭遇，不过人家处理得可比我强多了。我们一起听。

M: “Chef Roberto has received almost every honor for his Italian cooking. Yet, despite his years of experience, he accidentally cut his finger on live television last week. He could have pretended that nothing had happened. Instead he SWALLOWED HIS PRIDE, joking that even he makes mistakes from time to time.”

这段话意思是：罗伯特厨师凭借一手意大利厨艺，几乎赢过所有烹调比赛。尽管他有如此丰富的经验，上星期还是不小心在电视上切破了手指。他本来可以装得若无其事，可他没有这样做，而是放下自尊心，开玩笑说，就连他，也会时不时犯点儿错误。

或许，这样做反而更能得到大家的尊重。不久前，日本丰田汽车公司发现，已经出厂的数百万辆汽车都有毛病，于是， They SWALLOWED their PRIDE，宣布召回这些车辆，免费检修。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

我打电子游戏，早就不是八岁女儿的对手了，认输成了家常便饭，但是下面例子里这个当舅舅的，下棋输给七岁的侄子，却感到十分意外。让我们听听他是怎么说的：

M: “When my seven-year-old nephew begged me to play chess, I indulged him. My plan was to let him take out a few of my pieces to build his confidence. Imagine when he checkmated me within four moves! That was humiliating. I’m not used to SWALLOWING MY PRIDE, but I had to admit defeat and congratulate him.

这个人说：我七岁的侄子求我跟他下棋，我同意陪他下一盘。我本来打算让他几个子儿，帮他建立点自信心。谁知道，他只走了四步，就将了我的军。太丢人了。我虽然不习惯忍气吞声地放下自尊，但还是不得不认输，并向他表示祝贺。

这不算什么。我有个朋友，准备求婚的前一天，被女朋友甩了，He had to swallow his pride and return the engagement ring. 他不得不放下自尊，回到珠宝店，把订婚戒指退掉。好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: Mike, I think I need to swallow my pride and admit that your are more critical to the show than I am.

B: WHAT? REALLY?

A: No, but you could imagine! 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

A: See you next time!

美语训练班第129课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: Getting a visa can be frustrating, but there are some ways to smooth out the process. We will offer you some tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 新版 iPhone的指纹识别是不是会带来更多商机? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “swim against the tide” and “have the upper hand” means!

A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1857 fingerprint

今天我们要学的词是 fingerprint. Fingerprint is spelled f-i-n-g-e-r-p-r-i-n-t, fingerprint. Fingerprint 是指纹的意思。The most noticeable new feature of the new iPhone 5S is its Touch ID, a fingerprint censor. 苹果5S最大的新功能是指纹识别。Apple says Touch ID can support up to five fingerprints. 苹果公司说，每部手机的指纹识别器最多能支持五个指纹。Industry experts say the fingerprint sensor could open doors for expanded use of mobile payment services. 业内专家说，指纹识别可以为更多的手机支付服务项目打开大门。好的，今天我们学习的词是 fingerprint, fingerprint, fingerprint…

A: It would be really cool if we could use our fingerprint to make bank payments! That way no one can forge your identity since everyone’s fingerprints are unique.

B: Technology is indeed fascinating. Nowadays I can go out with only my smartphone, I can use it as a phone, as a wallet, as a camera, as a GPS…the sky is the limit!

A: True, true. But sometimes I do feel that we are overly connected with our smart devices. The first thing I do every morning is check my email and facebook messages, I’m pretty sure that’s not healthy.

B: Maybe every once in a while you could swim against the tide by giving yourself a tech-free day!

A: Ha, good idea! And you mentioned a good idiom: swim against the tide. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 881 Swim Against the Tide

美国习惯用语第 881 讲

在当今这个社交网站满天飞，所有人都忙着更新状态的时代，我朋友 Laurie 却全然不为所动，绝不随大流。这也让我想起一个可以跟大家分享的习惯用语，叫：

M: Swim against the tide. Swim is spelled s-w-i-m, and tide; t-i-d-e. Swim-against-the-tide.

大家都知道，swim 意思是游泳；tide 意思是潮流。to swim against the tide 顾名思义，就是逆着潮流而行。我朋友 Laurie 就是这个习惯用语的化身。别人都在忙于上网社交的时候，她却我行我素，She is swimming against the tide. 逆着潮流而行。在下面的例子里，一些部门经理开会不拿手提电脑，而是返朴归真，重新拿起笔记本。我们一起听。

M: “There’s no shortage of laptops at business meetings. But more than a few of us are starting to SWIM AGAINST THE TIDE. We’re using old-fashioned notebooks instead. Not only are they easier to access, but they also don’t require batteries.”

这段话是说：商业会议上，到处都是手提电脑，但是也有象我这样的一些人却反潮流而进，回去使用老式的笔记本，笔记本不仅更加方便携带，而且还不需要电池。

我也听人说起过现在的这种趋势。这些商业管理人员其实不并是反对科技进步，但是他们意识到，其实笔记本真的要比手提电脑更好用。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

在英语里，有一个词，专门用来形容反对科技进步的人，叫 luddite, luddite is spelled l-u-d-d-i-t-e. 1811年到1816年期间，一群英国工人发生暴动，捣毁了很多纺织机器，因为他们觉得，机械进步会减少就业机会。Luddite 这个词后来专门用来指反对技术进步的人。

美国前几年房地产市场火爆，很多新开发的房子都属于豪宅一类，有人觉得，这种房子其实并不实用。让我们听听下面例子里这个人是怎么说的：

M: “My friends have all bought bigger homes featuring master bedroom suites, gourmet kitchens, formal dining rooms, and lots of bathrooms. My wife and I would rather have a modest house that doesn’t cost a lot to furnish and maintain. We realize we’re SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE and that’s fine with us.”

这个人说：我朋友买的都是大房子，里面有主卧室，讲究的厨房，正式餐厅，还有好多洗手间。我和妻子更愿意要一个简单得多的房子，不需要太多钱去装修和保养。我们知道，这么做是在逆潮流而动，不过我们觉得这挺好。

跟 swim against the tide 相反的，是 swim with the tide 意思是随大流，顺着潮流而进。就我个人而言，我大多数时候都是 swim with the tide, 不过有时候，如果是我认准了的事情，我也一定会坚持自己的立场 swim against the tide。好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

在整个历史长河中，多少思想家、发明家、探险家，都是因为敢于挑战主流思想，换句话说，他们就是敢于 swim against the tide, 才最终推动了人类的进步。

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: I think a cozy home full of love is way better than a luxury house with no family quality time!

B: I completely agree. It’s not about how many things you have in life, it’s about who you can share them with.

A: That reminds me, I should probably pay a visit home…

B: Not without renewing your visa…

A: Right. My visa is expired. Thank you for reminding me.

B: And we will talk about this exact topic in today’s business etiquette!

A: 如果你要去申请签证，赶快来听听如何应对签证官的问题吧!

礼节美语 Applying for a Visa I

王小姐到美国使馆签证，签证官 Bob Jones 受理她的申请。

B: Hello miss. Can I see your ticket number?

W: Sure, here you are. And here are my application forms as well.

B: Thank you miss…Wang. I’m Bob Jones and I’ll be handling your application.

W: Nice to meet you Mr. Jones.

B: The first step is to determine your eligibility for a U.S. visa. Let’s see here…you’re applying for a special business visa. Why is that?

W: Well, my first order of business will be attending a conference in Seattle, but after that I intend to spend two weeks visiting my friends. I assumed a business visa would be required.

签证官Bob说，首先要决定，王小姐是否符合申请美国签证的标准，eligibility is spelled e-l-i-g-i-b-i-l-i-t-y, eligibility 是符合标准的意思。签证官问王小姐为什么要申请一种特殊商务签证，a special business visa.。王小姐解释说，她是先到西雅图开会，first order of business 意思是第一件要处理的事情，然后还准备去看朋友。

B: I think a regular visitor’s visa should suffice. With this visa, you can stay in the United States for up to 90 days.

W: So I can attend conferences and do business on that visa?

B: Yes. You are free to do temporary business with this visa. If you were planning on setting up a new business in the U.S. you might need to apply for a long-term visa.

W: Oh, I see. I think 90 days is more than enough time.

签证官觉得，王小姐申请一般的旅游签证 a regular visitor’s visa 就可以了，suffice is spelled s-u-f-f-i-c-e, suffice 是足够的意思，她凭旅游签证能在美国停留90天，而且也可以做生意。王小姐说，90天的时间已经足够了。

B: You said you plan to attend a conference. May I see your official invitation letter?

W: Of course…I’ve also attached two reference letters from my senior management who can confirm my itinerary.

B: I see. Your passport has quite a few international stamps in it. You do a lot of business traveling?

W: I’m out of the country almost half a year. I’m a Chinese antiquities consultant and advisor. Our company has an office in Zurich.

王小姐把会议方的邀请函 the official invitation letter 交给签证官，还附加了两份公司主管的信，证明她的行程，itinerary. 她说自己 I’m out of the country almost half a year. 每年几乎有半年的时间不在国内，签证官说王小姐护照上有 quite a few international stamps, 这里所说的 international stamps 是指入出境时在护照上盖的章。原来，王小姐是中国古迹专家，她所在的公司在苏黎世有办公处。

A: 王小姐申请赴美签证，签证官要确定她的eligibility, 是否符合标准。她要申请 regular visitor’s visa, 普通旅游签证，需要提供official invitation letter, 官方邀请信。签证官说，王小姐的护照上有quite a few international stamps，有很多出入境纪录。

B: It definitely helps if you have some travel records showing that you have complied with the terms of the visa.

A: You are lucky that you have an American passport. You don’t need a visa to go to most of the places in the world.

B: Except the one place I really want to go…China!

A: Ha, that’s true. Alright, 我们接着来听听签证官还需要什么东西吧

礼节美语 Applying for a Visa II

王小姐到美国使馆签证，签证官 Bob Jones 受理她的申请，Bob 得知王小姐是研究古迹的专家后，觉得这个行业很有意思。

B: Wow, that sounds like an interesting line of work. I see here you are a citizen of People’s Republic of China.

W: That’s correct.

B: According to United States law, I’m required to ask you some reasonably personal questions. Please understand that these are formalities and are required of everyone.

W: No problem. Ask away.

B: Do you have proof of your financial stability? I’ll need to see a bank statement.
W: Yes. I remembered to bring my bankbook. Here you are.

签证官Bob说，王小姐从事的行业似乎很有意思，line of work 指的是工作，行业。签证官Bob说，他要问王小姐一些个人问题，these are formalities. formalities 意思是必要的形式。首先，签证申请人要证明自己的 financial stability 经济实力。

B: Have you ever been involved with terrorism or groups that support terrorism?

W: Absolutely not.

B: Do you have a criminal record in China?

W: No. Not even a parking ticket.

B: Ok…now I’m going to ask you sign a statement that affirms everything you just told me. If you sign this document, it’s legally considered the same as swearing an oath in court. Do you affirm that everything you just told me is the truth?

W: I do.

签证官问王小姐是否参与过恐怖活动，be involved with 意思是参与，涉及。签证官又问，do you have a criminal record in China? 在中国有没有犯罪记录。王小姐回答说，她连违章停车的罚单都没吃过，违章停车的罚单在英语里叫 parking ticket. 签证官最后让王小姐在一份文件上签字，保证自己所说的一切属实。

B: Then please sign here. Thank you. Now I must inform you that anyone applying for a visa to the United States is required to have their fingerprints taken.

W: That’s not a problem. So…how long before I’ll know if my visa is approved.

B: The processing time is usually about 5 days. If there is some problem, you’ll get a call or an email.

W: Excellent. Thank you for your assistance Mr. Jones, you’ve been a great help.

B: Not at all…just doing my job. Enjoy your trip to the United States.

W: I certainly will!

王小姐签好字，还要做指纹取样，按签证官说的，anyone applying for a visa to the United States is required to have fingerprints taken. 凡是申请入境美国签证的人，都要提取指纹。王小姐问签证申请几天才会有结果，签证官回答说，The processing time is about 5 days. 办理签证大约要五天的时间，如果有问题，会电话或是电邮通知申请人，签证官最后还预祝王小姐去美国旅程顺利。

A: 签证官还问了王小姐一些私人问题，比如有没有参加过恐怖组织，有没有犯罪记录，他解释说these are formalities, 这是必要的形式。王小姐还要证明她的financial stability, 经济实力，最后她在文件上签名，it equals to an oath in court, 在法律意义上就像是在法庭上发誓，保证自己所说的一切属实。

B: Submitting a visa application is a complicated process, but it’s necessary. It can prevent illegal immigration and protects the local economy.

A: True. I have a friend who is a visa officer. He said after dealing with 20,000 visa applications, he could tell whether he would give the green light to an applicant just by seeing how he walks towards him!

B: Ha, that’s like a walking lie detector! Alright, enough about visas, let’s go ahead with our class.

A: Let’s listen to another learn a word!

Learn A Word 1855 toss

今天我们要学的词是 toss. Toss is spelled t-o-s-s, toss. Toss 动词，是丢掉，扔掉的意思。Defense lawyers wanted the defendant’s confession to be tossed out of court. 辩护律师希望法庭不考虑被告的认罪书。The fans were tossed out of the stadium for fighting. 这些球迷因为打架被驱逐出球场。A family was tossed out of Universal Studios because the dad wore a T-shirt with the word “police” on it. 一家人被环球影城赶了出去，因为父亲穿着的T恤衫上写这“警察”的字眼。好的，今天我们学习的词是 toss, toss, toss…

A: I think it’s fair that the father was tossed out. Wearing a T-shirt that says “Police” could lead to other people having false perceptions of you.

B: True, but it is also important to protect a person’s right to freedom of expression.

A: 没错! 好啦，我们来听今天的最后一个单元，学学 have the upper hand 这个短语是什么意思!

Words and Idioms 882 to have the upper hand

美国习惯用语第 882 讲

每年春天，我们几家人都会出去野餐，一个传统项目就是老少对阵的足球赛。父母一队，孩子一队，以前每年都是父母赢，可今年不知道为什么，孩子们好象突然间都长大了，大人根本追不上他们。这也让我想起一个习惯用语，叫：

M: To have the upper hand. Upper is spelled u-p-p-e-r. Upper. Hand is spelled h-a-n-d. Hand. To have the upper hand.

大家都知道，upper 是上面的；hand 是手。to have the upper hand 意思就是占优势，占上风。就好比我们两代人的足球赛，以前是父母人高马大，we had the upper hand. 如今孩子们个头追上我们了，速度又比我们快，因此 they have the upper hand. 他们开始占上风了。to have the upper hand 除了可以用来说人外，还可以用来指情绪。比如说，His feelings got the upper hand. 意思是他的情绪失去了控制。在今天的房地产市场中，买方还是卖方占据优势呢？我们一起听。

M: “Now that the housing market has slowed down, the buyers HAVE THE UPPER HAND. With fewer buyers in the market, the sellers are being forced to cut their prices.”

这段话意思是：如今，房地产市场的成长速度开始放缓，买方开始占据优势，因为买房子的人比以前少了，所以卖房子的人不得不降价出售。
尽管如此，现在的房子还是贵得要命。

昨天看比赛，到中场的时候，我支持的队似乎还在占据优势，At half time, our team seemed to have the upper hand. 可谁知道，Our arch-rival gained the upper hand in the second half and beat us on our home turf. 我们的死对头下半场开始占上风，最后我们在自己的地盘上输掉了比赛。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

M: “Now that the housing market has slowed down, the buyers HAVE THE UPPER HAND. With fewer buyers in the market, the sellers are being forced to cut their prices.”

To have the upper hand 这个习惯用语源于一种古老的比赛。大家从下到上，一个接一个地轮流把手放在一根木棍上，谁的手落在最上面，谁就是比赛的赢家，或者说 the winner was the player with the upper hand. 在下面这个例子中，一群雇员要告自己的公司。让我们一起听听律师是怎么说的。

M: “The corporation really HAS THE UPPER HAND here. The employees can’t dispute the corporation’s settlement because they can’t afford to stay out of work. The corporation therefore can offer them a ridiculously small amount.”

这位律师说：在这种情况下，占上风的一方是公司。雇员因为无法承担不去工作的经济负担，所以不会质疑公司的解决方案，公司只要给他们少得可笑的一笔小钱就可以了事了。

这倒是真的。大多数情况下，个人跟大公司打官司，确实是大公司占优势，但这并不意味着公司一定会赢。比如说，美国生产万宝路牌香烟的菲利普•莫里斯公司就经常败诉。

再举个例子，最近，我们家用的电话公司为了跟对手争夺用户，推出了很多新的服务项目，结果市场份额大大地增加。It looks like they have the upper hand now. 现在看来，他们似乎占据了优势。好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

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: Aw, Mike it’s so cute how you think you always have the upper hand in our conversations.

B: Hmmmmm, well, as the old saying goes “I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed!”
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!

美语训练班第130课

B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!

A: And I’m Lin Yang.

B: What kinds of topics should you avoid in conversations? Do you know the social faux pas in western culture? We will offer you some tips in today’s business etiquette.

A: 实体店会不会在未来生活中消失? 我们在下面节目中为你介绍。

B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “out of hand” and “take a turn for the better” means!
A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

B: Now let’s go into our first segment, learn a word!

Learn A Word 1860 showroom

今天我们要学的词是 showroom. Showroom is spelled s-h-o-w-r-o-o-m, showroom. Showroom 是陈列室，展示厅的意思。日本东京获得2020年夏季奥运会主办权后，The number of visitors to apartment showrooms in the area where the Olympic Village will be built saw a big jump. 计划筹建奥运村的地区，去看公寓样品房的人数大增。我们现在日常生活中的哪些东西在不久的将来会消失呢？美国一家研究未来发展趋势的机构就此发表报告，报告中提到，Brick-and-mortar stores as we know them will likely become nothing more than showrooms. 现在生活中的实体店将来很可能也就起个展示商品的作用。好的，今天我们学习的词是 showroom, showroom, showroom…

A: I totally prefer shopping in a real store to shopping online. I never really trust what I’m getting unless I can see it first hand, especially when it comes to clothes.

B: I think E-commerce is extremely convenient. You just look online and pick whatever you want.
Buying is just a click away! A lot of times you don’t even have to pay for shipping!

A: But it’s also really easy to let things get out of hand. Sometimes when you are shopping online, you feel like you are not spending very much, but you end up maxing out your credit cards!

B: I guess that’s something I need to pay attention to. And…you just mentioned a good idiom: out of hand. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 883 out of hand

美国习惯用语第 883 讲

每次家里人聚会，最高兴的就是孩子。我有好几个侄子、侄女，都是八、九岁上下。小时候，他们总要闹得鸡飞狗跳，但是这两年好多了，更懂事，更听话了。这也让我想起一个习惯用语，叫：

M: Out of hand. Out is spelled o-u-t. Out. Hand is spelled h-a-n-d. Hand. Out of hand.

大家都知道，hand 是手的意思。out of hand 这个习惯用语就是很难管，很难控制的意思。比如说，几个半大不小的孩子在一起，闹得天翻地覆，就可以说是 out of hand. 再比如，开会的时候两个人唇枪舌战，最后吵了起来，就可以说当时的局面 got out of hand. 在下面这个例子中，一群大学生开派对，最后为什么招来了警察？我们一起听。

M: “Everything was going fine until these guys got into a fight for some reason, then their drunk friends all joined in, then some idiot threw a chair through a window. It really got OUT OF HAND. The police had to come by and break it up.”

这段话意思是：本来一切都是好好的，可是这帮人后来不知道为什么原因打了起来，他们那些喝醉了的哥们儿也都过来帮忙，不知哪个傻瓜居然把椅子从窗户扔了出去。当时的情况真是彻底失去了控制，最后只好叫警察来，才把他们拉开。

听起来真是够乱的。It really got OUT OF HAND. 我家对面的房子就出租给了几个大学生，每到周末都开派对，有时半夜三更还有人唱歌。

说起局面失控，我昨天看到两个拳击选手比赛前开记者会，结果当场差点儿打起来。The situation almost got out of hand. 好在双方教练马上把他们拉开了。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

Out of hand 这个习惯用语由来已久，大约八百年前，就有人开始说 in hand, 意思是处于掌控之中。后来，大约十六世纪的时候，又出现了跟 in hand 意思恰恰相反的 out of hand, 意思是失去了控制。

这一轮经济衰退，使很多人都开始反省美国人的信用卡消费文化。让我们一起听听下面这个人是怎么说的。

M: “My wife and I had to cut up our credit cards. We kept buying things we couldn’t afford and our credit debt was getting OUT OF HAND. Now we’re just trying to pay everything off.”

这个人说：我和太太不得不把我们所有的信用卡都剪掉。我们没完没了地买那些根本负担不起的东西，因为刷卡而欠下的债务已经失去控制了。我们现在要努力把欠的钱都付清。

刷卡真的很容易一发不可收拾 get out of hand，尤其是信用卡债务一般都有很高的利息，用不了多久，就能欠一大笔钱。这次经济衰退，让很多美国人意识到理财的重要性，知道了不能让信用卡上的债务变得 out of hand. 好，我们再来听一下上面那个例句。

M: “My wife and I had to cut up our credit cards. We kept buying things we couldn’t afford and our credit debt was getting OUT OF HAND. Now we’re just trying to pay everything off.”

每年年底前后，我都会接二连三地开派对，体重也跟着往上蹿。所以一过元旦，我就要开始控制饮食，加紧锻炼，为的就是不让体重 get out of hand. 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束，去健身房的时间也到了。

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: I do think using cash will help you save. It helps make you more aware of how much you are spending, so it’s easier to make adjustment if you overspend in one particular area.

B: I agree. But for me…I’m just so easily tempted by food! If I see something exotic, I desperately want to try it. Unfortunately, dining in DC is expensive.

A: That’s true. Look at those love handles…

B: Let me remind you again, talking about weight is a very sensitive topic in western culture…

A: I’m kidding, kidding! Speaking of sensitive topics, we will talk about some social faux pas in today’s business etiquette!

B: So you won’t make inappropriate comments. Let’s go check it out!

礼节美语 BE-255 Sensitivity Training Money I

晚宴结束，Jason跟同事Harold一起往外走。Jason说：

Jason: That was a lovely party, wasn’t it?

Harold: Yes, it was. The food was pretty good, too.

J: I was a little puzzled about something, though.

H: What was that?

J: At one point in our conversation, Mr. Jones gave me a really funny look…it was almost like I’d broken some sort of a rule.

H: Oh, yes…well you did ask him how much he paid for his apartment.

J: And? What’s wrong with asking someone how much they paid for a piece of property? Back in China everybody talks about buying and selling apartments.

Jason是从中国来的，在晚会上问东道主Mr. Jones公寓是多少钱买的。Mr. Jones gave me a really funny look. Mr. Jones 看他的表情有些奇怪，好象他这样问犯了什么大忌。a funny look意思是说不清楚的奇怪表情。Jason 说，在中国，大家见面就是谈房子，因此他不懂，What’s wrong with asking someone how much they paid for a piece of property? 问别人买房子花了多少钱有什么不妥呢？Harold解释说：

H: Yeah, I know….but in many Western societies, talking about money in public is a faux pas.

J: What’s a faux pas?

H: It’s a French term that means a social blunder. Questions like that are considered a little bit impolite.

J: Really? I had no idea. Back in China, it’s not generally a problem to ask about how much something costs.

H: I know you meant no offense. When I was assigned to Guangzhou for 6 months, people frequently ask me how much my monthly salary is.

Harold解释说，在很多西方国家，公开谈钱是 faux pas, faux pas is spelled f-a-u-x, faux and pas p-a-s, pas, faux pas 也就是 social blunder 在社交上忌讳做的事，属于失礼的行为。Jason听了觉得很出乎意料，说自己完全不知情，I had no idea. 因为在中国，询问财物的价钱完全不是问题。Harold说，I know you meant no offense. 我知道你不是故意冒犯 Mr. Jones. Harold说自己派驻广州半年时，就经常有人问他每个月的工资是多少。Jason说：

J: That’s funny, because Western society seems so open. People talk about all kinds of private things that we wouldn’t bring up in China. Buy money is a no-no, huh?

H: If your Western friend buys something for a really good price, he or she might mention it to you by saying something like, “Take a look at this camera that I got on sale for only $99 dollars.” But unless the person is a close friend, we almost never ask how much something costs.

J: So, do you avoid talking about money so that people with less money don’t feel bad?

Jason 觉得很有意思的是，西方社会如此开放，对很多中国不敢涉猎的私人问题都可以拿到台面上来说，但是 money is a no-no. 钱的问题却是个禁区。no-no 两个no连在一起，中间加个连接线，是一种非正式用法，名词，意思是不可以，不被接受的事情。西方人回避谈钱，是因为怕刺激没钱的人吗？我们下次继续听。

A: Jason说，东道主Mr. Jones gave him a funny look，看他的表情很奇怪。Harold说，这是因为Jason问他房子是多少钱买的，在西方国家，随便谈钱是a faux pas, 社交禁忌，虽然很多其他事情都可以谈, but money is a no-no,钱的问题是个禁区。

B: When I was in China, I got asked about how much I make or how much I pay for rent, like ALL THE TIME. At first it was annoying, but later I just tried to answer briefly and change the topic to something more interesting.

A: I guess you have to develop some canned answers for certain questions like that if you spend enough time in a foreign country.

B: True. Let’s keep listen to Harold and see how he’s going to explain this to Jason!

礼节美语 BE-256 Sensitivity Training Money II

晚宴结束，Jason跟同事Harold一起往外走。Jason是从中国来的，对西方人交往时回避谈钱的问题感到不解，问这样做是不是为了不去刺激那些没什么钱的人。Harold回答说：

Harold: Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head. Also, I think many Westerners believe that if you’re rich, you should be quiet about it. In fact, I believe many wealthy people in the West feel a little bit guilty.

J: Why would they feel guilty?

H: Because so many other people work very hard, but never become successful. When the wealthy turn on TV, they see so much pain and suffering…. but their own lives are so comfortable.

J: Ah….I can understand that. If I were a wealthy person I think I’d feel the same way.

Harold说Jason, you hit the nail on the head. 你说得一点没错。to hit the nail on the head 意思是一下子就说到了点子上，还有两种类似的说法，一种是 you are right on. 另外一种说法是 you are right on the money. 都是同样的意思。Harold说，因为西方很多人不喜欢炫富，有些人还会因为自己太有钱，而其他人生活贫苦而感到内疚。Harold 说：

H: It’s interesting that some of the most successful entrepreneurs such as John D. Rockefeller and Bill Gates ended up setting up charity organizations and giving away a large portion of the money they made.

J: So you’re saying that Bill Gates, for example, doesn’t necessarily think he deserves all the money he made….he knows a part of it was luck, right?

H: Yeah. Bill Gates is a computer genius, but he was there at the right place and the right time.

J: That’s a good attitude. It’s good to remember that hard work and good luck often go hand-in-hand. Okay, so one more time….what’s the etiquette when it comes to talking about money with Westerners?

Harold说，这也就是为什么比尔.盖茨和洛克菲勒这种成功的企业家最后都会 end up setting up charity organizations 成立慈善机构，把钱捐出去。虽说比尔.盖茨是电脑天才，但他的成功在很大程度上也是靠机遇，He was there at the right place and the right time. 他在正确的时间出现在了正确的地方，类似中文里说的天时地利人和。Jason很欣赏这种心态，因为 hard work and good luck often go hand-in-hand. 勤奋和运气二者往往必须兼备才能成功。

H: If the person doesn’t volunteer information about how much something costs…don’t bring it up. Don’t ask about personal savings or salary.

J: Is it OK to comment on or praise someone’s possessions? If you have a really nice car, can I say, “Wow…nice car?”

H: Yes, that’s fine. It only gets complicated when you start talking about specific prices.

J: I see your point. Topics like that could lead to embarrassment.

H: Exactly. Maybe Mr. Jones’ apartment was really expensive, but his company paid for it…or maybe he overpaid and got a bad deal….in either case, it’s easier for everyone if we don’t discuss it in public.

Harold最后总结说，在西方，除非别人主动告诉你，否则不要问人家赚多少工资，有多少存款，买东西花了多少钱这类问题，可以夸别人的东西好，但不要询问价钱，免得彼此尴尬。

A: Harold解释说，在西方, 富人一般don’t show off不会炫富，很多成功的企业家都会set up charity organizations,成立慈善机构。所以除非主人主动提起，一般不要get into specifics, 不要具体问一个东西多少钱。

B: I agree. You can complement someone on their personal possessions, but unless you are talking to your best buddy, don’t bring up the topic of money.

A: It’s indeed fascinating to see how different western and eastern cultures are.

B: That’s what makes the world a more interesting place, diversity! Alright, enough about faux pas, let’s go ahead with our class.

A: Let’s listen to another learn a word!

Learn A Word 1862 Seasonally

今天我们要学的词是 seasonally. Seasonally is spelled s-e-a-s-o-n-a-l-l-y, seasonally. Seasonally，受季节影响地。美国房地产市场仍然波动频繁，但是 Overall, housing market rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.9%。考惮7b季节调节因素，房地产市场以每年0.9%的速度增长。营养专家建议，我们应该吃应季的食物。Experts suggest eating seasonally because our bodies require different nutrients throughout the differing seasons. 专家建议应该吃应季的食品，因为我们的身体在不同季节需要不同的营养成分。好的，今天我们学习的词是seasonally, seasonally, seasonally.

A: Eating seasonally is healthy; your body needs different kind of nutrients at different times of the year. 像我们中国人说, 冬季吃羊肉进补，夏季吃羊肉上火，就是这个意思！

B: True. But I totally prefer frozen meals. You just slap it in the microwave! It’s super easy and saves a lot of time!

A: That’s why you still have those love handles, Mike! Eating fresh is going to help you get better nutrients and maintain a good shape! You should learn how to cook, take a turn for the better…

B: Haha, luckily my girlfriend is so good at cooking! And you just mentioned what we are going to learn next: take a turn for the better.

A: 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 884 take a turn for the better

美国习惯用语第 884 讲

今天我总算是松了口气! 昨天，我姑姑突然觉得胸口疼、头晕、想吐，结果被送到了急救中心! 还好，医生给她检查完之后，她已经不那么难受了。在放心之余，我还想起了一个习惯用语，那就是：

M: Take a turn for the better. Turn is spelled t-u-r-n, and better; b-e-t-t-e-r. Take-a-turn-for-the-better. Take a turn for the better.

大家都知道，Turn是“转变”的意思，而better表示“更好”，所以“take a turn for the better”就是说“情况好转”。比如说，我姑姑原本生病，但后来身体逐渐恢复，我就可以说 Her health took a turn for the better. 在下面这个例子中，一个失业的人守得云开见月明。我们一起来听。

M: “After being unemployed for 6 months, I was getting desperate. Nobody seemed to be hiring and my bank account was running low. Then my job search TOOK A TURN FOR THE BETTER. A recruiter called me and managed to set me up with an interview at an accounting firm. Now I’m working again.”

这段话意思是：我已经六个月没工作了，心情沮丧极了。现在，好像所有的公司都不雇人了，我银行里的存款也快用光了。就在这时，情况出现了转机。有个猎头打来电话，他帮我联络到了一家会计公司，让我去面试。现在，我又有工作啦!

这可真是柳暗花明又一村! 找不到工作的确很急人，不过你不要放弃希望，试着联系一下以前的同事，他们可能知道一些雇人的信息。只要找到正确的门路，你得到工作的前景就会TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER. 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

俗话说，人生不如意事十之八九。所以，遇到挫折时千万不要放弃希望，因为生活可能会突然 TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER，让我们来听听下面这个人的故事：

M: “I never expected to find myself alone. But two years ago, I lost my wife to cancer. All the joy I had known disappeared. I was lost until a friend introduced me to Carrie a few months ago. Ever since we went on our first date, my life has TAKEN A TURN FOR THE BETTER. I can hardly believe how happy I am thanks to her.”

这个人说：我从没想过自己会孤单地生活。可是，两年前，癌症夺走了我太太。所有的快乐都离我而去，也让我失去了生活的目标。可是，几个月前，有个朋友给我介绍了Carrie。从我们第一次约会开始，我的人生就完全改观了。她给我带来了难以置信的快乐。

这个人真幸运，迎来了爱情的第二春，他一定和新女友有很多甜蜜的约会。不过，并不是所有约会都是美好的。有一次，我和先生去餐馆吃饭，过结婚周年，开头挺浪漫的，可服务员上菜时一个不留神，把整盘菜扣在了我的新裙子上! 约会彻底砸了! 在这个时候，你就可以说 THE DATE TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE。这和TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER 正好相反，指的是情况变差。你还可以说，公司的生意 TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE，业务一落千丈；或者和某人的恋情 TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE，感情亮起红灯。我们再来听一下上面那个例句：

希望你能多练习我们学过的习惯用语，只要坚持，你的英语水平就能 TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER! 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束，

M: Until next time.

下次节目再见。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Well, I think our show is going to take a turn for the better after the New Year!

B: Really? But I’m going on an extended leave right after the New Year.

A: Exactly…….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!

返回《美语训练班》页。

禅世界

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