美語訓練班第121-130課

美語訓練班第121課

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: 手機上癮會帶來亞健康狀態? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是fitness. Fitness is spelled f-i-t-n-e-s-s, fitness. Fitness 身體健康狀況。隨着網絡空間戰的激烈化，各國都在招兵買馬，搜羅網絡電腦人才。Britain is waiving the fitness test when recruiting new cyber soldiers. 英國招募空間戰鬥人員時，不要求他們接受體格考核。In the U.S., fitness DVDs bring in about $265 million annually. 在美國，健身DVD每年的銷售額高達2.65億美元。美國肯特州立大學的一項研究顯示，High cell phone use is linked to poor fitness levels in college students. 手機使用率的高低跟大學生的身體健康水平之間，有着直接的聯繫。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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? 簡直是給點陽光就燦爛的典範!

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

美國習慣用語第 863 講

有時候，家裡有錢也未必就是件好事。我老闆 Johnson 的兒子，就是因為家裡有錢，不僅不求上進，還三天兩頭惹事生非，在英語里，我們說 born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth, 生在有錢的家庭，是一個

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、賜福的意思。mixed blessing 意思是福禍兼俱，有好處也有壞處的事情。也就是說，出生在一個有錢的家庭，一方面，想買什麼就買什麼，不用擔心錢的問題；但是另外一方面，孩子如果什麼都有了，反而會失去自己去奮鬥爭取的動力。在下面這個例子中，一個父親為什麼會對女兒的美貌而大發感慨呢？我們一起來聽聽。

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.”

這個父親說：我女兒因為長得漂亮吸引了很多人的注意，但是也正因為長得好看，所以大家反而不太重視她的能力，特別是在工作中。她的美麗是一件既有好處，又有壞處的事情。

MIXED BLESSING 這個習慣用語是二十世紀上半葉才開始出現的，之所以出現時間較晚，是因為十八世紀的時候人們篤信宗教，只有到了二十世紀，才開始有人覺得上帝的賜福也不一定都是好的，可能會是 mixed blessing. 好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在接下來這個例子里，儘管大多數人都覺得香港的開發是件好事，但是下面這個人卻看到了發展帶來的負面效應。讓我們一起來聽聽。

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.”

報道說：我覺得這個項目有好處，也有壞處，這個項目確實會給香港創造很多就業機會，但同時也會破壞很多動物的自然棲息地。很多只有香港島上才有的鳥類和小動物都會消失。

這是典型的發展給經濟和環境，給目前和未來所帶來的困擾。隨着世界人口的不斷增加，這個問題只會變得越發嚴重。發展對地球來說永遠都是 a mixed blessing. 人類文明的代價就是地球的生態環境。現在全球氣候變暖已經給人類敲響了警鐘，督促我們去尋找更為環保的發展方式。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

我老公馬上要被調去上早班了。他自己覺得這是一個 mixed blessing. 好的一方面是，下班後有充足的時間去健身房鍛煉身體，不好的地方當然是需要早起，再也不能睡懶覺了。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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. 事情都有兩面性嘛!

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!

禮節美語kickbacks I

項目主管Donny急沖沖地來找老闆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, 但是不方便在外面談，說 we better step into your office. 最好去你辦公室談。原來是他們在南方興建的加工廠遇到了麻煩。Donny 說，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.

原來，問題出在當地檢查施工建築的官員身上。他為了拿回扣，kickback, 居然說Simon公司的建築 not up to code. 不符合建築規格。這裡的 code, c-o-d-e, code 指政府關於建築標準的法規。按 Donny 的話說，要想達標也不難，we need to grease the wheels. grease is spelled g-r-e-a-s-e, grease. Grease 是上油的意思，wheels 是車輪的意思，給車輪上油，引伸為讓事情進行得更順利。

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 說，一方面，幾千美元就能解決問題，make the problem go away, 讓這個問題消失；但另外一方面，行賄是非法的, bribery is illegal. Simon 說，行賄不僅非法，更重要的是，他個人認為這樣做是不道德的，it’s immoral. Simon 還說，自己做生意一概奉公守法，努力 run a clean shop. 這裡的 clean 指正派的，遵紀守法的，shop 在口語里可以用來泛指生意、公司、店鋪等等。Simon 最終會讓步嗎？我們下次繼續聽。

A: Donny向老闆彙報說, 他們的項目 run into a couple of setbacks, 遇到了一些麻煩。原因是檢察人員說他們的項目not up to code, 不符合規定，其實是想藉機索取kickbacks, 回扣。Donny很矛盾，因為其實幾千美元就能make the problem go away, 讓問題消失，可是bribery is illegal and immoral, 行賄不僅非法，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 老闆 Simon seems to be against paying kickbacks.

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

禮節美語kickbacks II

項目主管Donny急沖沖地來找老闆Simon，因為公司即將竣工的加工廠遇到了麻煩，當地質檢官員以不合格為由，索取賄賂。Donny 說，

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 說，I hate to play devil’s advocate, 我不是要故意唱反調。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，指的是雖然你認同某種看法，但卻要故意從反對者的立場出發，提出質疑，以便證明這種看法確實是正確的。Donny還說，行賄受賄在當地似乎司空見慣，或許最簡單的做法是 look the other way 睜一眼閉一眼。Simon 承認，這是最簡單的解決方式，這樣他們就能提前完工，wrap up this construction ahead of schedule, wrap up 是收尾的意思，ahead of schedule 意思是提前。不過，Simon 覺得良心上過不去。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說，如果第一次屈於壓力給錢了，對方就可能變本加厲訛詐你，blackmail, b-l-a-c-k-m-a-i-l, blackmail 是訛詐的意思，搞不好局面還會失去控制，get out of hand. 但是不付錢，工期就要被拖延至少六個月，讓開支平白無故地增加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!

拖延半年絕對不行，Simon說，we should be on line in three months! 我們還有三個月就應該開工了。這裡說的on line意思時投入生產。如果耽誤半年的話，that could really set us back, 就會讓我們的進度延後。Simon 會怎麼做呢？我們下次繼續聽。

A: Donny表示，他不想play the devil’s advocate, 故意唱反調，但是給回扣好像已經成了這裡做生意的潛規則，最簡單解決問題的方法就是look the other way，睜一眼閉一眼。但是老闆Simon不願意這樣解決問題，他說 I’m having a hard time telling my conscience that this is OK. 良心上過不去。

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，你跟公司老闆Simon想的一樣!

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

禮節美語kickbacks III

項目主管Donny急沖沖地來找老闆Simon，因為公司即將竣工的加工廠突然遇到了麻煩，當地質檢官員以建設標準不合格為由，索取賄賂，Simon 表示，這個錢堅決不能給。Donny 問要怎麼辦？

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 問，那個質檢官員想要多少錢。Simon 用 lowlife 來形容此人，lowlife is spelled l-o-w-l-i-f-e, lowlife 意思是卑鄙的，下流的。原來，此人要價並不高，只要兩千五百美元就能解決問題。Simon 決定，就用這筆錢來 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.

對某人提出訴訟，可以說 sue someone, 也可以說 to take legal action against someone. Donny 建議把跟質檢官員的對話偷偷錄下來，做為證據，evidence. 不過，Simon 強調說，我們的工程才是最有力的證據。因為這一工程完全符合標準， completely up to standard。Donny也說，The building will speak for itself. speak for itself 無需解釋，明擺着的，意思是建築工程就在那裡，是最有說服力的證據。

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 說，讓律師們不要 cut corners, cut corners 意思是偷工減料，一切要按法律上的規定去辦，by the book 意思是嚴格遵守法律。Donny 從來沒見老闆 Simon 如此激動過，I’ve never seen you so worked up. worked is spelled w-o-r-k-e-d, worked up 是激動的意思。Simon 說，I’m sick and tired. 在這裡，sick and tired 不是我又病又累，而是指厭倦了某件事情。Simon 還說，I’m not going to put up with this. put up with something 指忍受一件事情。Donny 最後說，I’m on it. 意思是交給我吧，我這就去辦。

A: 老闆Simon決定，take legal action against this lowlife, 對要求回扣的人提起訴訟，讓公司法律部門do this by the book, 嚴格按照法律程序處理這件事。因為公司的項目completely up to standard, 完全符合標準，所以呢，他們沒什麼可害怕的。

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，嚴肅的回扣問題就到這裡吧! 現在咱們來進入今天最後一個單元….

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

Words and Idioms 864 Rough and Ready

美國習慣用語第 864 講

我這個人，幹什麼事情都喜歡做好準備充分。誰知道昨天早上，老闆突然通知我，兩個小時內要做好一份新節目的展示報告，這就意味着我要馬上搜集節目話題、籌劃預算開支和人員分配，把相關信息綜合起來。最後總算是完成了任務，雖然並不盡善盡美。這也讓我想起了一個習慣用語，叫

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

形容詞 Rough 是粗糙的意思，ready 的意思是準備好。Rough and ready 連在一起，意思就是雖然有些粗糙簡陋，但是可以用。我上面說的展示報告就是 rough and ready, 雖然因為時間緊，報告做得不夠精細，但是已經達到了目的。我侄女是高中學生，她本來以為，申請大學只要考試成績好行了，其實不然。我們一起聽聽下面這位大學招生專家是怎麼說的：

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.”

這位專家說：標準化考試的成績並不能全面顯示一個學生的潛力，只能做為基本參照標準。這就是為什麼大學招生要考慮諸多因素，包括學習成績、學生參加的各種課外活動、學生自己寫的作文、還有推薦人對學生的能力和性格的評價。

還好，我侄女即時了解到了這種情況。如今，她不僅學習成績優秀，而且課餘時間還參加學校足球隊、樂隊和戲劇社。讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

剛才提到，我侄女參加學校的足球隊，經常出去巡迴比賽，長了不少見識，眼界比接下來例子里這個人開闊多了。讓我們一起聽聽下面這段話。

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.”

這個人說：我是在鄉下的一個小鎮長大的。搬到城裡住給我的生活帶來了巨大的改變。參加各式各樣別緻的派對、跟各種類型的人打交道對我來說都非常新鮮。不過，我的表現還算說得過去。儘管如此，不能否認的是，我就是一個粗人。

我覺得，性格粗獷有時候反而更具魅力。現在我們市正在舉行地方選舉，我支持的那個候選人就不是一個典型的政客，不會花言巧語籠絡選民。He is ROUGH AND READY. 好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第122課

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: 給小費是美國的社交禮儀，到底給多少合適呢? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是etiquette. Etiquette is spelled e-t-i-q-u-e-t-t-e, etiquette. Etiquette 是禮節，規範的意思。Talking loud over the phone in public places is a major breach in basic etiquette. 在公關場合大聲講電話是基本社交禮儀的大忌。

A judge ordered rapper Meek Mill to enroll in a social media etiquette class. 法官裁決，要求說唱歌手米克.米爾去上社交媒體禮儀課程。在美國，給小費是一種常規禮節。不過，Even within the U.S., tipping etiquette tends to change over time and across regions. 然而，美國國內給小費的規範，也會因為時間和地域的改變而存在差異。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 etiquette, etiquette, etiquette…

A: 我剛來美國的時候就特別困惑，完全不知道該怎麼給小費!

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

美國習慣用語第865講

我最近一直在忙園藝俱樂部的事情。一年一度的玫瑰節要到了。周圍地區很多園藝俱樂部都要大顯身手，競爭相當激烈。我們俱樂部雖然規模不大，資金也不充沛，但是非常有創意，所以別小瞧我們哦。這也讓我想起了一個習慣用語，

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 意思是對競爭對手構成挑戰。我們俱樂部就打算在玫瑰節的比賽中挑戰其它參賽俱樂部，絕不能讓他們輕鬆獲勝。We plan to GIVE THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. 下面例子里的這個水手看來也是個不甘示弱的傢伙。

我們一起聽聽他是怎麼說的：

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.”

他說：帕克老是喜歡提醒我，去年帆船大賽他把我贏得多慘。那次輸了以後，我把每個周末的時間都花在改造帆船、練習各種動作上。我決心，下次比賽一定要給他點兒顏色看看。他看到我的競爭實力，一定會大吃一驚。

我女兒跟她小表哥Jimmy在一個學校讀書。二年級學校匯演，Jimmy是重要角色，而我女兒只是個跑龍套的。她後來一定讓我帶她去上唱歌跳舞的才藝班，結果三年級再匯演，一下子成了主要演員之一。She GAVE HER COUSIN A RUN FOR HER MONEY. 成了表哥 Jimmy 的競爭對象。讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

從上面的例子里，我們可以看出，絕不能滿足於過去的成績，一定要戒驕戒躁。讓我們一起聽聽下面這家公司的經驗。

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.”

這段話說的是：我們公司在摩托車行業一直佔據主導地位，但是最近一段時間裡，我們的一家競爭對手對我們構成了威脅。沒想到，他們的科技創新和大膽設計深受年輕人的喜愛，我們這才意識到，現在的市場競爭越來越激烈了。

To give somebody a run for their money 最早出現在十九世紀中期，是從賽馬比賽來的。最初的時候，是指某個人雖然賽馬贏不了多少錢，但是能看到一場競爭激烈的比賽，也還是很開心，後來逐漸發展成了今天的意思。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語A Trade Expo I

公司開會，經理 Nick 高興地宣布，

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!

公司在法蘭克福紡織品博覽會上申請到了一個展台 we will be setting up a booth。法蘭克福紡織品博覽會是世界上規模最大的紡織品展示會，能去參加，有個 presence，當然是好消息。presence is spelled p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e, presence 在這裡是出席、在場的意思。

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.

展台申請到了，now comes the hard part. 意思是現在剩下不好辦的事情了。出發前有很多準備工作要做。Elaine 建議重新設計一個宣傳小冊子，因為原來的看起來有些 drab. Drab is spelled d-r-a-b, drab 意思是枯燥、乏味。經理 Nick 表示贊成，因為宣傳小冊子必須 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說，博覽會上展台多，讓人看得眼花繚亂，自己的產品很容易就會淹沒在汪洋大海之中。在這裡，Mark 用了兩種說法，一個是 to blend into the background 另外一個是 to get lost in the crowd, 意思都是跟別人差不多，放那兒就找不着了。 Elaine說，應該讓設計展台的人想辦法，to make our booth stand out. 讓我們的展台與眾不同。Nick 同意，決定派兩班人馬去參展，一組人做門面，be the face of our operation, 另外一組人提供後勤保障。

A: 經理Nick很高興，原因是他們公司在最大的紡織品交易會上得到一個展台。Now comes the hard part, 現在剩下不好辦的事情了，他們需要an eye-catching brochure, 一個吸引眼球的宣傳冊，還要make our booth stand out, 讓展台與眾不同。

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!

禮節美語A Trade Expo II

公司開會，經理Nick宣布，他們要在法蘭克福的紡織品博覽會上設展台，大家頭腦激蕩，看需要做哪些準備。Elaine說，

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建議跟負責展台的人 have a little pow-wow. pow-wow is spelled p-o-w-w-o-w, 意思是碰頭會，因為他們在展台接待客人 man the booth, 是公司門面，而且 first impressions are crucial. 第一印象是非常關鍵的。Mark同意Elaine的看法，因為第一印象 can make or break a deal. 既能促成交易 make a deal, 又能 break a deal 讓交易泡湯。

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.

經理Nick說, 負責展台的人必須記住，never judge a book by its cover. 不要以貌取人。Elaine 也說，looks can be deceiving，外表有時是有欺騙性的，外表其貌不揚的人，說不定卻是個大人物，a major player. 因此，不論什麼人從展台旁邊走過，都必須把他當做 a potential customer 潛在的客戶來對待。

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，參加商品博覽會要小心 industrial espionage. industrial is spelled i-n-d-u-s-t-r-i-a-l, industrial 工業的, espionage is spelled e-s-p-i-o-n-a-g-e, espionage 間諜。連在一起，industrial espionage 就是工業間諜。在展台附近遊盪的人 those who are milling around the booth, 很可能是尋找機會 to steal ideas 盜取別人的想法，所以必須讓負責展台的員工知道，什麼信息可以公開，什麼信息不能公開。

A: Nick說，never judge a book by its cover, 不要以貌取人，把每個前來展台參觀的人都當作potential customer, 潛在的客戶。但是呢同事也要小心 industrial espionage, 工業間諜，小心對待那些總在展台附近遊盪的人，確保他們不會steal ideas, 盜取公司的秘密。

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，你跟公司老闆Nick想的一樣耶!

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

禮節美語 A Trade Expo III

公司開會，經理Nick宣布，他們要在法蘭克福的紡織品交易會上設展台，大家頭腦激蕩，看需要做哪些準備。Mark說，

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認為，負責展台的人不能過多泄露公司的生產程序，只能向參觀的人介紹 our company profile 公司概況和 product line 產品系列。Elaine 建議，他們也應該設法在博覽會上了解一下市場最新動向。the new trends on the market. 因為公司必須力爭 stay on the cutting edge of our industry. 走在紡織工業的最前沿。cutting edge 意思是最新的，最先進的。

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.

經理Nick說，他一定會利用這次機會 to check out our competitors 看看競爭對手的產品和實力。在這裡，to check out something or someone 意思是檢查，查看。Mark 說，負責後勤服務的人員也很重要，他們每天要把收集到的名片輸入數據庫。經理 Nick 覺得這是個好主意，It should make the follow-up effort much easier. 以後跟這些潛在的客戶聯繫可以方便很多。

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.

會議結束前，大家都很興奮。Elaine 覺得參加這次博覽會一定會推動公司銷量，而且法蘭克福又是一個很好玩的城市。Mark 也說，準備交易會結束後，順便請一、兩天假，for some R&R. 這裡的 R&R 代表 rest and relaxation 休息和放鬆。經理 Nick 最後說，sounds like a plan 意思是聽起來不錯。let’s get busy 那就行動起來吧。

A: Mark說，在開展會的時候，公司也可以check out our competitors看看競爭對手的產品，以確保stay on the cutting edge of our industry, 走在工業界的最前沿。還要讓展台工作人員把所有來參觀的人的信息保存好，這樣follow-up effort would be much easier, 以後聯繫也方便。

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，博覽會就到這裡吧! 現在咱們來進入今天最後一個單元….

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

Words and Idioms 866 Run Into the Ground

美國習慣用語第866講

前天晚上我去參加本地校董會的公開例會，大家一晚上都在談責任的問題。學校管理人員說老師要為教學質量負責；家長說校董要為納稅人的錢負責；有些老師說學生要為自己在學校里的表現負責，最後聽得我頭都大了。不過，這倒讓我想起了一個習慣用語，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 這個習慣用語的意思是徹底討論或是去做一件事情。剛才說到，在校董公開例會上，所有人都大談責任的問題，一直講到沒有什麼好講了為止。這就可以說 They had run it into the ground. 在下面這個例子里，一群抗議示威者也又類似表現。我們一起聽報道：

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.”

這個記者說：幾個月來，抗議示威者一直指責市長種族歧視。他們指出，這就是為什麼市政府里沒有更多的少數族裔，因此他不配連任市長。他們已經把種族歧視的話題說爛了，得找點兒別的新鮮話題說說了。

也許他們沒有意識到，一件事情說得太過頭就會失去效果。我正在上高中的侄女最近一直吵着，說自己需要一個 iPhone. She’s been RUNNING the topic INTO THE GROUND. 讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

今天學習的習慣用語 run into the ground 還有另外一個意思，指徹底摧毀某個人或是某件事。我們一起聽下面這個員工講述他所在的部門發生的事情。

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.”

這個員工說：Kathy壓根兒就不應該被提升為部門主任。她的一些錯誤決策造成了銷售額的下跌和優秀員工的流失。她差點兒把這個部門搞垮。幸好換了個新領導，才慢慢讓我們轉虧為盈。或許，這個Kathy給自己手下的員工壓力太大，She RUN them INTO THE GROUND, 讓他們疲憊不堪，這些人被逼無奈才會辭職。我的鄰居 Tom 曾經告訴過我，他從來不會把開了幾年的舊車賣掉，每次都是買新車，使勁開，He run it into the ground. 直到開不動了為止，然後索性扔掉。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。這次節目的製作人是胡小玲。謝謝各位的收聽。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第123課

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? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹!

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

今天我們要學的詞是blood drive. Blood is spelled b-l-o-o-d, blood, and drive, d-r-i-v-e, drive, blood drive. Blood drive 是獻血活動的意思。The first national gay blood drive was held recently to combat the FDA’s ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. 美國不久前舉行了第一次全國性的同性戀獻血活動，專門針對美國食品藥物管理局禁止同性戀和雙性戀男性獻血的禁令。Blood drive organizers wanted to show how much blood gay communities can contribute. 這次獻血活動的組織者希望藉此證明，同性戀人群到底能捐獻多少血液。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 blood drive, blood drive, blood drive…

A: 我最怕獻血了! 看見那個大粗針頭我就直哆嗦!

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. 誒，你提到了一個有意思的短語， seal one’s fate, let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 867 Seal One’s Fate

美國習慣用語第 867 講

我侄女好幾個月來，一直在為學校的聖誕舞會做準備，可她爸警告她說，如果物理成績拿不到 B，就不許去參加舞會。我真替她捏把汗。不過，這倒讓我想起一個習慣用語，叫

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

在這裡，seal 是確定，決定的意思。fate 大家都知道，是命運。 to seal one’s fate 意思就是決定命運，往往指不好的命運，就象剛才說到的，如果我侄女的物理成績不能提高的話，It will SEAL HER FATE. 她就別想去參加什麼聖誕舞會了，那她一定失望死了。下面這個例子里的年輕人似乎也很失望，是什麼事情決定了他的命運呢？讓我們一起聽：

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.”

這位媽媽說：我兒子畢業時，是班裡第一名，參加全國能力考試幾乎得了滿分，而且過去表現一直特別棒，他遞交大學申請的時候我們滿懷希望，但是一封不予錄取通知書就決定了他的命運。他最終還是沒能上成哈佛大學。

這麼厲害的學生，進不了哈佛也一定會有出息。美國的好大學多得是，很多事業有成的人，其實並不是長春藤名校的畢業生。不過，這個孩子的失望心情是可想而知的。讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在下面這個例子里，一個保齡球隊的隊長談到了他們即將參加的比賽。我們一起聽聽，這場比賽為什麼那麼重要。

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! ”

他說：我們整個賽季發揮得都很好，但關鍵還是要看今天晚上季後賽的表現。我們要對付的是最厲害的對手，如果他們贏了，一切就都完了，因為誰贏誰就能獲得決賽的資格，所以我們一定要發揮出最高水平。

我最喜歡的經典電影之一是“雨中曲”， Singing in the Rain. 片子結尾的時候，觀眾才發現，原來他們最崇拜的女明星說話的聲音居然如此難聽。That sealed her fate. 好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

Seal One’s Fate 這個習慣用語歷史久遠，出現於十七世紀中期。我最近收到一封新聽眾的來信，他說自己以前錯過了很多集習慣用語，擔心會影響到英語水平的提高。我告訴他，missing a lot of our previous shows won’t SEAL HIS FATE. 我們的文字和聲音文檔在網上都是可以找到的。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語Living with less”Staycation” I

很久不見的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃飯。Lisa 先到，注意聽她幫朋友點了些什麼菜。

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 最早一個到，已經幫 Karen 和 Gina 點好了她們愛吃的菜 their favorite dish，Karen 愛吃 spaghetti with cherry tomatoes 加小西紅柿的意大利麵條；Gina 愛吃 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 問大家，夏天計划去哪裡渡假。Gina 說，I’m not sure we have the budget for a vacation this year. 今年恐怕沒錢出去玩了。Karen 也說，考慮 skip the vacation 渡假就免了。Lisa 說，現在大家手頭都緊，money is tight for everyone. 去年她們一家去巴厘島，結果花了五千多美元。end up doing something 意思是最後，結果做了某事。five grand 就是 five thousand dollars. Karen 去年去了墨西哥，Gina 去了阿拉斯加，都很貴，pricey, pricey is spelled p-r-i-c-e-y, 是價錢很貴的意思。

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 說，大家都要面對現實，適應現實，to face reality and adapt to it. 如今誰都沒有多少閑錢，There isn’t any extra money lying around. Karen 馬上表示贊同，說她一年來花錢一直特別節省，I’ve been penny-pinching all year. penny-pinch 意思是一分錢掰成兩半花，節省。Gina 也說，她們一家現在基本上不出去吃飯 to eat out 是出去吃飯的意思，相反的是 cook at home 自己在家做，能省不少錢。她們三個人還有什麼省錢的訣竅呢？我們下次繼續聽。

A: 三個好朋友聚在一起吃飯，Lisa說，她可能需要skip the vacation, 不能去渡假了，因為現在出去渡假對她來說too pricey, 太貴了。現在的經濟環境下there isn’t any extra money lying around, 誰都沒有什麼閑錢。Karen說，I’ve been penny-pinching, 意思是一分錢掰成兩半花。

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!

禮節美語Living with less”Staycation” II

很久不見的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃飯。三個人都說，現在手頭很緊，彼此交換勤儉持家的經驗。Karen 說，

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 說，原來每星期六都要帶孩子去看電影，但是電影票一張十塊錢，10 bucks, buck is spelled b-u-c-k, buck 是口語里提到美元時常用的詞。一個月下來，一家人看電影就要兩百塊，上面用到的 it adds up to 是加在一起的意思，把這筆錢省了，一家人租影碟在家看。Gina 說，雖然沒那麼多錢玩這玩那了，但是一家人經常在一起，our family has grown closer 感情反而更親密了。

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，因為經濟衰退逼得大家不能花錢買娛樂，不得不回去陪孩子玩遊戲，一家人一起看電影，反而其樂融融。老話說，troubles can be a blessing in disguise. 塞翁失馬，焉知非福。Lisa 表示同意，說一切都取決於心態，如果心態是 positive 積極的話，省錢也能變成一件開心的挑戰，萎靡不振 doesn’t help anything. 於事無補。

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 說，為省錢，她們家還採納了 thirty-day rule 三十天原則，就是買一件東西之前，必須等30天，如果30天後還是想買的話，才可以買。Gina 說，a lot of times 很多時候，30天過後，她們早就記不起來當初為什麼想買了。三個人省錢還有什麼高招嗎？我們下次繼續聽。

A: Gina說，現在沒有閑錢出去，一家人反而經常在一起，our family grow closer since we’ve been spending more time together。Lisa也有同感，troubles can be a blessing in disguise, 塞翁失馬，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!

禮節美語Living with less”Staycation” III

很久不見的好友 Lisa, Karen 和 Gina 一起吃飯。三個人都說，現在手頭很緊，彼此交換勤儉持家的經驗。Gina 說，她們家實行三十天規則，想買什麼東西，先要等上三十天，如果三十天過後還覺得需要的話，才能買，Lisa 覺得這個辦法不錯。

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 說，孩子一直吵着要買個平面電視，bug someone to do something 意思是纏着某人做某事。Karen 又說，如果把需要買的東西列在單子上，write a shopping list, shopping list 意思是購物清單，就不會看見什麼買什麼，結果買了一大堆不需要的東西回來。她還介紹經驗說，The trick is to force yourself to stick to the shopping list! 訣竅是必需嚴格遵照購物清單，stick to something 是嚴格遵守的意思。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 表示贊同，說 sticking to the shopping list is the hard part. hard part 指難度較大的部分，換句話說，Writing down the things you need to buy is the easy part.

Sticking to the shopping list is the hard part. 把需要買的東西列在購物清單上很容易，能完全按照這個單子買東西就沒那麼容易了。Karen 在上面那段話中還說，The days of free spending are over. 花錢不假思索的日子結束了。no more “putting it on the card.” 這裡所說的”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 突發奇想，建議大家一起來個三天的 “staycation,” staycation is spelled s-t-a-y-c-a-t-i-o-n, staycation, 是 stay 跟 vacation 連在一起組成的，是這兩年出現的新詞，指經濟不好，在家渡假。大家一致同意，覺得這個主意真不錯。

A: Karen說，一個省錢的好方法是每次都寫一個shopping list, 購物單，然後force yourself to stick to it, 嚴格按照購物清單的條款來買，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，沒錯! 好啦，staycation 就到這裡吧! 現在咱們來進入今天最後一個單元….
B: Let’s listen to another words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 868 SIGN ONE’S OWN DEATH WARRANT

美國習慣用語第 868 講

我剛跟我一個做銀行出納的朋友吃完午飯。她最近失業了，不過也要怪她自己。不久前開會，她好心建議，可以增設自動提款機，減少開支，銀行高層接受了她的建議，結果非常成功，反而不需要她們這些出納了。這讓我想起一個習慣用語，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 是簽署的意思。death warrant 死亡證書。to sign one’s own death warrant 自己簽自己的死亡證書，顯而易見，就是自我毀滅，自尋死路的意思。就象我那個出納朋友，主動提議銀行增設自動提款機，全自動了，還要他們這些出納做什麼呢？這就叫 She signed her own death warrant. 在下面這個例子里，一位作者怎麼會搬起石頭砸了自己的腳呢？我們一起聽：

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!”

這個作家的經紀人說：我的最暢銷的作家之一就是仗着他的‘偵探X’系列才成為百萬富翁的。他為什麼要讓主角給人謀殺呢？這我就不懂了。他一定知道，這樣做是自毀生路。他寫了這麼長的系列就算結束了。

美國不久前剛剛發生了一起氣球男孩事件，孩子的父親承認，他們欺騙媒體和警方，說孩子爬到熱氣球里在天上飛，其實完全是為了增加知名度，爭取能做個真人秀。可事實上，he signed his own death warrant. 不僅沒做成真人秀，反而可能要去坐牢。讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在下面這個例子里，一家錄像出租店順應時代潮流，改變經營模式，讓我們聽聽他們的訣竅。

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.”

這段話說的是：原來，所有人都到明星錄像店去租電影看，他們的生意火得要命。後來，整個錄像帶租賃行業發生了變化，他們就增加了網上郵購的服務，提供各種娛樂產品和電子遊戲。他們不僅沒有自毀前程，反而採取了很聰明的做法，保存了競爭力。

跟 to sign one’s own death warrant 相類似的，還有一種說法，叫 to order one’s own execution 自己下令處死自己，意思也是自絕生路。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第124課

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: 中國人到底有多要面子? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是expired. Expired is spelled e-x-p-i-r-e-d, expired. Expired 形容詞，意思是過期的。He was pulled over by the police and got a ticket for having an expired registration. 他開車時被警察攔下來，因為車子註冊已經過去，吃了一張罰單。Flushing expired medicines down the toilet is a source of pollution. 把過期藥品從馬桶里沖走，會對環境造成污染。A Chinese woman accused of defacing The Washington National Cathedral was traveling on an expired visa. 被控在美國華盛頓國家大教堂上胡亂塗抹，破壞建築外觀的一名中國女子所持有美國入境簽證已經過期。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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, 楊琳，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

美國習慣用語第871講

我最近收拾東西，翻出一張十年前的照片，當時我在一家進出口公司做市場開發，老闆 Sue 是我遇到的最嚴厲的上司，開會遲到一分鐘都會挨罵，她的理論是，這次晚一分鐘，下次就會晚兩分鐘。今天我們要學的習慣用語恰恰跟她的信條相吻合，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，意思是越來越糟。你現在一定明白了，為了我以前的老闆 Sue 眼睛裡揉不進一粒沙子。在她看來，遲到一次不糾正，Then you were on a SLIPPERY SLOPE. 以後就會越來越糟。在下面這個例子里，一個父親發現十幾歲的女兒在商店偷東西，我們一起聽聽這位父親的反應。

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.”

這位父親說：我知道，十二歲的女兒在商店裡拿香水不交錢是偷東西，可這並不意味着她已經走上了一條越陷越深的犯罪道路。她已經明白了這件事情的嚴重性，而且保證以後再也不偷了。

我同意這個父親的看法，只要讓孩子了解問題的嚴重性，以後不犯就好了。但是有些事情，則萬萬不能開先例。比如說，我家狗還小的時候，老公覺得它可愛，讓它進卧室更我們一起睡，我當時就警告他，We are on a slippery slope. 結果被我不幸言中，如今狗大了，可是再也趕不出去了。

讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在下面的例子里，一個小鎮居民在是否願意在鎮子里興建大型遊樂場的問題上存在嚴重分歧。讓我們聽聽下面的報道。

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.”

這個人說：小鎮居民在是否應該在這個歷史性小鎮里興建遊樂場的問題上存在意見分歧。支持者說，遊樂場會給小鎮帶來娛樂活動和稅務收入。批判者說，我們會在這條路上越陷越深，用不了多久，交通堵塞和其它大家不願看到的商業開發活動就會接踵而至。他們認為，我們社區的生活質量終將受到破壞。

這倒讓我想起我的一個鄰居。他堅決主張公民有權擁有槍支，反對任何限制槍支的立法。在他眼裡，It’s a SLIPPERY SLOPE. 用不了多久，政府就會全面禁槍。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

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!

禮節美語 saving face/guanxi I

Jerry 要去中國出差，找同事 Amy 請教。

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 準備去中國出差，希望Amy能給自己點建議 give me some pointers. pointer is spelled p-o-i-n-t-e-r, pointer 是指點，建議的意思。Amy 從小在上海長大，看來 Jerry 算是找對人了。Jerry 並不是想了解吃飯、購物的事，而是想知道在中國做生意的一些規矩。

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想知道什麼是有面子，saving face. Amy 解釋說，saving face is a catch-all term for the concept of honor. 有面子包括了所有跟榮譽和顏面有關的問題。這裡所說的 catch-all is spelled c-a-t-c-h, catch, a-l-l, all, catch-all 意思是全部包含、統統適用的。Amy 說，中國人幹什麼都講究規矩，protocol, p-r-o-t-o-c-o-l, protocol, 按規矩做事，大家都有面子，破壞了規矩，就會讓人 lose face 丟臉，比如說開會遲到。

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 說，這要看你錯誤的嚴重程度。It depends on how serious the offense was. 如果開會遲到，你最好使勁道歉，請求對方原諒。對方可能嘴上會說，it’s not a big deal. 沒什麼大不了的，但事實上，他們心裡可能非常在意，所以一定要再三道歉。

A: Jerry要到中國去出差，向同事Amy詢問中國的企業文化, ask for some pointers, 尋求一些建議。Amy說，中國人很看重saving face, 有面子，所以要按規矩辦事 follow protocols。如果做錯了什麼事，make many apologies, 使勁道歉。

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!

禮節美語 saving face/guanxi II

Jerry 要去中國出差，找同事 Amy 請教。

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.

集體的概念在中國文化里很重要。Amy 說，Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual. 相對個人而言，中國文化更重視集體，the opposite of the U.S. 跟美國正相反。你工作時的表現會影響到你公司的形象，你的日常舉止行為能反映出你的家庭教養，to reflect on someone 是影響到某人形象的意思。

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.

中國文化不鼓勵 showboat 自我吹噓，也不鼓勵 self-promotion 自我宣傳。在美國，只有自我宣傳才能得到上司的注意，然而在中國，最好的途徑是 be a real team player. 做團隊的一員。Amy 說，她給外國人最好的建議是：be sincere 真誠；try not to offend 不要冒犯別人；以及 tone down the volume. 調低音量。

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 建議 Jerry 講話不要太大聲，因為 People don’t like it when you draw attention to yourself. 大家不喜歡那些故意吸引別人注意的人。另外，穿着打扮也不要太醒目，Try to blend in as much as possible 意思是融入周圍的環境，也就是說，Jerry 應該盡量設法跟周圍的人打成一片。

A: Amy說，Chinese culture places more value on the group and less on the individual. 中國文化的核心就是集體的概念比個人概念更重要。中國公司里不鼓勵self-promotion 自我宣傳，最好的方法就是be a real team player, 做團隊的一員。她給Jerry的建議是: be sincere 真誠；try not to offend 不要冒犯別人；以及 tone down the volume. 調低音量。

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, 面子的話題就到這裡吧! 我們接着進行我們的課程，來聽下面的learn a word!

Learn A Word 1830 outright

今天我們要學的詞是outright. Outright is spelled o-u-t-r-i-g-h-t, outright. Outright 形容詞，意思是全面的，徹底的。An outright lie 徹頭徹尾的謊言。The company has no other choice than an outright sale. 這家公司已經別無選擇，只能準備把公司賣掉。在美國，The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate the amount of nicotine in cigarettes, but it can’t ban it outright. 食品和藥物管理局有權規定香煙里尼古丁含量的多少，但是不能徹底禁止香煙里尼古丁成分的存在。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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: 知足長樂嘛! 好啦，你剛才提到了一個詞兒，small potatoes, let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!

Words and Idioms 872 SMALL POTATOES

美國習慣用語第 872 講

我的一個朋友要買房，我周末陪她一起去看，我看着最滿意的一棟房子有三個卧室，兩個衛生間，地下室全都鋪了硬木地板，新裝修的廚房，還有一個一英畝大的花園。可我那個朋友居然因為不喜歡廚房的櫥櫃，就一口回絕了。這倒讓我想起一個習慣用語，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，說一個人或是一件事是 SMALL POTATO 意思就是無足輕重，微不足道。就好比我那個朋友，買房子不看房子的格局和設計，反而對廚房的抽屜，櫥櫃挑三揀四。我認為，其實這些東西都是 SMALL POTATOES 根本不重要。

不過話說回來，有時候，對一個人微不足道的事情對另外一個來說卻是舉足輕重的大事。為了說明這一點，讓我們一起來聽下面這個經濟記者的報道。

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.”

這位記者說：你猜猜，美國每年在農業和林業上的開支是多少？一千萬？十億？告訴你吧，去年美國在農林業上的支出有大約兩百億美元。這聽上去好象是很大的一筆錢，但如果跟花在國防和社會保障上的6100億比，那可真是微不足道了。

說起來不好意思，我上周末在家還因為請客吃飯買什麼牌子的葡萄酒跟先生鬥嘴。轉念一想，跟那些失去工作，或是失去房子的人相比，我生活中那些問題全都是 SMALL POTATOES. 好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在下面這個例子里，年輕畫家 Dorothy 的作品最近引起了很大反響。讓我們一起聽聽她哥哥是怎麼說的。

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.”

她哥哥說：Dorothy 的畫引起了很多人的注意，她最近的畫展登上了本地報紙頭條，她還贏得了鎮里藝術節的頭等獎。有些人說她的作品微不足道，可誰知道呢，她的作品沒準哪天還能出現在大博物館的牆上呢！

如果Dorothy真有天才，運氣又好的話，沒準真能出名！這倒讓我想起，幾個星期前，韓國歌星 Rain 來華盛頓為自己的新電影做宣傳，我打了幾通電話，沒想到 Rain 的經紀人居然同意讓他跟我做專訪。沒想到，我這種 SMALL POTATO 居然能請到 RAIN 這樣的大牌明星。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

SMALL POTATO 這種說法最早可以追溯到1836年。好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第125課

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: 完美主義會對你的生活產生什麼影響? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 perfection. Perfection is spelled p-e-r-f-e-c-t-i-o-n, perfection. Perfection 意思是完美，盡善盡美。The lamb chop was cooked to perfection. 這羊排做得無懈可擊。She is a workaholic, who always strives for perfection. 她是個工作狂，而且做什麼事都追求盡善盡美。皮尤研究中心的統計數字顯示，2011年美國人里只有51%處於已婚狀態，遠遠低於1960年時的72%。Experts say part of the reason is that some people are demanding an unrealistic degree of perfection from their partners. 有專家認為，部分原因是有些人很不現實地要求自己的伴侶是完美的化身。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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! 你剛才提到了一個說法，have a soft spot for. 我們來聽聽今天的美國習慣用語，學學這個短語的用法!

Words and Idioms 873 Have a Soft Spot For

美國習慣用語第 873 講

周末朋友從外地來華盛頓玩，我陪他們去參加一日游。可憐的導遊，一看就是新手，被七嘴八舌的遊客問得難以招架。我年輕的時候也當過導遊，所以感同身受，深知她的苦衷。這也讓我想起一個習慣用語可以跟大家分享，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 意思是因為喜愛，所以對某個人或是某件事心軟。比如說，Grandpa has a soft spot for Jimmy, his first grandson. 爺爺偏愛長孫 Jimmy. 在剛才的例子中，正因為我以前做過導遊，所以很能理解那個年輕導遊的感受，I have a soft spot for tour guides.

下面例子中的這個人談到了自己一個表面冷酷無情、其實內心善良的叔叔，讓我們聽聽他是怎麼說的。

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.”

這個人說：菲爾叔叔一直以冷酷無情的硬漢形象著稱。可是，大多數人並不了解的是，他是一個很關心別人的人。他向一些慈善機構捐贈了很多時間和金錢，幫助那些不如他幸運的人。顯然，他很同情那些弱勢人群。

這也讓我想起2009年剛去世的美國政治家泰德•肯尼迪。他是美國前總統約翰•肯尼迪的弟弟，在國會參議院當了46年參議員。雖然他生長在一個富有的政治世家，Ted Kennedy had a soft spot for people who didn’t grow up with the advantages he had. 泰德•肯尼迪對生長環境不如他優越的人格外關心。他將自己畢生的精力用於爭取民權、消費者利益和醫療保健。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

美國人非常關心動物。在下面的例子中，一位婦女開辦了一個服務中心，為狗尋找溫暖的家。讓我們聽聽她先生是怎麼說的。

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.”

他說：我太太辦了一個狗收養中心。最初只是要給一隻沒人要的小狗找個家，後來居然變成了全職工作。在她的幫助下，已經有兩百多隻狗被救。她本可以選擇一個更容易做、工資更高的工作，但是她看見那些需要幫助的狗就會心軟。這份工作讓她很充實。

我一直想去動物收容所做義工，可我老公不同意，因為他知道，I have a soft spot for kittens. 我特別喜歡小貓咪，一定會帶一堆回家。不過，如果我女兒提出養貓，那就另當別論了，因為 My husband has always had a soft spot for our daughter. 我老公特別疼愛女兒，對她百依百順。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語 Taking Out a Loan I

三角洲通訊公司老闆John Smith到銀行申請貸款，接待他的是銀行負責人 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 相互問候，彼此堅持要對方用 first name 稱呼自己，以便拉近距離，不會顯得太客氣。史密斯是三角洲通訊公司的CEO, Chief Executive Officer 首席執行官，這家公司主要生產對講機等短波通訊工具。walkie-talkie 是中文裡說的對講機。

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.

史密斯說，他們公司的業務沒有受到經濟危機的影響，剛在東南亞簽了幾個重要合同。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 則抱怨說，最近兩年貸款很不好做 It’s been a rough couple of years，rough, r-o-u-g-h, rough 在這裡是困難的意思。不僅很多貸款申請不符合標準被退回，而且還不得不採取法律手段追繳貸款。

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 說，No one wants to be the bad guy 誰都不想當惡人，大家對銀行家有成見，成見 stereotype is spelled s-t-e-r-e-o-t-y-p-e, stereotype，普遍認為銀行家冷血，不盡人情 unfeeling and cruel，但是做生意是為了賺錢，contracts are contracts合同就是合同，或者說，business is business. It’s not personal. 這是做生意，不是針對任何人。Ted 同時也表示，他很理解和同情大家的難處，但又沒有辦法。這裡用的 sympathize is spelled s-y-m-p-a-t-h-i-z-e, sympathize 是同情。

A: Ted說，現在經濟危機， It’s been a rough couple of years, 近幾年來生意不好做，他們需要對很多人追債。大家都對銀行家有成見，people have a stereotype of bankers, 但是 business is business, it’s not personal, 生意就是生意，不是針對任何人。

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, 親兄弟明算賬嘛! Let’s keep listening to John and see how he’s going to ask for a loan!

禮節美語 Taking Out a Loan II

三角洲通訊公司老闆John Smith到銀行申請貸款，接待他的是銀行負責人Ted Johnson，Johnson 抱怨最近兩年經濟危機，貸款很難做，經常會迫不得已走法律程序，追繳貸款。

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 說，他很同情大家的困難，但是如果他不去沒收貸款抵押的財產權，不清理呆帳，自己就會破產。上面說的 foreclose is spelled f-o-r-e-c-l-o-s-e, foreclose 是銀行沒收抵押產權的意思，to call in 意思是收回，bad loan 指無力償還的呆賬。倆人的對話接下來切入主題。John因為公司擴大規模，打算加蓋一個倉庫，所以需要貸款。

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 說，他們銀行一貫支持象史密斯這樣的年輕創業者，entrepreneur is spelled e-n-t-r-e-p-r-e-n-e-u-r, entrepreneur 是企業家的意思。John Smith 說，工程費大約需要二十萬。Ted 覺得，that shouldn’t be a problem. 應該沒問題，因為史密斯公司的價值要遠遠超過這個數字。

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.

原來，John的公司是上市公司，a public company, 讓股東們通過提案太麻煩，所以他希望以個人身份貸款，to take out a personal loan. 個人貸款需要 collateral is spelled c-o-l-l-a-t-e-r-a-l collateral抵押物品。John 說自己手裡有公司股份，還有一艘私人遊艇，yacht, y-a-c-h-t yacht. Ted 覺得這些就夠了，讓John把產權證拿來, deed is spelled d-e-e-d deed 是產權、所有權證書的意思。

A: Ted說，他們的銀行 have a long tradition of supporting young entrepreneurs，一項支持年輕的企業家，John說，他想以個人的身份貸款，take out a personal loan, 以 personal stock in the company, 手裡的公司股份，和yacht，遊艇，來做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. 咱們接着來看看John和Ted談得怎麼樣吧!

禮節美語 Taking Out a Loan III

三角洲通訊公司老闆John Smith到銀行申請貸款，接待他的是銀行負責人Ted Johnson。史密斯想申請個人貸款，用來修建公司的新倉庫。Ted Johnson說，除了需要物品抵押外，還有一個要求。

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 說，一般情況下，銀行還要求至少要有一個貸款擔保人，guarantor, g-u-a-r-a-n-t-o-r guarantor 是擔保人的意思，可以是 a relative 親屬，也可以是 a business associate 生意上的夥伴。John 想了想了說，I’m sure my brother won’t mind helping me out. 我哥哥一定不介意幫我。mind doing something 是介意做某事的意思；to help someone out 指幫某人的忙。

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.

貸款申請符合要求後，就該具體談談貸款的條款了，the terms of the loan. John 想知道，what kind of interest do you charge? 貸款利率多少。Ted回答說，貸款利率高低取決於貸款時間的長短。如果是兩年還清，利率只要百分之六，如果是四年還清，則要百分之七點五。

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 說，貸款兩年就應該可以還清，這一點沒有問題，但是他嫌百分之六的利率太高。John 是銀行的老客戶，使用這家銀行的服務有十幾年了，Ted 表示，對老客戶可以關照，I can’t make any promises, 雖然不能保證做到，但是他會試試看把利率從百分之六降低到百分之五。John 聽了很高興，說 Five percent works for me. 百分之五我可以接受，並對 Ted 表示感謝，貸款就這樣談成了。

A: 個人貸款需要 guarantor, 擔保人，這既可以是a relative 親屬，也可以是a business associate 生意上的夥伴。John說，他覺得他哥哥可以help him out, 幫他的忙。他們討論了terms of the loan, 貸款的條款，把interest rate, 利率訂在了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

美國習慣用語第 874 講

下個月我要跟老公一起去加勒比海坐豪華游輪，我現在是翹首以待，終於可以暫時逃離華盛頓的嚴寒，奔往陽光和海水了。讓人頭疼的是，出發前有太多的事情需要處理，包括完成手頭的項目，付好所有賬單，租車開到佛羅里達去等等。這也讓我想起一個習慣用語可以跟大家分享，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 意思是處理安排妥當。比如說，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煩搞定。就好象剛才提到的，在啟程前往佛羅里達渡假之前，There is a lot I need to square away. 我有很多事情需要處理。

在下面這個例子里，一個怕冷的人想換個工作，搬到溫暖的地方去，可是走之前，有很多事情需要處理。

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.”

這個人說：我的求職面試非常成功，他們馬上讓我去亞利桑那上班。我也很想離開紐約這裡沒完沒了的寒冷冬天，但要走又沒那麼容易。首先，我必需解除跟公司的合同，然後還得把我現在的公寓賣掉。只有等這些事情都處理妥當了，我才能專心準備搬家。

起碼，這個人聽起來好象沒有拖家帶口，來去一身輕，說搬就可以搬，否則，不說別的，就算只有個女朋友，也不是那麼容易就能 square away 的。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

Square away 這個習慣用語常用於被動語態。在接下來的例子中，一位老先生提出了如下建議。我們一起聽：

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.”

他說：聽聽我的建議吧。不要等老了再去定自己的遺囑，萬一遇到車禍之類的意外事件呢？如果沒有法律文件說明你死後的願望，你的親人們就要受不必要的罪。所有最好是儘快把遺囑處理好。

雖然誰都不願意去想死的事，但老人這番話確實有道理。我一個同事的祖母去世時就沒有留下遺囑，結果一家人不得不走法律程度，跟法院打了很長時間的交道。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

我侄子那天開着新車來看我。他前一段時間一直怕申請不到貸款。如今看他開着新車，不用問就知道，他一定是拿到了貸款。He must have managed to square away the financing.

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第126課

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: 調皮的小孩長大後更容易成功? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 misbehaving. Misbehaving is spelled m-i-s-b-e-h-a-v-i-n-g, misbehaving. Misbehaving 形容詞，意思是表現不好的，行為不端的。A new study listed a number of signs that misbehaving children may become extremely successful. 一份最新研究列舉了一系列跡象，那些表現不好，但是帶有這些特徵的孩子，長大後很可能會極其成功。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. 在美國司法部的要求下，密西西比州的一個校區同意讓更多表現差的學生留在學校，不讓他們暫停或是開除學籍。好的，今天我們學習的詞是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! 我們來聽聽今天的美國習慣用語，學學squeak by 這個短語的用法!

Words and Idioms 875 Squeak by

美國習慣用語第 875 講

我不久前帶侄子去考駕照，眼看着他倒車上了馬路牙子，本以為這下沒戲了，沒想到考官居然給了他第二次機會，最後擦着邊兒通過了路考。這也讓我想起一個習慣用語可以跟大家分享，那就是：

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

聽過老鼠的尖叫聲嗎，這種叫聲在英文就是 squeak. To squeak by 意思是勉強通過，僥倖成功。剛才說，我侄子駕照路考的成績剛好過線，我們就可以說，He squeaked by. 不過，我的鄰居詹姆斯太太就沒有這麼幸運了。75歲的她為了延駕照，要接受視力測試，考官讓她從後視鏡里分辨蘋果和桌子兩個圖像，她居然問考官，你說什麼桌子？What table? 結果駕照沒延成。The official didn’t let her SQUEAK BY.
下面例子里的學生拿到考卷後如釋重負，我們一起來聽聽是怎麼回事。

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.”

這個學生說：在我們學校，研究生是不允許得C的。我這次化學期終考完試後，心裡特別緊張，最後成績下來，我得了八十分，剛好夠得上B，真是萬幸，如果沒能僥倖過關的話，我爸一定會氣炸了。

還記得前年帶孩子去遊樂場玩，兒子因為個頭不夠高，很多姐姐能玩的東西他都不能去。一年下來，他長了足足兩英寸，去年再去，剛好擦邊夠高，所有翻滾過山車都能坐了。He was thrilled to have squeaked by. 好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

如果讓你在富有但卻空虛，和貧窮但卻充實這兩種生活之間選擇一個，你會選哪個？我們一起來聽聽下面的例子：

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.”

這個人說：我很佩服我朋友 Alice. 她原本可以選擇一份高薪的工作，但是她沒有，反而加入了一個挽救瀕危老虎的非盈利機構。我真不知道她掙的那點兒錢，怎麼夠付賬單，不過她好象也能湊合過。

我們剛結婚那會兒，兩個人沒多少錢，家裡開支卻很多。It wasn’t easy SQUEAKING BY. 一分錢掰成兩半花的日子確實不好過。那會兒我們還年輕，在英語里，叫 Salad Days, 意思是少不更事的青春年華。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

To squeak by 這個習慣用語是二十世紀上半葉出現的，想想看，squeak 指的是勉強發出來的聲音，所以，用 squeak by 來指勉強通過，僥倖獲勝，也就不難理解了。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語 Investing I

Frank 去見投資顧問 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.

投資顧問 Jerry 問 Frank 投資的股票賺不賺錢，How’s your stock portfolio? portfolio is spelled p-o-r-t-f-o-l-i-o, portfolio 是投資組合的意思。Frank 說他買了 hedge fund 對沖基金，減少了不少損失。Jerry說Frank投資總能賺錢，beat the market at its own game. 這裡所說的 to beat someone at his own game 意思是以其人之道還治其人之身，在這裡意思就是利用市場規則，成為市場投資的贏家。

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對 Frank 的商業頭腦 business sense 表示讚賞，說 Frank 總是 stay ahead of the curve, 走在別人前面，stay ahead of the curve 意思是比別人更有遠見，更能預見未來走向。Frank則說，You win some and you lose some, that’s business. 做生意就是有賺有賠。you win some and you lose some. 是很常用的一句話，意思是有輸有贏，正常現象。Frank 問 Jerry 想向自己推銷什麼。a sales pitch 是推銷的意思。Jerry 說有個投資想法，能讓 Frank 的公司成為行業領軍人, turn your company into a leader in the industry。Jerry 的想法是什麼呢？

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 問 Frank 聽沒聽說過 strike while the iron is hot 趁熱打鐵這句話，這句話是從打鐵來的，鐵匠打鐵，一定要趁熱，等鐵冷卻下來，就不行了。可這跟 Jerry 的投資想法有什麼關係呢？我們下次繼續聽。

A: 投資顧問Jerry詢問Frank他的stock portfolio 投資組合怎麼樣，Frank說，他買了hedge fund, 對沖基金，所以還不錯。Jerry說，I commend your business sense, 讚揚Frank的商業頭腦，說他總是stay ahead of the curve, 走在別人前面。

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!

禮節美語 Investing II

投資顧問 Jerry 跟客戶 Frank 見面，向他推銷一種投資想法。

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 覺得，能源和交通是投資的正確方向，一定要趁熱打鐵。Frank 表示贊成，說自己上個月剛買了一輛汽電混合動力車 hybrid，耗油量少了一半。Jerry 承認，汽電混合動力車現在很流行，有自己的市場定位 niche, niche is spelled n-i-c-h-e，但他覺得，汽車今後還是要向純電動的方向發展。

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 的工廠在中國，而中國很多人連汽油動力車都沒有，哪談得上什麼純電力車呢？Jerry 卻覺得，這是絕好的機會。This is a golden opportunity. 因為中國數以百萬計的中產階級都可以跨越陳舊的技術，直接利用新技術，這裡所說的 leapfrog 蛙跳，是躍過，跨過的意思。Frank覺得，這種想法有道理，因為中國政府為了治理空氣污染，非常支持電動汽車的發展。

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.

開發電力汽車，這種既能賺錢，又能改善中國生活環境的事何樂而不為呢？Jerry 補充說，他其實不是建議 Frank 投資電力汽車，The real area of interest is batteries. 真有幹頭的是電池這一塊，因為 battery technology needs to catch up. 電池技術還需要改進。Frank 會被 Jerry 說服，投資電力汽車電池技術的開發嗎？我們下次繼續聽。

A: 原來Jerry想讓Frank投資電動汽車業，it’s a golden opportunity, 絕好的機會，像中國這樣的發展中國家可以leapfrog，蛙跳，直接接觸最新的電池技術。

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. 咱們接着來看看Jerry和Frank談得怎麼樣吧!

禮節美語 Investing III

投資顧問 Jerry 跟客戶 Frank 見面，建議他投資電動汽車電池技術的開發，Frank 似乎有顧慮。

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覺得投資電池技術的開發聽上去有些象 gamble 賭博，可是話說回來，投資就要有風險，堵注下對了就會賺一大筆錢，pay off big time, 全軍覆沒則會 lose your shirt 傾家蕩產。Jerry 已經做好了全盤規劃，第一步是要做一下市場調查，do our homework 意思是先做好準備工作。第二步是收購一家叫 WinTron Power 的小公司，這家公司掌握着好幾項關鍵專利，而且有優秀的 R&D Department 研究和開發部。

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 說，首期投資 the initial investment 估計要500萬美元，Frank 說，that’s steep. 這麼多錢。steep is spelled s-t-e-e-p, steep 意思是傾斜度大，坡陡，也有過份的意思，比如說 The price is steep. 意思是價錢太貴。 Jerry 勸他說，如果成功，投個幾百萬，就有機會賺回幾十億，是個上算的買賣。Frank說，It’s a tempting idea. 他好象動心了。

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 說，This is an once-in-a lifetime opportunity. 這可是千載難逢的好機會，過了這個村就沒這個店了，這樣的機會千萬不能錯過。Frank 終於被說動了。他說，you sold me. 意思是你把我說服了。This could be my big break. 這回沒準我的機會來了。big break 往往用來指突如其來的好運氣。Jerry 回答說，Just doing my job. 這是我份內的工作，這是我應該做的。

A: Jerry想讓Frank投資500萬，Frank說，that’s steep, 錢真夠多的。Jerry說，投資就像賭博，有時pay off big time, 賺一大筆，但是不注意也會lost your shirt, 傾家蕩產。最後Frank被說動了，this could be my big break,沒準我的機會來了。

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

美國習慣用語第 876 講2010年，我的宏偉目標是鍛煉身體。從1月1號開始，我一直堅持去健身房，每周四次，每次一小時，剛開始的時候，我只能跑一公里，現在已經能跑三公里了。教練鼓勵我去參加小型馬拉松。我知道自己肯定跑不下來，不過覺得，試試看也沒什麼不好。這倒讓我想起一個習慣用語可以跟大家分享，那就是：

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

在中文裡，long 是長的意思，說一件事情是 long shot，意思就是成功的可能性很小，不過還是值得嘗試。就好比，我想去參加小型馬拉松比賽，明明知道跑下來的機會很小，it’s a long shot. 但我還是很想去試試看。下面例子里這個人正在鼓勵自己的弟弟去申請一份管理層的工作，我們一起來聽聽他是怎麼說的。

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.”

這個人說：沒錯，申請到這個工作的機會確實不大，但為什麼不去試試看呢？你原來也沒想到能爭取到現在這份工作啊！還說什麼他們死活不會招個象你這樣大學剛畢業的新人，結果他們還是雇了你啊，誰知道呢，沒準這次你又能拿到呢。

我最近一直在鼓勵女兒申請去做校刊編輯。I know it’s a LONG SHOT, 我也知道可能性不大，但我還是希望她能去試試看，起碼可以積累點兒經驗。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

A LONG SHOT 這個習慣用語是從十九世紀末開始流行的。最早起源於打槍。槍支剛剛出清b時，准性很差，距離稍微遠一點就打不中目標。因此，A LONG SHOT 就成了成功可能性很小的意思。這個習慣用語在賽馬中也很常用，指不被大家看好的參賽馬匹，但是賠率一般很高。我們一起來聽下面這個例子中有關肯塔基賽馬大會的一段報道。

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!”

這段話說：今年的肯塔基賽馬大會，把賭注押在德拉克弟兄身上很保險，但是如果它贏了，你只能贏一點點錢。不過，如果你決定選擇一匹勝算不大的馬，那就把錢押在 Giacomo 身上吧，它的比賽記錄雖然不是最好的，但如果它贏了，你就能贏很多錢。

最近，我的一個朋友決定去參選市議員。他明明知道，It’s a LONG SHOT, 勝選的可能性微乎其微，但還是打算試試看，因為他覺得，美國華裔參政的比例太小，希望盡自己的一份力，增加華裔在政治事務中的能見度。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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! 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第127課

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: 在菜單上標上卡路里好不好? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 in a pinch. Pinch is spelled p-i-n-c-h, in a pinch. In a pinch 意思是在必要的時候可以做為替補之用。感冒是學生缺課的主要原因，新學年開始之際，醫生建議孩子們在學校要注意多洗手，如果條件不允許的話，Hand sanitizer works in a pinch. 免水洗手液也可以做為替代品。咖啡提神誰都知道，不過，A cup of coffee should only be used in a pinch, rather than as a substitute for adequate sleep. 必要的時候可以靠咖啡提神，但是咖啡不能取代足夠的睡眠。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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. 你正好提到了一個用法，give one’s best shot. 我們來聽聽今天的美國習慣用語，學學這個短語的用法!

Words and Idioms 877 to give one’s best shot

美國習慣用語第 877 講

我朋友 Mark 受到我去跑馬拉松的鼓舞，最近也報名參加業餘鐵人三項比賽，包括游泳、騎車和長跑，他知道自己不可能贏，但他告訴我說，He will give it his best shot. 他一定會儘力而為。這也是我們今天要學習的習慣用語。

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 是給；best 是最好的。to give one’s best shot 意思是不管會不會成功，都會儘力而為。我朋友 Mark 去參加業餘鐵人三項比賽，他不太看重結果，但是 He will give it his best shot. 他會努力發揮出自己最好的水平。在下面這個例子里，一位男子正鼓足勇氣，準備邀請一個漂亮姑娘出去約會。我們一起來聽聽他是怎麼說的。

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.”

這個人說：她八成已經有男朋友了。就算還沒有，可能也會喜歡那種有錢的，或是高個子的男生。不過，也不一定。嗨，不管那麼多了，我還是要努力去試試看。起碼有一點是肯定的，如果我不去邀請她的話，那就一點機會都沒有了。

沒錯。很多女孩子都喜歡自信、有男子漢氣概的男生，有時候，這一點比金錢和外表還要重要。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

To give one’s best shot 這個習慣用語是從十九世紀中期開始流行的，因為 shot 有嘗試和努力的意思。

我前天晚上車突然壞了，到修車鋪，修理工告訴我，兩天後來取。可我第二天還急等着用，經過百般懇求，他最後才同意，He will give it his best shot. 最後晚上加班到九點多，終於幫我把車修好了。在下面這個例子中，一個參加世界盃足球賽的隊員對比賽結果十分痛心，但是他同時又說：

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.”

這個隊員說：我們無怨無悔。輸了比賽心裡當然很難過，但是我們已經盡了自己的全力了。這次實在是對手實力太強了。

我同意。其實，不管是什麼比賽，輸贏都是次要，as long as you gave it your best shot.

但是，如果輸了比賽，下來後捶胸頓足，因為明知自己本來可以做得更好的話，那才是最讓人遺憾的。

不久前，女兒要去參加地區性小學組的鋼琴大賽。她準備了好幾個月，但是比賽前還是緊張得不行。我告訴她說，輸贏不要緊。Just give it your best shot. 彈出自己的最高水平就行了。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

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.”

大家不要忘記，學習英語口語首先要學會張嘴，大膽說出口，不要顧及發音和語法的對錯。Just give it your best shot! 好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語Souvenir Shopping I

公司副總裁 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以前只在電話上溝通過，Jason說，it’s so good to finally meet you in person. 見到你本人很高興。寒暄過後，Gina問Jason路上是否順利，Jason說，飛機在太平洋上空遇到氣流有些顛簸，turbulence is spelled t-u-r-b-u-l-e-n-c-e, turbulence 是氣流的意思。但最糟糕的是，坐在Jason後面的人打了一夜呼嚕。

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.

空服拒絕把打呼嚕的人叫醒，因為 it’s not company policy 不符合公司規定。Jason說，自己反正是 a night owl 夜貓子，所以問題不大。除了視察工作外，Jason 說還想抽時間去爬長城，I’d love to squeeze in a trip to the Great Wall. Gina說，長城不遠，只要兩小時車程，所以沒問題。

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.

除了觀光，Jason還想購物，給太太、孩子和公司合伙人買禮物。Gina 建議Jason 給太太買絲綢製品。Jason說太太很 picky，picky is spelled p-i-c-k-y, picky，picky 是挑剔的意思，衣服要典雅 classy, 不能過於招搖，flashy. Gina說，leave it to me. 包在我身上。

A: 老闆Jason第一次來中國，除了工作，他想squeeze in a trip to the Great Wall，抽時間去趟長城。他還需要給家人和合伙人買禮物，他說太太很picky，挑剔。Gina說，leave it to me, 包在我身上，建議他買silk dress or silk bathrobe, 絲製裙子或者睡袍。

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!

禮節美語Souvenir Shopping II

公司副總裁 Jason 到上海出差，由Gina接待。Jason讓Gina幫忙選禮物。

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 想給同事買中國古董 antiques 做禮物，但是Gina告訴他，古董不能帶出中國，建議Jason考慮買reproduction複製品。Jason 以為 Gina 是指 fake 假貨，Gina 解釋說，fake 假貨是商人故意欺騙顧客，以假亂真，而複製品則是合法生產和出售的。

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 建議 Jason 買中國國畫或是書法作品，掛在辦公室牆上很氣派，但是給孩子買什麼禮物呢，Gina 說, that’s a bit trickier. 這可有些麻煩。Jason 說，他不願意給兒子買盜版軟件或音樂，counterfeit is spelled c-o-u-n-t-e-r-f-e-i-t, counterfeit, counterfeit 是盜版的意思。

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 突然來了靈感，說可以找裁縫給孩子量身定做中國的傳統衣服，custom-made 是定做的意思，把他們打扮成中國小皇帝的樣子。Jason對Gina的建議非常滿意，說要告訴Gina的老闆，給她漲工資，give someone a raise 是給某人漲工資的意思。Gina笑着提醒Jason說，你就是我的老闆啊，我不過是表現一下中國人的傳統好客罷了。

A: Gina建議說，給生意夥伴可以買reproduction of antiques, 古董複製品，而給孩子們呢，可以買custom made old-style Chinese suits, 也就是定製的中山裝。Jason覺得這些建議很好，他說: I can’t thank you enough for all your help, 意思是十分感謝。

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: 沒錯! 咦，你提到了一個詞兒，informed, 我們再來聽聽learn a word,學學這個詞兒要怎麼用!

Learn A Word 1848 informed

今天我們要學的詞是 informed. Informed is spelled i-n-f-o-r-m-e-d, informed. Informed 形容詞，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. 越來越多的餐館開始在菜單上註明每道菜的卡路里熱量，幫助顧客在知情的情況下，做出明智的決定。

Consumer Reports rated almost 2,500 hospitals for common surgical procedures, giving patients the information they need to make informed choices. “消費者報告”針對近2500家醫院做例行手術的治療效果打分，為消費者提供信息，幫助他們在選擇醫院時做出明智選擇。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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

美國習慣用語第 878 講

我星期二晚上在家烤蛋糕，參加女兒學校的義賣活動，結果材料都準備好了，電動攪拌機沒用一分鐘，卻突然罷了工，沒辦法，只好改電動為手動，累得我胳膊都快折了。不過，這也讓我想起一個習慣用語可以跟大家分享，那就是：

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

Stop cold 意思是突然停止。我烤蛋糕的時候電動攪拌機突然壞了，就可以說 It stopped cold. 再比如，孩子跳舞表演，我興緻勃勃地拿著錄像機，打算全程錄下來，誰知道，The camcorder stopped cold five minutes into the program. 表演剛開始五分鐘，攝像機就不工作了。原來是沒電了。在下面這個例子里，一個公司經理被困在了電梯里，我們一起聽聽他的經歷。

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!”

這個人說：我幾乎從沒想到自己會被困在電梯里。可剛才，我上十樓去辦公室，電梯中途突然停了。我被困在了電梯裡面。差不多半個小時後，電梯才又恢復工作。這是在暗示我，應該去爬樓梯，多鍛煉鍛煉。

我侄子現在正處於青少年開始對異性產生朦朧意識的階段，跟男同學在一起有說有笑，可是只要一有女孩子加入進來，他立刻就啞巴了。Girls just STOP him COLD. 好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

我這個人雖然不是追星族，但如果真有個大明星突然出現在我眼前呢？有一次，我正在做採訪，電影明星喬治•克魯尼突然走進了演播室，我當時就暈了。His present stopped me cold.

下面例子中這隻球隊整個賽季過關斬將，我們聽聽隊員是怎麼說的：

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!”

這個隊員說：跟我們交手的很多球隊都是想進決賽的強隊，但誰也打敗不了我們。這個賽季我們有很多優秀隊員，這就是為什麼對手都過不了我們這一關。照這樣下去，我們一定能進決賽。

Stop Cold 這個習慣用語是十九世紀末出現的，因為 cold 除了寒冷以外，也有突然和徹底的意思。現在，大家知道這個習慣用語的意思了，下次如果有人用到這個詞，你一定不會感到陌生和意外。It won’t stop you cold next time you hear it. 好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第128課

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: 如何用能源來幫助人們增加收入? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 to the tune of. Tune is spelled t-u-n-e, tune. To the tune of 有總計的意思。近年來，美國很多州石油和天然氣產量出現增長。最新數字顯示，Higher energy production in the states is boosting people’s energy bottom line to the tune of $1200 per household per month. 這些州增加能源產量，讓每戶居民每個月的收入多了1200美元。可再生能源的使用要以基礎設施的存在為前提。有研究說，The amount of investment required for new energy infrastructure, through 2030, will be something to the tune of $11 trillion. 到2030年，建設新能源設施需要的投入大約要11萬億美元。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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

美國習慣用語第 879 講

我先生準備在家開派對，請朋友來一起看世界盃總決賽。他早早就把客人名單和購物清單都列好了，現在剩下的唯一障礙就是-我。今年春節我們在家開派對，結果我整整做了一天的飯，又花了一天的時間打掃衛生。這就是為什麼我堅決抵制在家開派對。這也讓我想起一個可以跟大家分享的習慣用語，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 意思是障礙物，絆腳石。就象剛才說的，我先生想在家開派對，請朋友一起看世界盃，我是他計劃的唯一絆碉d石，I am the only stumbling block. 最後他沒辦法，只好同意，承擔所有打掃衛生的工作。在下面這個例子里，一個汽車修配廠的車間主任，開會討論如何才能繞過限制加班的規定，我們一起聽。

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.”

這個人說：要想有加班的可能性，我們就必需修改合同。按照目前的規定，我們每星期的工作量不得超過四十個小時。這項規定是我們的絆腳石，咱們下次工會開會的時候，可以討論採取什麼樣的策略，解決這個問題。

我八歲的侄女覺得，只要撒嬌就能說服她媽，允許她去扎耳朵眼兒。我知道，在這個問題上，我妹妹可不會輕易答應，我妹夫則是更難搬掉的 stumbling block，他絕不會同意八歲的女兒帶耳環。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在下面的例子中，一個大學生正在考慮去哪兒度春假，讓我們聽聽他有些什麼選擇：

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!?”

這個人說：我跟我那些朋友都煩死冬天的天氣了，所以想去佛羅里達過春假。可是我們這群人誰都沒有錢，也沒有車。這是我們必需解決的兩大障礙。興許我們可以去打點零工，賺錢租輛車。

這倒是個不賴的主意，不過，除了車，他們還得考慮住宿、吃飯、汽油費、和玩的開銷。交通工具固然重要，但是這個學生好象沒有考慮到其它這些 stumbling blocks. 好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

stumbling block 這個習慣用語早在十六世紀初期就開始出現了。不難想象，如果你在樹林里散步，遇到被砍倒的樹，不小心，可能會被剩下的一節樹樁絆倒，這不就是 stumbling block 嗎？

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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，不談政治了，我們接着來看看下面的內容!

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!

禮節美語 Bargaining I

Gina帶美國老闆Jason去購物。

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雖然有時差，但晚上睡得不錯，做好了去購物的充分準備。Gina 要帶他去“中國友誼購物中心”，It’s just like an American mall. 跟美國的購物中心很象，mall is spelled m-a-l-l, mall, mall 是美國購物中心的通稱，mall 里有很多店家，出售各種商品。

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聽說購物中心還能買到活雞，覺得很好笑，說 thanks, but no thanks，意思是謝謝，但不必了。Jason讓Gina教他討價還價，bargain is spelled b-a-r-g-a-i-n, bargain, 是砍價的意思，Gina 說，你長一張老外臉，不可能 as good at bargaining as a local person. 意思是不可能象本地人一樣砍價，local is spelled l-o-c-a-l, local 意思是當地人。不過如果懂行的話，還是能拿到跟本地人差不多的價格的。

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說，Jason首先要去摸清情況， scout is spelled s-c-o-u-t, scout, scout 是搜集信息的意思。有人曾告訴Jason, 可以找個便利商店，a convenience store, 看看飲料、牙膏等生活用品的價格，了解大概齊的價格標準。但是 Gina 說，到了購物中心，價格彈性就會變得很大，所以還是要學會 read the market 弄懂市場行情。

A: 老闆Jason準備去購物，Gina說，要先scout，搜集信息，找個便利店, a convenience store, 看看基本生活用品的價格，以便figure out the relative prices of everything, 了解相對價格。

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 楊琳! 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，我們接着來聽聽Gina的建議吧!

禮節美語 Bargaining II

Gina帶美國老闆Jason去購物，Jason讓Gina教他砍價。

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 想知道購物中心商品標價一般要比合理價格高出多少，mark up 是把抬高價格的意思，相反的，mark down 則是減價銷售。Gina 說，有時價格會故意標高70%，甚至100%，這也就是為什麼要了解當地的價格行情，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，這樣如果別人 quote an outrageous price, 抬出宰人的高價，outrageous is spelled o-u-t-r-a-g-e-o-u-s, outrageous, 意思是超乎尋常的，另外需要注意的，要價動詞用的是 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說，在美國，商店都是明碼標價，The prices are listed on the price tag. Price tag 是價格標籤的意思，有時也能享受優惠discount, discount 是減價、打折的意思，但是一般很少超過百分之十。Gina 說，在中國，幾乎所有價格都可以砍，negotiable is spelled n-e-g-o-t-i-a-b-l-e, negotiable是可以商量的意思。有些賣主甚至更瞧得起會砍價的買主，drive a hard bargain 是固定用法，意思是會砍價。

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.

確實，砍價就象打牌，討價還價的雙方都要虛張聲勢，bluff is spelled b-l-u-f-f, bluff, bluff 是虛張聲勢的意思。Gina 說，沒錯，關鍵是要識別賣主的底線，bottom line, 要能從賣主的眼神里看出，他真的不會再降價了。砍價還有其他招數嗎？我們下次繼續聽。

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: 沒錯! 我們接着來聽Gina給Jason支招吧!

禮節美語 Bargaining III

Gina帶美國老闆Jason去購物，Jason讓Gina教他砍價。

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問，如果覺得賣主是在宰自己，轉身就走這招管不管用。Gina 說，這種策略賣主早就知道，tactic is spelled t-a-c-t-i-c, tactic 是策略的意思，賣主只有在覺得你百分99.9會在他那買東西的情況下才會追出來，而且他們一眼就能看出誰是真心要買，knack is spelled k-n-a-c-k, knack, have a knack of doing something, 是十分擅長做某事的意思。他們今天先要去買什麼呢？

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 建議去買絲綢製品，她要先確認產品是真貨，不是fake,假貨，然後開始砍價。Gina 還說，在 established store 正規的大商店裡，Jason 可以用信用卡付費，pay with a credit card, 但在小店裡，就要用現金了，而且賣方看到你手裡拿着現金，the prices do come down a bit more 價格能降得更低些。

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.

英語里有種說法叫 a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush 一鳥在手勝過兩鳥在林，意思是現在已經有的，要比追求更多而失去一切強。Jason說，他覺得中國人討價還價的購物方式比明碼標價更有意思，更具挑戰性。正說著，商店到了，Gina 說，let’s get down to business. 開始了，意思是咱們開始殺價吧。

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，砍價就到這裡，我們來聽今天的最後一個單元，學學swallow one’s pride 這個短語是什麼意思!

Words and Idioms 880 Swallow One’s Pride

美國習慣用語第 880 講

我昨天跟同事爭得面紅耳赤。美國聯邦最高法院明明是11位大法官，可她非說只有9個，我還理直氣壯地說人家連這點基本常識都沒有，結果一查，才知道，原來真是9個，是我自己錯了。這也讓我想起一個可以跟大家分享的習慣用語，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 是驕傲，從字面上看，swallow one’s pride 意思是吞下自己的驕傲，引伸為放下自尊，忍氣吞聲。本來嘛，最高法院明明只有9個大法官，我卻很無知地非說有11個，最後也只好忍氣吞聲地承認自己錯了。I had to swallow my pride and admitted that I was wrong. 在下面這個例子里，意大利廚師羅伯特好象跟我有類似遭遇，不過人家處理得可比我強多了。我們一起聽。

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.”

這段話意思是：羅伯特廚師憑藉一手意大利廚藝，幾乎贏過所有烹調比賽。儘管他有如此豐富的經驗，上星期還是不小心在電視上切破了手指。他本來可以裝得若無其事，可他沒有這樣做，而是放下自尊心，開玩笑說，就連他，也會時不時犯點兒錯誤。

或許，這樣做反而更能得到大家的尊重。不久前，日本豐田汽車公司發現，已經出廠的數百萬輛汽車都有毛病，於是， They SWALLOWED their PRIDE，宣布召回這些車輛，免費檢修。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

我打電子遊戲，早就不是八歲女兒的對手了，認輸成了家常便飯，但是下面例子里這個當舅舅的，下棋輸給七歲的侄子，卻感到十分意外。讓我們聽聽他是怎麼說的：

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.

這個人說：我七歲的侄子求我跟他下棋，我同意陪他下一盤。我本來打算讓他幾個子兒，幫他建立點自信心。誰知道，他只走了四步，就將了我的軍。太丟人了。我雖然不習慣忍氣吞聲地放下自尊，但還是不得不認輸，並向他表示祝賀。

這不算什麼。我有個朋友，準備求婚的前一天，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，回到珠寶店，把訂婚戒指退掉。好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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! 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第129課

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的指紋識別是不是會帶來更多商機? 我們在下面的節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 fingerprint. Fingerprint is spelled f-i-n-g-e-r-p-r-i-n-t, fingerprint. Fingerprint 是指紋的意思。The most noticeable new feature of the new iPhone 5S is its Touch ID, a fingerprint censor. 蘋果5S最大的新功能是指紋識別。Apple says Touch ID can support up to five fingerprints. 蘋果公司說，每部手機的指紋識別器最多能支持五個指紋。Industry experts say the fingerprint sensor could open doors for expanded use of mobile payment services. 業內專家說，指紋識別可以為更多的手機支付服務項目打開大門。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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

美國習慣用語第 881 講

在當今這個社交網站滿天飛，所有人都忙着更新狀態的時代，我朋友 Laurie 卻全然不為所動，絕不隨大流。這也讓我想起一個可以跟大家分享的習慣用語，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 顧名思義，就是逆着潮流而行。我朋友 Laurie 就是這個習慣用語的化身。別人都在忙於上網社交的時候，她卻我行我素，She is swimming against the tide. 逆着潮流而行。在下面的例子里，一些部門經理開會不拿手提電腦，而是返樸歸真，重新拿起筆記本。我們一起聽。

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.”

這段話是說：商業會議上，到處都是手提電腦，但是也有象我這樣的一些人卻反潮流而進，回去使用老式的筆記本，筆記本不僅更加方便攜帶，而且還不需要電池。

我也聽人說起過現在的這種趨勢。這些商業管理人員其實不並是反對科技進步，但是他們意識到，其實筆記本真的要比手提電腦更好用。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

在英語里，有一個詞，專門用來形容反對科技進步的人，叫 luddite, luddite is spelled l-u-d-d-i-t-e. 1811年到1816年期間，一群英國工人發生暴動，搗毀了很多紡織機器，因為他們覺得，機械進步會減少就業機會。Luddite 這個詞後來專門用來指反對技術進步的人。

美國前幾年房地產市場火爆，很多新開發的房子都屬於豪宅一類，有人覺得，這種房子其實並不實用。讓我們聽聽下面例子里這個人是怎麼說的：

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.”

這個人說：我朋友買的都是大房子，裡面有主卧室，講究的廚房，正式餐廳，還有好多洗手間。我和妻子更願意要一個簡單得多的房子，不需要太多錢去裝修和保養。我們知道，這麼做是在逆潮流而動，不過我們覺得這挺好。

跟 swim against the tide 相反的，是 swim with the tide 意思是隨大流，順着潮流而進。就我個人而言，我大多數時候都是 swim with the tide, 不過有時候，如果是我認準了的事情，我也一定會堅持自己的立場 swim against the tide。好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

在整個歷史長河中，多少思想家、發明家、探險家，都是因為敢於挑戰主流思想，換句話說，他們就是敢於 swim against the tide, 才最終推動了人類的進步。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 如果你要去申請簽證，趕快來聽聽如何應對簽證官的問題吧!

禮節美語 Applying for a Visa I

王小姐到美國使館簽證，簽證官 Bob Jones 受理她的申請。

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.

簽證官Bob說，首先要決定，王小姐是否符合申請美國簽證的標準，eligibility is spelled e-l-i-g-i-b-i-l-i-t-y, eligibility 是符合標準的意思。簽證官問王小姐為什麼要申請一種特殊商務簽證，a special business visa.。王小姐解釋說，她是先到西雅圖開會，first order of business 意思是第一件要處理的事情，然後還準備去看朋友。

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.

簽證官覺得，王小姐申請一般的旅遊簽證 a regular visitor’s visa 就可以了，suffice is spelled s-u-f-f-i-c-e, suffice 是足夠的意思，她憑旅遊簽證能在美國停留90天，而且也可以做生意。王小姐說，90天的時間已經足夠了。

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.

王小姐把會議方的邀請函 the official invitation letter 交給簽證官，還附加了兩份公司主管的信，證明她的行程，itinerary. 她說自己 I’m out of the country almost half a year. 每年幾乎有半年的時間不在國內，簽證官說王小姐護照上有 quite a few international stamps, 這裡所說的 international stamps 是指入出境時在護照上蓋的章。原來，王小姐是中國古迹專家，她所在的公司在蘇黎世有辦公處。

A: 王小姐申請赴美簽證，簽證官要確定她的eligibility, 是否符合標準。她要申請 regular visitor’s visa, 普通旅遊簽證，需要提供official invitation letter, 官方邀請信。簽證官說，王小姐的護照上有quite a few international stamps，有很多出入境紀錄。

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, 我們接着來聽聽簽證官還需要什麼東西吧

禮節美語 Applying for a Visa II

王小姐到美國使館簽證，簽證官 Bob Jones 受理她的申請，Bob 得知王小姐是研究古迹的專家後，覺得這個行業很有意思。

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.

簽證官Bob說，王小姐從事的行業似乎很有意思，line of work 指的是工作，行業。簽證官Bob說，他要問王小姐一些個人問題，these are formalities. formalities 意思是必要的形式。首先，簽證申請人要證明自己的 financial stability 經濟實力。

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.

簽證官問王小姐是否參與過恐怖活動，be involved with 意思是參與，涉及。簽證官又問，do you have a criminal record in China? 在中國有沒有犯罪記錄。王小姐回答說，她連違章停車的罰單都沒吃過，違章停車的罰單在英語里叫 parking ticket. 簽證官最後讓王小姐在一份文件上簽字，保證自己所說的一切屬實。

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!

王小姐簽好字，還要做指紋取樣，按簽證官說的，anyone applying for a visa to the United States is required to have fingerprints taken. 凡是申請入境美國簽證的人，都要提取指紋。王小姐問簽證申請幾天才會有結果，簽證官回答說，The processing time is about 5 days. 辦理簽證大約要五天的時間，如果有問題，會電話或是電郵通知申請人，簽證官最後還預祝王小姐去美國旅程順利。

A: 簽證官還問了王小姐一些私人問題，比如有沒有參加過恐怖組織，有沒有犯罪記錄，他解釋說these are formalities, 這是必要的形式。王小姐還要證明她的financial stability, 經濟實力，最後她在文件上簽名，it equals to an oath in court, 在法律意義上就像是在法庭上發誓，保證自己所說的一切屬實。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 toss. Toss is spelled t-o-s-s, toss. Toss 動詞，是丟掉，扔掉的意思。Defense lawyers wanted the defendant’s confession to be tossed out of court. 辯護律師希望法庭不考慮被告的認罪書。The fans were tossed out of the stadium for fighting. 這些球迷因為打架被驅逐出球場。A family was tossed out of Universal Studios because the dad wore a T-shirt with the word “police” on it. 一家人被環球影城趕了出去，因為父親穿着的T恤衫上寫這“警察”的字眼。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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: 沒錯! 好啦，我們來聽今天的最後一個單元，學學 have the upper hand 這個短語是什麼意思!

Words and Idioms 882 to have the upper hand

美國習慣用語第 882 講

每年春天，我們幾家人都會出去野餐，一個傳統項目就是老少對陣的足球賽。父母一隊，孩子一隊，以前每年都是父母贏，可今年不知道為什麼，孩子們好象突然間都長大了，大人根本追不上他們。這也讓我想起一個習慣用語，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 意思就是佔優勢，佔上風。就好比我們兩代人的足球賽，以前是父母人高馬大，we had the upper hand. 如今孩子們個頭追上我們了，速度又比我們快，因此 they have the upper hand. 他們開始佔上風了。to have the upper hand 除了可以用來說人外，還可以用來指情緒。比如說，His feelings got the upper hand. 意思是他的情緒失去了控制。在今天的房地產市場中，買方還是賣方佔據優勢呢？我們一起聽。

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.”

這段話意思是：如今，房地產市場的成長速度開始放緩，買方開始佔據優勢，因為買房子的人比以前少了，所以賣房子的人不得不降價出售。
儘管如此，現在的房子還是貴得要命。

昨天看比賽，到中場的時候，我支持的隊似乎還在佔據優勢，At half time, our team seemed to have the upper hand. 可誰知道，Our arch-rival gained the upper hand in the second half and beat us on our home turf. 我們的死對頭下半場開始佔上風，最後我們在自己的地盤上輸掉了比賽。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

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 這個習慣用語源於一種古老的比賽。大家從下到上，一個接一個地輪流把手放在一根木棍上，誰的手落在最上面，誰就是比賽的贏家，或者說 the winner was the player with the upper hand. 在下面這個例子中，一群僱員要告自己的公司。讓我們一起聽聽律師是怎麼說的。

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.”

這位律師說：在這種情況下，佔上風的一方是公司。僱員因為無法承擔不去工作的經濟負擔，所以不會質疑公司的解決方案，公司只要給他們少得可笑的一筆小錢就可以了事了。

這倒是真的。大多數情況下，個人跟大公司打官司，確實是大公司佔優勢，但這並不意味着公司一定會贏。比如說，美國生產萬寶路牌香煙的菲利普•莫里斯公司就經常敗訴。

再舉個例子，最近，我們家用的電話公司為了跟對手爭奪用戶，推出了很多新的服務項目，結果市場份額大大地增加。It looks like they have the upper hand now. 現在看來，他們似乎佔據了優勢。好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

美語訓練班第130課

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: 實體店會不會在未來生活中消失? 我們在下面節目中為你介紹。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 showroom. Showroom is spelled s-h-o-w-r-o-o-m, showroom. Showroom 是陳列室，展示廳的意思。日本東京獲得2020年夏季奧運會主辦權後，The number of visitors to apartment showrooms in the area where the Olympic Village will be built saw a big jump. 計劃籌建奧運村的地區，去看公寓樣品房的人數大增。我們現在日常生活中的哪些東西在不久的將來會消失呢？美國一家研究未來發展趨勢的機構就此發表報告，報告中提到，Brick-and-mortar stores as we know them will likely become nothing more than showrooms. 現在生活中的實體店將來很可能也就起個展示商品的作用。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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

美國習慣用語第 883 講

每次家裡人聚會，最高興的就是孩子。我有好幾個侄子、侄女，都是八、九歲上下。小時候，他們總要鬧得雞飛狗跳，但是這兩年好多了，更懂事，更聽話了。這也讓我想起一個習慣用語，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 這個習慣用語就是很難管，很難控制的意思。比如說，幾個半大不小的孩子在一起，鬧得天翻地覆，就可以說是 out of hand. 再比如，開會的時候兩個人唇槍舌戰，最後吵了起來，就可以說當時的局面 got out of hand. 在下面這個例子中，一群大學生開派對，最後為什麼招來了警察？我們一起聽。

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.”

這段話意思是：本來一切都是好好的，可是這幫人後來不知道為什麼原因打了起來，他們那些喝醉了的哥們兒也都過來幫忙，不知哪個傻瓜居然把椅子從窗戶扔了出去。當時的情況真是徹底失去了控制，最後只好叫警察來，才把他們拉開。

聽起來真是夠亂的。It really got OUT OF HAND. 我家對面的房子就出租給了幾個大學生，每到周末都開派對，有時半夜三更還有人唱歌。

說起局面失控，我昨天看到兩個拳擊選手比賽前開記者會，結果當場差點兒打起來。The situation almost got out of hand. 好在雙方教練馬上把他們拉開了。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

Out of hand 這個習慣用語由來已久，大約八百年前，就有人開始說 in hand, 意思是處於掌控之中。後來，大約十六世紀的時候，又出現了跟 in hand 意思恰恰相反的 out of hand, 意思是失去了控制。

這一輪經濟衰退，使很多人都開始反省美國人的信用卡消費文化。讓我們一起聽聽下面這個人是怎麼說的。

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.”

這個人說：我和太太不得不把我們所有的信用卡都剪掉。我們沒完沒了地買那些根本負擔不起的東西，因為刷卡而欠下的債務已經失去控制了。我們現在要努力把欠的錢都付清。

刷卡真的很容易一發不可收拾 get out of hand，尤其是信用卡債務一般都有很高的利息，用不了多久，就能欠一大筆錢。這次經濟衰退，讓很多美國人意識到理財的重要性，知道了不能讓信用卡上的債務變得 out of hand. 好，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

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.”

每年年底前後，我都會接二連三地開派對，體重也跟着往上躥。所以一過元旦，我就要開始控制飲食，加緊鍛煉，為的就是不讓體重 get out of hand. 好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束，去健身房的時間也到了。

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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!

禮節美語 BE-255 Sensitivity Training Money I

晚宴結束，Jason跟同事Harold一起往外走。Jason說：

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是從中國來的，在晚會上問東道主Mr. Jones公寓是多少錢買的。Mr. Jones gave me a really funny look. Mr. Jones 看他的表情有些奇怪，好象他這樣問犯了什麼大忌。a funny look意思是說不清楚的奇怪表情。Jason 說，在中國，大家見面就是談房子，因此他不懂，What’s wrong with asking someone how much they paid for a piece of property? 問別人買房子花了多少錢有什麼不妥呢？Harold解釋說：

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解釋說，在很多西方國家，公開談錢是 faux pas, faux pas is spelled f-a-u-x, faux and pas p-a-s, pas, faux pas 也就是 social blunder 在社交上忌諱做的事，屬於失禮的行為。Jason聽了覺得很出乎意料，說自己完全不知情，I had no idea. 因為在中國，詢問財物的價錢完全不是問題。Harold說，I know you meant no offense. 我知道你不是故意冒犯 Mr. Jones. Harold說自己派駐廣州半年時，就經常有人問他每個月的工資是多少。Jason說：

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 覺得很有意思的是，西方社會如此開放，對很多中國不敢涉獵的私人問題都可以拿到檯面上來說，但是 money is a no-no. 錢的問題卻是個禁區。no-no 兩個no連在一起，中間加個連接線，是一種非正式用法，名詞，意思是不可以，不被接受的事情。西方人迴避談錢，是因為怕刺激沒錢的人嗎？我們下次繼續聽。

A: Jason說，東道主Mr. Jones gave him a funny look，看他的表情很奇怪。Harold說，這是因為Jason問他房子是多少錢買的，在西方國家，隨便談錢是a faux pas, 社交禁忌，雖然很多其他事情都可以談, but money is a no-no,錢的問題是個禁區。

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!

禮節美語 BE-256 Sensitivity Training Money II

晚宴結束，Jason跟同事Harold一起往外走。Jason是從中國來的，對西方人交往時迴避談錢的問題感到不解，問這樣做是不是為了不去刺激那些沒什麼錢的人。Harold回答說：

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說Jason, you hit the nail on the head. 你說得一點沒錯。to hit the nail on the head 意思是一下子就說到了點子上，還有兩種類似的說法，一種是 you are right on. 另外一種說法是 you are right on the money. 都是同樣的意思。Harold說，因為西方很多人不喜歡炫富，有些人還會因為自己太有錢，而其他人生活貧苦而感到內疚。Harold 說：

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說，這也就是為什麼比爾.蓋茨和洛克菲勒這種成功的企業家最後都會 end up setting up charity organizations 成立慈善機構，把錢捐出去。雖說比爾.蓋茨是電腦天才，但他的成功在很大程度上也是靠機遇，He was there at the right place and the right time. 他在正確的時間出現在了正確的地方，類似中文裡說的天時地利人和。Jason很欣賞這種心態，因為 hard work and good luck often go hand-in-hand. 勤奮和運氣二者往往必須兼備才能成功。

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最後總結說，在西方，除非別人主動告訴你，否則不要問人家賺多少工資，有多少存款，買東西花了多少錢這類問題，可以誇別人的東西好，但不要詢問價錢，免得彼此尷尬。

A: Harold解釋說，在西方, 富人一般don’t show off不會炫富，很多成功的企業家都會set up charity organizations,成立慈善機構。所以除非主人主動提起，一般不要get into specifics, 不要具體問一個東西多少錢。

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

今天我們要學的詞是 seasonally. Seasonally is spelled s-e-a-s-o-n-a-l-l-y, seasonally. Seasonally，受季節影響地。美國房地產市場仍然波動頻繁，但是 Overall, housing market rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 0.9%。考憚7b季節調節因素，房地產市場以每年0.9%的速度增長。營養專家建議，我們應該吃應季的食物。Experts suggest eating seasonally because our bodies require different nutrients throughout the differing seasons. 專家建議應該吃應季的食品，因為我們的身體在不同季節需要不同的營養成分。好的，今天我們學習的詞是seasonally, seasonally, seasonally.

A: Eating seasonally is healthy; your body needs different kind of nutrients at different times of the year. 像我們中國人說, 冬季吃羊肉進補，夏季吃羊肉上火，就是這個意思！

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: 我們來聽今天的美國習慣用語，學學這個短語的用法！

Words and Idioms 884 take a turn for the better

美國習慣用語第 884 講

今天我總算是鬆了口氣! 昨天，我姑姑突然覺得胸口疼、頭暈、想吐，結果被送到了急救中心! 還好，醫生給她檢查完之後，她已經不那麼難受了。在放心之餘，我還想起了一個習慣用語，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“轉變”的意思，而better表示“更好”，所以“take a turn for the better”就是說“情況好轉”。比如說，我姑姑原本生病，但後來身體逐漸恢復，我就可以說 Her health took a turn for the better. 在下面這個例子中，一個失業的人守得雲開見月明。我們一起來聽。

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.”

這段話意思是：我已經六個月沒工作了，心情沮喪極了。現在，好像所有的公司都不僱人了，我銀行里的存款也快用光了。就在這時，情況出現了轉機。有個獵頭打來電話，他幫我聯絡到了一家會計公司，讓我去面試。現在，我又有工作啦!

這可真是柳暗花明又一村! 找不到工作的確很急人，不過你不要放棄希望，試着聯繫一下以前的同事，他們可能知道一些僱人的信息。只要找到正確的門路，你得到工作的前景就會TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER. 好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

俗話說，人生不如意事十之八九。所以，遇到挫折時千萬不要放棄希望，因為生活可能會突然 TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER，讓我們來聽聽下面這個人的故事：

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.”

這個人說：我從沒想過自己會孤單地生活。可是，兩年前，癌症奪走了我太太。所有的快樂都離我而去，也讓我失去了生活的目標。可是，幾個月前，有個朋友給我介紹了Carrie。從我們第一次約會開始，我的人生就完全改觀了。她給我帶來了難以置信的快樂。

這個人真幸運，迎來了愛情的第二春，他一定和新女友有很多甜蜜的約會。不過，並不是所有約會都是美好的。有一次，我和先生去餐館吃飯，過結婚周年，開頭挺浪漫的，可服務員上菜時一個不留神，把整盤菜扣在了我的新裙子上! 約會徹底砸了! 在這個時候，你就可以說 THE DATE TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE。這和TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER 正好相反，指的是情況變差。你還可以說，公司的生意 TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE，業務一落千丈；或者和某人的戀情 TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE，感情亮起紅燈。我們再來聽一下上面那個例句：

希望你能多練習我們學過的習慣用語，只要堅持，你的英語水平就能 TAKE A TURN FOR THE BETTER! 好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束，

M: Until next time.

下次節目再見。

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…….好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!

返回《美語訓練班》頁。

禪世界

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美國佛教會	寂靜禪舍美國	福嚴佛學院台灣
慈濟美國	西園戒幢律寺蘇州	法鼓山美國
佛光山台灣	寂靜禪林馬來西亞	大寶法王台灣
靜安寺上海		中台世界台灣
巴爾佛教研究中心美國	中華電子佛典協會	中國佛學院北京

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