美語訓(xùn)練班114

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A: 歡迎大家來到這期的美語訓(xùn)練班! 我是楊琳!

B: 我是Mike! 楊琳，來告訴大家今天都要學(xué)什么!

A: 好的! 今天，我們要一起來聊聊盜版光碟的危害，告訴你怎么說一見如故，還要看看美國受歡迎的以舊換新行業(yè)!

B: Pirated DVDs can really harm the movie industry. A good movie can take years and millions of dollars to finish! We should really respect the artists by buying legal copies.

A: Plus with the availability of digital versions today, the originals are actually quite affordable!

B: True. All right, let's go ahead and start our class.

A: 好!我們先來進(jìn)入第一個(gè)單元: learn a word!

Learn A Word 1784 primary

今天我們要學(xué)的詞是primary. Primary is spelled p-r-i-m-a-r-y, primary. Primary 主要的。美國的最新調(diào)查數(shù)字顯示，A record four out of 10 households have mothers as the sole or primary source of income in the family. 在美國，每十個(gè)家庭里，就有四個(gè)家庭的唯一，或是主要收入來源是母親工作賺來的，是美國歷來的最高水平。美國人偏愛橄欖油。一項(xiàng)最新民意調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，According to 80 percent of the survey's respondents, flavor is the primary reason for people to select olive oil over other oils. 百分之八十的被調(diào)查對象都說，喜歡橄欖油的味道是他們在各種食用油中，更愿意選擇橄欖油的主要原因。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 primary, primary, primary...

A: Hmm....I can't really taste the difference between different kinds of cooking oil. I choose to use olive oil mostly for health reasons.

B: Well...that's because you are not a gourmet chef! Unlike me....(A: ugh...) OKOK. Olive oil is indeed a lot healthier compare to other kinds of cooking oil. I think I read somewhere that eating olive oil will lower your risk of heart disease and cholesterol levels.

A:Yep! Society has become a lot more health conscious these days. Remember the New York City Schools' ban on sugary drinks? What's your thoughts on that?

B: I mean, I'm pretty much on the sidelines. I don't think the government should limit people's choices on food, but at the same time better education would help people make healthier food choices!

A: 沒錯(cuò)! 你剛才還提到了一個(gè)詞兒: on the sidelines! Let's check it out in today's words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 849 ON THE SIDELINES

美國習(xí)慣用語第849講

我媽媽和我妹妹昨天又吵了起來。妹妹說老媽看她哪都不順眼，而老媽卻說妹妹從來不聽她的話。我知道，她們都想拉我?guī)兔?，不過我可沒那么傻，決不攪和進(jìn)去，用我們今天要學(xué)的習(xí)慣用語來形容這種情況恰如其分，那就是：

M: On the sidelines. Sidelines is spelled s-id-e-l-i-n-e-s. On-the-sidelines. On the sidelines.

對體育感興趣的人都知道，sidelines 就是中文里說的邊線。站在邊線以外，就是不參與比賽，在一旁觀戰(zhàn)的意思。我媽跟我妹吵架，把我夾在了中間，她們兩個(gè)我誰也得罪不起，所以只好 stay on the sidelines 在一邊觀戰(zhàn)。換成你是不是也會這樣做呢?在下面這個(gè)例子中，一份報(bào)紙的讀者為什么不愿意待在邊線以外呢?讓我們一起來聽聽。

M: "The owner of our newspaper said he may have to end production. That caused lots of us readers to form a coalition. Our goal is to persuade management that the publication can and should be saved. We realize how critical it is to get involved right now and not sit ON THE SIDELINES."

這位讀者說：報(bào)社老板說，他可能不得不停辦報(bào)紙，很多跟我一樣的讀者因此組成了一個(gè)聯(lián)盟，我們的目標(biāo)是說服報(bào)社的管理層，一定要保住這份報(bào)紙。我們都知道，這種時(shí)候不能在袖手旁觀，必需要參與進(jìn)來。

確實(shí)，由于經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退和讀者群的流失，現(xiàn)在美國很多報(bào)紙都身陷困境，有的宣告破產(chǎn)、有的被迫減少版面，還有的逐漸向電子版過渡。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

M: "The owner of our newspaper said he may have to end production. That caused lots of us readers to form a coalition. Our goal is to persuade management that the publication can and should be saved. We realize how critical it is to get involved right now and not sit ON THE SIDELINES."

你喜歡喝可樂、雪碧嗎?學(xué)校里應(yīng)不應(yīng)該安裝這類飲料的自動販賣機(jī)呢?讓我們一起聽聽下面例子里這個(gè)孩子是怎么說的。

M: "My parents got a letter from the superintendent. She wants to get rid of the soda machines at school. A lot of my friends think it's unfair. Maybe I should be more concerned, but I'm ON THE SIDELINES. I'm going to wait and see what happens. Frankly, it's no problem if I have to drink water or juice until I get home."

這個(gè)學(xué)生說：我父母收到了校長寄來的一封信，她打算撤掉學(xué)校里的飲料自動販賣機(jī)。我的很多朋友都覺得這樣做不公平，也許我應(yīng)該更關(guān)心這樣事，可我偏偏在一旁觀望。我倒是想看看結(jié)果會是個(gè)什么樣子。老實(shí)說，就算是要等回家以后才能喝到水和果汁以外的東西，對我來說也沒有什么大不了。

最近，很多年輕人在發(fā)短信的時(shí)候，會附上自己十分暴露的照片，這叫 sexting. 我的鄰居覺得這無傷大雅，是時(shí)代的產(chǎn)物。可我覺得，這太可怕了。我女兒的學(xué)校不久前專門就此開會。我絕不會 remain on the sidelines, 堅(jiān)決要求對 sexting 的學(xué)生進(jìn)行懲罰。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個(gè)例句。

M: "My parents got a letter from the superintendent. She wants to get rid of the soda machines at school. A lot of my friends think it's unfair. Maybe I should be more concerned, but I'm ON THE SIDELINES. I'm going to wait and see what happens. Frankly, it's no problem if I have to drink water or juice until I get home."

On the sidelines 這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語前面可以用很多動詞，包括 be, sit, stay, wait 和 remain. 除此以外，還有另外一種說法，叫 to watch from the sidelines 站在邊線以外觀望。比如說開家長會的時(shí)候，如果有什么我覺得特別重要的問題，I will not watch from the sidelines. 我一定不會站在邊線以外觀望。

好的，這次美國習(xí)慣用語就到此結(jié)束了。

M: Until next time.

下次節(jié)目再見。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: I don't like to be judgmental most of the time, so staying on the sidelines is a good way to avoid trouble.

B: That's one way to think of it. But you can't be silent about everything. If no one voices their opinion, there wouldn't be any progress in society.

A: Wow, look at you, professor...不過也是，像我們下面要講的盜版光碟，就不能縱容!

B: Let's listen to today's business etiquette and check it out!

禮節(jié)美語Piracy I

Carl 下課，看到室友 Benny 買東西剛回來，好象很興奮。

Benny: Hey Carl! Check this out! I just picked up three brand-new Hollywood movies...they haven't even been released in theaters yet!

Carl: Um...you mean they're counterfeit copies?

B: Sure! They only cost a couple of bucks each!

C: Yeah, but...they're illegal copies.

B: So? What's the problem?

C: I just don't think it's right to buy pirated goods. I don't want to sound too judgmental, but I think it's wrong.

Benny 興奮地叫 Carl，Check this out! 快來看。原來，Benny買了三張盜版影碟，都是尚未發(fā)行的好萊塢大片。盜版可以說 counterfeit goods, 也可以說 pirated goods. 盜版碟很便宜，每張只要 a couple of bucks 兩美元。Carl 說，I don't want to sound too judgmental, judgmental is spelled j-u-d-g-m-e-n-t-a-l, 意思是對別人妄加評論，但 Carl 還是要說，買盜版碟不對。

B: But Carl, those Hollywood film companies make millions and millions of dollars! It's not like I'm hurting some poor kid in Africa. These guys are billionaires.

C: Yes, that's true. But there's a simple rule to find out if something is wrong or not: Ask yourself, "What would happen if everyone did what you are doing?"

B: Well, if everyone bought pirated copies, no one would buy originals.

C: And if that happened the movie companies would go bankrupt and you'd never be able to enjoy cool new films, right?

B: I guess so.

Benny 覺得，自己買盜版，受損失的只是那些身價(jià)數(shù)十億美元的好萊塢制片公司，所以沒什么了不起。Carl 讓 Benny 想想，如果大家都象他一樣買盜版，會是什么結(jié)果。Benny 承認(rèn)，那就沒人買正品了。正品叫 original, original is spelled o-r-i-g-i-n-a-l, original. 沒人買正品，制片公司就會 go bankrupt 破產(chǎn)，那就沒電影看了。Carl 還說

C: Also, think about the initial investment. When a drug company makes a new medicine, it takes years to test it before they can sell it. If we buy the fake version, the drug company might not have the money to test some newer medicine. Movies are a big investment, too.

B: But the prices they charge are insane! I could buy 35 pirated DVDs for the price of one original!

C: Actually, I agree with you there. The movie studios do need to reduce their prices to something more reasonable. But that doesn't change the fact that it's still stealing.

Carl 提醒說，拍電影跟開發(fā)新藥一樣，需要大筆投資，這一點(diǎn)也不能忘。Benny 爭辯說，可正版影碟實(shí)在是太貴了。The prices are insane. Carl 在這一點(diǎn)上同意 Benny 的看法，覺得制片公司需要把價(jià)格降低到更合理的價(jià)位，to reduce their prices to something more reasonable. 但他堅(jiān)持說，這改變不了買盜版就是盜取的事實(shí)。Carl 是否能夠說服 Benny 以后不再買盜版，我們下次繼續(xù)聽。

A: Benny買回了一些counterfeit goods, 盜版碟，Carl說，他不想表現(xiàn)得太judgmental, 對別人妄加評論，但是買盜版碟不對。Benny說，the price of the originals are insane, 正品的價(jià)格太貴了，Carl對此表示同意，可是還是認(rèn)為買盜版不對。

B: Exactly. I won't stand on the sidelines if any of my friends are buying counterfeit goods. Just look at our team, it takes an enormous amount of time to make just a 10 minute video, let alone a 2-hour movie. We need to respect the efforts made by the people at these production studios.

A: To find out if something is wrong or not: Ask yourself, "What would happen if everyone did what you are doing?" So Mike, as yourself, what would happen if everyone acts like you, and keeps eating my snacks?

B: Hmm.. you will finally be skinny?

A: You evil....

B: (Evil laugh) Alright! Let's keep listening and see if Carl can persuade Benny!

禮節(jié)美語Piracy II

Benny 買了便宜的盜版影碟，他室友 Carl 覺得這樣做無異于盜竊。Benny 爭辯說，

B: Come on. If you steal, it means you hurt someone, right? When I buy fake DVDs, who am I hurting?

C: Actually, lots of people. Movie and software companies all over the world have lots of employees performing all kinds of jobs. There are designers, lighting people, make-up people and many, many more. If the company doesn't make money, these people lose their jobs.

買盜版影碟，會傷害到很多人，包括 designers 設(shè)計(jì)師、lighting people 燈光師、make-up people 化妝師，等等。如果電影制片廠不賺錢，這些人都得失業(yè)。此外，盜版影碟質(zhì)量也不好。

C: Besides, isn't the quality of pirated DVDs really terrible?

B: Some of them are pretty bad. Sometimes you can barely hear the dialogue because the audio is so poor.

C: Then why not really enjoy the movie by renting a legal copy? You don't usually watch films again anyway. They just sit on your shelf taking up space!

B: (Laughs) That's true. I have 1000 of these things just lying around. OK, I can sort of see your point. But originals are still way too expensive!

盜版影碟質(zhì)量差，有時(shí)連對話都聽不清楚。況且，Carl 說，一部電影也不會反復(fù)看，無非是放在架子上占地兒，take up space 。Benny 承認(rèn)，I have 1000 of these things just lying around. 他確實(shí)有很多盜版影碟放在那里。可他又說，正版實(shí)在是太貴了。Originals are way too expensive. 這里的 way 起到了強(qiáng)調(diào)的效果。

C: Yes, I agree, but I think that will begin to change soon. Pretty soon everything will be digital and you'll be able go online and cheaply buy a legal copy to download. Prices should start to go down soon.

B: It's already happened for music. I can now buy single songs online legally for a very cheap price. Before I had to buy the whole album on a CD, but usually I only liked a couple of the songs on it.

Carl說，用不了多久，電影也會數(shù)字化，可以很便宜地合法下載。Prices should start to go down soon. 價(jià)格很快會下來。Benny 表示同意，因?yàn)樗F(xiàn)在已經(jīng)可以上網(wǎng)付費(fèi)下載單曲，而不用象從前那樣買整盤CD了。

C: Also, don't forget that buying original copies helps pay the salaries of your favorite movie stars. You're a big Jackie Chan fan, right?

B: Yeah! Jackie Chan is the best! Nobody can do stunts like Chan!

C: But how can the movie studios pay Jackie Chan millions of dollars to star in the films if everybody buys fake copies of his movies?

B: Ok, Ok I get it! ...I'll give up pirated movies. ....Now what am I going to do tonight?

C: Want to play chess?

B: Sure!

Carl 知道 Benny 是成龍的影迷，他繼續(xù)勸 Benny 說，如果大家都買盜版，誰還付得起幾百萬美元請成龍拍電影呢?Benny 這才終于表示，Ok I get it! I'll give up pirated movies. 意思是，好了，我明白了，以后不買盜版了。

B: Actually, I think the market for pirated DVDs is going to dry up soon. With everything being digitized these days, you can get an original copy at a very reasonable price.

A: Yeah, I always buy digital versions of songs on iTunes! It's like 99 cents a song!

B: Exactly. And with that, you don't have to worry about millions of DVD taking up space at your house!

A: 沒錯(cuò)! 好吧，盜版問題就到這里, Now let's go to another learn a word!

Learn A Word 1793 trade-in

今天我們要學(xué)的詞是trade-in. Trade-in is spelled t-r-a-d-e, trade, and in, i-n, in; trade-in. Trade-in 是以舊換新的意思。Apple plans to launch an iPhone trade-in program, encouraging consumers to upgrade to the iPhone 5. 蘋果公司計(jì)劃啟動蘋果手機(jī)以舊換新的項(xiàng)目，以鼓勵(lì)消費(fèi)者把舊蘋果手機(jī)升級到第五代。An elementary school in California will sponsor a toy-gun trade-in program, encouraging kids to swap their toy weapons for a chance to win a new bike. 美國加州的一所小學(xué)將組織玩具槍以舊換新的活動，鼓勵(lì)孩子上繳玩具武器，參加這項(xiàng)活動的孩子都有機(jī)會贏得一輛嶄新的自行車。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 trade-in, trade-in, trade-in...

A: I'm thinking of getting a new car. Maybe I can trade-in my old car.

B: You can but you should be careful when dealing with used car salesmen- they're....tricksters.

A: Tell me about it! I can never figure out what they are thinking! they are just really good at playing with your head.

B: Maybe you need someone smarter to go with you! Hence... me!

A: Oh gosh...

B: Hahahaha. OK OK, in the next words and idioms, we will learn a phrase that is the opposite of tricksters!

A: Let's check it out!

Words and Idioms 850 An Open Book

美國習(xí)慣用語第 850 講

這個(gè)周末我認(rèn)識了我們的新鄰居。當(dāng)時(shí)我只是想去拜訪她一下，順便介紹一下自己，可是她非常熱情，非要留我在她家吃飯。結(jié)果一頓飯下來，我對她的一切都了如指掌了，包括她的職業(yè)，她為什么要搬家等等。用英語來形容，她對我來說就是:

M: An open book. Open is spelled o-o-e-n, and book; b-o-o-k. An-open-book. An open book.

這個(gè)習(xí)慣用語中的形容詞 Open是打開的意思，book是書。An open book是打開的書。用open book來形容一個(gè)人意思是這個(gè)人像一本打開的書一樣，毫不掩飾他的個(gè)人情況，就像我那位新鄰居一樣，和我一見如故，什么都告訴我。

M: I'm sure she would have told me anything I wanted to know because she strikes me as AN OPEN BOOK.

美國有一位著名的黑人女詩人叫Maya Angelou，下面這位讀者說，Maya Angelou能取得今天的成就，是因?yàn)樗?dú)特的生活經(jīng)歷:

M: Maya Angelou has written about her many challenges since growing up in the 1930s. From being discriminated against by Southern white society to being raped as a child, she's experienced pain that many people might have kept secret. But Ms. Angelou's life has been AN OPEN BOOK. Her courage and her insights are inspiring.

男:Maya Angelou 在她的作品中描述了她在1930年代成長的過程中遭遇的許多挑戰(zhàn)。從南方白人的歧視到小時(shí)候被強(qiáng)暴，很多人可能會把這種痛苦的經(jīng)歷埋藏在心底，不愿意讓別人知道。但是Maya Angelou 把自己的經(jīng)歷毫無保留地講述給大家。她的勇氣和見識鼓舞了很多人。

沒錯(cuò)。她可以讓這些痛苦的經(jīng)歷變成永久的秘密，但是她寧愿通過自己的作品向別人講述她的經(jīng)歷。我覺得她很了不起。

前幾天我去看車，那個(gè)賣車的人別提多討厭了，油腔滑調(diào)不說，而且手段不高明，一眼就讓人看穿了他的伎倆，用我們今天學(xué)的習(xí)慣用語OPEN BOOK來說:

M: You were able to READ HIM LIKE AN OPEN BOOK.

Read someone like an open book.

Read someone like an open book，意思是很容易就能猜到這個(gè)人在想什么。就像那個(gè)狡猾的汽車銷售員一樣，我可以READ HIM LIKE AN OPEN BOOK ，而且我知道這種人我不能和他打交道。

這樣的人絕對不能到下面我們要講的這個(gè)公司去申請工作，為什么呢? 我們聽聽這家公司的老板怎么說:

M: My construction company reflects my values as a builder. I believe in doing honest work at a fair price. I invite clients to ask any questions they'd like and look carefully at projects I've worked on. I think of my business as AN OPEN BOOK. I have absolutely nothing to hide.

男:我的建筑公司代表著我作為一個(gè)建筑商的價(jià)值觀。我相信做生意要誠實(shí)，價(jià)格要公道。我歡迎我的客戶提出任何問題，也歡迎他們審查我們以往的工程。我認(rèn)為我的公司是一本打開的書。我沒有任何東西需要隱瞞。

AN OPEN BOOK您覺得它的反義詞會是什么呢? 不難猜， 就是

M:A CLOSED BOOK.

對。一本合上的書不知道它的內(nèi)容當(dāng)然很神秘了。 一個(gè)公司不想讓別人知道他們的情況，我們可以說這個(gè)公司是一個(gè)CLOSED BOOK。形容一個(gè)人很神秘，也可以說這個(gè)人是CLOSED BOOK。

這次美國習(xí)慣用語就到此結(jié)束了。以后我想到更精彩的習(xí)慣用語一定和大家分享。

M: Until next time.

下次節(jié)目再見。

M: This has been Words and Idioms.

A: Mike, you are totally an open book! An open cook book that is (hehehe).......

B: At least my book has more than two pages in it OOOH BURN!

A: 好了同學(xué)們，這次節(jié)目時(shí)間就到這里了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!