VOA英语教学：美语训练班 103

 　　A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

　　B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么!
　　A: Sure! 今天，我们要一起来看看一个汽车公司怎么挽回召回汽车的影响，聊聊人与人相处要互相宽容，还要告诉你如何和远方的朋友保持联系!
　　B:  I know, long distance is the enemy of any relationship. No matter whether its friendship or romance...
　　A: 那也不是啊! 我跟我高中大学朋友都好着呢! 我们中间隔着个太平洋，感情还是一样好!
　　B: Maybe.....or maybe they are just humoring you!
　　A: 好了, 咱们等会再来聊这个，先来进入第一个单元...
　　B: Learn a word!
　　Learn A Word  1705 chore
　　今天我们要学的词是 chore. Chore is spelled c-h-o-r-e, chore. Chore 家务事。Britons consider cleaning the oven one of the worst chores. 英国人觉得，清理烤箱是最烦人的家务活之一。美国华盛顿大学的一项研究显示，Couples who shared the burden of chores tend to have the least active sex lives. 分担家务事的夫妻性生活最少。一家英国法律事务所的研究发现，Most marriages break down over mundane arguments about who does household chores or pays the bills, rather than due to infidelity. 大多数婚姻都是因为谁该做家务，谁该付账单这些琐事引起的争执，而不是婚外情而破裂的。好的，今天我们学习的词是 chore, chore, chore...
　　A: Most marriages break down over mundane arguments. 所以说啊，100件小事加起来，就成了两个人分开的原因。
　　B: I know what you mean. Marriage is not only about love and passion, it's also about having the same values and similar life styles.
　　A: 没错! But sometimes you need to be more tolerant and open-minded. If it's not something that is a complete deal breaker for you then my attitude is to live and let live.
　　B: That's a great piece of advice! Hey, you just mention a very good term, live and let live, we need to check it out!
　　A: Let's listen to today's words and idioms!
　　Words and Idioms  827 Live and Let Live
　　美国习惯用语第 827讲
　　我这个人特别喜欢整齐，不论是在办公室里，还是在家里，我都会收拾得有条有理，东西的摆放也有一定之规。不过，坐在我旁边的 Emma 跟我截然不同，她桌上永远堆得乱糟糟的。老板好几次提醒她赶紧收拾干净，可我倒是觉得，我们应该
　　M: Live and let live. Live is spelled l-i-v-e. Live-and-let-live. Live and let live.
　　live 是生活的意思，Live and let live 自己活也让别人活，换句话说，就是要相互宽容，互不干扰。Emma 的风格跟我截然不同，但我觉得，这也没什么不好，要让我说，就应该 Live and let live，只要她自己喜欢，又不会影响到别人，那就应该给人家自由。
　　在下面这个例子里，一个男子谈到自己的姐姐时说，
　　M: "My sister is raising her adopted son as a single parent. While that wouldn't be my preference, I'm not about to criticize her. My attitude has always been LIVE AND LET LIVE. I accept people as they are even though they may do things differently from the way I do."
　　他说： 我姐姐自己一个人，抚养抱来的儿子。虽然我不会选择这么做，但是我也不会对她横加指责。我始终觉得，各人有各人的生活，大家应该相互包容，虽然别人的行事规则可能跟我不同，但我还是会毫无保留地接受他们。
　　前不久，我到麻萨诸塞州去开会。那里是美国著名学府哈佛大学的所在地，但是如今，麻萨诸塞也是美国第一个承貌7b同性恋婚姻合法化的州。由此可见，当地人是相当开明的，对同性恋的生活方式采取了包容的态度，这就叫 live and let live；他们认为，任何人都有权选择自己的生活方式。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。
　　M: "My sister is raising her adopted son as a single parent. While that wouldn't be my preference, I'm not about to criticize her. My attitude has always been LIVE AND LET LIVE. I accept people as they are even though they may do things differently from the way I do."
　　刚才我们说到同性恋婚姻合法化在美国引起的争议。其实，前些年，在公共场所禁止吸烟的法律也曾引起过激烈的辩论，但是如今，已经越来越普及了。记者在下面这则健康新闻里报道说，
　　M: "Should smoking be allowed in places like offices and restaurants? Most Americans used to have a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude about it. But more have become far less tolerant. That's because research clearly shows that when smokers light up, they can create serious health problems for nearby non-smokers."
　　报道说： 办公室和餐厅里应该允许吸烟吗？以前，大多数美国人都对吸烟持有一种包容的态度，但是如今，拒绝采取包容态度的人已经越来越多了，因为科学研究结果明确显示，吸烟不仅对烟民本人有害，也会伤害到待在旁边的非吸烟者。
　　这就是大家都知道的二手烟，在英语里叫 second-hand smoke，对非吸烟者间接造成伤害，因此，主张在公共场所禁止吸烟的人现在越来越多了。你的态度如何？是赞成在公共场所禁烟？还是主张 live and let live 呢？好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。
　　M: "Should smoking be allowed in places like offices and restaurants? Most Americans used to have a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude about it. But more have become far less tolerant. That's because research clearly shows that when smokers light up, they can create serious health problems for nearby non-smokers."
　　每个人都会有一些自己难以容忍的事情。就说我老公吧，我家邻居 Browns 夫妇对自己房子的保养特别不注意，外面一层油漆已经开始脱落，门口的台阶也已经开始腐烂，更要命的是，他们已经一个多月没有割草了，院子里凌乱不堪。对此，我老公的态度绝对不是 live and let live，他的理由是，一栋房子缺乏保养，会影响到我们整个社区的形象和居住环境。
　　好的，这次 美国习惯用语 就到此结束了。
　　M: Until next time.
　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.
　　A: 我这次到Boston去，也感受到了那里的自由! People are very open-minded, they have the live and let live attitude!
　　B: Yeah, Massachusetts is the first state that allowed same sex marriage. so I'm not surprised.
　　A: But the friend who drove us there, his car got recalled right after we came back! The company said the passenger's air bag is known to have problems deploying! 想起来好后怕呀!
　　B: I'm glad you are OK! Wait...am I glad? (A: You!) Hahaha, yeah I agree, car recalls can be terrifying! Actually, that is what we are going to talk about in today's business etiquette, let's see what we can learn from it!
　　礼节美语  BE-227 A Product Recall I
　　公司主管开会，执行总裁Rick说：
　　Rick: The Board of Directors has come to a decision. Our company will take an image hit, and it's going to be very expensive, but it seems we have no other choice but to start a recall. Samantha, would you care to explain a bit more.
　　Samantha: A year ago we began receiving reports that several of the air conditioner models we manufacture can sometimes overheat. In very rare circumstances this overheating might lead to electrical fires. So far there have been three fires that may be connected to our air conditioning units.
　　R: Unfortunately, one person was seriously injured. Therefore, even though there is no definitive proof linking our ACs to these fires, we decided to take action immediately.
　　Samantha 介绍说，公司生产的几款空调发生过overheat--机身温度过热的现象，可能起火，到目前为止，至少有三起火灾怀疑跟他们公司生产的空调有关，还有一人受重伤。执行总裁Rick说，虽然没有definitive proof，确凿证据， 但公司董事会还是决定立即采取行动，start a recall. 召回相关型号的空调。recall is spelled r-e-c-a-l-l, recall 是召回有问题产品的意思。这样做不仅会有不小的经济损失，而且还要 take an image hit. 公司形象也会受到打击。Hank 问：
　　Hank: How many units are we talking about here? And what is this going to cost us?
　　R: We will be recalling over 15,000 air-conditioners. The company will refit them with new thermal sensors and stronger wiring.
　　S: As far as costs go, we estimate the company will lose well over $6 million dollars.
　　H: Six million??! But we're not even sure we're responsible. Is a recall really the best way to go?
　　R: I believe that from both a business perspective and a moral perspective, a recall is necessary.
　　S: I think Rick is right. If there's even a chance that our products could cause injuries we have a responsibility to step in.
　　公司估计要召回一万五千台空调，召回的产品改用更耐热的电线，还要安装 thermal sensors 热感应器，经济损失将超过六百万美元。公司执行总裁Rick和主管Samantha都觉得，不论是从商业角度还是从道义角度出发，只要公司产品可能跟火灾的发生有一点关联，他们也有义务step in--站出来。
　　R: Even if we look at it purely from a financial standpoint, six million dollars spent fixing any possible errors is definitely cheaper that being defendants in a lawsuit where somebody was seriously injured or killed.
　　H: So what's the procedure?
　　S: Next Monday we will issue a press release explaining that  even though there are no definitive links between our products and fires--we want to be good corporate citizens and have therefore decided to err on the side of caution.
　　Rick 补充说，即使单纯从经济角度出发，花六百万美元修补产品的缺陷也比被人告上法庭的花销小。产品召回的第一步是，下星期一公司先发一份news release新闻简报，说明公司立场，虽然没有确凿证据证明火灾和公司产品有关，但公司还是决定召回产品，to err on the side of caution，是“慎重起见，保险起见”的意思。新闻简报以后还有哪些措施呢？我们下次继续谈。
　　A: Rick的公司决定to err on the side of caution,  慎重起见，进行product recall, 产品召回，原因是他们生产的一款空调有过热起火的危险。公司总裁Rick说，这样不仅有经济风险，而且还会take an image hit, 公司形象也会受损失。
　　B: I think the company is making the right decision. Whenever there's a public disaster, the best thing to do is to take actions as soon as possible. That way the customers see you as being a responsible and moral company.
　　A:没错! 有时候，危机也是公关的好机会，借此塑造公司负责认真的好形象。Let's keep listen!
　　礼节美语  BE-228 A Product Recall II
　　公司主管开会，执行总裁Rick宣布，公司要召回一批质量有问题的空调，召回行动的第一步是发表新闻简报，Rick告诉公司另外两位高管Samantha和Hank说：
　　R: We will then specify the year and model of the ACs included in the recall and set up a web site for our vendors and customers.
　　H: We should probably set up a toll-free line as well.
　　R: Yes, that's a good idea, Hank.
　　S: The company will have to pay for advertisements in major newspapers that explain the recall.
　　H: Maybe I can speak to some of the members of the press I know and see if they're interested in doing a news story on this. I'm hoping to spin it in our favor by highlighting the fact that this is a precautionary measure.
　　新闻简报里要说明召回产品的出厂年份和型号，还要专门开设一个网站，方便销售商家和顾客咨询联系。Hank建议再开通一条 toll-free line 免费拨打的电话，他还主动提出，联系一些跟自己关系比较好的媒体，看看有没有人愿意发一篇报道，强调公司这次的产品召回是 a precautionary measure 预防性措施，从而 spin it in our favor. 让这件事朝对我们有利的方向发展。
　　S: You know, a lot of big companies have been forced to recall products, and as long as they are honest about what happened and proactive in trying to make it better, most people are pretty forgiving of mistakes.
　　R: Yes. I think people understand that no company is perfect. The main thing we have to avoid is giving the impression of any kind of cover-up.
　　H: That's right. If people believe we are being completely truthful we should be able to weather this storm.
　　很多大公司都曾遇到过被迫召回产品的事，只要公司对公众诚恳，并尽可能提前采取措施解决问题，一般都会得到公众的理解和原谅。Rick说，关键是不能让人觉得公司是在cover-up，掩盖些什么。Hank表示认同，只要公众觉得公司说的都是实话，we should be able to weather this storm. 我们就应该能渡过这次难关。to weather the storm 是渡过难关的意思。
　　R: I'm also going to order an inquiry into whether any safety measures were not heeded, or if anybody at our factory was trying to cut corners.
　　S: We will make the results of the inquiry public as well. We want to be as transparent and open as possible.
　　R: I want you to talk to all of your department heads and managers and explain our policy. If they know of any other mistakes or safety issues I want to hear about them. Heads will roll if I discover that anyone isn't following our strict quality standards.
　　H&S: Yes, sir.
　　Rick 还说，他准备就安全措施的执行情况展开调查，还要看工厂里有没有人偷工减料，to cut corners. Samantha补充道，调查结果最后也要对外公布，尽可能让整个程序做到公开透明。Rick 最后要Samantha和Hank回去把公司的决定传达给手下的部门主管和经理，发现问题要即时汇报，如果有人不严格执行公司的质量标准，heads will roll 意思是这样的人一定会受到严厉的处罚。
　　A: 你看吧! 任何事情都有两面性，把危机处理好了，这次召回危机倒成了他们公司树立形象的好机会! 所以说，犯了错误就得赶快承认!
　　B: Exactly, exactly, 杨琳。
　　A: What does that suppose to mean?
　　B: Nothing! Just a little reminder for you though, if you ever make a mistake, say you forget to bring me cupcakes or something, you should correct the mistake ASAP!
　　A: 美得你! 好了，这个话题就到这儿吧! 下面咱们再来学个词儿!
　　Learn A Word  1706 minimum
　　今天我们要学的词是 minimum. Minimum is spelled m-i-n-i-m-u-m, minimum. Minimum 最少的，最起码的。You need to keep a minimum balance of $250 in your checking account in order to avoid a monthly fee. 如果不想交月费，你活期帐户余额必须维持在250美元以上。In his State of the Union address, President Obama pushed to raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour. 美国总统奥巴马在国情咨文讲话中，主张将最低工资提高到每小时九美元。NBA对球员有年龄限制。Players can't enter the NBA draft until they are 19 or have played on a college team for a minimum of one season . 要参加NBA选秀，球员必须年满19岁，或是至少在大学校队里打过一个赛季。好的，今天我们学习的词是 minimum, minimum, minimum...
　　B: This reminds me of my first job. I was a waiter at a fancy French restaurant and I took the opportunity to learn some French and how to cook authentic French cuisine!
　　A:No wonder you cook so well!
　　B: I also made some really good friends! All the other waiters were students from Paris who were studying in the US.
　　A: Wow, cool! Are they still in the US? Can I go to that restaurant?
　　B: Of course you can! But unfortunately, I lost touch with all of them  when they eventually moved back to France.
　　A: I'm sorry....but as long as I can get authentic French food! 你刚才提到了个短语，lose touch， let's listen to today's words and idioms and find out what it means!
　　Words and Idioms  828 Lose Touch
　　美国习惯用语第 828讲
　　你有没有什么特别要好的朋友搬走的？最近，我从小一起长大的好朋友 Jamie 因为换工作，要举家搬到德克萨斯去，虽然不能象现在这样定期见面，但是我们两个人相互承诺，一定不会
　　M: Lose touch. Lose is spelled l-o-s-e, and touch; t-o-u-c-h. Lose-touch.
　　Lose touch.Lose 是丢失，失去的意思，touch 是接触的意思，Lose touch 就是逐渐失去联络。我知道 Jamie 要搬到很远的地方去，但是我不希望我们 lose touch. 尽管我们保证要经常联系，但我还是很担心，在下面这个例子里，两个大学好友跟我们的情况十分相似。让我们一起听听看。
　　M: "I'll never forget my best buddy in college. Glen and I belonged to the same fraternity, played on the football team and shared a lot of friends. We were constantly together. But since graduating, we've slowly drifted apart. It's too bad we've LOST TOUCH. I'd like to reconnect with him."
　　其中一个人说： 我永远不会忘记大学里最要好的朋友 Glen。我们两人是同一个兄弟会的成员，在同一个橄榄球队里打球，朋友的圈子也都一样。我们两人形影不离。但是毕业后，却逐渐疏远了。跟 Glen失去联络让我很遗憾，真希望能跟他重新取得联系。
　　随着生活的变化，我们会结婚，生子，承担各种家庭义务，每天在工作和家庭间奔波，就会疏于跟老朋友联络。也许上面这个人可以给校友会打个电话问问 Glen 的消息，没准 Glen 也在后悔跟他失去联系呢！好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。
　　M: "I'll never forget my best buddy in college. Glen and I belonged to the same fraternity, played on the football team and shared a lot of friends. We were constantly together. But since graduating, we've slowly drifted apart. It's too bad we've LOST TOUCH. I'd like to reconnect with him.""
　　不要说是好朋友失去联系，有的时候，家里的某个成员也会在很长时间内杳无音信呢！让我们听听下面这段话。
　　M: "Nobody in the family had heard from Aunt Helen in years. One day we got a letter from her. In it, she said she regretted LOSING TOUCH with us, but promised to write more often.  Since then, we've been getting news from her on a regular basis."
　　这个人说： 多少年来，家里人一直没有小姨 Helen 的消息。突然有一天，我们收到了一封她的来信。她在信中说，她后悔不该跟家里失去联系，并保证今后会多多写信。从那以后，我们每隔一段时间就会得到她的消息。
　　这就体现出了互联网的好处，不用找信封、信纸、邮票，只要把想说的话打出来，一下就寄走了。
　　我女儿特别喜欢发短信，随时随地跟朋友联系。只有电话没电的时候，才是她唯一跟朋友们 lose touch 的时候。说句老实话，我倒是希望这种时候越多越好。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。
　　M: "Nobody in the family had heard from Aunt Helen in years. One day we got a letter from her. In it, she said she regretted LOSING TOUCH with us, but promised to write more often.  Since then, we've been getting news from her on a regular basis."
　　lose touch 这个习惯用语可以追溯到十九世纪后期。从 lose touch 我们还可以想到很多相关的说法。例如，刚才例子里，跟大学好友失去联系的人想找到自己的老朋友，通过给校友会打电话，He might be able to GET IN TOUCH with his old friend. GET IN TOUCH 就是取得联系。还有，如果他们的联系一直没有中断，就是 KEEP IN TOUCH 或是 STAY IN TOUCH。我们可以说，Aunt Helen is KEEPING IN TOUCH with the family. 或是说 My daughter text messages to STAY IN TOUCH with her friends. 还有，很多人打电话，或是发电子邮件的时候，都会在最后加上一句，KEEP IN TOUCH. 保持联络。
　　M: Until next time.
　　下次节目再见。
　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.
　　A: The best way to stay in touch with all your friends is to be more assertive! Pick up your phone when you have time!
　　B: Aw, you're still making phone calls? That's so quaint! (A: hey!)Time to learn how to Facebook N00b.
　　A: I'M NOT A N00B! 好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。