VOA英语教学：美语训练班 102

 　　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， 我们要给大家介绍一下在职场上非常有用的仪表姿态，谈谈在办公室里玩儿幽默该怎么样把握程度，还要告诉大家怎么说“放任不管”。不过首先我们来--
　　B: Learn a word!
　　Learn A Word 1690 counseling
　　今天我们要学的词是counseling. Counseling is spelled c-o-u-n-s-e-l-i-n-g, counseling. Counseling 是名词，有咨询的意思。比如，financial counseling 金融咨询。Despite extensive support and counseling, 349 U.S. service members committed suicide in 2012. 尽管能够得到广泛的支持和心理咨询，2012年还是有349名美国军人自杀。有研究显示，While the number of overweight and obese 1 Americans is on the rise, the amount of weight counseling offered by primary care physicians has decreased. 美国超重和肥胖人口继续上涨的同时，家庭保健医生为患者提供的体重方面的咨询帮助却在减少。好的，今天我们学习的词是 counseling, counseling, counseling...
　　A: 说到counseling 这个词， 我认识的一对夫妇正在接受marriage counseling, 也就是婚姻出现问题，接受专业人士的咨询帮助。
　　B： So what happened? What seemed to be their problem?
　　A: 据说是因为太太生孩子的时候和婆婆闹了矛盾，结果几年过去了，一直没有解开心结。The tension in the family builds up over time, and eventually leads to their divorce!
　　B: That's no good. Whatever problem she has with her in-laws, perhaps  the wife should just let it slide.
　　A: Let it slide? 这个短语我们要解释一下。来听words and idioms!
　　Words and Idioms 825 Let Slide
　　美国习惯用语第 825讲
　　昨天我在办公室复印文件，结果发现，复印机里的纸用得一干二净，在我前面复印稿件的同事 Amy 竟然没有按照办公室里约定俗成的规矩把纸加好，后来我才知道，是老板当时叫她去参加临时会议，所以我就没再计较。在英语里，这就叫let slide. Slide is spelled s-l-i-d-e. Let-slide. Let slide.
　　Slide 是下滑、滑落的意思。to let something slide 意思是说对某事采取放任的态度，听其自然。尽管 Amy 把纸用光了，没有填纸，让我很不高兴，但是我知道，她这么做不是故意的，而是迫不得已。That's why I chose  to LET IT SLIDE. 我决定还是不跟她计较了。
　　在下面这个例子里，房东一开始对房客的处境还是挺同情的。让我们听听他是怎么说的。
　　M: "After my tenant 2 lost his job, I understood why he didn't have the rent on time. I decided 3 to LET it SLIDE for a couple of weeks. Then I told him that he'd have to pay or plan to move out. I couldn't overlook what he owed me."
　　房东说：我的房客丢掉工作后，我知道他为什么会拖欠房租，所以头几个星期一直没有催他，再后来，我告诉他说，如果再不付房租，就得搬走了，我不能再对他欠的房租不闻不问了。
　　我觉得这个房东已经算得上是仁至义尽了。虽说有的事情不用过份计较，但是在教育孩子的问题上，我可是丝毫也不放松。我女儿最近在学校里学会了骂人，这在我们家可是绝对行不通的。每次发现她说脏话，我们都会严加管教，We're not LETTING IT SLIDE. 我哥哥就不一样，他觉得说脏话也是小孩子成长的一部分。因此大部分时间，He lets it slide. 他往往都会听其自然。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。
　　M: "After my tenant lost his job, I understood why he didn't have the rent on time. I decided to LET it SLIDE for a couple of weeks. Then I told him that he'd have to pay or plan to move out. I couldn't overlook what he owed me."
　　我的一个邻居，特别注意锻炼身体，锻炼固然是件好事，但是即使生病，他也不间断，我觉得这就有问题了。他的医生同意我的看法，让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。
　　M: "When you're not feeling well, it's easy to LET exercise SLIDE. In fact, you should forget about working out for a while. What's important is to get proper rest so that your body can fully 4 recover. Soon enough, you'll be ready to get back to your routine."
　　医生说：身体不舒服的时候，很容易在锻炼上懈怠。病人其实就应该暂停锻炼，重要的是好好休息，尽快让身体康复，这样用不了多久，就能恢复日常锻炼了。
　　这倒是提醒了我，我该跟医生预约，去检查身体了。定期的身体检查对保健非常重要，绝对不能懈怠。You can't let it slide. 定期去看牙也是一样。我父亲牙齿不好，但是又不肯去看牙医，结果不到七十岁，牙齿就都掉光了。Perhaps if he hadn't LET his dental care SLIDE, he'd have all his teeth today! 如果他没有在牙齿保健上推延懈怠的话，他现在还有满口好牙呢！好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。
　　M: "When you're not feeling well, it's easy to LET exercise SLIDE. In fact, you should forget about working out for a while. What's important is to get proper rest so that your body can fully recover. Soon enough, you'll be ready to get back to your routine."
　　听了上边这些例子，我倒要问问大家。如果听到别人在背后辱骂你的朋友，你会怎么办？Would you let it slide? 你会假装没听见吗？如果你发现同事把办公文具拿回家，Would you let it slide?  如果你看见有人打孩子巴掌，Would you let it slide? 再比如，如果你的邻居好几个星期时间不割草，Would you let it slide?
　　Let something slide 这个习惯用语的历史可以追溯到十六世纪下半叶。如果大家有什么问题，可以随时跟我们联系，I don't want you to let it slide. 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。
　　下次节目再见。
　　A: 我倒觉得， It's not helpful if you always let the small things slide, 在所有所谓的小事上都放任，不计较，并不是好事。
　　B: Because?
　　A: 因为这样一来，别人不知道你心里其实不高兴，也不知道自己其实踩了你的地雷。
　　B: So you're saying we should set clear boundaries by telling people their behavior has upset us.
　　A: 对啊，把话都说开了好啊! 特别是职场上，有时候更需要让别人知道你的底线在哪儿，不能瞎容忍。
　　B: Speaking of that, let's listen to today's Business Etiquette 5!
　　礼节美语BE-225 Body Language III
　　公司主管Andy又请专门研究肢体语言的Monica给公司销售员 Sara和James培训。Andy说：
　　Andy: This morning we once again have business consultant 6 Monica Wolf with us. Monica is going to speak to us today about body language and how it affects business relationships.
　　Monica: Hello again everyone! So....did you experiment with some of the pointers I gave you last time?
　　Sara: I did. I found that making a conscious effort to look people in the eye has been very useful. I think people find me more trustworthy now.
　　M: That's great!
　　Monica问大家有没有尝试着把上次她教的东西用到实践中去。她用到的一个名词 pointer 意思是指点，建议。Sara说，她发现，讲话时有意识地看着对方的眼睛真的很有帮助，别人会觉得她更可靠，让人信得过，trustworthy. 上面那段话里另一个语言点是，to make a conscious effort to do something 意思是有意识地去做某事。James说，
　　J: I've been working on my posture 7. I find when I stand up straight with my shoulders back, I actually feel more confident going into a business negotiation 8.
　　V: Wonderful! I'm so glad you applied 9 the principles I shared with you. Today let's talk a little bit about attitude. What's the first thing you notice about a character like James Bond?
　　J: He's very cool and composed.
　　S: Yeah, he doesn't ever seem to get too worked up over anything.
　　James说，他也在有意识地改进自己的站姿和仪表，而且他发现，挺胸抬头，真地会给自己平添一份自信。Monica听说大家把上次讲到的理论付诸实践，很高兴，说今天就来谈谈工作时的态度 attitude, 她问大家英国特工007 James Bond有什么特点。James和Sara都说，007很酷，很镇定， composed, 处变不惊。这里用到的一个短语 worked up 是形容词，意思是兴奋，激动。Monica 说：
　　M: That's right! The reason he's so cool is because he's in charge of the situation and he knows it. People who are in charge don't get overly excited. So, what I recommend is that you try to appear to be in control by maintaining composure. If you find yourself in a very stressful business negotiation try to limit your body gestures and control the tone of your voice.
　　S: So even if I don't feel confident, I should try to fake it?
　　M: Yes. You'll be surprised that even if you're faking, you'll start to feel more in control. Try to reveal as few of your emotions as possible.
　　A: But of course you still have to appear friendly.
　　M: Absolutely. But like a poker 10 player, you don't want to show your cards.
　　Monica说，James Bond 007 之所以老是那么淡定，是因为他知道，情况都在自己的掌握之中，所以建议大家一定要保持情绪的稳定，参加十分棘手的谈判时，要 limit your body gestures and control the tone of your voice 尽量减少肢体动作，控制自己的音调，越少暴露自己的情绪越好，就好象是在打扑克牌，不能让别人知道你手里的牌。
　　A: wow, 看来，即使不淡定，也要装淡定。 The fewer emotions you reveal, the more in control you appear to be, and the more respect you get from others. Right?
　　B: (Slowly, emotionless): I suppose that is right.
　　A: What are you doing, Mike?
　　B: I'm working on being composed. Do I look like James Bond now? 看我这样子，多淡定啊!
　　A: No, you still look like Mike Bond.
　　B: Come on! Play along!
　　A: 算了吧，咱们还是继续听Business Etiquette吧。
　　礼节美语BE-226 Body Language VI
　　公司主管Andy又请专门研究肢体语言的Monica给公司销售员 Sara和James培训。Monica说：
　　Monica: Okay, so we talked about composure. Let's go in the other direction now and talk about humor.
　　J: Ah, that's something that's always puzzled me. Is it a good idea to make jokes?
　　M: Research shows that people are more likely to accept an idea if it's wrapped in humor. But the point isn't about finding a really funny joke. Laughter is actually about bonding.
　　S: Yes....I've noticed that many times people at a meeting are all laughing about something that really isn't all that funny.
　　Monica接下来谈到了幽默在生意场上的作用。他说，有调查发现，用幽默的方式把一件事情说出来，更容易被对方接受。但关键不是要讲一个特别好笑的笑话，而是笑声能加强人与人之间的纽带。
　　M: That's right! They are not really joking....they are attempting to bond.
　　A: So go ahead and throw in a funny comment or a clever remark...but there's got to be some minefields we should avoid as well, right?
　　M: Yeah....don't make dirty, sexist or racist 11 jokes or comments. And of course don't humiliate 12 anyone.
　　J: I have a question. I'm never quite sure where to sit during a business meeting.
　　M: The ancient Chinese art of "Feng Shui" teaches that you should never sit with the door behind youand actually there's a scientific reason for that.
　　虽然及时讲个笑话，或是发表一点幽默的评论能有助于调节气氛，加强纽带，但讲笑话也有一些需要忌讳的地方，或者说是 minefield 雷区。Don't make dirty, sexist or racist jokes or comments. Monica说，不要讲黄色笑话、性别歧视的笑话和种族歧视的笑话，而且不要 humiliate 羞辱别人。James问了一个很简单的问题，那就是，开会的时候应该坐在哪儿。Monica 说，按照中国风水里的讲究，后背不要对着门，这是有科学道理的，为什么呢？
　　M: When a person's back is placed towards an open space he becomes stressed; his blood pressure increases and his heart beats faster.
　　S: That makes sense! People subconsciously 13 worry about getting attacked if they don't know what's lurking 14 behind them.
　　J: Interesting. I'll be sure to sit facing the door from now on!
　　A: Monica, thank you for another great class! I think we all learned a lot today.
　　M: My pleasure! See you next time!
　　Monica 解释说，如果后背对着开放的空间，那这个人就容易有压力，血压升高，心跳加速，因为他们不知道身后可能会隐藏着什么危险，They don't know what's lurking behind them. 所以会下意识地感到不安全，因此在选择座位时，最好是脸冲着门。怎么样，大家是不是也学到了一些以前不知道的事情呢？
　　A: 我倒没听说过开会背对着门风水不好，离门近多方便啊，会议如果没意思，马上就能溜!
　　B: Is this the correct message we want to convey to our audience?
　　A: Okay, Mr. Worker of the Year, 那我们换个话题， 再来学个词儿吧!
　　Learn A Word 1696 expansion
　　今天我们要学的词是expansion. Expansion is spelled e-x-p-a-n-s-i-o-n, expansion. Expansion 扩展，扩充。The Kennedy Arts Center unveiled a $100 million expansion plan. 肯尼迪艺术中心宣布扩展计划，耗资一亿美元。President Obama supported the expansion of  H1B visas from 65,000 to 115,000 a year. 美国总统奥巴马支持将每年的外籍人员工作签证发放数量从六万五千个增加到11万五千个。The Pentagon is moving toward a major expansion of its cyber security force to counter increasing attacks on the nation's computer networks. 美国五角大楼计划扩充负责网络安全的人员和能力，抵御美国电脑系统受到的越来越多的攻击。好的，今天我们学习的词是 expansion, expansion, expansion...
　　B: Speaking of expansion, I have an issue against the commercial real estate expansion in my neighborhood.
　　A: 怎么？你们家那边的商业区又扩张啦？
　　B: 对啊! Now the developer is thinking about closing down a local park to make room for a shopping mall. Isn't that a horrible idea?
　　A: 关了小公园建商场？不是挺好么？逛街就方便了!
　　B: But we already have two shopping malls nearby and we need the park for exercise, hangout with friends, and to give kids a playground!
　　A: 你说得也有道理，你们家那边最近是开发太快了点。
　　B: It's been developed like crazy!
　　A: 说到这个，咱们先来听下面的words and idioms, 教一下Like crazy 这个短语。
　　Words and Idioms 826 Like Crazy
　　美国习惯用语第 826讲
　　今天播音我差点儿迟到。本来出门挺早的，谁知道路上遇到车祸，堵了个水泄不通，原来半个小时的路，我足足开了一个半小时。我一停好车，就向办公室飞奔，冲进演播室的时候，只剩下三分钟的时间了。这倒让我想起一个可以跟大家交流的习惯用语，叫like crazy. Crazy is spelled c-r-a-z-y. Like-crazy. Like crazy.
　　大家都知道，crazy 是疯狂的意思。Like crazy 就是不管不顾，象疯了一样。现在你能想象我下车后往办公室飞奔的样子了吧！在下面这个例子中，一名雇员讲述了他们公司最近是如何解决定单的难题的。让我们一起来听听他是怎么说的。
　　M: "Our factory is expected to ship a new product by tomorrow, but the order isn't ready yet. That's why the boss has ordered extra shifts. If we work LIKE CRAZY, we'll meet the deadline. But that means there can't be any slowing down."
　　他说：我们工厂明天要运走一批新产品，但是到现在还没有完成。所以老板决定加班加点。如果我们全力以赴的话，就能赶在最后期限之前完成定单，这就意味着我们丝毫不能松懈。
　　这就要看老板的号召力，或是工人们的干劲了。不久前，我年迈的祖母不远万里，到美国来看我们。我们姐妹几个人连续三天，没日没夜的打扫卫生，准备饭菜。We cooked like crazy. 最后让祖母在吃住上都格外满意。
　　这让我想起了每年的感恩节。美国人每年十一月最后一个星期四都要庆祝感恩节，感恩节最重要的一项节目就是感恩节大餐，包括火鸡、蔬菜和甜点等，而且大家都要 eat like crazy 大吃特吃。
　　好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。
　　M: "Our factory is expected to ship a new product by tomorrow, but the order isn't ready yet. That's why the boss has ordered extra shifts. If we work LIKE CRAZY, we'll meet the deadline. But that means there can't be any slowing down."
　　刚才说到感恩节。感恩节过后的那天，对很多喜欢购物的人来说，恐怕比感恩节更为重要。让我们听听其中的缘由。
　　M: "Have you ever heard of "Black Friday"? It's the day after Thanksgiving when stores sell electronics at significant discounts. Prices for such items as computers, plasma 15 TVs, and MP3 players can be so low that customers stand in lines for hours, and then shop LIKE CRAZY. You've never seen such excitement!"
　　这个人说：你知道“黑色星期五”吗？黑色星期五就是感恩节的第二天，商店大降价，电器类商品，例如电脑、液晶电视、MP3播放器都降价出售，很多顾客排好几个小时的队，疯狂地购物，从来没见过这么狂热的。
　　这就叫“早起的鸟儿有虫吃”。不过，我来美国这么多年，感恩节第二天早上从来没有去排队抢购过，原因很简单，你不仅需要披星戴月地起床，还要在彻骨寒风里排队，这一点我可做不到。好的，我们再听一下上面的例句。
　　M: "Have you ever heard of "Black Friday"? It's the day after Thanksgiving when stores sell electronics at significant discounts. Prices for such items as computers, plasma TVs, and MP3 players can be so low that customers stand in lines for hours, and then shop LIKE CRAZY. You've never seen such excitement!"
　　这个习惯用语最早是二十世纪二十年代前后出现的，可以跟like mad 通用。LIKE MAD, that's M-A-D, "MAD". LIKE MAD. 你可以说，为了录音不迟到，I had to run like mad. 为了完成订单，the employees worked like mad. 黑色星期五那天，the customers shop like mad.
　　最近，我同事的儿子象疯了一样学西班牙语。He is learning Spanish like crazy. 家里人很奇怪，后来才发现，原来他喜欢上了一个刚刚从阿根廷移民过来的姑娘。那个女孩不会英语，两人无法沟通，小伙子为了爱情，苦学西班牙语，看来爱情也能成为学习的巨大动力。 好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。下次节目再见。
　　B: To preserve our local park, the residents in our town decide to write and call the government like crazy until they agree to stop the development project!
　　A: 好吧，祝你们成功! 好了,同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。