VOA英语教学：美语训练班 024

　　A: 美语训练班上课啦！我是杨林！

　　B：我是Jessica! 杨林，让我来告诉大家今天的节目内容，怎么样？

　　A：没问题，go ahead!

　　B: 今天，我们要去打拳击 - boxing!， 回顾经典美剧--六人行, 谈谈换工作的事儿，还要告诉大家用美语怎么说“电灯泡”。

　　A: 电灯泡是light bulb，这个大家都知道，我猜，今天我们要教的是那种打扰情侣约会的“电灯泡”，对不对？

　　B: You'll have to listen and find out. 现在，咱们还是先来学个词儿吧！

　　Learn a word Career Path

　　今天我们要学的词是career path. Career is spelled c-a-r-e-e-r, career; and path, p-a-t-h, path; career path. Career path 职业生涯。求职顾问建议大家尝试不同种类的工作。Having a nonlinear career path can make you more interesting to potential employers. 有非直线职业生涯的人在雇人老板眼里更有吸引力。According to a new study by the UK Office for National Statistics, the birth month of infants can indicate what career path they will take in the future. 英国国家统计局的一项研究发现，出生月份将决定一个人未来的职业发展方向。好的，今天我们学习的词是 career path, career path, career path.

　　B：So the month in which I was born will affect the kind of job I have in the future? That's interesting!

　　A: 对啊。Jessica, 你是几月份生的？

　　B：February. So what does that say about my career path?

　　A: 恭喜，According to the study, 二月出生的人最可能成为艺术家！

　　B: Wow! that's nice!

　　A: 你说这和星座有关么？我不是特相信这些东西。

　　B: I don't know, but sometimes the predictions do come true, and when they do, it boggles the mind!

　　A: Boggle the mind? 你又说到大家听不懂的词了，咱们快来教一下吧！

　　Word and idioms: boggle the mind

　　女：各位听众，现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 944讲。我是晓北。

　　M：我是 Douglas Johnson.

　　女：那天我去看微雕，真的很厉害!小小的一块木头上雕刻了整整一本红楼梦! 太不可思议了! 真的惊叹于雕刻师的精湛手艺。这让我想到一个习惯用语:

　　M: Boggle the mind. Boggle is spelled b-o-g-g-l-e, and mind; m-i-n-d. Boggle-the-mind. Boggle the mind.

　　女: boggle本身有吃惊的意思，而mind是思想，头脑。Boggle the mind, 意思就是“令人惊叹的”。雕刻师在小小的一块木头上雕了整整一本书，令人惊叹! 这换了我绝对不行。我们再来看一个例子。大家都知道最初计算机非常沉笨，而现在电脑做得越来越轻便，像最新的I-pad 2 还不到80克! 让我们来听听这令人惊叹的科技进步:

　　M: "Fifty years ago, the fastest computers ever made took up the space of a football field. Their many vacuum tubes and mechanical parts required constant maintenance. Amazingly, the computing devices we now hold in our hands can do so much more in only a fraction of the time. That BOGGLES THE MIND."

　　这段话是说：[50年前，世界上运作最快的电脑占地要达到整个一个足球场那么大。其中有很多电子管和机械零件，需要经常维修。可现在，我们手中拿的小电脑能在短得多的时间里做多得多的事情。]

　　女：这确实令人惊叹。想想我们现在不以为然的很多东西，摩天大楼，超音速飞机，基因工程，都是令人惊叹的人类发明。50年前，谁能想到现代社会根本就离不开电脑呢? 好，让我们再来听听刚才那段话：

　　M: "Fifty years ago, the fastest computers ever made took up the space of a football field. Their many vacuum tubes and mechanical parts required constant maintenance. Amazingly, the computing devices we now hold in our hands can do so much more in only a fraction of the time. That BOGGLES THE MIND."

　　女：Boggle the mind. 令人惊叹的。 在下面这个例子里，Linda 在事业上取得了令人惊叹的成就。而她的同事George 却有别的看法。让我们来听听看:

　　M:" George was shocked when Linda became his supervisor. She seemed to lack any of the necessary skills to manage employees. Her reports were often inaccurate and she did nothing to improve productivity. How she ever got her promotion BOGGLED HIS MIND. She must have known somebody important at the factory."

　　这段话是说：[乔治得知琳达变成他的上司之后十分吃惊。她完全没有管理员工的能力。她的报告经常出现纰漏，而且她完全没有做任何事情来增加生产力。她是如何晋升的着实令人吃惊。她肯定认识工厂里的什么重要人物。]

　　女: 在乔治眼里，没有实际能力的琳达能够晋升令他吃惊。Boggle his mind。大家注意，在boggle the mind 中，我们可以把"the"换成任何人称代词，boggle sb's mind， 令某人吃惊。在这里，George was so baffled by Linda's promotion that it boggled his mind. 琳达的神秘升职令乔治吃惊。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：

　　M:" George was shocked when Linda became his supervisor. She seemed to lack any of the necessary skills to manage employees. Her reports were often inaccurate and she did nothing to improve productivity. How she ever got her promotion BOGGLED HIS MIND. She must have known somebody important at the factory."

　　女：各位听众，今天我们学习的习惯用语是BOGGLE THE MIND，意思是“令人惊叹的”。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是杨琳，我是 Douglas Johnson。谢谢各位的收听。

　　M: Until next time.

　　女：下次节目再见。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.

　　B: 杨琳, Let me tell you something that's really mind-boggling: a friend of mine got a Ferrari for her birthday! Isn't that something?

　　A：生日礼物是法拉利？够牛的。男朋友送的？

　　B: Yes! I joined them for a drive. It was fantastic!

　　A：人家情侣开车兜风你非要跟着，真是电灯泡。

　　B: 哈哈，They don't seem to mind. 不过说到电灯泡，Let's find out how to say it in American English!

　　How to say it: The third wheel

　　Donny 在北京学汉语，他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教他。今天是琼燕要问的：电灯泡。

　　QY: Happy Friday， Donny! 你今天晚上有什么计划吗？

　　Donny: Hmm, not yet. What do you have in mind?

　　QY: Let's go salsa!! 我今晚要跟两个朋友去跳salsa, 可他们俩是一对，我可真不想夹在中间，当大电灯泡--very bright light bulb!

　　Donny: I see. You don't want to be the third wheel.

　　QY: The third wheel?

　　Donny: Yep! Wheel is spelled w-h-e-e-l. The third wheel, 第三个轮子, it's a very colloquial way of saying a third person joining a couple in a social context.

　　QY: 没错！我就是不想当 the third wheel!

　　Donny: Exactly, you wouldn't want to bother any love birds, right?

　　QY: Wait! Love birds? 爱的鸟儿？

　　Donny:Yep! In English, we often use the word love birds to refer to a couple who are openly affectionate, especially in public. 就是大庭广众之下卿卿我我。你不想打扰这对love birds吧?

　　QY: 可不是吗！不过这两个人很配！They are a great match!

　　Donny: Oh that's nice! You can also say, they are a match made in heaven.

　　QY: A match made in heaven？ 那不就是中文里说的天生一对嘛！

　　Donny: There you go! Since you don't want to be the third wheel, I will go with you! But first, let's see what you learned today!

　　QY: 第一：电灯泡叫做：the third wheel;

　　第二，如胶似漆的情侣 ，可以说 love birds;

　　第三，"天生一对"是，a match made in heaven.

　　A: A match made in heaven 天生一对儿。不过，虽说缘分天注定，有时也得寻觅好多年才能碰上合适的人。

　　B：That's okay as long as you find the one. The process itself will teach you what love really is. Don't you think so?

　　A：You're right! 而且这个过程越曲折，爱情故事就越动人。电视剧就是这么编出来的。

　　B: Speaking of TV shows, let's listen to GoEnglish. Today, Will and Jane will talk about my favorite sitcom, Friends.

　　GoEnglish: TV intermediate

　　各位听众，大家好！今天我们为您播出“美语三级跳”节目“电视节目”单元的中级课程。

　　Winnie:: Will 和 Jane在约会时聊天，谈到了"sitcom"， 也就是situation comedy - 情景喜剧。

　　Professor: Hey Winnie, have you ever watched any American sitcoms?

　　Winnie:: 我以前看过Friends--“六人行”，这算是个sitcom吧？

　　Professor: That's right! Now let's see what sitcoms Will and Jane like to watch.

　　Will: So Jane, I know that you like watching reality TV. But what about sitcoms?

　　Jane: I used to watch Friends religiously! I cried when it went off the air in 2004.

　　Will: Oh yeah, Friends was a really popular sitcom. But wasn't it pretty unrealistic? None of the characters worked very often, but they had a huge apartment in New York city.

　　Jane: Who cares? Sitcoms are supposed to be funny. They're not supposed to be like real life.

　　Winnie:: 原来，Jane也是“六人行”的粉丝! 她说得对，sitcom追求的是搞笑、好玩儿，谁会在乎情节的真实性啊! 对了，professor, Jane说她以前 watch Friends “religiously”，这是什么意思呢？

　　Professor: It means she was very serious about watching the show.

　　Winnie:: 哦，我明白了，如果做什么事情是本着“religiously”的态度，就表明你是雷打不动，一直在很认真地做。Jane看“六人行”一定是集集不落! 她还说，2004年这个节目 went off the air--“停播”的时候，她都哭了!

　　Professor: Exactly! Winnie, the opposite of "off the air" is "on the air". You could say that Friends was so popular that it was able to stay on the air for 10 seasons.

　　Winnie:: 哦，off the air的反义词是on the air, 也就是“播出”的意思。

　　Will: Why did you like Friends so much? Did you think it was really funny?

　　Jane: Yeah, it was really funny, but it also had a great storyline. All the different episodes were part of the same plot.

　　Will: That's true. I also thought that the dialogue was really good too.

　　Jane: Oh yeah, the dialogue was great. I thought everything the characters said to one another was really funny.

　　Professor: So Winnie, what did Jane like so much about Friends?

　　Winnie:: 她说，“六人行”的storyline--“故事情节”特别好。每集的内容相互联系，使整个节目有one plot--一个完整的故事埂概。

　　Professor: That's right! But Will has a different reason for liking the show, right?

　　Winnie:: 对，Will喜欢里面的dialogue--对话，觉得这些对话特别好玩儿!

　　Will: The other thing that made Friends so good was the cast. All the actors were perfect for their characters.

　　Jane: Oh yeah, the casting was really great. The actor who played Ross did a great job. He was hilarious!

　　Will: Really? I didn't think he was the funniest. My favorite character was Joey.

　　Jane: Joey was pretty good, but not as funny as Ross. And the relationship between Ross and Rachel was really romantic too.

　　Will: It was kind of romantic, but it got old.

　　Winnie:: Will 和Jane都觉得“六人行”的cast--演员阵容选得好。

　　Professor: That's right. But what does Will say about the relationship between Ross and Rachel on the show?

　　Winnie:: Will说，Ross和Rachel的恋爱的确挺浪漫的，可后来就got old了。Professor, 这是不是说这些情节老演老演，就变得没劲了？

　　Professor: Right. It means the plot lost its original appeal because it is too long or gets repeated too many times. For example, "When I first heard Craig's joke, I thought it was funny. But after he told it 10 times, it got old."

　　Jane: What about you, Will? Do you like sitcoms?

　　Will: Not anymore. Ever since the series finale of Friends, I haven't found any other sitcoms that I really like.

　　Jane: Really? So what kinds of programs do you watch on TV now?

　　Will: Lately, I've gotten really into more serious shows, like crime dramas.

　　Winnie: 啊？自从“六人行”的series finale--“大结局”播完后，Will 就再也没找到好看的sitcom?!

　　Professor: That's right. Winnie, you can use the word "finale" in other contexts. For example, at the end of the Olympics there is always a big finale with lots of fireworks.

　　Winnie: 奥运会闭幕式也可以叫“finale.”Will 说，他现在喜欢看crime dramas, 这又是什么节目呢？

　　Professor: Listen next time to find out!

　　A：我也是“六人行”的粉丝呢，I used to follow it religiously!

　　B：So did I!

　　A：我还曾经打算也搬到纽约去，找一些可爱又好笑的室友同住，就像Friends那样去生活！

　　B: We all want to live the lives portrayed on TV.

　　A：没错，有时候，现实生活太无聊了，我简直想背个包裹出去流浪。

　　B：I understand that. We need some change once in a while.

　　A: 说到改变，咱们来听下面的礼节美语，看看Lisa对自己的生活有什么新计划。

　　Business Etiquette: Looking for a change I

　　Emily问同事Lisa要不要一起吃饭。

　　Emily: Hey Lisa...want to grab lunch with me?

　　Lisa: Sure, Emily. We haven't done that in a while.

　　E: Yeah...actually, we haven't hung out at all recently. You seem sort of under the weather. Is there something going on?

　　L: Well, keep this under your hat, but I think I'm going to quit after New Year.

　　Emily问Lisa要不要一起吃饭，她在这里用的动词是 grab, g-r-a-b, grab, grab lunch 是一种口语里常用的说法，意思是随便买点午饭吃，也可以说 to grab something to eat. 听上去，Lisa跟Emily很久没一起吃饭聊天了，we haven't hung out at all recently. to hang out 意思是跟朋友待在一起，Emily还说Lisa看上去sort of under the weather似乎有点不舒服，问她怎么回事。Lisa告诉Emily, 自己新年过后可能要辞职，但要Emily暂时保密，keep this under your hat. To keep something under one's hat 意思是保守秘密，不要告诉别人。Emily听到这个消息感到很突然。

　　E: Quit this company? Oh...wow.

　　L: I know I should be pretty happy here, but I'm not finding the kind of job satisfaction I need. I'm a good graphic designer...

　　E: One of the best in the company.

　　L: That's kind of you to say. But...the stuff we do here hasn't really challenged me very much at all.

　　E: Oh, I get it. Simply put: you're bored, huh?

　　L: That's one way of putting it. For me, a job needs to stimulate my brain, otherwise it becomes a daily drudgery.

　　MC: Lisa是公司里最好的图像设计师之一, 目前这份工作对她没有挑战性，simply put 简单地说，她觉得现在的工作很无聊。put, p-u-t, put 在这里意思是说出来，表达出来，上面两人的对话里还有 that's one way of putting it. 也是同样用法，意思是“可以这么说”。Lisa说，她需要一份能让她兴奋起来的工作，否则的话，工作就变成了a daily drudgery, drudgery is spelled d-r-u-d-g-e-r-y, drudgery, drudgery 意思是无聊乏味的工作。

　　L: Another thing is that I don't feel there is a decent chance of promotion. I've been here for three years and I'm doing the exact same thing at the exact same salary.

　　E: That's true...salaries have been frozen for a while and I hear next year it's the same story.

　　L: I'm finding that I spend a lot of time at work just sitting at my cubicle daydreaming or wasting time. I can's sleep on Sunday nights because I know I have to go back to work the next day.

　　E: Wow...it sounds like you're suffering from serious job dissatisfaction. I guess you really do need a change.

　　Lisa还说，想辞职的另外一个原因是觉得没有升职的机会，There isn't a decent chance of promotion. Emily 表示赞成，因为工资已经有一段时间没涨了，而且她听说，next year it's the same story. 明年也是一样。Lisa说，有时候上班就是在自己的小隔间 cubicle 里发愣，浪费时间，星期天晚上一想到第二天早上还要去上班，就睡不着觉。看来，Lisa真是得换份工作了。

　　A：工作中觉得无聊、不如意是常事，不过要是像Lisa这样suffer from serious job dissatisfaction, 那可能就真要考虑换个环境了。

　　B：Right. It seems like her current job is a dead-end position--no promotion, no pay raise and no fun.

　　A: 对啊，这样的工作等于是在一天天混日子，浪费时间。不做也罢! 好了，咱们下面换个话题，看场拳击比赛吧！

　　American Sports English: boxing

　　P: Hey Yang Chen, Let's go bowling.

　　Y: 我不会打保龄球。

　　P: Well don't worry, you are in good hands. I'll teach you how to bowl.

　　Y:那你可要耐心点儿。Be very patient with me.

　　P: No problem. First you need to learn how to hold the bowling ball.

　　Well, first hold the ball in your left hand.

　　Y: Whoa, 好重啊，差点闪了我的腰。

　　P: It's not that heavy. Well, now put the first and second fingers of your right had in the top two holes and your thumb in the bottom hole.

　　Y: OK, Patrick, I'm ready! Now what do I do?

　　P: Walk up to the line at the top of the bowling lane with the ball and center yourself in the lane.

　　Y: Okay, 站到bowling lane保龄球道中间。

　　P: Now, hold the ball with your right hand only. Swing it behind you, and then swing it forward and let it go.

　　Y: Here it goes! (Thud of ball on the lane sound of going in the gutter).

　　P: Oh No, Yang Chen. Your ball went into the gutter.

　　Y: A gutter?

　　P: Yep, those long troughs on both sides of the bowling lane are gutters G-U-T-T-E-R-S. And when your ball goes in the gutter it is called a gutter ball.

　　Y: 保龄球掉到旁边的沟里，就叫gutter ball沟球。

　　P: And since you didn't hit anything, you don't get any points, but you do get another chance.

　　Y: Okay, let me try again. 我再来一次。(Sound of ball hitting lane and going in the gutter) Rats! I got another gutterball.

　　P: It is pretty common to get gutterballs when you first start bowling. You just need practice.

　　Y: Okay, then let me try again. (Sound of ball hitting lane and going into gutter). Aiya! 又一个gutter ball!

　　P: Practice makes perfect!

　　A： 原来，在拳击比赛中扔毛巾就是认输。Throw the towel 就指放弃，承认失败。

　　B: Let me teach you another expression that comes from boxing, to throw one's hat in the ring! It means to announce that you intend to compete for something.

　　A：哦，to throw one's hat in the ring, 把帽子扔进赛场里，就表示要参与竞争。

　　B: 没错。For example, I threw my hat in the ring and became a candidate for the Student Council President.

　　A: 你竞选学生会主席，我支持你！

　　B: 哈哈，thanks, but I'm not really running for that position. I'm not interested in politics.

　　A：对啊，你是二月生的，要当艺术家才对啊！

　　B: Exactly! That's my true calling!

　　A: 好了，今天节目时间差不多了，这次节目的撰稿人是晓北，编辑是蔚然，同学们，咱们下次的美语训练班节目再见！

　　B: Bye!