美語訓練班056

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Jessica 在北京學漢語，她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞，就會來請教他。今天是吳瓊要問的：宅男宅女。

Jessica: Wuqiong, 聽說你表妹從上海來看你了，怎么樣， Are you two getting along?

wq: 唉，她哪是來看我。整天待在家里，根本不理我，每天就知道上網(wǎng)，看電視，也不出去玩兒。標準的宅女! 像這種特別“宅”的人，在美語里叫什

么?

Jessica: I think you can call them "homebodies". A homebody is a person who prefers to stay at home and seldom goes out.

wq: homebody? home 就是家的意思，body 是身體，兩個詞連在一起---身體長在家里了，就是homebody! 宅男宅女! My cousin is totally a homebody! 哈哈，我回家要告訴她這句話!

Jessica: Well, you can also call her a "shut-in". s-h-u-t, shut; i-n, in--shut-in.

wq: 哦，shut-in也是指不愿意出門和別人交往的宅男宅女! 我要告訴我表妹，Don't be a shut-in! Go out and get some fresh air!

Jessica: 對! 讓她出去轉(zhuǎn)轉(zhuǎn)，不然，Her brain will rot if she stays home and stares at a screen all the time!

wq: 啊?r-o-t, rot 不是腐爛么?Her brain will rot 就是“她腦子要發(fā)霉”的意思吧?

Jessica: That's right! Being a couch potato isn't healthy.

wq: 沒錯。couch potato， 沙發(fā)土豆，就是一天到晚賴在沙發(fā)上看電視的人。每天不運動，變得圓滾滾的，跟個potato--大土豆一樣!

Jessica: I'm sure your cousin doesn't wan to look like a potato! Now, tell me what you've learned today!

wq: 第一，宅男宅女叫 homebody, 或者 shut-in;

第二，一天到晚坐在沙發(fā)上看電視的人叫 couch potato;

第三，說腦子要發(fā)霉了，就是Your brain will rot!

B: See楊琳，if you become a homebody, then you'll probably become a couch potato, too....

A: 然后就會長肉!! 太可怕了太可怕了。不過我也不是每天都在家，你看上周我就去了華盛頓的使館之旅，就是每個國家的大使館都對公眾開放，特別好玩!

B: Oh fun! I bet you learned about a whole bunch of different cultures and customs!

A: I sure did, plus I tasted tons of different foods from around the world! 說到這，在今天的美語三級跳里，我們就再去領(lǐng)略一下不同文化!

B: Let's listen!

Culture: Advanced

今天我們?yōu)槟コ?ldquo;美語三級跳”節(jié)目“社會文化”單元的高級課程。

Professor: Today we're learning some words for talking about "affirmative action" programs in the US. Winnie, if a college or business has an affirmative action program, that means it gives preference to minority students, who have traditionally been underprivileged in American society.

嗯，這個我聽說過。美國的"Affirmative action"， 平權(quán)法案，要求對少數(shù)族裔人口實行入學、就業(yè)方面的優(yōu)惠政策。我想，這個政策應該是為了幫助少數(shù)族裔，改善他們的社會地位，可難免也會引發(fā)一些不滿和爭議吧?

Professor: Yes, it has been quite controversial. Let's see what Will and Jane have to say about it.

Will: So Jane, where do you go to college?

Jane: I'm at the University of California, in Los Angeles. It's a great school academically, but also because it gives me the chance to meet people of all different nationalities, races and backgrounds.

Will: Yeah, US colleges have become much more diverse ever since affirmative action policies were put in place. But even though that's a good thing, some people still gripe about them.

Jane: Of course, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding them. After all, affirmative action is a pretty blunt instrument for helping disadvantaged groups improve their lives.

Professor Bowman, 什么叫 gripe?

Professor: To gripe is to complain about something. For example, the employees at every company I've worked at have always griped about how rich the boss is, even though they make good salaries.

哦，gripe, g-r-i-p-e, gripe, 就是“抱怨”的意思。 Will 說，雖然平權(quán)政策使很多少數(shù)族裔學生得到了上大學的機會，提升了美國大學校園的多樣性，但還是有人對這個政策不滿。對了，Jane說，平權(quán)法案是個 blunt instrument，Professor, 這是什么意思呢?

Professor: Winnie, a "blunt instrument" is a method that uses too much force, so that, in achieving your aim, it also causes some harm or trouble. For example, "War is a very blunt instrument for settling disputes between countries. It's better to resolve them through careful negotiations."

我明白了，blunt instrument就是“生硬的方法”，用這種方法做事，往往事倍功半，效果不佳。

Will: Why do you think some people are opposed to affirmative action?

Jane: A lot of people think we no longer need affirmative action, and that it's unfair. If two people apply for a job, should one be given better treatment because of his or her skin color?

Will: I see your point. But many of the poor people in American society are minorities. I think we should try to give them a leg up.

Jane: True, but there are lots of poor people who aren't minorities too. Shouldn't they get help too?

Will: I agree that it isn't a perfect solution, but it's a pretty good way of leveling the playing field.

聽起來Will很支持平權(quán)法案，他說，美國很多窮人都是少數(shù)族裔，平權(quán)法案可以give them a leg up--助他們一臂之力，使他們獲得一些優(yōu)勢。

Professor: That's right. Will also says he thinks that affirmative action policies are a good way of "leveling the playing field".

對，level the playing field 就是說為大家提供公平賽場，讓所有人站在同樣的起點上。Will覺得，平權(quán)法案雖然并不完美，但至少縮小了白人和有色人種之間的社會差距。

Jane: You know, I think one thing that everybody can agree on is that we should live in a world where affirmative action isn't necessary.

Will: I totally agree. When each person has the same opportunities in life, regardless of his or her skin color, the world will definitely be a better place.

Jane: Hey Will ..... just a suggestion, but can we talk about something less serious? All this talk of religion and discrimination isn't what I had in mind for a first date.

Will: Well sure .... we can talk about something light and fun. What do you think about global warming?

Jane: Waiter, can you bring the check please?

哈哈，Jane終于受不了了! Will盡和她談這些嚴肅話題，讓他換個輕松點的，他居然會想到 global warming--全球暖化!怪不得Jane急著給錢走人!

Professor: Yup, sounds like Will made a pretty bad move.

A: 這個Will可真無聊，約會非要談這些嚴肅的話題，我看他們也不會再一起出去了!

B: Yeah, you bet. That IS a boring date, and believe me, I know about boring dates...

A: 哎呀，不過我還是在想，你請假出去玩了，就沒人跟我耍貧嘴了，真無聊! I will have a lot of bad, boring days!

B: 哈哈，那可不! I'm the sunshine that brings you happiness every day! Kidding kidding. 好了，剛才你談到a bad day, 咱們下面就去聽聽Harry講講他倒霉的一天!