A: 歡迎來到美語訓(xùn)練班! 我是楊琳!
B: 我是 Kat! 楊琳,快說說今天教什么!
A:今天,咱們要聊聊駭客,木馬病毒,要去公園里看可愛的孩子們,要去打籃球,還要教大家怎么說“團(tuán)購”和“坐立不安”。
B: 團(tuán)購?I like it!
A: 一聽買東西你就興奮!咱們還是先來
學(xué)個詞兒吧!
Learn A Word #1377 dry up
今天我們要學(xué)的詞是 dry up. Dry is spelled d-r-y,dry; and up, u-p, up; dry up. Dry up, 意思是耗盡,用光。今年年初開始的阿拉伯革命目前的焦點集中在敘利亞,隨著西方國家的制裁,As cash starts to dry up, more Syrians see that the current regime is not sustainable. 隨著政府資金被耗盡,越來越多的敘利亞人意識到目前的政權(quán)難以為繼。維基解秘網(wǎng)站由于資金不足,暫時停止了發(fā)布解密文件。Wikileaks ended its publication of leaked documents after funds dried up. 加拿大中央銀行行長最近表示,Global liquidity is about to dry up again, and the real economy will soon feel the impact. 全球資產(chǎn)將再次耗盡,經(jīng)濟體將很快受到影響。好的,今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是dry up, dry up, dry up.
A: dry up, 耗盡。剛才節(jié)目中說的都是資金用光,我可不可以用dry up形容一個人靈感枯竭,沒主意了呢?
B: Of course! For example, you can say the author's inspiration dried up after his first novel.
A: 這個作家在出了第一本小說后就靈感枯竭了?
B: That's right!
A:寫東西可不容易,我以前也一時興起想寫小說,可寫著寫著就寫不下去了,My ideas dried up! That was so frustrating! 我只好放棄了當(dāng)作家的夢。
B:You shouldn't have! You probably just ran into writer's block. It'll go away if you don't give up.
A:Writer's block? 哦,就是寫作是遇到的瓶頸吧!嗯,看來我今天回家要把我的大作重新整理一下,沒準(zhǔn)能有新靈感!
B: Good luck! I'd like to be your first reader!
A: That's really nice of you, Kat! 好了,咱們繼續(xù)聽節(jié)目吧! Let's listen to Popular American.
Popular American 387 dressed to kill, ants in the pants
各位聽眾,現(xiàn)在播送《流行美語》。今天 Larry 和李華要去參加暑期實習(xí)工作的面試,兩個人都很緊張。李華會學(xué)到兩個常用語:dressed to kill 和 ants in your pants。
LH: Larry! 你來啦! 坐這吧, 我留了位子給你。
LL: Thank you Li Hua. Wow...you're really dressed to kill today.
LH: Dressed to kill...我看起來很像殺人犯嗎?
LL: No! Absolutely not. Dressed to kill means you're so well dressed that people will be unable to take their eyes off you.
LH: 喔. 你是說我打扮的很搶眼嗎? 呵呵, 謝謝啦~ Your dress kills too!
LL: Mmm...we generally don't say a person's dress kills. You have to say a person is dressed to kill. This means the way they have dressed is bound to kill people because it is so eye catching.
LH: 喔, 我懂了,應(yīng)該說一個人 is dressed to kill. 因為穿得太搶眼了,看到的人都會吃驚得昏過去,就好像是這個人把他們殺死了一樣,是這樣嗎?
LL: You can put it that way! How about we practice a bit? How would you say I am well dressed?
LH: Larry, you are dressed to kill!
LL: Thank you. That's how you use the phrase. So are you Li Hua!
LH: 可是我好緊張喔... 你看,我腳都在抖呢!
LL: Wow. You're right. It's like you have ants in your pants!
LH: 我哪有...沒有螞蟻啊...
LL: To have ants in your pants means you're really nervous and anxious, unable to sit still.
LH: To have ants in your pants 是指一個人很緊張,坐立難安,就好像有螞蟻在褲子里爬來爬去的。啊...我的確是這樣...Larry, how come you don't have ants in your pants? 難道你不緊張嗎?
LL: Haha. It's okay to say someone has ants in their pants, but it's a bit awkward to say someone doesn't.
LH: 你說, to have ants in your pants 不適合反過來說? 所以不能說 you don't have ants in your pants. 不過 Larry, 你看起來一點也不緊張耶,you look so cool and collected.
LL: That's because I'm dressed to kill. So I don't have to worry about first impressions. And I also spent three hours practicing the interview yesterday. I'm pretty sure I got this.
LH: 哇, 你昨天練習(xí)了三個小時啊?? 我都沒練習(xí),怎么辦??
LL: It's okay. You are also dressed to kill today! Just remember to smile and sound as professional and as natural as possible.
LH: 你要我保持微笑, 然后說話自然,表現(xiàn)出專業(yè)水準(zhǔn)嗎? 好,那我試試。Larry, 問我一個問題吧!
LL: Can you give me an example of an American slang and make a sentence with it?
LH: Sure. I will talk about "ants in your pants". Umm umm...I'm so nervous that I get ants in my pants! 我不行了,Larry.
LL: Haha, relax Li Hua. You actually made a correct sentence!
LH: 咦, 我造句造對了嗎? 好險...
LL: Do you feel a little more confident now?
LH: 好像真的感覺好多了耶...
LL: See? You shouldn't worry too much. That's the only thing that's stopping you from doing well.
LH: 好,反正現(xiàn)在還有時間,你再問我一個問題吧!
LL: Okay, Li Hua. Can you explain what it means when a person is dressed to kill?
LH: When a person is dressed to kill, it means that person has dressed up in such a fashionable or professional way that he or she attracts everyone's attention.
LL: Very good! That's a good definition too. I think you got this, Li Hua!
LH: 是嗎...那就好。
LH: 啊, 輪到我了!
LL: Good luck, Li Hua!
各位聽眾,今天李華從 Larry 那兒學(xué)到兩個常用語,一個是 dressed to kill, 表示“打扮得十分搶眼”;另一個是 ants in your pants, 代表“坐立難安”。這次《流行美語》播送完了,謝謝收聽,下次節(jié)目再見。
A:我最喜歡去面試了,Although I always have ants in my pants before the interview!
B: So why do you like going to interviews?
A:因為去面試就要dressed to kill,這樣就有借口給自己買新衣服啦!
B:Haha. That's very convincing! But buying clothes can easily dry up your money!
A: 是啊,所以咱們得 look for deals!
B: 比如團(tuán)購!
A: 沒錯!下面就來聽聽團(tuán)購用美語怎么說!
How to say it 49: Group buying
Kat 在北京學(xué)漢語,她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞,就會來請教她。今天是吳瓊要問的:團(tuán)購。
WQ: KAT, 我這里有一些螃蟹和大蝦,你想要么?
KAT: Of course! I love sea food!
WQ: 去我家拿吧! 全給你,不要錢!
KAT: Wow...Wuqiong, that's really nice of you! Are you sure you don't want them?
WQ: 你不知道,這些都是我團(tuán)購買來的,太多了,吃不了! 我還有餐券,電影票,健身卡,都是團(tuán)購來的,好多都快到期了,我又沒時間去。對了,“團(tuán)購”在美語里怎么說呢?
KAT: It's called "group buying." It is a very popular marketing gimmick now. A lot of my friends back in the U.S. are just as obsessed with group buying as you are!
WQ: 呵呵,我的確是個“團(tuán)購控”! 不過你剛才說 Group buying is a marketing gimmick, 什么是gimmick?
KAT: Gimmick, g-i-m-m-i-c-k, gimmick, 是花招,噱頭。I call group buying a gimmick because it's used by retailers to attract more people to buy products of mediocre quality and popularity.
WQ: 你說得有道理。團(tuán)購是個促銷的花招,一般推出團(tuán)購的都是小店,新店,團(tuán)購的東西也不是什么名牌搶手貨。I don't think I can ever get a discount on LV purses through group buying.
KAT: That's right. In that sense, group buying is just another form of price war.
WQ: Price war? 價格戰(zhàn)?
KAT: 對。People use group buying because they want the discount. They want to buy things at a lower price.
WQ: 對,其實這和返券、打折差不多,都是商家在打價格戰(zhàn)。不過,我也不傻,等他們把價格升上去了,我就不買了,就去找新的團(tuán)購貨!
KAT: Haha, that's exactly how you became a group buying maniac! 好了,說說你今天都學(xué)了什么吧!
WQ: 第一:團(tuán)購是group buying
第二:花招,噱頭是gimmick;
第三:價格戰(zhàn)是price war.
B:Yeah! Let the price war begin! Let the market be flooded with deals!
A:哈哈,真是購物狂的心聲!
B: Remember the great deal we got on this year's Black Friday?
A:Of course! Two sweaters for 5 dollars! 五塊錢兩件毛衣!
B: Yeah! 太值??!
A: 不過 Kat, 那個團(tuán)購有那么多人參加,不會過幾天咱們走在路上,看到周圍的人都穿著和咱們一樣的毛衣吧?那不成工作服了么!
B: Ah Oh, I never thought about that!
A:呃,反正咱倆協(xié)調(diào)好,別同時穿一樣的衣服。
B: 哈哈! Why not? We can be twins!
A:好了好了,咱們繼續(xù)聽節(jié)目吧。美語三級跳!
GoEnglish: Play Date: Beginner
各位聽眾,大家好!今天我們?yōu)槟コ?ldquo;美語三級跳”節(jié)目“帶孩子”單元的初級課程。
MC: Hannah帶女兒Amber到公園里玩,和另外一個媽媽聊了起來。
Professor: That's right, Winnie. Some parents like to take their children to the park so they can meet other parents and talk. When you have kids, you don't have time to go to parties anymore.
MC: ???有了孩子就沒時間去參加派對,只能到公園里和別的家長聊天解悶兒?。窟@也太慘了!
Hannah: Hello, I'm Hannah. Are you the mother of one of the kids here?
Stephanie: Hello, I'm Stephanie. Yes, my son Charlie is playing soccer over there.
Hannah: Is he the tall, thin boy wearing the blue shirt?
Stephanie: That's right. Which child is yours?
Professor: Winnie, what is Stephanie's son doing?
MC: Stephanie的兒子Charlie正在踢足球。
Professor: Yes, and what does he look like?
MC: 他高高瘦瘦的,穿著一件藍(lán)色的上衣。
Professor: Right. Now let's find out who Hannah's child is.
Hannah: My daughter Amber is the child wearing the red shirt over there by the swings.
Stephanie: Oh yes, I see her. She looks very nice! Maybe we should get them together for a play date and they can be friends.
Hannah: Great idea! I want to go to a movie tomorrow night with my husband, so I'll drop Amber off at your house.
Stephanie: Well ... OK. But usually both parents take care of the children on a play date.
Hannah: You take care of them tomorrow night, and I'll take care of them another time.
Professor: So Winnie, why does Stephanie want to set up a play date?
MC: play date 就是家長定個時間,把孩子帶到一起玩兒。Stephanie 看來是個好媽媽,她想讓孩子多交朋友,所以提議給Charlie和Amber定個play date.
Professor: That's right. But does Hannah have a different reason for setting up a play date?
MC: Hannah馬上表示,愿意讓兩個孩子去 play date,可她目的不純,為的是把女兒扔給 Stephanie 照看,自己好去跟老公看電影!
Hannah: So Stephanie, what will the children do at your house?
Stephanie: They can play together and have fun. Charlie likes to watch TV.
Hannah: Oh no! Amber likes to read. Can you read a book to her?
Stephanie: Uh ... I think on a play date, the kids should play and have fun.
Hannah: Well alright. I'll drop Amber off at your house at 8pm.
MC: 這個Hannah真過份。她不僅把孩子扔給Stephanie照料,居然還要求人家給自己的女兒讀故事!
Professor: Yes, but what does Stephanie say?
MC: Stephanie 說, 在play date的時候,孩子們應(yīng)該一起玩兒,而不要各玩兒各的。
Stephanie: Well I know Charlie will have fun playing with Amber.
Hannah: Yes, I'm sure they will. Hey look! They're playing soccer together. Isn't that great?
Stephanie: Yes it is....Wait, oh my gosh! Amber just hit Charlie!
Hannah: I'm sure it was just an accident.
Stephanie: Oh no! She just stole his soccer ball and is running away! Forget about the play date! Keep your mean kid away from Charlie!
MC: 真是有其母必有其女,原來Amber 和她媽媽一樣霸道,居然打Charlie,還搶走了人家的足球。
Professor: And what did Hannah say?
MC: Hannah 狡辯,說是孩子不小心,誰知 Stephanie 根本不買她的賬。Professor Bowman, 你看,有孩子多麻煩,不知道什么時候就會給家長惹事。
Professor: Well, if you are a good parent your kids won't misbehave, right?
MC: Kids are kids, professor.
言歸正傳,這下子,play date告吹了。Hannah要想看電影,只好雇個臨時保姆來看孩子了。Amber 可不是個聽話的乖孩子,照顧她真要格外小心。
Professor: Well listen next time to learn about hiring a babysitter.
MC: Like daughter like mother! 有其母必有其女!這母女倆都夠可以的!
Professor: Yeah. I don't think this play date is going to happen.
A: 是啊,誰愿意讓自己孩子跟個小霸王一起玩兒啊?
B: That's right. And if that's the case, Hannah's plan of dumping her daughter on other people so that she can go to the movies will not work.
A: 除非她打算把孩子帶到電影院去。
B: Oh, No! Children in the movie theater means disaster!
A:呵呵,是啊,吵死了!好啦,下集節(jié)目我們再看Hannah打算怎么對付她女兒,現(xiàn)在,咱們來聽禮節(jié)美語。