A: 美語(yǔ)訓(xùn)練班,無(wú)須報(bào)名,不收學(xué)費(fèi),全年無(wú)休, 保證提高......
B: 行啦楊琳, 廣告作起來(lái)沒(méi)完啦?
A: Donny, 你別小看廣告的作用哦。前幾天我在微薄上給咱們節(jié)目發(fā)了一個(gè)小廣告,結(jié)果節(jié)目網(wǎng)頁(yè)的點(diǎn)擊量就呼呼地漲上去了!
B: That's fantastic! 對(duì)了,你剛才說(shuō)“呼呼地漲上去”,待會(huì)兒我們要教一個(gè)詞,就是這個(gè)意思。
A: 太好了!
B: 不過(guò),let's first have a preview of today's show, shall we?
A:好! 今天,我們要去賭馬場(chǎng)試試手氣, 和朋友聊聊大學(xué)生活,討論公司上市的時(shí)機(jī), 還要告訴大家怎么用美語(yǔ)說(shuō)“躲過(guò)一劫”和“火爆脾氣”。Donny, 現(xiàn)在咱們是不是要學(xué)你剛說(shuō)的那個(gè)詞啦?
B: 沒(méi)錯(cuò)。Let's listen to "learn a word".
Learn A Word Soaring
今天我們要學(xué)的詞是soaring, soaring is spelled s-o-a-r-i-n-g, soaring. Soaring 意思是劇增的,飛速上漲的。The austerity measure is designed to reduce the soaring Greek deficit in the next few years. 希臘實(shí)行銀根緊縮措施,目的是在未來(lái)幾年里削減飛漲的政府赤字。Many American families are facing the challenge of soaring college tuition fees. 飆漲的大學(xué)學(xué)費(fèi)給很多美國(guó)家庭帶來(lái)了挑戰(zhàn)。The expanding of Asia-Pacific markets contributed to Apple's soaring profits in the past five years. 過(guò)去五年亞太地區(qū)的市場(chǎng)開(kāi)發(fā)使蘋(píng)果公司利潤(rùn)猛增。好的,今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是soaring, soaring, soaring.
A: 這么說(shuō),由于我的廣告攻勢(shì),咱們節(jié)目人氣暴增,也可以用soaring 嘍?
B:Yes. You could say "this show enjoys soaring popularity" or "this show's popularity is soaring".
A: 明白了。對(duì)了,和soaring 相對(duì)的應(yīng)該是declining 吧? 以前我曾在一個(gè)電視臺(tái)的欄目里實(shí)習(xí),but the show's popularity had been declining, 看節(jié)目的人越來(lái)越少, 我實(shí)習(xí)結(jié)束后不久節(jié)目就停啦!
B:So... was the show terminated because of your bad performance as an intern?
A: 因?yàn)槲也顒鸥愕饺思夜?jié)目停播?! 才不是呢! 不過(guò),我覺(jué)得自己挺幸運(yùn)的,如果實(shí)習(xí)還沒(méi)結(jié)束節(jié)目就停了,我還得另找地方實(shí)習(xí),說(shuō)不定就會(huì)耽誤畢業(yè)。
B: Sounds like you dodged a bullet.
A: 什么?bullet? 子彈?
B: 對(duì)。聽(tīng)下面的節(jié)目你就明白了! Let's listen to Popular American.
Popular American: dodge a bullet; cheapskate
各位聽(tīng)眾,現(xiàn)在播送「流行美語(yǔ)」。Larry和李華開(kāi)車(chē)去多倫多渡假,結(jié)果在路上遇到了一些問(wèn)題。他們會(huì)用到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):Dodge a bullet 和 cheapskate。
LH: Larry, 還要開(kāi)多長(zhǎng)時(shí)間才到多倫多啊?
Larry: If we don't make any more stops, we should get there by nightfall.
LH: 啊,天黑的時(shí)候才能到?可我已經(jīng)快餓死了! 咱們停下來(lái)找點(diǎn)東西吃吧?
Larry: Actually, we have a free dinner waiting for us at the hotel in Toronto.
LH: 我知道酒店有免費(fèi)晚餐,可是還要幾個(gè)小時(shí)才能吃到,我堅(jiān)持不住啦!
Larry: You know me, Lihua, I'm a cheapskate. Sorry.
LH: Cheesecake? 你帶了芝士蛋糕? 快給我吃!
Larry: No, not cheesecake... cheapskate. A cheapskate is someone who is very cheap, or doesn't like to spend money.
LH: cheapskate 就是小氣鬼。沒(méi)錯(cuò),你就是個(gè)cheapskate! 要不是你舍不得花錢(qián),我們才不會(huì)選多倫多渡假呢,早買(mǎi)張飛機(jī)票飛去泰國(guó)了!
Larry: Thailand? Don't be ridiculous! Even if I wasn't a cheapskate, you know we can't afford to go that far away for vacation!
LH: 那,就算去不起泰國(guó),咱們停下車(chē)吃頓飯總可以吧?
Larry: If we stop for food, we'll waste time, gas, and money. I think we should just wait until we get to Toronto.
LH: Why are you being such a cheapskate?? 咱們剛開(kāi)始約會(huì)的時(shí)候,你可是特別喜歡給我買(mǎi)吃的呢!
Larry: Oh, yeah, I remember that... Actually, now that I think about it, I think I might have some of that candy you like in my backpack...something like a white rabbit, right?
LH: 大白兔奶糖?哪里?!還真有誒! 可這包已經(jīng)過(guò)期了。不過(guò)我太餓,將就吃了!
Larry: Phew! Looks like I dodged a bullet there.
LH: Dodge a bullet? 躲避子彈?你又在說(shuō)什么我聽(tīng)不懂的話了?
Larry: To dodge a bullet means to narrowly escape a very bad situation. For example, a second ago you were about to get really angry because I wouldn't stop for food, but luckily, I had that bag of Chinese candy to keep you happy!
LH: 哦, to dodge a bullet 意思就是 “逃過(guò)一劫”,躲過(guò)了非常糟糕的事情。你說(shuō),要不是因?yàn)槟惆镎糜刑?,我肯定?huì)因?yàn)轲I肚子而大發(fā)脾氣,所以你算是躲過(guò)了我的一頓數(shù)落。
Larry: That's right.
LH: 可是吃糖吃不飽啊!
Larry: We have a perfectly wonderful─and free─ dinner waiting for us in Toronto. Sorry, Lihua, we're not stopping.
Larry: Uh-oh.
LH: Larry, 什么聲音?是不是沒(méi)油啦?你看看!幾個(gè)小時(shí)前我不是讓你把油箱加滿么!
Larry: I heard the gas is a lot cheaper in Toronto, so I didn't want to buy more gas than I needed to... I thought this would be enough for us to reach Toronto!
LH: 啊?你因?yàn)橛X(jué)得加拿大的汽油便宜,就不舍得在美國(guó)加油,打算堅(jiān)持到多倫多再說(shuō)?你怎么這么小氣! Cheapskate!
Larry: I hope we can find a gas station in time... I haven't seen any signs for a gas station for awhile...
LH: 我的老天! 附近沒(méi)有加油站?那我們豈不是要身陷荒野!
Larry: Don't worry, we always have my cell phone if we need to call for help.
LH: 打電話求救?呃,我剛才一直拿你的手機(jī)玩游戲,已經(jīng)沒(méi)電了。
Larry: Oh good grief. Luckily, I think I have an extra battery in my backpack. Check the outside pocket.
LH: 啊! 真的,這里有塊備用電池! We dodged a bullet! 我們逃過(guò)了一劫!
Larry: Speaking of dodging a bullet, it looks like there's a gas station a few miles ahead. We should be able to get there without a problem.
LH: 太好了! 前面有加油站,咱們快去把油箱加滿!
Larry: OK, I won't be such a cheapskate this time.
LH: 對(duì)!這次別再小氣了! 還有,在加油站給我買(mǎi)點(diǎn)吃的來(lái)!
Larry: OK, fine. You got it.
各位聽(tīng)眾,今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ),一個(gè)是dodge a bullet,意思是“逃過(guò)一劫”;另一個(gè)是cheapskate,意思是“小氣鬼”。好的,這次《流行美語(yǔ)》播送完了,謝謝各位收聽(tīng),下次節(jié)目再見(jiàn)。
B: Speaking of dodging a bullet, I used to work at a small company where the boss had a terrible temper and yelled at people all day long. 所有人都小心翼翼,生怕挨罵. It felt like I was dodging bullets everyday!
A: 理解理解! 給壞脾氣的老板干活隨時(shí)要作好挨罵的準(zhǔn)備,他們就像地雷,一碰就炸!
B: No kidding! 好了,Let's move on to our next program: 美語(yǔ)怎么說(shuō),講的就是這個(gè)“火爆脾氣”。
How to say it in American English: short fuse
Donny 在北京學(xué)漢語(yǔ),他的中國(guó)朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語(yǔ)怎么說(shuō)的詞,就會(huì)來(lái)請(qǐng)教他。今天是Jimmy要問(wèn)的:火爆脾氣。
Donny: Jimmy, 瞧瞧你的熊貓眼!
JIMMY: 哼!這都要怪對(duì)門(mén)宿舍的一個(gè)瘋子。夜里不睡覺(jué),在樓道里唱歌! 害得我一宿沒(méi)法睡!
Donny: Dude, that sucks!
Jimmy: Donny, 你今天可別惹我,我這一肚子火恐怕得點(diǎn)火就著! I'm easy to burn!
Donny: Easy to burn? Jimmy, I have to say, you've got a talent for making up English phrases.
JIMMY: 好,那你說(shuō),“火爆脾氣”在美語(yǔ)里怎么說(shuō)?
Donny: You say I have a short fuse. fuse is spelled f-u-s-e. To say someone has a short fuse is to say he or she has a bad temper.
JIMMY: fuse是導(dǎo)火線的意思,a short fuse,很短的導(dǎo)火線,那還真是“一點(diǎn)就著”, 所以have a short fuse就是形容脾氣差。
Donny: That's correct. If I were you, I'd go give that guy who sings in the middle of the night a piece of my mind!
JIMMY: give him a piece of your mind?
Donny: Yes! You can also tell him off, 都是“罵他一頓”的意思。
JIMMY: Actually, I was about to rush out of the door and tell him off, but my dorm mates stopped me.
Donny: Why?
JIMMY: 我室友們說(shuō),這人平時(shí)挺好的,最近失戀了,要靠夜里唱歌來(lái)療傷,讓我別往心里去。
Donny: Your dorm mates are so nice not to take it personally.
JIMMY: take it personally? 就是往心里去,計(jì)較,對(duì)么?
Donny: Exactly. For example, your boss has a short fuse and often yells at people when they make minor mistakes......
JIMMY: 哎,我來(lái)猜猜! 你說(shuō),老板脾氣火爆,人家犯?jìng)€(gè)小錯(cuò)他就大嚷大叫。那...If he gives me a piece of his mind for something minor, 同事們就會(huì)說(shuō)"don't take it personally. " 對(duì)不對(duì)?
Donny: Bingo! Let's see what you've learned today!
JIMMY: 第一,火爆脾氣是have a short fuse;
第二,口頭教訓(xùn)別人是 give someone a piece of my mind, 或者tell someone off
第三,別往心里去是Don't take it personally.
A:Donny, 我剛才就想跟你說(shuō),碰上不講理的上司,你挨罵就挨罵,不用往心里去,Don't take it personally!
B: You're right. 就讓他去罵,就讓子彈飛吧。
A: 不過(guò)說(shuō)起剛才教的那個(gè)short fuse, 火爆脾氣,我十分不爭(zhēng)氣地想到了另外一個(gè)東西......
B: 什么?
A: 呵呵,你恐怕要笑話我。從火爆脾氣,我想到了......火爆腰花!
B: 啊?
A: 我大學(xué)時(shí)最?lèi)?ài)和同學(xué)們一起去校門(mén)口的小飯館吃火爆腰花了! Oh, those were the days!
B: 我看你是餓了吧? Anyway, let's listen to“美語(yǔ)三級(jí)跳”,讓你再回憶回憶大學(xué)生活!
GoEnglish: College─Beginner
各位聽(tīng)眾,大家好!今天我們?yōu)槟コ?ldquo;美語(yǔ)三級(jí)跳”節(jié)目“大學(xué)生活”單元的初級(jí)課程。
Winnie: Eric 和 Patty 是好朋友,也是大學(xué)同學(xué)。他們中午一起吃飯,聊起了校園生活。
Professor: In this first part, we will learn how to ask what classes someone is taking.
Patty: Hi Eric! Are you having fun at college?
Eric: Yes, it's great. How many classes are you taking?
Patty: I'm taking four classes. Are you taking a lot of classes?
Eric: I'm taking three classes.
Winnie: Professor Bowman, Eric怎么只選三門(mén)課?美國(guó)大學(xué)生的日子也太輕松了吧!
Professor: Well Winnie, maybe they are taking hard classes and have to study a lot.
Winnie: 這么說(shuō)也有道理??赡苷且?yàn)檎n程難度大,所以他們才只選幾門(mén)課。
Professor: Let's listen and find out what their classes are.
Patty: What classes are you taking?
Eric: Well, I'm taking English classes.
Patty: I see. Well I'm taking a lot of science classes, like chemistry.
Eric: Chemistry? Wow, that sounds hard. You must have a lot of work.
Winnie: Patty選修化學(xué)課,這門(mén)課可不好學(xué)??墒?Professor Bowman,Eric為什么要選英文課呢?英語(yǔ)不是他的母語(yǔ)么?這算不算投機(jī)取巧?
Professor: Well Winnie, some English classes are hard, even for Americans. Students have to read very hard books.
Winnie: 原來(lái)如此。那么,在美國(guó)大學(xué)里,學(xué)生們是不是每天都要上課呢?
Professor: Well, let's listen to Eric and Patty talking about when they have classes.
Patty: What's your schedule like?
Eric: It's great! I only have classes from Monday to Thursday!
Patty: You don't have any classes on Friday?
Eric: No, so I can have fun with my friends on Thursday night.
Winnie: Eric 不光選修英文課,而且一個(gè)禮拜只上四天課,這怎么可能?
Professor: Yes, some students have easy schedules. Now let's listen to them talking about their professors.
Eric: Who is your chemistry professor?
Patty: I got Professor Franklin for chemistry. He's really great!
Eric: Who did you get for math?
Patty: I got Professor Martinez for math. He's good, but the TA is so boring.
Winnie: TA? TA是什么?
Professor: A TA is a "teaching assistant." They are older students who help professors teach the younger students.
Winnie: 哦,TA就是Teaching Assistant的縮寫(xiě),也就是助教的意思。Patty說(shuō)她很喜歡自己的數(shù)學(xué)教授,不過(guò)教授的那位助教卻非常沉悶無(wú)聊。
Professor: Right. You know, if my students don't study hard enough, sometimes I'll get a mean TA to help me teach.
Winnie: 我們不認(rèn)真,你就要找個(gè)厲害的 TA, 那我們?nèi)绻貏e認(rèn)真,你就會(huì)找個(gè)特別帥的 TA 嘍?
Professor: No. If I get a cute TA, everyone will have a crush on him and study less. Now Eric and Patty are going to talk about what clubs they are in.
Eric: What do you do outside of class?
Patty: I'm in some fun clubs.
Eric: What kind of clubs are you in?
Patty: I do all kinds of things. I do some academic clubs, but other clubs are just for fun.
Winnie: 哇, Patty 可真行,加入了這么多課外社團(tuán)。
Professor, 美國(guó)大學(xué)中都有那些社團(tuán)呢?
Professor: Some clubs are academic. Students study together for tests or discuss current events. Some clubs are just for fun. They do things like yoga and hip hop dancing.
Winnie: 瑜珈社和街舞社,聽(tīng)起來(lái)真不錯(cuò)! 不知道Eric加入了什么社團(tuán)沒(méi)有!
Eric: I'm only in a hip hop dancing club. It's really fun.
Patty: A dancing club? I love hip hop music, and I love dancing.
Eric: You should join. It's not full, and there are plenty of spaces left.
Patty: I think I will. It would be fun to do a club together.
Winnie: Eric只參加了街舞社?他這個(gè)人,課只選了三門(mén),每周只上四天課,連跟學(xué)習(xí)有關(guān)的課外社團(tuán)也不參加。唉,他過(guò)得也太輕松了吧!
Professor: Well, Eric may be busy for other reasons. Tune in next time and we'll learn more about student life.
A: 美國(guó)的大一新生真幸福! They have easy schedules, 他們功課輕松,They can join some fun clubs, 還能加入一些有趣的社團(tuán)。真讓人羨慕!
B: Didn't you enjoy your freshman year?
A: 別提了,我們英語(yǔ)系的學(xué)生從一進(jìn)校門(mén)就是一大堆基礎(chǔ)課,哪有時(shí)間去參加課外活動(dòng)!
B: Well, I'm sure not all of your classmates spent their time studying as hard as you did, right? For some people, college is a place for learning; for others, college is just a big party.
A: 也對(duì),有些同學(xué)根本不在乎成績(jī),打球、跳舞、組樂(lè)隊(duì),每天過(guò)得可高興了!
B: You can play your way through college, or work your way through it. But after four years, everyone is pushed into the real world, and the party is over. 人總要長(zhǎng)大嘛。
A: Donny, 你說(shuō)得真讓人傷感! 好啦,大學(xué)生活結(jié)束,咱們進(jìn)入社會(huì),來(lái)聽(tīng)“禮節(jié)美語(yǔ)”!
Business Etiquette: IPO III
公司老板Jerry召集手下 Lisa 和 Ken 開(kāi)會(huì),商量公司上市的問(wèn)題。Lisa問(wèn)Jerry,是不是真的下定決心了。
L: But Jerry, have you really thought this through? You would essentially be giving up the company that your great-grandfather built.
J: I intend to keep key family members on the Board of Directors and I intend to remain as CEO. This company is important to me. But if we really want to become the largest frozen food company in the country, it's time to move beyond mom-and-pop operations and play hardball.
針對(duì)Lisa提出的疑問(wèn),Jerry回答說(shuō),他并沒(méi)打算將祖輩開(kāi)辦并經(jīng)營(yíng)至今的家族企業(yè)就這么拱手送給別人,他打算讓重要家庭成員進(jìn)董事會(huì),然后親自擔(dān)任 CEO, Chief Executive officer, 首席執(zhí)行官。Jerry 說(shuō),公司對(duì)他十分重要,但要想擴(kuò)大規(guī)模,成為全國(guó)最大的冷凍食品公司,就要 move beyond mom-and-pop operations and play hardball. 這里所說(shuō)的 mom-and-pop operations 是指家庭規(guī)模的小買(mǎi)賣(mài),play hardball 意思是采取果斷大膽的行動(dòng)。
L: Well, it's an exciting idea...and also a bit terrifying. But....you know that old saying: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
K: At least the markets have been getting better recently; the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 10,000 points the other day. This could be the beginning of an economic recovery.
Lisa 說(shuō),公司上市的想法既令人興奮,又讓人害怕。但是英語(yǔ)里老話說(shuō),nothing ventured, nothing gained. 意思是不承擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn),就不會(huì)取得成就。Ken 說(shuō),好在現(xiàn)在市場(chǎng)正在走高,道瓊斯工業(yè)指數(shù)前幾天突破了萬(wàn)點(diǎn)大關(guān),topped 10,000 points. 這可能意味著經(jīng)濟(jì)復(fù)蘇的開(kāi)始,the beginning of an economic recovery. Lisa 接著說(shuō),
L: I think the smart thing is to use this down time to retool and reconfigure our operations. That way, if things do turn upwards we'll be in a stronger place than our competitors.
J: Exactly! So, I want you all to consider this idea... do the research and figure out if this is truly in our best interests. Let's meet again on Thursday to make a final decision.
Lisa 說(shuō),她認(rèn)為明智之舉是用現(xiàn)在市場(chǎng)不是特別活躍的時(shí)期調(diào)整公司的經(jīng)營(yíng)運(yùn)作。這樣的話,一旦市場(chǎng)開(kāi)始上揚(yáng),We'll be in a stronger place than our competitors. 跟競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手相比,我們就會(huì)居于更加有利的地位。Jerry 表示贊成,讓大家回去都好好想想,星期四再開(kāi)會(huì)最后決定。
A: 大家認(rèn)為,現(xiàn)在可能是the beginning of an economic recovery, 整體經(jīng)濟(jì)開(kāi)始復(fù)蘇的時(shí)候, 公司應(yīng)該利用這個(gè)時(shí)機(jī),Play hardball, 大膽采取行動(dòng),畢竟,nothing ventured, nothing gained, 不擔(dān)風(fēng)險(xiǎn),就不會(huì)有收獲。
B: Exactly. All decisions come with risks. I can hardly think of a real "safe bet" in life.
A: 可不,人生哪兒有能百分之百打保票的事兒呢? That's way they say life is an adventure! 我就有冒險(xiǎn)精神,在人生的賭桌上,我不會(huì)輕易被嚇倒!
B: 楊琳, I didn't know you had a gambler's appetite. 我想下面這個(gè)節(jié)目你準(zhǔn)喜歡,講的是賭馬!
A: 太好了! 趕快來(lái)聽(tīng)“體育美語(yǔ)”!
American sports English: Betting on horse racing
P: Hey, Yang Chen, Can I borrow a few bucks?
Y: Borrow money? 當(dāng)然沒(méi)問(wèn)題。But why?
P: I put all my money down on the horse race, but the horse I bet on didn't win.
Y: Betting on horse racing, 賭馬? Hey, young man, you really shouldn't gamble.
P: You sound like my mother. Well, I usually don't bet on horse racing; but this time I figured if I made a bet on this horse, I'd have a very good shot at making some money, Yang Chen.
Y: 你為什么覺(jué)得自己have a very good shot贏錢(qián)的機(jī)率很大?
P: The horse I bet on has won two races, so I thought it would be a safe bet. I don't want to lose my money.
Y: A safe bet,保險(xiǎn)的賭注? Haha, 真好笑。If you gamble, you have to take chances. 敢于冒險(xiǎn)。
P: I guess so.
Y: 你看我, I placed my money on the dark horse. 那匹本來(lái)不被人看好的黑馬,結(jié)果我贏了一大筆。
P: Oh - wait a minute, you bet on horse racing too? I thought you were against any form of betting or gambling.
Y: 小聲點(diǎn)。小心別人聽(tīng)見(jiàn)。
P: OK. I will tell people you didn't bet on horse racing.
And may I ask how much did you win?
Y: Two thousand dollars.
P: That's exactly how much I lost.
Y: 真的?看來(lái)得分給你一半兒才公平。Here is half.
P: That's very kind of you. Are you sure you want to share the money with me?
Y: You bet.
P: Don't even mention the word "bet". I'm done with betting!!!
I'm going to the library now to study for my exam.....
Y: Hey, Patrick, 下星期還有賽馬。 Let's bet on it.
P: You scare me, Yang Chen, I think you are turning into a gambler.
B: 看吧,賭馬有風(fēng)險(xiǎn),掏錢(qián)需謹(jǐn)慎!
A: 沒(méi)錯(cuò)! Actually, I don't like gambling, 我并不喜歡賭博,But I'm willing to take chances in life! 我作人是敢于冒險(xiǎn)的!
B: Good luck, 冒險(xiǎn)家!
A: Thanks! 好了,今天的節(jié)目時(shí)間差不多了。這次的撰稿人是曉北,編輯是蔚然。同學(xué)們,我們下次的美語(yǔ)訓(xùn)練班再見(jiàn)!
B: Bye!