美語訓練班103

A: 歡迎大家來到這期的美語訓練班! 我是楊琳!

B: 我是Mike! 楊琳，來告訴大家今天都要學什么!

A: Sure! 今天，我們要一起來看看一個汽車公司怎么挽回召回汽車的影響，聊聊人與人相處要互相寬容，還要告訴你如何和遠方的朋友保持聯系!

B: I know, long distance is the enemy of any relationship. No matter whether its friendship or romance...

A: 那也不是啊! 我跟我高中大學朋友都好著呢! 我們中間隔著個太平洋，感情還是一樣好!

B: Maybe.....or maybe they are just humoring you!

A: 好了, 咱們等會再來聊這個，先來進入第一個單元...

B: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1705 chore

今天我們要學的詞是 chore. Chore is spelled c-h-o-r-e, chore. Chore 家務事。Britons consider cleaning the oven one of the worst chores. 英國人覺得，清理烤箱是最煩人的家務活之一。美國華盛頓大學的一項研究顯示，Couples who shared the burden of chores tend to have the least active sex lives. 分擔家務事的夫妻性生活最少。一家英國法律事務所的研究發(fā)現，Most marriages break down over mundane arguments about who does household chores or pays the bills, rather than due to infidelity. 大多數婚姻都是因為誰該做家務，誰該付賬單這些瑣事引起的爭執(zhí)，而不是婚外情而破裂的。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 chore, chore, chore...

A: Most marriages break down over mundane arguments. 所以說啊，100件小事加起來，就成了兩個人分開的原因。

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: 沒錯! 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

美國習慣用語第 827講

我這個人特別喜歡整齊，不論是在辦公室里，還是在家里，我都會收拾得有條有理，東西的擺放也有一定之規(guī)。不過，坐在我旁邊的 Emma 跟我截然不同，她桌上永遠堆得亂糟糟的。老板好幾次提醒她趕緊收拾干凈，可我倒是覺得，我們應該

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 自己活也讓別人活，換句話說，就是要相互寬容，互不干擾。Emma 的風格跟我截然不同，但我覺得，這也沒什么不好，要讓我說，就應該 Live and let live，只要她自己喜歡，又不會影響到別人，那就應該給人家自由。

在下面這個例子里，一個男子談到自己的姐姐時說，

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."

他說： 我姐姐自己一個人，撫養(yǎng)抱來的兒子。雖然我不會選擇這么做，但是我也不會對她橫加指責。我始終覺得，各人有各人的生活，大家應該相互包容，雖然別人的行事規(guī)則可能跟我不同，但我還是會毫無保留地接受他們。

前不久，我到麻薩諸塞州去開會。那里是美國著名學府哈佛大學的所在地，但是如今，麻薩諸塞也是美國第一個承貌7b同性戀婚姻合法化的州。由此可見，當地人是相當開明的，對同性戀的生活方式采取了包容的態(tài)度，這就叫 live and let live;他們認為，任何人都有權選擇自己的生活方式。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

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."

剛才我們說到同性戀婚姻合法化在美國引起的爭議。其實，前些年，在公共場所禁止吸煙的法律也曾引起過激烈的辯論，但是如今，已經越來越普及了。記者在下面這則健康新聞里報道說，

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."

報道說： 辦公室和餐廳里應該允許吸煙嗎?以前，大多數美國人都對吸煙持有一種包容的態(tài)度，但是如今，拒絕采取包容態(tài)度的人已經越來越多了，因為科學研究結果明確顯示，吸煙不僅對煙民本人有害，也會傷害到待在旁邊的非吸煙者。

這就是大家都知道的二手煙，在英語里叫 second-hand smoke，對非吸煙者間接造成傷害，因此，主張在公共場所禁止吸煙的人現在越來越多了。你的態(tài)度如何?是贊成在公共場所禁煙?還是主張 live and let live 呢?好的，我們再聽一下上面的例句。

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."

每個人都會有一些自己難以容忍的事情。就說我老公吧，我家鄰居 Browns 夫婦對自己房子的保養(yǎng)特別不注意，外面一層油漆已經開始脫落，門口的臺階也已經開始腐爛，更要命的是，他們已經一個多月沒有割草了，院子里凌亂不堪。對此，我老公的態(tài)度絕對不是 live and let live，他的理由是，一棟房子缺乏保養(yǎng)，會影響到我們整個社區(qū)的形象和居住環(huán)境。

好的，這次 美國習慣用語 就到此結束了。

M: Until next time.

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: 我這次到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! 想起來好后怕呀!

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!

禮節(jié)美語 BE-227 A Product Recall I

公司主管開會，執(zhí)行總裁Rick說：

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 介紹說，公司生產的幾款空調發(fā)生過overheat--機身溫度過熱的現象，可能起火，到目前為止，至少有三起火災懷疑跟他們公司生產的空調有關，還有一人受重傷。執(zhí)行總裁Rick說，雖然沒有definitive proof，確鑿證據， 但公司董事會還是決定立即采取行動，start a recall. 召回相關型號的空調。recall is spelled r-e-c-a-l-l, recall 是召回有問題產品的意思。這樣做不僅會有不小的經濟損失，而且還要 take an image hit. 公司形象也會受到打擊。Hank 問：

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.

公司估計要召回一萬五千臺空調，召回的產品改用更耐熱的電線，還要安裝 thermal sensors 熱感應器，經濟損失將超過六百萬美元。公司執(zhí)行總裁Rick和主管Samantha都覺得，不論是從商業(yè)角度還是從道義角度出發(fā)，只要公司產品可能跟火災的發(fā)生有一點關聯，他們也有義務step in--站出來。

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 補充說，即使單純從經濟角度出發(fā)，花六百萬美元修補產品的缺陷也比被人告上法庭的花銷小。產品召回的第一步是，下星期一公司先發(fā)一份news release新聞簡報，說明公司立場，雖然沒有確鑿證據證明火災和公司產品有關，但公司還是決定召回產品，to err on the side of caution，是“慎重起見，保險起見”的意思。新聞簡報以后還有哪些措施呢?我們下次繼續(xù)談。

A: Rick的公司決定to err on the side of caution, 慎重起見，進行product recall, 產品召回，原因是他們生產的一款空調有過熱起火的危險。公司總裁Rick說，這樣不僅有經濟風險，而且還會take an image hit, 公司形象也會受損失。

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:沒錯! 有時候，危機也是公關的好機會，借此塑造公司負責認真的好形象。Let's keep listen!

禮節(jié)美語 BE-228 A Product Recall II

公司主管開會，執(zhí)行總裁Rick宣布，公司要召回一批質量有問題的空調，召回行動的第一步是發(fā)表新聞簡報，Rick告訴公司另外兩位高管Samantha和Hank說：

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.

新聞簡報里要說明召回產品的出廠年份和型號，還要專門開設一個網站，方便銷售商家和顧客咨詢聯系。Hank建議再開通一條 toll-free line 免費撥打的電話，他還主動提出，聯系一些跟自己關系比較好的媒體，看看有沒有人愿意發(fā)一篇報道，強調公司這次的產品召回是 a precautionary measure 預防性措施，從而 spin it in our favor. 讓這件事朝對我們有利的方向發(fā)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過被迫召回產品的事，只要公司對公眾誠懇，并盡可能提前采取措施解決問題，一般都會得到公眾的理解和原諒。Rick說，關鍵是不能讓人覺得公司是在cover-up，掩蓋些什么。Hank表示認同，只要公眾覺得公司說的都是實話，we should be able to weather this storm. 我們就應該能渡過這次難關。to weather the storm 是渡過難關的意思。

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 還說，他準備就安全措施的執(zhí)行情況展開調查，還要看工廠里有沒有人偷工減料，to cut corners. Samantha補充道，調查結果最后也要對外公布，盡可能讓整個程序做到公開透明。Rick 最后要Samantha和Hank回去把公司的決定傳達給手下的部門主管和經理，發(fā)現問題要即時匯報，如果有人不嚴格執(zhí)行公司的質量標準，heads will roll 意思是這樣的人一定會受到嚴厲的處罰。

A: 你看吧! 任何事情都有兩面性，把危機處理好了，這次召回危機倒成了他們公司樹立形象的好機會! 所以說，犯了錯誤就得趕快承認!

B: Exactly, exactly, 楊琳。

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，這個話題就到這兒吧! 下面咱們再來學個詞兒!

Learn A Word 1706 minimum

今天我們要學的詞是 minimum. Minimum is spelled m-i-n-i-m-u-m, minimum. Minimum 最少的，最起碼的。You need to keep a minimum balance of $250 in your checking account in order to avoid a monthly fee. 如果不想交月費，你活期帳戶余額必須維持在250美元以上。In his State of the Union address, President Obama pushed to raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour. 美國總統奧巴馬在國情咨文講話中，主張將最低工資提高到每小時九美元。NBA對球員有年齡限制。Players can't enter the NBA draft until they are 19 or have played on a college team for a minimum of one season . 要參加NBA選秀，球員必須年滿19歲，或是至少在大學校隊里打過一個賽季。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 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! 你剛才提到了個短語，lose touch， let's listen to today's words and idioms and find out what it means!

Words and Idioms 828 Lose Touch

美國習慣用語第 828講

你有沒有什么特別要好的朋友搬走的?最近，我從小一起長大的好朋友 Jamie 因為換工作，要舉家搬到德克薩斯去，雖然不能象現在這樣定期見面，但是我們兩個人相互承諾，一定不會

M: Lose touch. Lose is spelled l-o-s-e, and touch; t-o-u-c-h. Lose-touch.

Lose touch.Lose 是丟失，失去的意思，touch 是接觸的意思，Lose touch 就是逐漸失去聯絡。我知道 Jamie 要搬到很遠的地方去，但是我不希望我們 lose touch. 盡管我們保證要經常聯系，但我還是很擔心，在下面這個例子里，兩個大學好友跟我們的情況十分相似。讓我們一起聽聽看。

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."

其中一個人說： 我永遠不會忘記大學里最要好的朋友 Glen。我們兩人是同一個兄弟會的成員，在同一個橄欖球隊里打球，朋友的圈子也都一樣。我們兩人形影不離。但是畢業(yè)后，卻逐漸疏遠了。跟 Glen失去聯絡讓我很遺憾，真希望能跟他重新取得聯系。

隨著生活的變化，我們會結婚，生子，承擔各種家庭義務，每天在工作和家庭間奔波，就會疏于跟老朋友聯絡。也許上面這個人可以給校友會打個電話問問 Glen 的消息，沒準 Glen 也在后悔跟他失去聯系呢!好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

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.""

不要說是好朋友失去聯系，有的時候，家里的某個成員也會在很長時間內杳無音信呢!讓我們聽聽下面這段話。

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."

這個人說： 多少年來，家里人一直沒有小姨 Helen 的消息。突然有一天，我們收到了一封她的來信。她在信中說，她后悔不該跟家里失去聯系，并保證今后會多多寫信。從那以后，我們每隔一段時間就會得到她的消息。

這就體現出了互聯網的好處，不用找信封、信紙、郵票，只要把想說的話打出來，一下就寄走了。

我女兒特別喜歡發(fā)短信，隨時隨地跟朋友聯系。只有電話沒電的時候，才是她唯一跟朋友們 lose touch 的時候。說句老實話，我倒是希望這種時候越多越好。好的，我們再聽一下上面的例句。

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 這個習慣用語可以追溯到十九世紀后期。從 lose touch 我們還可以想到很多相關的說法。例如，剛才例子里，跟大學好友失去聯系的人想找到自己的老朋友，通過給校友會打電話，He might be able to GET IN TOUCH with his old friend. GET IN TOUCH 就是取得聯系。還有，如果他們的聯系一直沒有中斷，就是 KEEP IN TOUCH 或是 STAY IN TOUCH。我們可以說，Aunt Helen is KEEPING IN TOUCH with the family. 或是說 My daughter text messages to STAY IN TOUCH with her friends. 還有，很多人打電話，或是發(fā)電子郵件的時候，都會在最后加上一句，KEEP IN TOUCH. 保持聯絡。

M: Until next time.

下次節(jié)目再見。

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! 好了同學們，這次節(jié)目時間就到這里了。