B: Time to learn American English! 美語訓(xùn)練班上課啦! 我是Kat!
A: 我是楊琳!Kat, how was your weekend?
B: Not bad. I went fishing with my sister and we caught quite a few fish!
A: 夠棒的!今天咱們節(jié)目也要帶大家去釣魚, 還要去逛街買禮物,要想想去哪兒渡假, 還要告訴大家怎么用美語說“抓狂”。
B: 聽著不錯!
A: 節(jié)目一開始,還是來學(xué)個詞兒吧!
Learn A Word #1368 virtual
今天我們要學(xué)的詞是virtual. Virtual is spelled v-i-r-t-u-a-l, virtual. Virtual , 虛擬的,模擬的。美國和伊朗沒有正式外交關(guān)系,不過美國國務(wù)卿希拉里.克林頓表示,The United States plans to open a virtual embassy for Iran by the end of this year. 美國計劃今年年底以前開設(shè)一個虛擬的美國駐伊朗網(wǎng)上大使館。研究人員最近對網(wǎng)上虛擬大學(xué)的教學(xué)水平提出質(zhì)疑。Experts at the University of Colorado asserted that full-time virtual schools are largely unregulated. 科羅拉多大學(xué)的專家認(rèn)為,全日制網(wǎng)上學(xué)校很大程度上不夠規(guī)范。A lot of web sites now provide virtual assistants to help customers with what they want. 現(xiàn)在很多網(wǎng)站提供虛擬助手,滿足顧客的需要。好的,今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是virtual, virtual, virtual.
A: 現(xiàn)在虛擬的東西越來越多了,There's already a virtual world on the Internet!
B: That's true, but sometimes you still need the real thing. For example, when you're hungry, staring at virtual food won't help.
A: On the contrary, it'll make you more hungry!
B: Haha, exactly! Okay, now let's move on to the next program.
A: 好,一起來聽今天的 Words and Idioms, 美國習(xí)慣用語。
Words and Idioms 947
女:各位聽眾,現(xiàn)在播送<美國習(xí)慣用語>第 947講。我是楊琳。
M:我是 Douglas Johnson.
女:昨天我開車回家的時候,在我們家的小路口險些撞到一輛自行車!這個路口的設(shè)計特別差,上個月又出了一起事故,兩輛車相撞,車?yán)锏娜硕际軅?。這里真的應(yīng)該樹一塊警示牌了! 這也讓我想到一個習(xí)慣用語,那就是:
M:Bring to a head. Bring is spelled b-r-i-n-g, and head; h-e-a-d. Bring to a head.
女: Bring something to a head 意思是,使某件事情到了非做決定的緊急關(guān)頭。這個短語通常用來形容比較壞的情況,形容使一件事情到了迫在眉睫,必須做出決定,加以改變的地步。比如上面的例子中,交通路口的情況太糟,車禍?zhǔn)咕斓搅艘獩Q定是否立一塊警示牌,以改變這種情況的時候了。The car crash will BRING TO A HEAD the need for a stop sign at the intersection. 這次車禍?zhǔn)咕介_始考慮在交叉路口安裝警示牌的必要性。下面的例子里,是什么促使人戒煙? 我們來聽聽看:
M: "Cindy had been trying to persuade her husband to quit smoking. But he never made a serious effort to stop until last month. When he became short of breath playing with his grandson, he realized that his bad habit had to end. It BROUGHT TO A HEAD his addiction to cigarettes. He's been tobacco-free ever since."
這段話是說:辛迪一直試著勸她丈夫戒煙。但他從沒認(rèn)真嘗試過,直到上個星期他陪孫子玩兒的時候氣都喘不上來,他才意識到,是時候改改抽煙這個壞毛病了。這件事使他意識到他煙癮的危害。自從那以后,他一直沒有碰過香煙。
女:祝賀他! 改掉抽煙這個毛病可不容易。一些人戒煙說不抽就不抽了,不是一點一點來,也不靠外界幫助,我們可以說 cold turkey 斷然戒掉煙癮。It is difficult, but possible to quit smoking cold turkey. 雖然很難,但是斷然戒煙是可能的。好,讓我們再來聽聽剛才那段話。
M: "Cindy had been trying to persuade her husband to quit smoking. But he never made a serious effort to stop until last month. When he became short of breath playing with his grandson, he realized that his bad habit had to end. It BROUGHT TO A HEAD his addiction to cigarettes. He's been tobacco-free ever since."
女:那天我妹妹告訴我,她們公司最近走了一大批人,這些人都已經(jīng)在公司工作超過40年了,很難找到經(jīng)驗跟他們匹配的新員工。我們來聽聽看:
M: "Our best trained workers are all over 60 years old. And they've been leaving the company faster than they're being replaced. The CEO ought to recognize what's happening. Retirements are BRINGING our labor shortage problem TO A HEAD. So he'd better come up with a solution quickly. "
這段話是說:我們公司最優(yōu)秀的員工現(xiàn)在都超過60歲了。他們退休的速度遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過了新員工的招聘速度。我們的CEO需要認(rèn)識到現(xiàn)在的情況。老員工退休使勞動力短缺的問題迫在眉睫。老板得盡快找到解決方法。
女: 現(xiàn)在美國面臨的很大的一個問題就是勞動人口老齡化。1945年到1961年“嬰兒潮”時期出生的人現(xiàn)在都慢慢開始退休了,而這也給政府為他們提供的福利出了個大難題: Baby boomers' retirement has BROUGHT concerns about funding TO A HEAD. 嬰兒潮一代人的退休使解決政府福利的融資問題變得迫在眉睫。好,我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M: "Our best trained workers are all over 60 years old. And they've been leaving the company faster than they're being replaced. The CEO ought to recognize what's happening. Retirements are BRINGING our labor shortage problem TO A HEAD. So he'd better come up with a solution quickly. "
女:各位聽眾,今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的習(xí)慣用語是Bring to a head,意思是“使解決某事迫在眉睫”。好的,這次[美國習(xí)慣用語]就到此結(jié)束,我是楊琳,我是 Douglas Johnson。謝謝各位的收聽。
A:最近我生活中也有件事迫在眉睫。
B: Which is?
A:搬家!我鄰居太討厭了,每天晚上拉小提琴,那叫一個難聽,吵得我沒法睡覺。今天一早我已經(jīng)喝了三杯咖啡提神,要不眼睛都睜不開了。It brings to a head the need to find a new place.
B:I see. Have you asked your neighbor to keep it down?
A: 說了好多次了,沒用!He's driving me crazy! 我要抓狂了!
B: 先別!Don't you want to know how to say 抓狂 in American English?
A: 嘿!我都?xì)獬蛇@樣了,哪兒還有心思學(xué)英語???
B: ???So....do you want to skip the next segment of the show?
A: 呵呵,也不用。行吧,咱們就來聽今天的 “美語怎么說”。
How to say it in American English: over the deep end
MC:Jessica 在北京學(xué)漢語,她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞,就會來請教她。今天是Lulu要問的:抓狂。
Jessica: Morning Lulu!
Lulu: Jessica!! 我必須跟你說說,我都快氣死了!
Jessica: 你怎么啦?
Lulu: 還不是我室友! 她特別不自覺,我所有的洗發(fā)水,擦臉油都隨便用,還動不動就帶男友回家! 我都快要抓狂了! 抓狂! scratch crazy!
Jessica: haha... 抓狂不是 scratch crazy, 你可以說,she's pushing me over the edge.
Lulu: over the edge?
Jessica: 對,edge is spelled e-d-g-e,edge 邊緣。My roommate always brings her boyfriend over to our apartment. I feel like I'm living with a couple. It's really pushing me over the edge.
Lulu: push somebody over the edge, 就是使某人抓狂。這么說來,她可真是 push me over the edge! 昨天她又把男朋友帶會公寓,我警告她說,這是最后一次了! 這又該怎么說呢?
Jessica: Oh, You can say: that's the final straw.
Lulu: final straw, 這個說法真形象! 好,我今天回去就再這么告訴她一次!
Jessica: You know what Lulu, my roommate is actually doing the same thing. She always uses my things, it's really annoying! You and I are in the same boat.
Lulu: in the same boat? 我們在一條船上? 哦我明白了,就是說我們處境相同,對不對?
Jessica: That's right! We both have annoying roommates-- we're in the same boat. Now, tell me what you've learned today!
Lulu: 第一:使某人抓狂叫 push sb over the edge; 第二,警告說這是最后一次,可以講 that's the final straw;第三,處境相同,叫 in the same boat.
A: My neighbor is pushing me over the edge!
B:I know you're upset, 楊琳。Maybe you should report the problem to the building's manager and let him sort things out.
A:You're right. There must be other people in the building who are in the same boat with me! We should all go to the manager and complain. 大家一起去告他的狀!
B: I'm sure things will work out. Now let's talk about something else. My Mom's birthday is coming. Do you have any gift ideas?
A:Hmm, 送禮物給媽媽?你以前都送什么?
B: Home-make cakes, flowers, skin care products, gift cards.... I mean, I've given her almost all kinds of gifts a Mom would want. I'm out of ideas this year.
A: Don't worry. 只要你去商場逛一逛,肯定會發(fā)現(xiàn)適合送媽媽的禮物,只有你想不到的,沒有商家做不出的!
B: Okay. I'll go shopping then!
A:說到逛商場買禮物,今天的“美語三級跳”就要講一個男朋友給女朋友買生日禮物的故事。
B: How sweet!
A:嘿嘿,你想別急著夸這個男朋友,聽了節(jié)目你就知道是怎么回事了!