美语训练班 第131-136课
美语训练班 第131课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m Lin Yang.
B: Are you a frequent flyer? Is it economical to pay more and upgrade your flight to business class? We will offer you some insight in today’s business etiquette.
A: 今天的美国人如何看待他们的政府? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “tar and feather” and “tar with the same brush” 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 1878 dysfunctional
今天我们要学的词是 dysfunctional. Dysfunctional is spelled d-y-s-f-u-n-c-t-i-o-n-a-l, dysfunctional. Dysfunctional 形容词，意思是失常的，失调的。One in three Americans believe the dysfunctional government is the country’s biggest problems. 三个美国人里就有一个人认为，政府运作失调是美国所面临的最大问题。A recent study revealed that only around 2 out of 10 people actually escape the grips of a dysfunctional family. 最近的一项研究显示，每十个人当中，大约只有两个人能真正摆脱他们所在的不健全的家庭。好的，今天我们学习的词是 dysfunctional, dysfunctional, dysfunctional.
A: It’s hard for kids to grow up in dysfunctional families. I have a friend who always seems very distant to people and favors spending time with his pet. Turns out that his mom favored his brother over him growing up, and it left him believing no one truly loves him.
B: That’s horrible! Once you form a certain personality and world view, it’s very hard to change it. I’m so grateful for my loving and caring family.
A: Yeah, I love my family too, it’s full of happiness and laughter! But my mom did tar and feather me when I grew up…. 她一直相信不打不成材呀….
B: Well, what can I say, looks like she did a good job bringing you up!
A: Aww!
B: And you mentioned a good idiom: tar and feather. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and check it out!
Words and Idioms 885 tar and feather
美国习惯用语第 885 讲
刚才朋友跟我抱怨说，她的老板太可怕了! 她在工作上出了一点小错，老板就不依不饶，把她好一顿骂。这让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Tar and feather. Tar is spelled t-a-r, and feather; f-e-a-t-h-e-r. Tar-and-feather. Tar and feather.
Tar这个词不太常见，是“柏油”的意思。Feather大家都知道是指“羽毛”。把Tar 和feather放在一起，意思是“严厉惩罚”。比如，我的朋友被苛刻的老板骂得体无完肤，我们就可以说She felt TARRED AND FEATHERED by her overly critical boss. 当然了，倒霉的不只我朋友一个人，下面是一个高中生的烦恼，我们一起听。
M: : “I think my whole class hates English this semester. Our teacher is always ready to punish us for the slightest mistake. If she finds any misspellings on our compositions, she deducts several points from our grade. I don’t understand the need to TAR AND FEATHER US.”
这段话意思是：我估计，我们全班都恨透了这学期的英文课。我们的英文老师总是为了一丁点小错误而惩罚我们。她判作文时，发现一个错字就扣好多分儿。我实在不明白，她干嘛非要这么严厉地惩罚我们。
唉，分-分-分，学生的命根! 这位英文老师在判分时毫不留情，为一点小错而责罚学生，难怪不得人心! 好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。
M: “I think my whole class hates English this semester. Our teacher is always ready to punish us for the slightest mistake. If she finds any misspellings on our compositions, she deducts several points from our grade. I don’t understand the need to TAR AND FEATHER US.”
在生活中，我们常常会见到吹毛求疵，专挑别人毛病的人。我以前常看一个美食评论家的专栏，我发现，她的文章中，称赞别人的部分不到百分之10，剩下的全是挑毛病，最爱在别人的不足之处上大作文章。最后，许多读者都受不了她的这种态度，纷纷写信投诉她，没过多久，她的专栏就被撤掉了。可见，大众的力量不容忽视，中国不是有句话叫“众口烁金，积毁销骨”么。社会名流，他们更可能因丑闻而被大众Tar and Feather。不过，这种情况似乎也在发生变化，让我们来听听下面这个人的看法：
M: “I’m no longer shocked when I read about athletes and politicians who have extramarital affairs. It used to be that they’d be TARRED AND FEATHERED. Today, instead of being severely criticized, they’re often forgiven. Then they’re featured on magazine covers and make lots of money by writing books. It disgusts me.”
这个人说：当我看到体育明星和政客们搞婚外情的新闻时，我已经不会大惊小怪了。过去，这种人一定会被人们的口水淹死，可现在，没什么人会去严厉斥责他们，相反，社会大众会原谅他们。他们还能上杂志封面，出书，大笔捞钱。这一切让我觉得恶心。
上面这段话让我想到一个女人玛莎．斯图尔特。她原本是“家政女皇”，可后来因股票内幕交易丑闻坐了5个月的牢。当时，She was tarred and feathered, 所以好多评论家都以为她将一蹶不振。可恰恰相反，她出狱后全面复出，经营的企业甚至比以前更成功，似乎也没人再提她犯罪坐牢的事儿了。让我们再听一遍刚才的话：
M: “I’m no longer shocked when I read about athletes and politicians who have extramarital affairs. It used to be that they’d be TARRED AND FEATHERED. Today, instead of being severely criticized, they’re often forgiven. Then they’re featured on magazine covers and make lots of money by writing books. It disgusts me.”
Tar And Feather的起源是12世纪时的一种酷刑。当时，人们把Tar–柏油，倒在受罚者身上，然后再把Feather–羽毛，贴在柏油上，这样乎上几天，实在残酷。后来，to tar and feather就被引伸为“严厉惩罚”的意思了。 在学习英语的时候，难免犯错，不过，即使用错了词，犯了语法错误，别人也绝不能把你TAR AND FEATHER!
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: I’m so stoked! I just booked my ticket back home today! Yummy food and the spring festival celebration, here I come!
B: Ugh, I envy your life! Did you buy a non-stop?
A: No, I have one stop, but it’s not too bad. I’m considering if I should upgrade to business class, it’s a 13 hour flight, and crawling in economic class seats doesn’t sound very appealing…
B: Seems like you’ve got to do some cost benefit analysis! Actually in today’s business etiquette, we will talk about the pros and cons of upgrading to business class.
A: Let’s go take a look!
礼节美语BE-257 Flying Business Class I
Cindy看到同事Wendy很开心的样子。
Wendy: (excited) Yeah!
Cindy: Hey, Wendy….you sure looked excited. What’s up?
W: I just got a text message…and…I get to fly business class on my next trip to China!
C: Sweet! What city are you going to?
W: Beijing. The fabrics trade show is happening there next week.
C: Cool. I’ve never been to Beijing…you?
W: No. I’ve only been to Shanghai and Hangzhou.
C: Well…it’s great that you get to see a new place.
Wendy这么开心，原来是因为要去北京出差，而且是坐 business class 商务舱，不是经济舱 economy class 或是 coach class. 除了商务舱和经济舱以外，大家知道的头等舱在英语里是 first class. 正说得高兴，另一位同事Amy走过来，问她俩要不要一起去吃午饭。
Amy: Hey girls…wanna go walk across the street and grab some lunch?
W: Sure!
C: Yeah, let’s go. You know…Wendy should treat us today.
A: Why is that?
C: Because she gets to fly business class next week.
W: Sure…lunch is on me! I’m going to Beijing next Tuesday for the fabrics trade show. I’ve always wanted to see what traveling business class would be like and now I’ll get a little taste!
A: Congratulations. Business class has so much more leg-room…the seats practically recline into a bed. Of course…first class is even nicer.
Amy问两人要不要一起去马路对面买点午饭吃 grab some lunch. Cindy让Wendy请客，Wendy should treat us today. 因为她下星期要坐商务舱去北京出差。Wendy欣然答应，说 Lunch is on me. 意思是午饭我来请。Amy说，商务舱 leg room 伸展腿脚的空间更大，椅子放倒就象床一样，但还是不如头等舱舒服。听上去Amy八成坐过。Cindy 问 Amy:
C: Are you speaking from experience?
A: Actually, yes. My husband and I flew first class to Hawaii for our honeymoon.
C: Wow!
W: That is cool. I’ve been stuck in coach all my life. Is it just my imagination, or have the seats in economy class been getting smaller over the years?
C: I don’t think the seats have gotten smaller…I think the airlines are packing more rows of seats into airplanes and that means less leg-room.
A: Well, it’s probably true that if we want cheap tickets we will have to put up with being crammed into an airplane.
原来，Amy去夏威夷度蜜月时坐的就是头等舱，所以她确实是speak from experience. Wendy很羡慕地说，I’ve been stuck in coach all my life. 我一辈子都没离开过经济舱。座位虽说没变小，但是航空公司不断在机舱里加座椅，pack more rows of seats into airplanes, 当然伸腿的地方就越来越小了。Amy无可奈何地说，想要买便宜的机票，就只能忍受飞机里的拥挤了。We will have to put up with being crammed into an airplane. to put up with 是忍受；cram 是动词，意思是挤在一起。
A: Wendy 看起来很高兴，因为她去北京出差可以 fly business class，乘坐商务v。商务舱更舒服，有更宽敞的 leg room, 伸展腿脚的空间。Wendy说，I’ve been stuck in coach all my life, 我一辈子都没离开过经济舱，所以这次能乘商务舱很开心。
B: I hope I can get a job in the future that will enable me to fly back and forth between the U.S. and China first class! I certainly wouldn’t say no to more legroom!
A: Indeed, and the food is so much better! I guess that’s a very important factor for a foodie like you…
B: You know me too well!
A: Haha! Alright, 我们接着来听听商务舱还有什么好处吧!
礼节美语BE-258 Flying Business Class II
Cindy看到同事Wendy很开心的样子。
Cindy: So Wendy, are you flying non-stop?
Wendy: Washington DC to Beijing…non-stop.
Amy: Oh that’s lovely. The thing I hate the most about traveling is layovers. You have to get off the plane…get all your stuff…sometimes you have to go through security…then you wait around in the airport lounge for hours, and finally get back on a plane and endure more hours of flying.
C: Stopovers are a real pain in the neck. Sometimes they are quick, but most of the time layovers take at least three or four hours.
W: I got stuck at the Bangkok airport for nine hours once! I nearly went insane!
A: That’s nasty. I’d rather just stay overnight and come back the next day.
Wendy的班机是直飞 non-stop, 不用转机，中途转机在英文里是layover 或者是 stopover. Cindy说，Stopovers are a real pain in the neck. 说一件事情是 a pain in the neck 意思是说这件事情特别讨厌。Wendy也说，有一次她被困在曼谷机场九个小时，I got stuck at the Bangkok airport for nine hours. Amy也说，她宁可找个地方过夜，I’d rather just stay overnight. 第二天再回来，也不愿意在机场干等。
C: Hopefully the airplanes of the future will be faster and bigger so we can get places more comfortably and quickly.
W: So…enlighten me on what pleasures await me in business class.
C: Well, the food is pretty good. Each meal has several courses and if you want seconds or thirds the answer is always: “No problem, madam.”
A: The wine list is excellent, too. You also have a choice of dozens of brand-new movies and shows on your personal in-flight entertainment system.
C: But …like I said earlier…the number one best thing about business class is the leg-room! You can stretch out and lie back. It makes all the difference in the world.
商务舱的乘客有哪些特殊待遇呢？Cindy说，首先是吃的好，每顿饭都有好几道菜，而且，if you want seconds or thirds 如果你想要第二份或是第三份的话，回答永远都是没问题。seconds第二份is spelled s-e-c-o-n-d-s, seconds, 就是second后面加个s. thirds也是一样，就是在third后面加个s. 除了吃的好，葡萄酒种类也不错。The wine list is excellent. 此外还有最新上映的电影，但是商务舱最好的地方还是宽敞，It makes all the difference in the world. 天壤之别。
A: Cindy’s right. A 12-hour flight doesn’t seem all that long.
W: Excellent! I’m very much looking forward to it. Okay, it’s my treat…what do you want to eat?
A: I’ll have the shrimp salad.
C: And I’ll have a club sandwich and a cranberry yogurt.
W: I’ll have carrot sticks and a tomato juice.
C: On a diet?
W: No…I’m just too excited to eat!
Wendy听后很高兴，说自己十分期待。大家开始点午饭，结果Wendy自己只要了carrot sticks and a tomato juice. 小胡萝卜和番茄汁。Cindy问她是不是在减肥，On a diet? 等于 are you on a diet? Wendy 回答说不是，是因为太兴奋，所以吃不下东西。
A: Wendy这次还可以fly non-stop，直飞，Amy说这简直太重要了，因为layover is a pain in the neck, 转机特别烦。Cindy说，商务舱不仅宽敞，而且食物非常好，the wine list 酒单也不错，而且还有非常即时的 in-flight entertainment system，途中娱乐系统。
B: Sounds like a 13-hour flight won’t be that long if you are flying business! You should consider it Yang Lin.
A: I think I’m gonna do it! A wine list on the plane? That’s what I’m talking about.
B: There you go! Alright, enough about flying, let’s go ahead with our class.
A: Let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 1883 indefinite
今天我们要学的词是 indefinite. indefinite is spelled i-n-d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e, indefinite. Indefinite 形容词，意思是不明确的，无限期的。The head coach has decided to take an indefinite leave of absence to care for his sick wife. 为了照顾生病的妻子，球队主教练决定无限期请长假。The union launched an indefinite strike, requesting shorter hours and better pay. 工会发起无限期罢工，要求缩短工时，增加工资。The bridge was closed indefinitely for repair work to be done. 这座大桥要接受检修，将无限期停止使用。好的，今天我们学习的词是 indefinite, indefinite, indefinite.
A: I feel like the construction in front of our building has been going on indefinitely…
B: They sure are not efficient enough, but that probably is in par with the government’s pace.
A: Haha, Mike, you can’t tar every government employee with the same brush!
B: My bad, my bad. But what does tar with the same brush mean? Let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms.
Words and Idioms 886 TAR WITH THE SAME BRUSH
美国习惯用语第 886 讲
前两天，我和朋友逛街时路过一家PIZZA连锁店，我想进去吃饭，可朋友说，她在这个品牌的另外一家店吃过，那里的服务糟透了，所以，这家店的服务一定也很差。她说什么也不在这里吃。虽然PIZZA没吃到，但朋友的做法让我想起了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Tar with the same brush. Tar is spelled t-a-r, and brush; b-r-u-s-h.. Tar-with-the-same-brush.
Tar 这个词不太常见，当名词时是“焦油”的意思，当动词是指“涂抹焦油”；BRUSH，大家比较熟悉，是“刷子”的意思。To Tar somebody or something with the same brush，字面的意思是“用同一把刷子涂焦油”，其实是指“因为某人或某物不好，就误以为和他们类似的人或物都不好”，也就是“一杆子打翻一船人”。比如，我这位朋友因为看到一家连锁店的服务不好，就断定另外一家连锁店的服务也不好，这就是Tar it with the same brush，一杆子打翻一船人了。毕竟，两家店虽然是一个品牌，但服务员的素质可能并不相同。
在生活中，这种一概而论的事经常发生。比如，下面这个老板在招聘员工时的态度：
M: “One of the applicants for a part-time sales position came with good references. Yet my boss didn’t want to hire him because he was still in high school. Apparently, he’d had a bad experience with a teenaged employee. To me, he TARRED HIM WITH THE SAME BRUSH. Why did he blame him because of another teen’s poor performance?”
这段话意思是：在应聘兼职销售员的人中，有个人条件不错，获得以前雇主的强力推荐。可是，我们的老板不想雇他，因为他还是个高中生。很显然，老板以前雇过高中生，可那个孩子表现不好。这下，老板一杆子打翻一船人，凡是高中生，他都不雇了。我觉得，这对应聘人来说是不公平的。
这个老板显然在招聘过程中有歧视行为! 因为一个人的年龄而不给他工作机会，这在美国可能被人告上法庭! 让我们再来听听上面那段话。
M: “One of the applicants for a part-time sales position came with good references. Yet my boss didn’t want to hire him because he was still in high school. Apparently, he’d had a bad experience with a teenaged employee. To me, he TARRED HIM WITH THE SAME BRUSH. Why did he blame him because of another teen’s poor performance?”
在日常生活中，如果你常常对人对事一概而论，可能会错过很多机会。比如，在挑选恋爱对象时，就应该有个开放的态度，不能随便把对方脸谱化。让我们来听听下面这段话：
M: “My buddy thinks that I shouldn’t ask Jean out because she’s divorced and he’d dated divorcees who seemed desperate. But I’m not going to TAR HER WITH THE SAME BRUSH. I’m not about to fault Jean because of my friend’s bad dating experience with other divorced women. It isn’t fair.”
这个人说：我的一个哥们儿觉得，我不应该和Jean 约会，因为她离过婚，而我这位哥们儿交往过离婚女人，觉得她们的人生态度都很消极。不过，我不会一概而论，不会因为我朋友同离婚女人合不来就觉得Jean不好，这么做对Jean是不公平的。
说到一概而论，我想到我的表姐。她家那个市的市长贪污公款被判了刑，因为这个，她就决定再也不在选举中投票了。这么做太过了吧! 我承认，一些政客的确是腐败的，但也不能因此就Tar them with the same brush，一杆子打翻一船人，觉得他们个个都坏。
让我们再听一遍刚才的话：
M: “My buddy thinks that I shouldn’t ask Jean out because she’s divorced and he’d dated divorcees who seemed desperate. But I’m not going to TAR HER WITH THE SAME BRUSH. I’m not about to fault Jean because of my friend’s bad dating experience with other divorced woman. It isn’t fair.”
说到Tar with the same brush的起源，最初是牧羊人把焦油涂在羊的伤口上，给羊治病。后来，同一群羊就都被涂了焦油，受到了同样的对待。到了19世纪初，这个短语开始被用在人的身上。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Mike, working with you is really effecting me! I’ve started taring all of VOA’s employee’s with the same brush.
B: Really? how so?
A: I keep suspecting that they are all trying to dodge work!!!
B: ouch…..
A: 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
美语训练班 第132课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m Lin Yang.
B: Bullet trains are popular in Asian and European countries, but are nowhere to be found in the United States. In today’s business etiquette, we will introduce to you the ways Americans travel.
A: 今年最棒的一部电影会是什么? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “tit for tat” and “to a tee” 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 1885 hands-down
今天我们要学的词是 hands-down. Hands-down is spelled h-a-n-d-s, hands, and d-o-w-n, down, hands-down. Hands-down 意思是肯定地，轻而易举地。流感季节到了。In terms of safety and effectiveness, soap and water beats sanitizers hands-down. 从安全和有效性的角度看，用肥皂和清水洗手，绝对胜过洗手液。2013年还没有结束，不过，很多影评家都认为，Captain Philips, played by Tom Hanks, is hands-down the best movie of the year. 汤姆.汉克斯出演的菲利普斯船长绝对是今年最棒的一部电影。好的，今天我们学习的词是 hands-down, hands-down, hands-down.
A: So how was your Thanksgiving Mike?
B: It was great! We had a great traditional thanksgiving dinner: we had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie!
A: Wow, that’s a lot of food! Sounds like it could feed an army!
B: Yep, we have a saying in my family: calories don’t count on Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday about overfeeding yourself, and enjoy quality time with the people you love.
A: That’s the holiday spirit! We do the same thing during The Spring Festival in China.
B: Yep, from how you looked when you came back last year, I could tell!
A: A tit for tat, Mike, I’m going to get back at you…just wait for it…
B: Haha, I’ll waiting right here! And…you mentioned a good idiom: tit for tat. Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms and find out what it means!
Words and Idioms 887 TIT FOR TAT
美国习惯用语第 887 讲
人们常说远亲不如近邻，可邻里间闹矛盾的事儿也不少。这不，我隔壁的邻居Jean就对对门的邻居Alice不满，说Alice总是不参加公共区域的大扫除。Jean还说，为了给Alice一个教训，她决定不参加Alice组织的rummage sale–清仓义卖会。这两个人你来我往的，让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Tit for tat. Tit is spelled t-i-t, and tat; t-a-t. Tit-for-tat. Tit for tat.
Tit for tat 就是“以牙还牙”，以同样的方式报复。我的邻居Jean对Alice就是tit for tat：你不参加集体扫除？那好，我也不会在你组织的活动中出力。这可以说是“以其人之道还治其人之身”。
在生活中，这种针尖对麦芒的事儿经常发生。我们来听听一个父亲是怎么描述他的两个女儿的：
M: “My daughters have really been acting childishly lately. It started when Ginny borrowed Esther’s game without asking. As a result, Esther wouldn’t let Ginny play with her doll. That made Ginny so mad she took back the book she’d lent Esther. How much longer is this TIT FOR TAT going to last?”
这段话意思是：最近，我两个女儿都在耍小孩脾气。事情的起因是Ginny没和Esther打招呼就擅自拿走了Esther的游戏。结果，Esther就不让Ginny玩儿她的布娃娃了。这下子，Ginny不干了，把以前借给Esther的书抢了回来。不知道她们这种针锋相对的报复还要持续多长时间。
哈哈，小孩子之间常有这种事儿，你打我一下，我就必须得踢你一脚，谁也不愿意吃亏! 让我们再来听听刚才那段话:
M: “My daughters have really been acting childishly lately. It started when Ginny borrowed Esther’s game without asking. As a result, Esther wouldn’t let Ginny play with her doll. That made Ginny so mad she took back the book she’d lent Esther. How much longer is this TIT FOR TAT going to last?”
不过，别以为这种事情只发生在小孩儿身上，有些成年人也会这样以牙还牙以眼还眼地相互报复，而这种行为可能会带来严重的后果! 比如，在下面这段话中，一个城市的犯罪量突然增加，我们来听听是什么原因。
M: “The police investigator determined that the sudden increase of crimes was no coincidence. A gang of drug dealers wanted to punish a rival gang for shooting their leader. That led to a TIT FOR TAT series of murders, kidnappings and arsons that has paralyzed the city.”
这段话的意思说：警方的调查人员膂b定，犯罪行为突然增加并非偶然。一个贩毒团伙的头目被对立的帮派枪杀了，这个团伙于是展开报复行动。这导致双方以牙还牙的交恶，从谋杀、绑架到纵火，无所不为。整个城市因此陷入瘫痪状态。
每次听到这种消息，我总是既愤怒又伤心。前几天，华盛顿还发生了类似的事。一个年青人为了报复偷自己金项链的小偷，在街上开枪，结果打死了好几个路人。更讽刺的是，那个所谓的“报复目标”其实并不是偷他项链的人，是他认错了! 唉，这一切是多么愚蠢! 我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “The police investigator determined that the sudden increase of crimes was no coincidence. A gang of drug dealers wanted to punish a rival gang for shooting their leader. That led to a TIT FOR TAT series of murders, kidnappings and arsons that has paralyzed the city.”
Tit for tat 这个说法从16世纪中叶就有了，可见，人类千百年来都是爱记仇和报复。唉! 我觉得，大家在生活中都应该把肚量放大些，不要对人睚眦必报。比如，上个礼拜，我发现有个同事把我放在冰箱里的午饭给吃了。我就想，她一定是看错了，拿错了，我不会幼稚到隔天去偷她的午饭，作为报复。I refused to engage in a tit for tat。
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: I usually refuse to engage in a tit for tat. I find most of the time, letting go is way more useful than trying to get revenge.
B: I agree. People tend to treat you the way you treat them, so being nice and forgiving to your friends actually means having friends who will treat you well in return.
A: True. Speaking of which, could you offer me a ride to the airport for my flight back to China? Please?
B: Ugh…I knew something was coming…
A; Haha, I will take that as a yes! It’s really inconvenient that there’s no bullet trains here in the U.S., otherwise I would just take that!
B: Tell me about it. Bullet trains are widely popular in Asian countries, but people in America seems to prefer other forms of transportation.
A: We will get to know some American ways of traveling in today’s business etiquette.
B: Let’s go take a look!
礼节美语BE-259 Bullet Trains I
Lewis 在走廊上遇到同事 Jay.
Lewis: Hi, Jay!
J: Hi, Lewis. Are you ready for your big trip to Chicago?
L: Oh, yeah! I’m gonna nail the presentation.
J: I’m sure you will. Hey, I thought I remembered from an earlier conversation that you have relatives in the states, right? Any chance you’ll get to see them?
L: I’d like to, but they’re not in Chicago. My uncle moved to LA five years ago. I was thinking about going over to visit him but I don’t have a lot of time…maybe I could just hop on a bullet train from Chicago.
Lewis要到美国芝加哥出差，对完成任务信心满满，说自己一定会 nail the presentation 出色完成演示任务。在英语里，to nail something 意思是出色完成某事。比如，父母问你考试考得好不好，你就可以回答说，I nailed it. 我考得好极了。Jay问Lewis是否准备顺便去看望一下自己在美国的亲戚。Lewis说，叔叔五年前搬去洛杉矶，离芝加哥很远，他时间有限，准备 hop on a bullet train from Chicago. bullet train 子弹头列车，相当于高铁。 Jay说,
J: That’s not going to be possible.
L: Why not? It’s probably only a few hours ride.
J: America doesn’t have any bullet trains.
L: Really? You’re kidding me!
J: No, actually I’m quite serious. The fastest train we have is called the Amtrak Acela Express. It goes from Boston to Washington DC, via Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. But it’s not really a bullet train….The Acela Express generally runs at not much more than 130 kilometers an hour.
L: One hundred and 30 kilometers an hour? That’s not a high-speed train.
Jay说，美国没有高铁，最快的列车是 Amtrak Acela Express, 从波士顿到华盛顿特区，途经过巴尔迪摩，费城和纽约。可即便是这趟列车，一般时速也就是130多公里。Lewis说，Really? You’re kidding me! 表示难以置信。
J: Sometimes the Amtrak train can push speeds up to over 240 kilometers per hour, but most of the time it cruises at only around 130.
L: Wow! I thought America was more advanced than that. We have trains that can easily run at 300 kilometers an hour! Japanese bullet trains run at about 260 and the Europe super fast trains travel at almost 300 kilometers an hour!
J: Yeah I know. Even Taiwan has a high-speed rail that goes at least 200 kilometers an hour. But America is a very large country, and for the last several decades flying has been cheap and easy.
Amtrak虽然最快也能飙到时速240公里，但一般情况下，只保持在130公里左右匀速行驶，这里用的动词 cruise, cruise is spelled c-r-u-i-s-e, cruise 意思是不紧不慢地匀速前进。Jay说，美国地域辽阔，坐飞机方便便宜，这也许是铁路不发达的原因之一。
A: Lewis本来准备hop on a bullet train，乘坐高铁去看他在洛杉矶的叔叔，但是Jay说， that’s not going to be possible, 那是不可能的，因为美国没有高铁。Jay说，美国最快的列车是 Amtrak, 但也是 cruises at only around 130，只保持在130公里左右匀速行驶, it’s not a high-speed train at all. 完全没有达到高铁的要求。
B: Yeah, America is a very large country, and flying is very affordable here. A lot of people also love to go on road trips!
A: I know! My uncle used to drive 2 hours to work and 2 hours back, that’s 4 hours total in travel time! But he seemed to be fine with it!
B: I enjoy driving as well. Get ya some great music, snacks, and maybe a hot dog or two, and you are ready to hit the road! Road trips are my favorite way of seeing the U.S.
A: That sounds like you! 我们接着来听Jay如何介绍美国人的交通习惯吧!
礼节美语BE-260 Bullet Trains II
Lewis要去美国芝加哥出差，想坐高铁去洛杉矶看家人，但同事Jay告诉他说，美国没有高铁，原因之一是坐飞机十分方便。
Lewis: So there’s been no incentive to build super fast trains.
Jay: Yeah, that’s right. Also, Americans like to drive.
L: I’ve noticed in a lot of movies that Americans seem to enjoy road trips.
J: I’m from San Francisco, and I have friends who live in Los Angeles. It’s a nine-or-10-hour drive, but I’ve done it many times. There’s no convenient public transport in L.A. so I would have to rent a car anyway. So I just load up my CD player with good music, grab some coffee and hit the road.
除了坐飞机，美国人还喜欢开车。They enjoy road trips. Road trips 就是开车去一个地方，边走边玩。Jay说，从加州旧金山开到洛杉矶，需要九到十个小时，他来回开过很多趟，每次都是准备了好听的音乐，带上咖啡，然后就上路了。 hit the road 是上路的意思，hit 在口语里，后面还经常跟 the gym, to hit the gym 就是去健身房。
L: So driving really is a part of American culture.
J: Yeah. Most of us get our first driver’s license when we are around 16 years old. I used to drive about an hour and a half to work every day–that’s three hours round-trip– and I didn’t think it was a big deal.
L: So aside from New York, there really isn’t much public transport infrastructure in the U.S.?
J: Many U.S. cities have some kind of light rail or subway system but except for New York, they don’t really completely cover the city in the same way as the Beijing or Shanghai subway does.
看来，开车还真是美国文化的一个重要部分。Jay说，美国孩子16岁左右就可以拿驾照。他以前每天开三个小时上下班，and he didn’t think it was a big deal. 而且也没觉得这有什么大不了的。 a big deal 经常在口语里出现。比如，It’s a big deal for me. 这对我很重要。What’s the big deal? 有那么严重吗？It’s no big deal. 没什么大不了的。美国的很多城市都有地铁火车，但是除了纽约以外，其他城市的公交系统都不像北京或是上海的地铁那么发达。
L: I think high-speed trains are great! They are safe, fast, quiet and convenient. You can work on your laptop or read a book…it’s a good way to relax.
J: That’s true…driving can be very stressful. Americans have been talking about building high-speed rail lines for years. But to be honest, I don’t know when or if it’s ever going to happen.
L: Well, I hope they start building them soon. But in any case…I’m going to have to look into flights to LA now.
J: Yep. And you’re probably gonna have to rent a car when you get there. Good luck and have a great trip!
L: Thanks Jay! See you in a couple weeks.
坐高铁可以放松，看看电脑读读书，不像开车，会让人 stressful精神疲劳。不过没办法，Lewis 这次出差，如果想从芝加哥到洛杉矶去，就必须得 look into flights 看看坐哪趟班机了。
A: Jay说，driving is part of the American culture. 开车是美国文化根深蒂固的一部分，美国人一般16岁就拿驾照了。美国人喜欢road trips, 边开车边玩儿，所以铁路系统非常不发达。Lewis说，I’d better look into flights, 看看坐哪趟班机去看自己的叔叔了。
B: Yep! In big cities like DC, you probably can live without a car, but in places like my hometown, you are not going to have a social life if you don’t own a car.
A: I know what you are talking about. When I just got here, I didn’t have a car for two years. And living in California without a car is a total nightmare, you basically can’t go anywhere!
B: Yep! Alright, enough about road trips, let’s go ahead with our class.
A: Let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 1889 exhibit
今天我们要学的词是 exhibit. Exhibit is spelled e-x-h-i-b-i-t, exhibit. Exhibit 意思是展览。The Smithsonian Institution is putting on what is believed to be the first art exhibit on yoga. 据信是第一个关于瑜珈的艺术展在史密森学会的博物馆隍7d展。The Chicago History Museum is relying on online “crowd sourcing” to come up with an exhibit idea. 芝加哥历史博物馆在网上征求意见，集思广益，寻找有趣的展览主题。A photo exhibit on super storm Sandy opened on the storm’s one-year anniversary. 超级风暴桑迪一周年之际，一个关于桑迪的摄影展正式开幕。好的，今天我们学习的词是 exhibit, exhibit, exhibit.
A: I love museums, and that’s one of the most attractive things about DC. So many free museums!
B: Yeah, do you know there’s an Anchorman exhibit at the Newseum? I heard the exhibit displays the whole production process to a tee!
A: I have to go see! 不过大家知道 to a tee这个词儿是什么意思吗? Let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!
Words and Idioms第888讲
昨天晚上，我去一个朋友家吃饭，饭后，朋友的太太给客人们表演了一场模仿秀。她不仅模仿了一些明星，居然还模仿了我! 而且模仿得太象了! 不仅举手投足，连声音都唯妙唯肖! 这种模仿功力让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: To a tee. To is spelled t-o, and tee; t-e-e, or simply the capital letter T. To-a-tee. To a tee.
To a tee 就是“完美”“恰到好处”。我朋友太太的模仿秀达到了to a tee 的答7b度。我想，下次如果我有事不能来主持节目，完全可以让她来代班，观众朋友们八成听不出区别!
除了模仿秀，其它很多艺术工作也追求逼真、传神，让我们来听听下面这段话：
M: “My wife suggested that we have a nice portrait painted of our family. So we sat for the artist and a couple of weeks later he told us he’d finished. I had my doubts that the painting would come out really looking like us. But when he unveiled it, I was astonished! He captured our likenesses TO A TEE.”
这段话意思是：我太太说，我们应该请人画个全家福，于是我们找了一位艺术家，让他给我们画。几个星期后，他告诉我们，作品已经完成。我本来还心有疑虑，觉得他可能会画得不像，但是，当他把作品拿到我们眼前时，我完全惊呆了! 他完全抓住了我们的神态，画得太逼真了!
这个画家真有本事! 我对画画是一窍不通，不过，我先生说我在烹饪方面很有天赋。去年他生日的时候，我照着菜谱做了一次烤牛排，结果大获成功! 牛排的火候和味道都是To A Tee–恰到好处! 模样也和菜谱上的照片相差无几! 好，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:
M: “My wife suggested that we have a nice portrait painted of our family. So we sat for the artist and a couple of weeks later he told us he’d finished. I had my doubts that the painting would come out really looking like us. But when he unveiled it, I was astonished! He captured our likenesses TO A TEE.”
做饭要掌握火候，作人也是一样。比如买衣服，就要买符合自己身材和气质的。我们来听听下面这段话：
M: “With my job interview coming up, I wanted to look my best. I decided it was worth spending extra money on a high-quality designer suit. After trying on several, I found one that fit me TO A TEE. It was as if a tailor had made it to my exact measurements.”
这段话的意思说：我过几天要去一个工作面试，所以我想，我得以最佳形象去见未来的雇主。我决定多花点钱，买一套高品质的名牌西服。在试穿了好几套之后，我终于找到了一套特别合适的。这衣服太合身了，简直像是裁缝为我量身定作的。
我想，这个年青人的面试一定进行得不错，因为他听上去很自信。而且，一套得体的西服能够给他的外表加分，能给雇主一个好印象，正所谓”clothes make the man – 人靠衣装”嘛! 衣服不仅要大小合适，还要符合个人气质。比如，我妹妹是个非常热情、外向的人，所以她的衣服大多是颜色鲜艳，款式潇洒的，我觉得，这些衣服suit her to a tee非常适合她。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “With my job interview coming up, I wanted to look my best. I decided it was worth spending extra money on a high-quality designer suit. After trying on several, I found one that fit me TO A TEE. It was as if a tailor had made it to my exact measurements.”
To A Tee 这个说法由来以久，据说在17世纪时就有了。当时，这个短语中的tee指的是英文书写中细微的笔划。所以，to a tee，原意就是每一笔一划都精准。后来，就变成了“恰到好处，刚刚好”的意思。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
B: Yang Lin, I think this show fits you to a tee.
A: Really? How so?
B: Its simple and fun! Just like you!
A: Did you just call me simple?????
B: Uhh, I meant it as a compliment?
A: Tit for Tat Mike, Tit for Tat….. 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
美语训练班 第133课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m Lin Yang.
B: Do you have pteromerhanophobia? That is, are you afraid of flying? We will give you some tips about how to enjoy your flight in today’s business etiquette.
A: 飞机上也能打电话? 我们在下面的节目中为你介绍。
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “out in the open” and “open the door to” 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 1891 electronics
今天我们要学的词是 electronics. Electronics is spelled e-l-e-c-t-r-o-n-i-c-s, electronics.
Electronics 电子产品。The FAA is officially allowing the use of some electronics during takeoffs and landings. 美国联邦航空局正式宣布，乘客在起飞和降落过程中可以使用某些种类的电子产品。用过的旧手机，或是旧电脑该如何处理呢？If you have electronics that still work and are not completely obsolete, a local school or nonprofit organization might be interested in them. 如果你的电子产品还能用，而且也没有彻底过时的话，当地学校或是非盈利机构可能会感兴趣。好的，今天我们学习的词是 electronics, electronics, electronics.
A: I don’t think I’m a fan of being able to use cell-phones during a flight. Imagine being surrounded by people while crammed into a small metal tube, the last thing you need is some guy talking loud on his phone!
B: I agree. The noise level will add another layer of crankiness to long flights. I’m all for electronics, watching Netflix on a long flight sounds amazing, but phone calls are a no-no.
A: Yep, apparently most airlines realize this as well. They are saying that even if FAA does finally allow cell-phone use in flight, they won’t make it a company policy.
B: That’s probably smart, especially for those who are afraid of flying. Listening to people yelling at the top of their lungs isn’t gonna help them much.
A: True. We will talk about that subject later in the show. 现在咱们赶快来继续我们的课程吧！
B: Let’s listen to today’s words and idioms!
Words and Idioms 889 out in the open
美国习惯用语第 889 讲
唉，我昨天晚上没睡好，现在还觉得困! 这都要怪我的邻居，他们家经常大半夜听音乐，以前就老吵到我。可是，这家人平时待人很nice， 所以我每次看到他们都不好意思抱怨这件事。不过好了，昨天晚上，他们家开party，闹到很晚，把其他邻居也惊动了。于是，大家一块儿去敲门，告诉这家人他们太吵。这下，大家把话说开了，我觉得挺好。这还让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Out in the open. Out is spelled o-u-t. Out. Open is spelled o-p-e-n. Open. Out in the open.
OUT IN THE OPEN 是“公开”的意思。如果我们说something is “out in the open”, 就表示这是大家都知道的事，不再是秘密了。我邻居家夜里音乐声太大的问题，以前可能只有我知道，而我又不好意思抱怨，不过现在说开了，大家都知道了，我倒觉得这样一来，事情能更圆满的解决。不过，把所有事情都公开并不一定是好事，因为这样一来，你就没有隐私了。比如下面这段话中的情况：
M: “The hardest thing about an election campaign is that you lose your privacy. Everything, from your business transactions to your relationships, is brought OUT IN THE OPEN.”
这段话意思是：政治竞选中最难过的一关就是失去个人隐私。从你的每一笔商业交易到你所有的社会关系，一切都被暴露在公众的眼皮底下。
选举时难受？要我说，当选了之后更可怕! 如今的媒体会把公众人物所有的隐私披露公开，特别是在电视和网络盛行的今天，媒体简直是无孔不入! 我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “The hardest thing about an election campaign is that you lose your privacy. Everything, from your business transactions to your relationships, is brought OUT IN THE OPEN.”
“Out in the open”这个短语据说是1940年左右，在罗斯福当美国总统的时候出现的。当时第二次世界大战刚开打不久，在战争期间，很多令人惊讶的事被公开了，可有一件事，却是当时的大部分美国人都不知道的。那就是，带领美国打二战的罗斯福总统居然是一个生活在轮椅中的残疾人。刚才我们还说到公众人物的一切隐私都是out in the open 的，可是，在电视出现之前，美国媒体中几乎没有出现过罗斯福坐轮椅的画面，这简直难以想像! 好了，媒体报道的变迁我们先不多说了，来听听一位公司主管在会上的发言：
M: “I know that we have had a lot of problems recently, but the only way to deal with them is to bring them OUT IN THE OPEN. So, I am encouraging everyone to speak out. Who would like to begin?”
这段话的意思说：我知道，公司最近有很多问题，不过，解决问题唯一的办法就是把它们摆到桌面上来说清楚。所以，我希望每个人都能直言不讳，谁愿意先发言？
公司同事中难免有这样那样的问题和意见，可是大家碍于面子，或是因为害怕，可能会把问题闷在心里。这样时间长了，只会让问题越来越多，还可能会谣言四起，误会不断。就好像我隔壁邻居家太吵的事，其实没什么大不了，可是我却不好意思告诉他这件事带给我的困扰，这样其实并不好。倒不如bring them out in the open, 把事情说开。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I know that we have had a lot of problems recently, but the only way to deal with them is to bring them OUT IN THE OPEN. So, I am encouraging everyone to speak out. Who would like to begin?”
今天我们学的习惯用语是out in the open。 open就是没有隐瞒，公开的状态。 所以，out in the open就是指公之于众。
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Today with the Internet and social media, everything seems to be out in the open. From my personal experience, I could easily find out a person’s birthday, where he works, or what he likes solely by checking his Facebook.
B: That’s why you have to be extra careful about what you post online these days. For example, once you post a picture on your Facebook, you can never really take it down. It’s always backed up on their server. Who knows when it would come back to bite you?
A: So true.
B: And I probably need to be extra careful because I’m famous, you know.
A; Ugh…yeah…right, says the guy who screams like a little girl when he’s in a haunted house.
B: Hey, everyone has their own phobias, alright?
A: Haha, yes…. Speaking of phobia, do you know what is pteromerhanophobia, Mike?
B: That’s the fear of flying! In today’s business etiquette, we will see the reasons behind this phobia, and what you can do to deal with them.
A: Let’s check it out!
Business Etiquette 261
Fear of Flying Part I
Sean 在走廊上遇到同事 Mimi, 他一副忧心忡忡的样子。我们听听为什么。
Sean: Oh, man….I am not looking forward to this upcoming trip to Europe.
Mimi: But Europe is amazing! You’re going to Frankfurt, right? I’ve been there twice…. it’s a delightful city! You’ll love it!
S: Oh I’m sure I’ll like it when I get there…..that is, if I get there.
M: I’m not following you.
S: I’m terrified of flying!
M: Ah! You have “pteromerhanophobia!”
S: What?
M: That’s the technical term for the fear of flying.
Sean准备去欧洲出差。Upcoming is spelled u-p-c-o-m-i-n-g, upcoming 即将到来的。比如，the upcoming vacation 快要来的假期，the upcoming test 马上要来的考试。Sean 对去欧洲似乎并不开心，Mimi说 I’m not following. 意思是我听不太懂你的意思。原来，Sean 有飞行恐惧症，害怕坐飞机。Mimi 说，飞行恐惧症的术语 technical term 是 pteromerhanophobia. Phobia 是一个很有用的词根，比如，acrophobia, 就是 a-c-r-o 后边加上 phobia, acrophobia 恐高症。我们听听 Sean 飞行恐惧症有哪些症状。
S: Well whatever it’s called….I’ve got it – bad! Every time I get on a plane my heart starts beating faster, I sweat and every creak and squeak from the airplane makes me sure we are going to crash. It’s so exhausting that I arrive at my destination completely unnerved.
M: Wow! That doesn’t sound like fun. I assume this condition is quite common — I know lots of people who don’t like to fly.
S: Everyone should be afraid of flying! After all, it’s completely unnatural! We are crammed into a metal tube that’s flying through the air at hundreds of kilometers an hour!!
Sean 告诉 Mimi, 每次只要一上飞机，他就会心跳加速，直冒冷汗，飞机稍有风吹草动，他就觉得是要坠机了。Sean 在这里用的 every creak and squeak. Creak is spelled c-r-e-a-k, creak 是指咯吱咯吱的声音，and squeak is spelled s-q-u-e-a-k, squeak 是指刺耳的噪音。等到达终点的时候，He is completely unnerved. 他已经彻底崩溃了。其实，患有飞行恐惧症的人很多，Sean 觉得，这是因为坐飞机本来就是一个超自然的行为，那么多人 cram into 挤在一个金属做的管子里，在天上飞，时速高达几百公里。
M: Yeah sure, if you think about it that way it is scary….but driving isn’t natural either. And as I’m sure you know, many more people die every year from car accidents than from plane crashes – in fact, your chances of being in a fatal accident is something like one in 5 million! Those are pretty good odds!
S: Yeah, I’ve read those stats….but I guess when I’m driving at least I feel in control. I feel completely helpless when I’m on an airplane.
Mimi 说，要说坐飞机超自然的话，那开车也是超自然的行为，而且每年死于车祸的人要比坐飞机掉下来的人多得多。有统计数字显示，致命事件发生在我们身上的机会只有500万分之一。Those are pretty good odds. 机率还是满不错的。Odds 是机率的意思。比如，Your odds of being struck by lightning is greater than winning the lottery. 一个人被雷电击中的机率都要高过中彩票。 Sean说，这些数据他也看过，stats is spelled s-t-a-t-s, 是 statistics 数据的简写，但是他总觉得，开车的时候，方向盘在自己手里，可是坐飞机，命运就完全不在自己的掌握之中了。
A: Sean说，对于upcoming trip to Europe, 即将来到的欧洲之行他一点也兴奋不起来，因为he’s terrified of flying,他特别害怕坐飞机。飞机一颠簸，他就心跳加速，每次到达终点的时候，He’s completely unnerved, 已经完全崩溃了。
B: That sounds terrible. I feel bad for people who are afraid of flying. If you are in America and you want to travel, planes and cars are basically the only two options. We don’t really have speed trains.
A: I know! Especially now, you can’t avoid air travel if you work for a global corporation!
B: Exactly. Let’s keep listening to Mini and see what tips she has for Sean!
Business Etiquette 262
Fear of Flying Part II
Sean 有飞行恐惧症，可他偏偏又是国际销售代表，需要经常旅行。同事 Mimi 开玩笑说，他可真是选错了职业。Mimi 说，
M: You certainly picked the wrong profession! You are an international sales representative – traveling is part of the job!
S: I know!! I thought my fear would lessen the more I did it – but it’s been 10 years now and I’m still afraid of flying.
M: You know, the idea that you are more in control behind the wheel of a car than you are in an airplane might not be valid. Think about it: how much control do you have over road conditions or other drivers on the road? Very little, right?
S: That’s true.
Mimi 觉得，Sean certainly picked the wrong profession. 选错了职业。Sean 说，他原来以为，坐飞机坐得多了，飞行恐惧症会慢慢好起来，谁知道，十年过去了，丝毫不见减弱。Mimi 说，Sean以为开车—behind the wheels的时候自己可以控制自己命运，这种想法 is not valid, 不能成立，因为开车的人对路况和自己周围的驾车人，是完全控制不了的。有什么办法能减轻飞行恐惧症患者的症状吗？我们继续听。
M: Have you ever tried pretending that you’re on a bus? My uncle uses this trick when he’s flying….whenever the plane runs into some turbulence he just closes his eyes and pretends he’s sitting on a bumpy bus.
S: Hmm….I’m not sure if that would work but it’s worth a try.
M: Where do you usually sit on the plane?
S: As close as possible to an emergency exit!!
M: (Chuckles) My uncle says the best place to sit is as close to the wings as possible because in his experience, the center of the plane is more stable.
S: That makes sense. I’ll try to find a seat near an emergency exit by the wings!
Mimi 建议Sean 尝试一下，假装自己是坐在一个颠簸的巴士上。Whenever the plane runs into some turbulence, turbulence is spelled t-u-r-b-u-l-e-n-c-e, turbulence 气流，意思是飞机遇到气流颠簸的时候，就假装自己是坐在一个 bumpy bus 上。Sean 觉得 it’s worth a try. 可以试试看。Mimi 问 Sean 一般都选择什么地方的座位。Sean 说从来都是离 emergency exit 紧急出口越近越好。Mimi 说，飞机中央部位最稳，也就是机翼附近。可想而知，Sean 以后选择位子的条件又多了一个，不光要离紧急出口近，还最好是在飞机中间的机翼部位。
M: Of course, if nothing else works, you can always see a doctor and perhaps he can prescribe some antianxiety medication for you.
S: I’d rather not use medications, but it might come down to that.
M: There are also a lot of courses available that use mental strengthening exercises, or even hypnosis! You should look into one of those programs and see if it works for you!
S: That’s a good idea!
M: Maybe understanding how an airplane works….some of the basic principles of flight….what turbulence actually is and some other specifics about flying could help you “know your enemy,” so to speak.
S: I like that idea! If I understood what I was experiencing….perhaps I wouldn’t fear it so much! Thanks for your suggestions, Mimi! You’re a real pal!
Mimi 建议，实在不行，Sean 还可以去找医生，开点 antianxiety 抗紧张的药，Sean 虽然不想吃药，但也承认，it might come down to that. 最后没办法，可能也只能借助药物了。另外，想克服心理障碍，还可以去参加锻炼心志的课程，或者是了解飞机的飞行原理，所谓 know your enemy 知己知彼，百战不殆，这些可能对Sean都有帮助。
A: Mimi说Sean害怕坐飞机，但却是国际销售代表，he certainly picked the wrong profession, 真是入错了行。她给了Sean一些建议，比如sit as close to the wings are possible, 坐到机翼附近，还可以找医生开anti-anxiety medication，抗紧张的药，还可以试试mental strengthening exercises, 锻炼心志的课程。
B: Yeah, most of the time, a phobia is the result of something within. So try learning more about what you are afraid of will help you a great deal.
A: And I got a useful tip for my long flight back home: try to sit as close to the wings as possible!
B: Haha, right. Enough about flights though, let’s go ahead with our class.
A: Let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 1892 overtime
今天我们要学的词是 overtime. Overtime is spelled o-v-e-r-t-i-m-e, overtime. Overtime 有加班的意思。有报道说，The Department of Homeland Security employees claimed $8.7 million of unearned overtime a year. 美国国土安全部雇员一年内在并未真正加班的情况下，共领取了870万美元的加班费。美国政府新推出的健保网站发现问题后，Information technology experts from both the government and outside firms are working overtime to fix the problems. 美国政府和私人公司的信息技术专家们加班加点地设法解决网站所存在的问题。好的，今天我们学习的词是 overtime, overtime, overtime.
A: I hope they can fix the Obama care website as soon as possible! I was hoping to sign up for it, but seems like there’s still some technical glitch.
B: That’s frustrating. I just hope I can understand how it works. It’s not transparent enough, so I have no idea what is going to happen to my own health insurance, or what kind of benefit I can get from the Affordable Care Act.
A: Fingers crossed it can open the door to a better health insurance system some day!
B: And you just mentioned an idiom: open the door to. Let’s check it out in today’s words and idioms!
Words and Idioms 890 open the door to
美国习惯用语第 890 讲
我有个朋友，人到中年，事业稳定，家庭和睦。不过她昨天突然告诉我，她打算辞掉现在的工作，去商学院进修MBA! 说要重新给自己充电，建立更广泛的人脉，再拿到名校的MBA，可以为她的人生打开一扇新的大门。这件事让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Open the door to something. Door is spelled d-o-o-r. Door. Open the door to something.
Open the door to something就是为某人或某事开门，也可以译作“带来”，“引起”。就好象我刚才那位朋友要回去念书。很多人劝她打消这个念头，因为这个岁数回学校读书可没那么容易，不仅要兼顾家庭，还要重新适应作学生的生活。不过，我这个朋友非常坚决，因为她相信，这样做能 open the door to a lot more opportunities–给她带来更多的机会。不过，那些反对她继续读书的人则觉得，这个决定将 open the door to a ton of headaches! 会给她带来一堆头疼的问题。想想也是，高昂的学费，繁重的课业，家庭的负担，这些肯定够她烦的! 不过我相信，只要克服这些挑战，她就能实现自己的目标!
好的，让我们来听听下面这段话：
M: “A lot of developing countries welcome foreign investment when they can’t afford to develop their countries as fast as they would like. I think this country’s stability together with its recent tax breaks for international businesses will OPEN THE DOOR TO a lot more foreign investment.”
这段话是说：许多发展中国家无法通过自己的力量实现快速发展，这时，它们都会欢迎外国投资。我觉得，这个国家局势稳定，最近还对国际企业实行税务优惠，一定能带来更多的外国投资。
说起来，welcome – “欢迎”和”open the door to something”意思很相近。欢迎客人来自己家，肯定就会给客人开门。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “A lot of developing countries welcome foreign investment when they can’t afford to develop their countries as fast as they would like. I think this country’s stability together with its recent tax breaks for international businesses will OPEN THE DOOR TO a lot more foreign investment.”
打开门，迎来的不一定都是好事儿。下面我们来听一段话，是关于将大麻合法化的意见，大家来听听，这个人是支持还是反对呢？
M: “I agree that we appear to be losing the fight against drugs. But despite the fact that marijuana may indeed have medicinal value, legalizing the drug would surely OPEN THE DOOR TO even wider usage.”
这段话的意思说：我承认，我们在打击毒品方面似乎举步维艰。不过，虽然大麻可能真有一些医药上的疗效，但如果把大麻合法化，肯定会导致滥用大麻的情况。
看来，这个人是反对大麻合法化的。因为他说，这将导致更多人吸食大麻，这其中将包括没有生病，而只把大麻作为毒品的瘾君子。不过话说回来，把大麻合法化，那种植、销售和使用大麻就成为合法产业，反而更易于管理，政府也可以从中获得税收，似乎也有积极的一面。 所以，这些利弊上的争执肯定会 open the door to more debate on the marijuana issue–引发更多关于大麻问题的辩论! 好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I agree that we appear to be losing the fight against drugs. But despite the fact that marijuana may indeed have medicinal value, legalizing the drug would surely OPEN THE DOOR TO even wider usage.”
今天我们学习的习惯用语是 open the door to something，意思是“引起”“带来”。坚持提高自己的英语能力绝对没错，日积月累，It will definitely open the door to a lot more opportunities for you. 一定会给你带来很多机会。
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束，
M: Until next time.
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Mike, I think working with you has opened the door to a lot of things for me.
B: Really? How so?
A: Well, I now know every gourmet food truck in the greater DC area for starters!
B: LOL, well I’m glad to hear it! Just don’t blame me when you step on the scale tonight ok?
A: WHAT????? You are so dead！！好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
美语训练班 第134课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m 蔚然. 杨琳 is on leave. 我来带班。
B: Do you work in an environment where a lot of people smoke? How do you deal with that? We’ll touch on the issue in today’s business etiquette.
A: 英国为什么对碳酸饮料加征税? 答案节目中揭晓。
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “to have one’s back against the wall” and “back to the drawing board” 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 1895 hefty
今天我们要学的词是 hefty. Hefty is spelled h-e-f-t-y, hefty, Hefty 形容词，有数额很大的意思。英国是欧洲肥胖人数比例最高的国家。最新研究显示，Slapping a 20 percent hefty tax on soda could cut the number of obese adults by 180,000. 对碳酸饮料征收20%的高销售税，可以让英国减少18万成年肥胖者。Taiwan’s health authorities leveled a hefty fine against a company for misleading consumers by selling adulterated products as pure oil. 台湾一家公司因为销售掺假油品，以次充好，欺骗消费者，被台湾卫生福利部门开出巨额罚单。好的，今天我们学习的词是 hefty, hefty, hefty….
A: Mike, 考考你. 你知道一听可乐里有多少克糖吗？
B: Let me guess, 20?
A: 再加一倍！一听可乐里有39克糖。
B: Wow! I know soda is packed with sugar, but I didn’t know it was this bad.
A: 新年决心加一个：跟碳酸饮料说拜拜。
B: Count me in. OK, let’s check out today’s words and idioms!
Words and Idioms 891 to have one’s back against the wall
美国习惯用语第 891 讲
我是Douglas Johnson.
这几星期我都在看棒球比赛，我支持的队最近几天表现得不错，终于打赢了几场! 不过，我对它进决赛不抱任何幻想，因为这个赛季刚开始的时候，队员们的表现实在是差劲透了! 差点就被淘汰了! 现在他们的战绩有所好转，可能也是因为认识到了形势的危急，只能奋力一搏了。我们可以用一个习惯用语来形容他们的处境，那就是：
M: “To have one’s back against the wall. Back is spelled b-a-c-k. Back. Against is spelled a-g-a-i-n-s-t. Against. Wall is spelled w-a-l-l. Wall. To have one’s back against the wall.”
To have one’s back against the wall 字面的意思就是“后背贴着墙”，表示“没有退路”，“情况危急”。如果你已经毫无退路的话，就只有硬着头皮去面对问题了。在我们下面听到的这段话中，一个学校的董事会可能要采取不得以的行动：
M: “If we do not receive the necessary funding OUR BACKS WILL BE AGAINST THE WALL. We will be forced to fire some of our teachers.”
这段话意思是：如果得不到必要的资金，我们的处境就会非常困难，我们将迫不得已解雇一些老师。
如果有办法，谁也不愿意裁员啊! 可见学校真的是面临很大的财务亏空。to have one’s back against the wall 最初是用来描述军队陷入绝境，当军人们无法继续撤退的时候，只能迎敌作战。到了16世纪，人们开始用这个短语形容进退维谷的处境。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “If we do not receive the necessary funding OUR BACKS WILL BE AGAINST THE WALL. We will be forced to fire some of our teachers.”
To have one’s back against the wall 经常可以用在商业领域，形容公司面临的严峻形势。我想，如果你是一家公司的雇员，你一定不愿意听老板说下面这段话：
M: “I’m afraid we really HAVE OUR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL now. We have no choice but to heavily discount all of our merchandise. If we don’t bring in some money immediately, we’ll have to shut down in two weeks.”
这段话的意思说：恐怕我们真的到了山穷水尽的地步了。我们现在别无选择，只能把所有的商品都大幅降价销售。如果我们不能立即获得一些收入，两个星期后，我们就得关门大吉。
唉，不是裁员，就是清仓甩卖，经济形势不好的时候，很多店家都会这么做。不过，俗话说，山穷水尽疑无路，柳暗花明又一村。就如同我喜欢的棒球队一样，眼看要被淘汰，反而被激发了斗志，表现越来越好。希望这些面临困境的企业也能起死回生，有更好的发展。到时候，再回过头来看看 have their backs against the wall 的时候，可能会别有一番感慨吧! 好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I’m afraid we really HAVE OUR BACKS AGAINST THE WALL now. We have no choice but to heavily discount all of our merchandise. If we don’t bring in some money immediately, we’ll have to shut down in two weeks.”
听众朋友，今天我们学的习惯用语是 have one’s back against the wall， 意思是陷入困境，情况危急。如果您的生活也正遇到困难，觉得 you have your back against the wall， 请不要灰心，because there is always a way out!
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Mike, 你有没有过这种山穷水尽的情况？
B: Totally! I was in between jobs, and my savings were almost gone.
A: 那后来呢？
B: A friend of mine recommended me to his boss, and I was hired on the spot.
A: 柳暗花明又一村啊。
B:Yep. But I also hope I never have to go through that again. It was the worst experience ever. Well, It’s time for our next segment: Business Etiquette
Business Etiquette 263
Antismoking campaign I
Marissa 早上一到办公室，就开始跟同事 Hank 发牢骚。
Marissa: I hate walking into our building in the morning! –All the smokers stand around the building’s entrance puffing away….I can’t take it! Sorry….I’m just a little bit worked up.
Hank: That’s okay. I understand. A lot of people really hate smoke.
M: I’m glad they banned smoking inside the office, but I wish I didn’t have to smell it while walking on the street. It makes me feel nauseous. I simply can’t understand why a person would want to smoke.
H: well….I used to smoke. I quit about 20 years ago.
M: Yeah…I would assume at this point in history – especially given what we know about the dangers of smoking – most people would have quit already!
Marissa 说，每天早上来上班，大楼门口都有很多烟民在 puffing away 吞云吐雾，she can’t take it. 实在让她受不了，烟味让她觉得反胃 nauseous, nauseous is spelled n-a-u-s-e-o-u-s, nauseous 意思是恶心，反胃。她觉得，现在吸烟的危害已经众所周知，怎么还会有人吸烟，真是让人匪夷所思。Hank 20年前也抽烟，我们看看他是怎么说的。
H: You know the saying, “old habits die hard.” I think I would add that bad habits die even harder. You know, you could always move to Bhutan.
M: Bhutan? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.
H: It’s a small kingdom located in the Himalayan Mountains….near Nepal. In 2004, Bhutan banned tobacco altogether.
M: Cool! Did it work? If I go to Bhutan will I never smell cigarette smoke?
H: Actuall….no. I read a recent report that said there’s a lot of loopholes in the law….and if you go to restaurants and bars you’ll still see lots of people lighting up.
M: (Sighs) So I guess I’m just have to learn to put up with it.
俗话说得好，old habits die hard. 积习难改。Hank 觉得，坏习惯更难改。他开玩笑，建议 Marissa 搬到 Bhutan不丹去，因为不丹2004年就全面禁止烟草了。不过，这项法律其实还是有很多可以钻的空子，loopholes, 所以，在不丹的餐馆和酒吧里，还是能看到很多人 light up 点烟抽。
H: Things are changing, however. Smoking rates are dropping all around the world. Just the other day there was a newspaper report that said New Zealand is raising prices on a pack of cigarettes to US$15 by the year 2016!
M: US$15!? Wow! That’s really expensive. But is there any proof that high prices are a deterrent?
H: There have been quite a few studies that show that every time a country raises cigarette taxes and prices, a certain percentage of smokers quit.
不过，情况也在逐渐向好的方向转变， Smoking rates are dropping all around the world. 世界各地的吸烟人口比例都在下降。Hank 看到一篇报道说，新西兰2016年之前，要把一包香烟的价格提高到15美元的天价。Mimi 问，有证据证明涨价能起到抑制作用吗？ Deterrent is spelled d-e-t-e-r-r-e-n-t, deterrent 意思是起到阻止和威慑效果的因素。Hank 说，有不少研究都发现，一个国家每一次给香烟涨价或是提高税率，都会有一部分烟民戒烟。
A: Old habits die hard. 一点没错。我哥原来就抽烟，怎么也戒不掉，最后我嫂子威胁说，不戒烟就不生孩子，他才把烟给戒了。
B: How did he do it?
A: He went cold turkey. 什么办法也没用，生戒。
B: Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s keep on listening to the second half of
Business Etiquette.
Business Etiquette 264
Topic: Antismoking campaigns Part II
Marissa 和同事 Hank 正在讨论吸烟的问题。Hank 说，有不少研究都发现，涨价确实能起到一定的抑制作用，促使一部分人戒烟。Marissa 说，
M: I see. The high prices act as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Smokers that have been meaning to quit see the price increase and it gives them a little push.
H: Yeah. But on the other hand, prices are already quite high in many places. A pack of cigarettes in London costs about US$10… in New York a pack costs roughly 8 dollars…. and in Norway it’s already around $14….but I was in London not that long ago and I saw plenty of smokers!
M: Yeah. The last time I was in New York there also seem to be plenty of smokers. I guess there are some people who are wealthy enough to afford whatever price.
因此说，给香烟涨价就好像是 the straw that broke the camel’s back 压倒骆驼的最后一根稻草，帮了那些本来就想戒烟的烟民一把，give them a little push. 但是高价格也只能对某些人发挥作用。现在伦敦一盒烟卖十美元，纽约卖8美元，挪威卖14美元，可抽烟的人还是很多，看来价格再高，也拦不住那些经济上能负担得起的烟民。
H: Definitely. I think the best way forward is to push education efforts for young people. If we can convince the next generation that smoking isn’t “cool”, eventually we might be able to eradicate smoking.
M: I suppose you’re right. You can pass all the laws you want but that doesn’t mean people will follow them. People’s attitudes need to change.
H: Exactly! In the 1920s they banned alcohol in America, but of course people didn’t stop drinking. Instead, lots of people got sick and even died from drinking industrial alcohol.
Hank 觉得，要真想杜绝吸烟，the best way forward 接下来最好的办法还是要通过宣传和教育，让年轻一代觉得，抽烟不是一件很酷的事情。Marrissa 表示同意，不管你通过多少项法律，只要大家的观念没有发生变化，法律就无法得到有效执行，就好像美国20年代时的禁酒令，并没有让人们停止饮酒，反而有很多人因为没有酒喝，结果饮用工业酒精而死亡。
M: I would imagine that as cigarettes get more expensive, smokers looking for a cheaper option will turn to counterfeit ones. I wonder if those would be even worse than the originals!
H: You’re probably right. But I do think smoking will not be nearly as common a couple decades from now. That article about New Zealand said that country hopes to eradicate smoking by 2025.
M: That’s not that long from now! Maybe I should start thinking about moving to New Zealand!
H: (Chuckles) Perhaps you should!
Marissa 觉得，如果香烟价格不断上涨，很多经济上负担不起的烟民，恐怕就会转向 cheaper option, 相对便宜的替代品，也就是 counterfeit ones, 假烟，counterfeit is spelled c-o-u-n-t-e-r-f-e-i-t, counterfeit 是假冒伪劣的意思。这些假烟的危害八成比正品的危害还要大。Hank 觉得，未来的前景还是很乐观的，新西兰就打算在2025年之前，彻底铲除烟草。也许，Marissa 真的可以考虑移民到新西兰去。
A: 哈哈，为了躲开二手烟移民，这还是第一次听说。
B: What would it take you to move to another country?
A: 这我还真没想过。唯一的可能是，如果孩子长大去了别的地方，我赖着过去伺候他们啊。
B: Haha. You’re a typical helicopter parent.
A: Guilty as charged. Ok，let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 8 sought after
今天我们要学的词是 sought-after. Sought-after is spelled s-o-u-g-h-t, sought, and after, a-f-t-e-r, after, sought-after. Sought-after 有受欢迎的，被追捧的意思。圣诞季节将至，Every year, the Toy Retailers Association releases a list of what it predicts will be the most sought-after toys of the Christmas season. 美国玩具零售商协会每年都会公布一份清单，预测当年圣诞季节最抢手的玩具都有哪些。CBS has won the bidding war for one of the most sought-after comedy projects this year. 美国哥伦比亚电视台通过竞标，拿到了今年最抢手的喜剧节目之一的播放权。好的，今天我们学习的词是 sought-after, sought-after, sought-after….
A: 每年到了这会儿，抢手的玩具就会脱销。
B: You can say that again. The most sought-after toys are really hard to find now.
A: Mike, 你今年准备给女朋友买什么？
B: I was trying to land either an Xbox One or a Playstation 4, but couldn’t find any. Now I am back to the drawing board.
A: sigh you don’t understand women at all do you? Well at least you just introduced our next segment.
B: Yeah, let’s check out words and idioms and see what “back to the drawing board” means!
Words and Idioms 892 back to the drawing board
美国习惯用语第 892 讲
我是Douglas Johnson.
明天是我女儿生日，我们要给她开个Party。今年，我打算自己做生日蛋糕。这是我头一次做这么大的蛋糕，所以下足了功夫。昨天晚上，蛋糕胚子终于烤好了，奶油也抹上了，眼看就要大功告成，谁知道一个不小心，蛋糕掉在了地上，被砸瘪了一大块儿! 啊呀，我这个心疼啊! 没办法，我只好从和面开始，一点点重来了! 这个倒霉的经历让我想到了一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: “Back to the drawing board. Drawing is spelled d-r-a-w-i-n-g. Drawing. Board is spelled b-o-a-r-d. Board. Back to the drawing board.”
Drawing board 指的是绘图板，back to the drawing board 表示在做事的过程中遭遇失败，于是“从头再来”，“重起炉灶”。就好比我做蛋糕，蛋糕被摔烂了，小规模的修修补补是不行的，只能一切重来。虽然很倒霉，但是和下面这段话中的科学家们相比，我这点挫折真不算什么。我们来听听，火星探测器出了什么问题：
M: “We spent five years and I don’t want to tell you how much money on designing and constructing that little video camera on wheels. And now that we’ve lost contact with it, well, it’s BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.”
这段话意思是：这个火星探测器轮子上的小摄像头是我们花了5年时间搞成的，花在设计和制作上的钱更是不计其数，可现在，探测器和地球失去了联系，没办法，我们只能一切从头开始。
哦，我想起来了，在探测火星的过程中，那个像玩具吉普车一样的探测器曾经给地面上的科研人员发回了一张张珍贵的火星表面图片，可是有一天，探测器突然中断了和地球的联系，什么都不发了。也许，是火星人看到这个玩具吉普，拿走玩儿去了! 好的，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “We spent five years and I don’t want to tell you how much money on designing and constructing that little video camera on wheels. And now that we’ve lost contact with it, well, it’s BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.”
Back to the drawing board 这个说法起源于二次世界大战时“纽约客”杂志上的一副漫画。在漫画中，很多军人奔向一架坠毁的飞机，而设计这架飞机的工程师把图纸夹在胳膊底下，默默地走开了。漫画的标题是：“唉，只好重新拿起绘图板了”。意思是，设计师看到他的飞机在战场上坠毁，只好从头再来，再设计一架。在生活中，很多东西需要多次尝试才能找到正确的途径，比如，下面这个公司，就在为营销策略头疼：
M: “I think we’re going to have to fire our marketing director. None of our new promotions have worked. I think we need to reconsider our entire marketing strategy. I’m afraid it’s BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.”
这段话的意思是：我觉得，我们得解雇现在的这位市场总监。我们新推出的这几次促销都不奏效。我认为，我们需要重新考量整个市场营销的战略。恐怕，我们要做出一些根本性的改变，重新制定一套战略。
听起来，这个公司的营销部门可有的忙了! 如果是战术上的修补和改变，还好说，可要是战略上的更新，哈，换掉总监可能只是其中最简单的一步! 所以，每次听到别人用 “back to the drawing board”，您就知道了，很多工作等着呢! 好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I think we’re going to have to fire our marketing director. None of our new promotions have worked. I think we need to reconsider our entire marketing strategy. I’m afraid it’s BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.”
听众朋友，今天我们学习的习惯用语是 back to the drawing board， 意思是从头开始，重来。其实，“从头再来”虽然听起来麻烦，但是因为你已经从先前的失败中领悟了教训，增长了经验，所以这次一定能做得更好! 当然了，我们还是希望您能一次成功，顺利达到目标!
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
美语训练班 第135课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m 蔚然。杨琳休假，我带班。
B: Losing a job is a horrible experience. So, how do you make the most out of it?
A: 头胎生的孩子比弟弟妹妹有出息？你同意这种结论吗？
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “to death” and “to no avail” 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 1898 giveaway
今天我们要学的词是 giveaway. Giveaway is spelled g-i-v-e-a-w-a-y, giveaway. Giveaway 是名词，意思是免费赠品。Fast food chains always use cheap toys and giveaways to draw in kids. 快餐连锁店往往依靠廉价玩具和免费赠品吸引孩子们前来消费。In order to lure students into coming to its women’s basketball season opener, Kansas State University is offering a giveaway that they cannot refuse–free bacon. 为了吸引学生前来观看女子篮球校队的赛季首场比赛，堪萨斯州立大学让看比赛的学生免费享用培根，使他们无法拒绝诱惑。好的，今天我们学习的词是 giveaway, giveaway, giveaway….
A: 免费白送的赠品，大家都喜欢。
B: Yeah. But remember, there is no such thing as a free lunch. For that little something you get, you usually end up spending a lot more.
A: 是啊，天底下没有免费的午餐，天上也不会掉馅饼。
B: There was this one time that I got a couple of giveaways from a pet store. I gave them to my dog Furball, but they made him sick!
A: You must have been worried to death!
B: Yeah, I love Furball to death, and I WAS worried to death. Let’s check out today’s words and idioms, to death!
Words and Idioms 893 to death
美国习惯用语第 893讲
昨天晚上，我和先生一起去他们公司的Party， 席间遇到一位女士，拉着我们聊个没完。我们跟她并不熟，可是她一直在大谈自己的孩子，向我们炫耀她儿子考上了好大学，又是游泳健将，还受女孩子欢迎，blah blah blah。她倒是说得滔滔不绝，可我差点睡着了。我当时的感觉，有个习惯用语可以形容，那就是：
M: To death. Death is spelled d-e-a-t-h. To-death. To death.
death，大家都知道，是“死亡”，所以，把to death和某个形容词放在一起，就表示“到极点”、“如何如何得要命”。比如，我在party上遇到的这位女士没完没了地炫耀自己的孩子，她自己可能觉得很享受，可我简直bored to death – 快被烦死了! 不过，我宁愿无聊，也不想经历下面这段话描述的心惊胆战：
M: “I remember walking late at night in New York City years ago. A stranger came up behind me and pointed a gun at my back. He told me to hand over my wallet. I said that I didn’t have it on me, which was the truth. I was scared TO DEATH he was going to shoot. I’d never been so afraid in my life! Fortunately, he ran and disappeared into a crowd. ”
这段话意思是：我还记得，几年前的一个深夜，我在纽约的街上走路。一个陌生人出现在我身后，用一把枪顶着我的后腰。他让我把钱包交给他，可我真的没带钱包，只好实话实说。我当时真吓死了，怕他会开枪。我这辈子都没那么害怕过! 幸运的是，这个人跑掉了，消失在人群中。
被人用枪指着! 好家伙，听着都害怕! 我没有过这种经历，不过倒是体会过什么叫scared to death–怕得要死。上个周末，我带我侄女去看了场恐怖电影。在屏幕上，一个变态杀人狂血腥地杀戮。我侄女看得津津有味，可是我坐在电影院里直打冷战，I was frightened to death – 吓死了! 好的，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I remember walking late at night in New York City years ago. A stranger came up behind me and pointed a gun at my back. He told me to hand over my wallet. I said that I didn’t have it on me, which was the truth. I was scared TO DEATH he was going to shoot. I’d never been so afraid in my life! Fortunately, he ran and disappeared into a crowd. ”
在生活中，总是会有一些“要命”的事儿。比如，意外收到大礼包，你会trilled to death–高兴得要命；遇到暴风雪，天气–freezing to death–冷得要命；家人生病住院，你worried to death–万分担心。再比如下面这位会计师，我们来听听他遇到了什么要命的事儿：
M: “A lot of my friends like to get away when the weather starts warming up. But there’s no way I can. That’s because I’m an accountant. From February through April, I’m busy preparing tax returns for my clients. I’m expected to stay late at the office, come in on weekends…I’m worked TO DEATH. It’s unbelievably stressful, but that’s my job.”
这段话的意思是：天气一转暖，我的好多朋友就都出去旅游了。可我却没法这样做，因为我是个会计师。每年二月到四月，我都忙着为客户报税，作退税的准备工作。我晚上得加班，周末也不能休息…简直是精疲力尽。压力之大别人难以想象，可没办法，这就是我的工作。
美国的报税截至日期是4月15号，所以2月到4月是会计师们最忙的时候，他们的工作压力当然很大。不过，即使在自己家里，你也难免要承受一些压力。比如，我女儿前几天把她的几个同学带回家，在地下室里组了个乐队，她们叮当五四，吹拉弹唱，练个没完。我觉得，they’re rehearsing some of the songs to death – 她们已经把其中一些歌练得快烂了! 不过，我也不能说什么，不能打击她们的积极性，因为I love my daughter to death–我女儿就是我的心头肉啊! 好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话吧：
M: “A lot of my friends like to get away when the weather starts warming up. But there’s no way I can. That’s because I’m an accountant. From February through April, I’m busy preparing tax returns for my clients. I’m expected to stay late at the office, come in on weekends…I’m worked TO DEATH. It’s unbelievably stressful, but that’s my job.”
听众朋友，今天我们学习的习惯用语是 To Death， 意思是“极端”“什么什么得要命”。
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: 我朋友 Jenny 是美发师，逢年过节别人休息，也是她最忙的时候，大家都想在过节前美容美发，She’s always busy to death during the holidays.
B: When I was in high school, I worked as a cashier for Walmart during the Christmas shopping season. We were worked to death!
A: I can imagine, but sometimes being busy is a good thing. A friend of mine was let go right before Christmas. I don’t know what she’s gonna do.
B: I’m sorry to hear that. Losing a job is never easy. So, how can you make the most out of a bad situation? Let’s listen to our next segment: Business Etiquette
Business Etiquette 265 Losing a job can be a positive experience
Suzanne 约朋友 Mickey 一起吃午饭。
Suzanne: Mickey! Good to see you! It’s been too long!
Mickey: Hi, Suzanne! You’re right, it has been too long.
S: Did you find something on the menu that interests you? Sorry I’m late for our lunch. Traffic was horrific.
M: Yeah….I think I’ll have the chicken Caesar salad.
S: That sounds pretty good…. hey, is everything okay? – You seem kind of down.
M: I got laid off last Friday.
S: Oh….I’m so sorry to hear that.
Suzanne 跟 Mickey 很久没见面，发现 Mickey 心事重重，情绪不高，seem kind of down. Down 在这里是形容词，意思是情绪低落。原来，Mickey 上星期五被炒了鱿鱼，He got laid off. 也可以说，He was let go. 丢了工作，难怪心情沮丧，我们来听听这是为什么。
M: They said it had nothing to do with my performance. They just need to try and save on costs. So they’re axing a bunch of jobs.
S: Ouch! Losing a job is such a nasty experience.
M: Yep….it sure is. I guess I have been a bit depressed.
S: I remember when I got fired from my job as a senior manager with a Web design company. I felt awful for weeks. But you know something? Getting fired turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me.
Mickey 被解雇是因为公司要削减开支，所以 they axed a bunch of jobs. Ax is spelled, a-x, 或者 a-x-e, 做为动词，是砍的意思。他丢了工作，心情十分抑郁，depressed. Suzanne 安慰他说，自己也曾有过类似经历，好几个星期缓不过来，但是最后证明，getting fired turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. 被开除是她这辈子最幸运的事。怎么可能，我们继续听。
M: And why was that?
S: It gave me a jolt that I really needed. I was just coasting along in my position day in and day out, never really thinking about my life or my career.
M: So getting fired helped you reflect on these things?
S: Absolutely! I started asking myself what I really wanted to do.
M: That makes sense. Our daily routines can turn into habits. I’ve been working at this company for almost 8 years and I have kind of been running on autopilot.
Suzanne 说，失业 gave me a jolt. Jolt is spelled j-o-l-t, jolt 在这里是震动的意思。Suzanne 说，有工作的时候，她从来都是 coast along day in and day out. Coast along 做为词组，意思是不用花一点努力随波逐流， day in and day out 意思是日复一日，年复一年。过着这样的生活，怎么还会想着如何进取呢？被解雇后，她才开始思考这些问题，to reflect on things 意思是反思。Mickey 深有同感，说自己在原来的公司已经干了将近八年了，I have been running on autopilot. Autopilot 自动驾驶，工作已经成了一种习惯，顺手就干了，就好象是 run on autopilot. 现在没有工作了，Mickey 下一步有什么打算呢？我们下次继续听。
B: That’s why I love my job here. Being a journalist means you get to do different things every day.
A: 对，没错。每天的新闻都不一样。不过说实话，失业确实会给人带来很大的打击。
B: At the same time, it’s also an opportunity to make changes to your life. Let’s keep on listening to the second half of Business Etiquette.
Business Etiquette 266
Losing a job can be a positive experience II
Mickey 刚失业，跟朋友Suzanne 一起吃饭，Suzanne 劝他说，这未必不是件好事。她说，
S: Back at my old job there were some days where I barely used my brain at all! I just did the same thing over and over again.
M: So what happened after you got fired? Did a new opportunity come your way?
S: Not exactly. It took me about a year to figure out that opportunities weren’t going to come my way…. I learnt that you have to create your own opportunities.
M: So that’s when you started your company.
S: Yeah! I always had an interest in gardening, so I thought to myself: There must be a lot of people who also have this interest and would like to have a garden but don’t have the time to set one up.
Suzanne 说，原来工作的时候，总是同样的工作来回做，did the same thing over and over again. 完全不用动大脑，失业后，她用一年的时间才发现，机会不会自己找上门来，opportunities weren’t going to come my way, 还不如自己去创造机会。于是她决定自己开公司，帮助那些喜欢园艺但是没有时间整理花园的人整理花园。
M: So now you go around making custom-designed gardens for homes and offices, right?
S: Yes! I never would’ve thought in a million years that my interest in gardening would turn into a career! If I hadn’t gotten fired, I would’ve never found my calling!
M: That’s cool….and it does offer me some hope. I guess I need to do some thinking about what I really want to do.
S: I’m not saying it’s going to be easy…. I spent almost one year doing odd jobs and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. Not having a stable income can be difficult.
因此，Suzanne 开了一家公司，专门为公司和家庭 custom-design 量身定做花园。她说，要不是被解雇，她死也不会想到自己的爱好竟然会成为职业，in a million years 是一种夸张的说法，就是无论如何也不会的意思。正是被解雇，才让她最终找到了自己的 calling, calling is spelleed c-a-l-l-i-n-g, calling, 一个人最适合的职业。Suzanne 说，不过，这个过程也很艰难，她足足打了一年零工才走出低谷，odd jobs 是零工的意思。Mickey 听后深受启发。
M: Yeah….right now I have some savings so I’ll be good for about six months…but if I can’t find something after that it’s going to start getting tough.
S: Do you have a “dream” or something you’ve always wanted to do?
M: Well, I have always had the idea of opening a bicycle store. I’m talking about selling rare, vintage or special custom-made bicycles.
Mickey 说，自己存款有限，撑半年还行，再久就扛不住了。Suzanne 问他有没有什么梦想。Mickey 说，他一直想开一家自行车店，专卖那些不多见，古香古色，或是订做的自行车。他在这里用的 vintage is spelled v-i-n t-a-g-e, vintage 意思是老式的，古典的。
S: Interesting! Cycling is quite a trend these days and if you can find bicycles that no one else has….it just might work!
M: I’ve always been interested in bicycles and I know a lot about them. I never thought I would have a chance to open a bike store.
S: Give it some thought! This could be your calling in life!!
M: I’ll think about it! Thanks, Suzanne! Now let’s eat!
Suzanne 说， Mickey 想开自行车店的梦想很有意思，因为现在很流行骑车， it’s quite a trend. Suzanne 觉得 Mickey 可以认真地琢磨琢磨， give it some thought 好好想想，没准真能行。Mickey 听了很受鼓舞，说从来没想到，自己这辈子真能有机会开一家自行车店，实现梦想。
A: Mike, 你的梦想是什么？
B: I’ve always wanted to become a naval officer, and I’m still working towards making it a reality.
A: 真羡慕你，我好像从来也没什么梦想。All through my life, I’ve been going with the flow.
B: There is nothing wrong with that. Ok, let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 1899 first-born
今天我们要学的词是 first-born. First-born, first is spelled f-i-r-s-t, first, and born, b-o-r-n, born, first-born. First-born 名词，意思是头胎生的孩子，老大。Time and again, research has shown that first-born children are better at a lot of things than their younger siblings. 各种研究多次显示，头胎孩子在很多事情上都要比弟弟妹妹强。Half of U.S. Presidents are first-born children. 美国总统里有一半都是家里的老大。最近一项研究的作者说，First-born kids get better grades in school because their parents are stricter with them than later-born children. 家里老大学习成绩更好是因为家长对老大的要求比后面的孩子更加严格。好的，今天我们学习的词是 first-born, first-born, first-born….
A: Mike, you have an older sister, right?
B: Yeah. I think the study is right in the sense that my parents were way stricter with my sister than with me. You must be a first born, right?
A: Guess again.
B: But you have all the characteristics of a first-born.
A: I have a brother who is 10 years older.
B: Oh, that makes sense. So you are a second-born who was treated like a first born!
A: 没错。好了，让我们进入下面一个单元，美国习惯用语。
Words and Idioms 894 to no avail
美国习惯用语第 894讲
我实在是没辙了! 我办公室里有一盆君子兰，养了好几年了，本来一直挺好的，可是最近突然不行了，叶子也枯黄了，花也不开了。我又是浇水，又是换花盆，又是给它晒太阳，可是这盆花一点没有好转的迹象。所以，我这些努力的结果，只能用下面这个习惯用语来形容，那就是：
M: To no avail. No is spelled n-o, and avail; a-v-a-i-l. To-no-avail.
Avail，当动词时表示“起作用”，当名词时表示“益处”，所以to no avail这个短语就是指“没用，徒劳无功”。我一直在想办法挽救我的君子兰，可是它没有一点起色，我只能眼看它死掉了，唉! 下面这段话中的俩夫妻，也遇到了跟我同样无能为力的情况，不过最终，他们还是把问题解决了，我们来听一下：
M:”Our cat had a terrible habit of ripping our sofa with his claws. First, we thought we could encourage him to use a scratching toy instead. Then we tried treating the furniture with pepper spray. When all our attempts were TO NO AVAIL, we had to have his claws removed. Success at last!”
这段话意思是：我们家的猫有个坏习惯，就是喜欢在沙发上乱抓。开始时，我们给它买了个磨爪子用的玩具，鼓励它在玩具上抓，后来，我们又试着往沙发上喷辣椒水。可是，这些做法都没用。于是，我们只好把它的指甲拔掉了。这下，问题终于解决了!
把猫指甲拔掉？我听说这是很疼的，这只猫咪可受苦了! 不过，主人要不是没办法，也不会出此下策! 当然了，我还是建议想养猫的人，如果舍不得自己的家具，最好就别养猫，免得最后要去给猫拔指甲，让宠物受苦! 我们再来听听刚才那段话吧：
M: “Our cat had a terrible habit of ripping our sofa with his claws. First, we thought we could encourage him to use a scratching toy instead. Then we tried treating the furniture with pepper spray. When all our attempts were TO NO AVAIL, we had to have his claws removed. Success at last!”
我这个人啊，就是热心肠儿，喜欢给别人提建议。比如，我姨妈觉得胸闷，我就让她赶快看医生；女儿成绩下降，我就让她少花点时间在乐队上；妹妹失恋，我就四处给她找对象……我这么操心，可都是To No Avail – 徒劳无功! 因为她们谁也不听我的! 真是辜负了我一番苦心! 下面这段话中的选民，也和我一样，提意见没人听，不过，他们可不是像我这样，抱怨两句就算了，我们来听听看：
M: “We warned our senator that she wasn’t doing enough to lower taxes. Our supporters held meetings with her, organized a massive e-mail campaign and staged protest marches throughout the state. After these proved TO NO AVAIL, we started to look for a new candidate. This has been a much more productive strategy.”
这段话的意思是：我们已经警告过我们州的参议员，我们觉得她没有竭尽全力去实现减税。我们的支持者和她开了好几次会，组织了一场大规模的电邮宣传活动，还在州里各地举行了抗议游行。但是，这一切行动都没有奏效，所以，我们开始物色一位新的议员候选人。这种做法比以前那些有效多了。
哇，看来选民不是好惹的! 不过，我们也得认识到，很多问题是复杂的，解决起来没那么简单，而且需要时间。所以，选民们也应该更有耐心才对，不然可能会适得其反。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话吧：
M: “We warned our senator that she wasn’t doing enough to lower taxes. Our supporters held meetings with her, organized a massive e-mail campaign and staged protest marches throughout the state. After these proved TO NO AVAIL, we started to look for a new candidate. This has been a much more productive strategy.”
听众朋友，今天我们学习的习惯用语是 To No Avail， 意思是“徒劳无功”。我想跟大家说的是，如果你复出努力，却发现 your efforts are to no avail–收不到成果，那也不要灰心。就好像学英语，遇到挫折和瓶颈时，还是应该坚持。日积月累，总会有收获!
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
美语训练班 第136课
B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I’m Mike Bond!
A: And I’m 蔚然。杨琳休假，我带班。
B: What is the word of the year for 2013? We will find out.
A: 人靠衣服马靠鞍，这句话在职场是是否适用呢？礼节美语为您介绍。
B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what “too close for comfort” and “won’t do something to save your life” 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 1900 selfie
今天我们要学的词是 selfie. Selfie is spelled s-e-l-f-i-e, selfie. Selfie 名词，自拍照片。From Oct 20 to 27, “selfie” was mentioned in Facebook status updates over 368,000 times. 10月20到27号这段时间里，脸书用户状态更新里提到自拍字眼的就有36.8万次。Many drivers are using their smart phones to take selfies while driving. 现在很多人一边开车一边用智能手机自拍。Experts warn that people taking driving selfies are putting their safety and that of those around them in danger. 有关专家警告说，边开车边自拍的人让自己和周围人的安全都受到了威胁。好的，今天我们学习的词是 selfie, selfie, selfie….
A: 不要说拍selfie, 方向盘后面的开车一族真是干什么的都有。
B: Yeah. My sister always puts on her makeup while on the way to work.
A: I even saw people playing candy crush saga 糖果粉碎游戏 behind the wheel?
B: I….may have tried that once, and ended up almost kissing the car in front of me! I must say, it was too close for comfort.
A: 真是太危险了。不过，你正好介绍了我们下面要学的习惯用语。一起来听。
Words and Idioms 895 too close for comfort
美国习惯用语第895讲
我刚才和表姐吃午饭，她告诉我一个好消息，那就是，她们公司的裁员大潮她躲过去了!这一个月来，和她资历接近的同事一个一个被炒鱿鱼，她本来以为下一个就轮到自己，没想到，裁员结束了，而她留了下来。虽然保住工作，但她这些日子提心吊胆的心情让我想到一个习惯用语，那就是：
M: Too close for comfort. Too is spelled t-o-o, close; c-l-o-s-e, and comfort;c-o-m-f-o-r-t. Too-close-for-comfort.
Close是“接近”的意思，comfort表示“舒服”，too close for comfort字面的意思就是“过于接近，太相似了，让人不舒服”。根据语境，too close for comfort 有时可以表示“险些遇到不好的结果”。比如，我表姐在这次裁员潮中，离被炒鱿鱼就是 too close for comfort–险些就丢掉工作了!
在生活中，我们或多或少会做一些“打擦边球”的事儿。就是明知道有危险，也抱着侥幸心里去做。比如，开车的时候打手机，甚至发短信! 我们来听听下面这个司机的遭遇：
M:”I should have been more careful. Driving home, I was answering a text message. I had only looked away from the road for a couple of seconds. But when I looked up, the car ahead of me had stopped abruptly. That was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I barely missed plowing into him.”
这段话意思是：我当时真该小心点! 那天，我开车回家，边开车边回短信，虽然只有几秒钟没看路，可当我重新把目光转回路上时发现，我前面的车已经突然停住了! 太危险了! 我差点就撞上它了!
打电话、发短信、上网这些事情请您不开车的时候尽情做，开车的时候可需要全神贯注! 车祸往往就是司机分心造成的，几秒钟的注意力不集中就可能导致车毁人亡的惨剧! 刚才那个司机离车祸已经很近了，too close for comfort! 我们再来听听刚才那段话吧：
M: “I should have been more careful. Driving home I was answering a text message. I had only looked away from the road for a couple of seconds. But when I looked up, the car ahead of me had stopped abruptly. That was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I barely missed plowing into him.”
刚才我们说到，开车需要全神贯注。在下面这个句子中，一个学生意识到，上学也得专心。上课走神不行，要逃学就更不成了! 我们来听听他是怎么说的：
M: “I’ll never skip school again. When I stopped at a restaurant for lunch I saw the assistant principal sitting across from me. Luckily, I managed to slip out the door without being noticed. The risk of getting caught was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I learned my lesson.”
这段话的意思是：我再也不会逃学了。那天，我逃课去饭馆吃饭，结果看到副校长就坐在我对面! 幸运的是，我趁他没注意，从门口溜走了。我差一点就被副校长抓个正着! 这下我可长记性了。
这孩子，因为差点被抓到才不敢继续逃课! 其实，就算没有“巧遇”副校长，他也应该想想，还有那么多孩子想上学却上不起、上不了，和他们相比，他真应该珍惜受教育的机会才对。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “I’ll never skip school again. When I stopped at a restaurant for lunch I saw the assistant principal sitting across from me. Luckily, I managed to slip out the door without being noticed. The risk of getting caught was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I learned my lesson.”
有时候，有些东西太像了，也会让人不舒服。比如，我一个朋友总说她男友多浪漫，多会写诗，她小心地保留每一首他写的情诗。可后来她发现，这些诗和一本叫“情诗大全”的书上的内容相差无几。She finds it all too close for comfort–内容太像了，男友的情诗明显都是抄书抄来的! 你说，我这朋友能不生气么？!
好的，今天我们学习的习惯用语是 TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT，表示“太接近了，太像了，让人不舒服。”
好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Mike, 你上学时是不是经常逃课？
B: What? No! I never played hookie. But I was sent home once for wearing a T-shirt with inappropriate words on it.
A: What did it say?
B: I….probably shouldn’t say. But I did learn my lesson. Dressing properly is important no matter who you are. Let’s listen to our next segment: Business Etiquette and learn more.
Business Etiquette
Topic: You Are What You Wear
Cathy 早上上班见到同事 Adam.
Cathy: Hi, Adam, nice tie.
Adam: Thanks.
C: By the way, can I ask you a personal question?
A: Ask away!
C: How come you’re the only one at the office who wears a tie to work every day? I’m not criticizing your fashion choices, and you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.
A: No. I’m happy to answer that question! I assume you’re like most people: you prefer to wear comfortable clothing whenever possible, right?
Cathy 问了 Adam 个personal question 私人问题，问Adam 为什么每天上班都西装领带的，而公司的着装标准并不严格，所以其他人一般都是怎么舒服怎么穿。Cathy 还补充说，I’m not criticizing your fashion choices. 意思是说我不是想对你的穿着指手划脚，而是好奇。Cathy 承认，平时如果没事，他就会穿得很随便。
C: Absolutely! If it’s a special event or a business meeting or something, then sure, I’ll put on a suit or a nice business dress. But I much prefer to dress more casually.
A: I understand that logic. But of course you’ve heard about “power-dressing,” no?
C: Yeah….if you wear nicer looking clothes, people take you more seriously, right?
A: That’s the idea. I think everybody knows that the clothing we wear affects how others perceive us. But I’ve also discovered that what I wear affects how I think.
C: Really? That’s an interesting idea. What exactly do you mean?
Cathy 说，如果有什么特别活动或是要开会，She’ll put on a suit or a nice business dress. 穿西装或套装，否则的话，她还是喜欢穿得随便些，to dress more casually. Adam 问 Cathy 有没有听过 power-dressing 的说法，也就是说，如果穿得正式，别人就会更把你当回事。Adam 说，他发现，power-dressing 不仅会影响别人对自己的看法，同时也会对他自己的精神状态产生影响。
A: Well, there’s a lot of research out there that says the position of our bodies affects our thoughts.
C: I’ve heard about that. I read an article that said if you sit up straight your thoughts become sharper than if you were slouching.
A: Exactly! But there are some new studies that show what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts.
C: Give me an example.
A: Scientists found that students who were wearing white lab coats performed better on tests than students who were wearing their own clothes.
C: Ah! So because the white lab coat has an association with intelligence, the students’ brains actually got more intelligent?
有很多研究显示，一个人身体的姿势，往往会对人的思维产生影响，比如，坐直了就比窝着的时候思维更敏锐。Slouch is spelled s-l-o-u-c-h, slouch 意思是很放松地窝在那里，蜷在那里。Adam 补充说，现在的一些新的研究结果发现，what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts. 一个人的穿着也会对他的思维产生影响。比如说，穿着实验室白大褂的学生，考试往往比穿日常衣服的学生成绩好，因为穿着白大褂，会让学生觉得自己智商更高，因此考试时大脑的表现也就更出色。
A: 英语里有句话叫，You are what you wear. 没错吧？
B: Absolutely. For instance, if you wear casual clothes to an interview, you pretty much have blown your chances of landing that job.
A: 我看到有研究说，第一印象的形成只需要三到五秒。
B: Therefore, image management is very important. Let’s keep on listening to the second half of Business Etiquette.
Business Etiquette
Topic: You Are What You Wear II
Cathy 跟同事Adam 正在讨论，一个人的穿着是否会对他的精神状态产生影响。Adam 说，
A: Have you ever heard the saying, “clothes make the man”? It might be truer than we imagine.
C: When a police officer or firefighter puts on their uniform it must affect their psychology. It probably gives them a sense of responsibility and authority.
A: Absolutely. When a judge puts on that heavy black robe it transmits an image of power, but it also serves as a reminder to the judge of the responsibility of their position.
C: I know when I’m wearing a nice suit I feel a lot more confident. If I’m going out for a night on the town and I’m all dressed up I feel a lot better about myself than if I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
英语里有一种说法叫 clothes make the man. 相当于中文里说的人靠衣服马靠鞍。Adam 说，这句老话恐怕比我们想的更有道理。警察穿上警服，消防员穿上消防服，法官穿上黑色长袍，都会平添一种使命感和权威感，Cathy 说，她每次穿西装，也会倍感自信，还说，晚上出去吃饭消遣时，如果 dressed up 精心打扮，就会自我感觉更好。Cathy说的， go out for a night on the town, 是一种固定说法，意思是出去吃饭，喝酒，看节目，消遣。
A: Yeah, I think everyone recognizes that part about the power of clothes….but that’s not exactly why I wear a tie to work every day.
C: You wear it because you think it makes you smarter.
A: Yes. I think putting on a shirt and tie actually affects the way my brain works. C: That’s a very interesting concept!
A: My eyes look down and see what I’m wearing and my brain gets a reminder that I’m a businessman…. and I think the brain responds to expectations.
Adam 说，他每天都穿西装打领带，不是给别人看的，更多的是在提醒自己，随时提醒自己是商界人士，这样大脑就会做出反应，做出的事，说出的话都会更加得体。
C: It’s kind of like an actor trying to play a role…you have to have the right costume!
A: I think that’s a good way of expressing it! I’m sure it’s much harder for actors and actresses to get into character before they put on the right costume.
C: Yeah….but after the clothes and the makeup go on, they look in the mirror and their brains are able to shift into the role.
A: The symbolic meaning of a tie is “business” and so for me it’s an identifying symbol that I think affects both how others see me and how I see myself.
C: Interesting…..hmm…..maybe I should start wearing a suit.
这就跟演员穿上戏服，才能进入角色一样。Adam 觉得，这样比喻恰如其分，that’s a good way of expressing it. 演员穿上戏服，化好妆，看着镜子里的自己，他们的大脑就会做出反应，help them to shift into the role. 帮他们进入角色。Adam 最后说，西装领带，对他来说就是一种定位的象征符号，不仅影响到别人对他的看法，也会影响到他自己的精神状态。 Clothes make the man, 也可以说，you are what you wear, 人靠衣服马靠鞍。
A: Adam 说，穿西装打领带，不光是给别人看，也是随时提醒自己，说话做事都要符合身份，这一点我倒真没想到。
B: I agree that whenever I dress formally, my self-image does go up a notch.
A: 看来，以后上班真要改变形象，不能穿得这么随便了。
B: Yeah. It’s always better to overdress than to underdress. Ok, let’s listen to another learn a word!
Learn A Word 1903 relinquish
今天我们要学的词是 relinquish. Relinquish is spelled r-e-l-i-n-q-u-i-s-h, relinquish. Relinquish 动词，意思是放弃。Tina Turner recently filed paperwork to relinquish her American citizenship. 蒂娜.特纳最近递交了申请文件，放弃自己美国公民的身份。华尔街日报的报道说，Experts believe increased tax enforcement is the major reason for a record number of U.S. taxpayers relinquishing their citizenship or green cards this year. 有关专家认为，税法的严格执行是造成今年放弃公民或绿卡的美国纳税人人数创下新高的主要原因。好的，今天我们学习的词是 relinquish, relinquish, relinquish….
A: Mike，你那天还在抱怨交税太多，不如放弃公民吧。
B: haha…Maybe one day I’ll become filthy rich. Then I will think about it.
A: 好了，让我们进入下面一个单元，美国习惯用语。
美国习惯用语第 896 讲
昨晚我作东请客，亲自下厨，请表弟和他的女朋友来我家吃饭。谁知道我辛苦做的红烧鲤鱼，表弟的女友却一口不吃! 因为，这位小姐不吃姜，而我在鱼里放了姜丝。唉，虽然我白辛苦了一场，但趁这个机会，可以给大家介绍一个新的习惯用语：
M: To save one’s life. Save is spelled s-a-v-e, and life; life. To-save one’s life.
Save one’s life 这几个词大家应该都很熟悉，放在一起，不就是“救命”的意思么？说得没错，可是，我们今天介绍的不是这个用法。当我们把一个有否定含义的句子和to save one’s life放在一起，意思就变成“宁愿死也不做某事”，“绝对不做某事”。我表弟的女朋友不吃姜，打死也不吃，就可以说 She wouldn’t eat ginger to save her live.
在生活中，总会有一些事情是我们绝对不做的。比如，让你身上绑跟绳子，从飞机或悬崖上跳下去，看似有惊无险，可能有些人会愿意挑战看看，可还有一些人是绝对不会做的。比如下面这个人：
M: “Adventurous, I am not. I’d rather die than go bungee jumping, skydiving or mountain climbing. No one could get me to practice any of those sports TO SAVE MY LIFE. I’ll let the thrill seekers have their fun. There’s simply no possibility of me ever doing anything that’s really dangerous.”
这段话意思是：我不是一个爱冒险的人。让我去蹦极、高空跳伞或是攀岩，还不如让我死了算了!任何人都休想让我去玩儿这些东西。那些喜欢寻求刺激的人，尽可以去玩儿你们的。我是绝对不会做这些危险的事情的。
哇，这人还真没有冒险精神! 他大概只喜欢坐在家里安静地看书吧。当然，人各有志，自己高兴就好! 我们再来听听刚才那段话吧：
M:”Adventurous, I am not. I’d rather die than go bungee jumping, skydiving or mountain climbing. No one could get me to practice any of those sports TO SAVE MY LIFE. I’ll let the thrill seekers have their fun. There’s simply no possibility of me ever doing anything that’s really dangerous.”
很多人梦想上电视，当名人，不过，电视节目也不是好上的。听听下面这段话，您也想一想，这样的电视节目如果请您去，您会答应么？
M: “My girlfriend has been watching that new game show. Contestants have one minute to succeed at completing outrageous tasks. They might have to wrap all the toilet paper from a roll around their bodies or shake their heads over 170 times. Even for lots of money, my girlfriend would never try those things. She wouldn’t look ridiculous on TV TO SAVE HER LIFE.”
这段话的意思是：我女朋友很爱看电视上那个新的游戏节目。参赛者要在一分钟内完成一些非常难的任务。比如说，他们可能要把整卷卫生纸缠在身上，或者要不停摇头170多下。就算电视台给我女朋友很多钱，她也不会去做这些事情。她可绝对不愿意在电视上出洋相。
有些人不愿意在电视上出丑，可也有人不在乎。比如，现在很流行的歌手选秀节目，有些参赛者啊，唱的还真是难听! They are not able to sing to save their lives! 根本就是五音不全! 可是人家还是很有勇气地登上舞台了啊! 好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “My girlfriend has been watching that new game show. Contestants have one minute to succeed at completing outrageous tasks. They might have to wrap all the toilet paper from a roll around their bodies or shake their heads over 170 times. Even for lots of money, my girlfriend would never try those things. She wouldn’t look ridiculous on TV TO SAVE HER LIFE.”
今天我们学习的习惯用语是 TOO SAVE ONE’S LIFE， 把这个短语加在有否定含义的句子后面，表示“绝对不做某事”。好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束。
M: Until next time.
下次节目再见。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: 刚才那个例句让我想起杨琳，我记得她在最近一集视频美语怎么说里说过，不化妆，打死也不上电视。
B: Haha, I remember that episode too. She wouldn’t show her face without makeup to save her life!
A: 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
返回《美语训练班》页。