英語早間課堂:Keep it to yourself
We've learnt a way of telling someone to keep a secret which is " keep your mouth shut " . Today I would like to share a new one with you. It means something isn't private. It's like saying " Please don't tell anyone else ." what's it? Let's listen to a simple situational dialogue and find it. A : Keep this to yourself. I'm planning to retire.
B : But the company needs you to run things.
【答疑解惑】
It is " Keep this to yourself ". It’s similar to saying in Chinese：這是秘密，你一個人知道就行了，不要對任何人說。
【即學(xué)即用】
And now let's put it into practice in class. Please translate the following sentences into English. 1 在我們解決這個問題期間，這件事只能你一個人知道。
2 這可是個秘密，不要透露半個字。我們也不會再提起，明白了嗎。
Think them hard and the answers will be given later. 1 You keep this to yourself while we work it out. 2 You keep this to yourself . Not a word. We don't speak of this again. You understand. The above two sentences are from hit American films. Here are some tips. “Work out ”是解決的意思。Not a word. 就是我們中文說的“半個字也不要透露。”的意思。“Speak of”是提及，談到的意思。
【小題大作】
Next let's do some listening exercises. Please write down the key phrases while listening to the recording. A : Keep this to yourself. I'm planning to retire. B : But the company needs you to run things.
【短語積累】
The following phrases should be underlined. 1 plan to do something 打算做某事，計劃做某事2 need somebody to do something 需要某人做某事3 run things 管理事務(wù)【聽透美語】
Please listen to me to read the dialogue to see differences between my pronunciation and one of the recording. Be careful , here we go. A : Keep this to yourself. I'm planning to retire. B : But the company needs you to run things. We should pay attention to the following places.
1 Keep this to yourself【點撥】keep 以爆破音 [p] 結(jié)尾，this 以 輔音 [e] 開頭，當(dāng)[p] 遇到 [e] 是就失去爆破。To 在美國人的真正發(fā)音是 [d?].
2 But the 【點撥】but 以爆破音[ t]結(jié)尾 , the 以 輔音 [e] 開頭，當(dāng)[t] 遇到 [e] 是就失去爆破。
3 needs you [ 'ni:dzju:]
【點撥】needs 以輔音 [dz] 結(jié)尾，you 以半元音 [ju:] 開頭，輔音和元音進行連讀。
【關(guān)鍵句子】
Now let's come to the sentences study in the dialogue. I'm planning to retire. 【翻譯】我準(zhǔn)備退休。
【要點】In this sentence there is a key words which is "retire" . It means "to stop doing your job, especially because you've reached a particular age or because you are ill . For example: She was forced to retire early from teaching because of ill health. 他由于身體不好而被迫早早的離開利教學(xué)崗位。He has no plans to retire as an editor of the magazine. 他還沒有打算從雜志的編輯位子上退下來。From the above two sentences the meaning of two phrases which are:" retire from" and "retire as" is the same. 意思是：從某個工作崗位退休。What's more，the above tow sentences are written in active tense. Let's look at a sentence which is written in passive voice: He was retired on the medical grounds. 他由于健康問題被安排退休。Here retire means "to tell somebody he must stop working ". 意思是：(使)退休，(令)退職。如果用主動語態(tài)的話，是表示這個字自己自愿的退下工作崗位，而用被動語態(tài)就是被安排退休，不由得你愿不愿意。
But the company needs you here to run things. 【翻譯】但是公司需要留住你在這里管理事務(wù)。
【要點】
1 The key word in this sentence is run. It means "to be in charge of business, etc." For example: He has no idea how to run a business. 他絲毫不懂企業(yè)管理。 Stop trying to run my life. 別老是操縱我的生活。
2 to run things 是動詞不定式， 在句中做賓語成分。而我們今天的經(jīng)典句子中: Keep it to yourself中也有個動詞不定式 to yourself 做的是it 的補足語。
3 我們來仔細的看這個句子 here 作為副詞作狀語，通常放在句尾，可是這里卻放到了動詞不定時前，是有一中強調(diào)的意味在里面，強調(diào)的是“還需你在公司工作，有一種缺你不可，你是公司的骨干分子”的意味在里面，放于句尾則沒有，這個要靠我們的語感去品味。
