禮節(jié)美語 Taking up Golf I
Mark在公司門口看見同事Robert.
Mark: Hey Robert...going on vacation? Looks like you're planning on doing some golfing.
Robert: Yes, I will be playing golf, but I'm not going on vacation. I'm meeting up our New York office's senior management team. We'll be playing a few rounds and going over the merger plans.
M: Really? So when did you take up the sport?
R: Around two years ago I began to realize that if I could get on the golf course with other senior executives, it could open a lot of doors for me. At first I didn't really enjoy it, but now I'm almost a golf fanatic.
Robert要跟紐約辦公室的高層主管打高爾夫 play a few rounds,同時(shí)討論并購(gòu)的事。
Mark 問他是什么時(shí)候開始打高爾夫球的,這里用的動(dòng)詞是 take up, to take up sth. 意思是開始做某件事情。Robert說,他兩年前開始覺得,打高爾夫 could open a lot of doors for me. 可以幫助自己打開很多大門,得到更多機(jī)會(huì)。Robert說,他剛開始打的時(shí)候也不太喜歡,但現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)快變成 golf fanatic 了。fanatic is spelled f-a-n-a-t-i-c, fanatic 是指對(duì)某件事瘋狂的人,比如,a jazz fanatic 爵士樂迷,a basketball fanatic 籃球迷。Mark 聽后說:
M: I see. So you meet a lot of business executives on the course, huh?
R: Yeah, definitely. It's a good way to network.
M: Isn't golf really expensive?
R: To be perfectly honest, golf is a bit of a status symbol...and yes...it can be an expensive game. There are green fees, caddy fees and charges for renting the golf cart.
M: But the business opportunities are worth it.
R: Absolutely. I read somewhere that a high percentage of senior business executives play golf.
M: It sounds like it's almost mandatory to learn golf if you want to climb the corporate ladder.
Robert 說自己在高爾夫球場(chǎng)上能遇到很多商業(yè)界高層主管。這里說的 on the course 指的就是 golf course. It's a good way to network. 打高爾夫球是認(rèn)識(shí)人,積累人脈的好辦法,network在這里是動(dòng)詞,意思是建立人際關(guān)系。打高爾夫球確實(shí)需要錢,要交 green fees球場(chǎng)費(fèi);caddy fees球童費(fèi),cart rental fees 租車費(fèi),但是能認(rèn)識(shí)更多的人,得到更多機(jī)會(huì),還是值得的。Mark說,看來,如果想在企業(yè)里升遷 climb the corporate ladder 就必須學(xué)打高爾夫球。
R: Networking is a big plus....but I think another reason executives enjoy the golf course is that it gives them an excuse to get out in the fresh air and connect with nature.
M: I can understand that. If you turn off your cell phone or Blackberry you can hear birds chirping and enjoy a fresh breeze. It's a nice break from a hectic office.
R: It is a good way to recharge, but you're right: golf primarily is a social sport. You get a chance to talk and get to know people on a different level on the golf course than you do in the boardroom.
公司高層愿意出去打高爾夫球,除了建立人脈以外,也是為了能離開 hectic office 忙碌的辦公室,投入大自然的懷抱,It's a good way to recharge. 是個(gè)充電的好辦法。Robert 覺得,高爾夫主要還是一種 social sport 社交型運(yùn)動(dòng),讓你在董事會(huì)議事廳以外,換個(gè)環(huán)境,換個(gè)層面,在高爾夫球場(chǎng)上去彼此了解。
B: I tried golf once, but I'm not a huge fan. I think it's just SO S-L-O-W.. and plus it's relatively expensive compared to other sports!
A: Maybe you should try again when you are older! You are too young to see the beauty of golf! 好啦,說完高爾夫,咱們?cè)偃チ私庖粋€(gè)體育用語,爆冷門!
Jessica 在北京學(xué)漢語,她的中國(guó)朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞,就會(huì)來請(qǐng)教她。今天是Jimmy要問的:爆冷門
Jimmy: Jessica, 昨天看學(xué)校的足球比賽了嗎?爆了個(gè)大冷門兒,法學(xué)院居然輸給了商學(xué)院,哎,這大冷門怎么說啊?
Jessica:冷門?
Jimmy:哦,對(duì)啊,就是鐵定會(huì)輸?shù)年?duì),最后居然打贏了。
Jessica: Oh, in English we call that an upset.
Jimmy: Upset? 那不是不高興的意思嗎?
Jessica: That's true. 做形容詞的時(shí)候,重音在后面,是 upset (emphasis on the second syllable), 指不高興,但是做名詞,重音在前面,upset (emphasis on the first syllable), it means an unexpected win.
Jimmy: 哦,我明白了,中文里的爆冷門,在英文里就是 upset. 那原來大家都以為法學(xué)院會(huì)贏,這種賽前被看好的球隊(duì)美語里叫什么?
Jessica: Easy. That team's called the favorite.
Jimmy: 這么說,The law school team was the favorite to win the game. 法學(xué)院足球隊(duì)本來是被看好的熱門球隊(duì)。
Jessica: That's right. You can also refer to the team that was expected to lose as the underdog.
Jimmy: Underdog. under后面加上dog, underdog 就是在比賽里實(shí)力比較差的一方。這么說,我們中文系的排球隊(duì),不論跟誰比賽,都是 underdog.
Jessica: Jimmy!Isn't your girlfriend Rachel the team captain?
Jimmy: 唉,別提了...That's why I always cheer for the underdog...
Jessica: hehe.....言歸正傳,What did you learn today?
Jimmy: 第一,爆冷門叫 upset,重音在前面; 第二,賽前被看好的一方叫 favorite,第三,賽前不被看好的一方叫 underdog.
Jessica: 不錯(cuò),我也學(xué)了個(gè)詞兒--upset 叫作“冷門”。
次的“美語怎么說”就到這里結(jié)束了。如果你也有不會(huì)說的詞,請(qǐng)寫信給Jessica, 電郵請(qǐng)寄[email protected]
A: 我也來給大家舉個(gè)例子。In our kongfu competition, I was the favorite, and Kat was considered the underdog...
B: 大家不要忘記,the competition was a huge upset! I WON!
A: 哈哈哈,oops! 我怎么忘了比賽結(jié)果啦! (笑) 好啦,這次節(jié)目時(shí)間就到這里。同學(xué)們,如果你對(duì)我們的節(jié)目有什么建議,或者想提什么問題,請(qǐng)發(fā)電子郵件到[email protected].
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!