美語訓(xùn)練班116

　　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，我們要一起看看如果在工作場合遇到騷擾該怎么辦，告訴你怎么說潑冷水，還要告訴你如何說意料之中!

　　B: Gosh, sexual harassment is the worst thing that could happen to anyone in the work place. The workplace is supposed to be a safe place to work in. You shouldn't have to be looking over your shoulder all day.

　　A: I agree. But it's also a very delicate situation that needs to be handled correctly.

　　B: And we will give you some tips later! Now let's go into today's lessons.

　　A: 先來進(jìn)入第一個單元...learn a word!

　　Learn A Word 1797 breakdown

　　今天我們要學(xué)的詞是breakdown. Breakdown is spelled b-r-e-a-k-d-o-w-n, breakdown. Breakdown 做為名詞，有故障，崩潰的意思。AAA predicts nearly 115,000 motorists in Virginia will require assistance with car breakdowns this summer. 美國汽車協(xié)會預(yù)計，今年夏天維吉尼亞州會有11萬5千輛車中途拋錨，需要幫助。She suffered a nervous breakdown after her boyfriend walked out of her life. 被男友拋棄后，她陷入精神崩潰狀態(tài)。News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from his wife Wendi Deng Murdoch, citing a breakdown in the relationship. 新聞集團(tuán)首席執(zhí)行官默多克提出與妻子鄧文迪離婚的申請，理由是關(guān)系破裂。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 breakdown, breakdown, breakdown...

　　A: 我聽到鄧文迪和默多克離婚的消息時實在太驚訝了! All the news was saying they were super happy together! And...a breakdown in the relationship? What does that mean?

　　B: Relationships have to be maintained, if you don't spend enough time and energy managing it, it can easily fall apart.

　　A: That's true. Empathy, compassion, and a willingness to communicate are extremely important in any relationship.

　　B: Without mutual understanding of those things a breakdown becomes par for the course.

　　A: 沒錯! 這正好是我們下面words and idioms要教的詞! 什么叫做par for the course 呢?

　　B: Let's check it out!

　　Words and Idioms 853 PAR FOR THE COURSE

　　美國習(xí)慣用語 第 853 講

　　如今很多人在網(wǎng)上寫的博客簡直讓人難以置信。比如說，昨天就有個年輕的媽媽在博客里抱怨說，生了孩子以后，再沒時間出去社交了，真沒勁。

　　生養(yǎng)孩子當(dāng)然要付出代價，要花費時間，這不是天經(jīng)地義的嗎?有什么好抱怨的呢!不過，這倒讓我想起一個習(xí)慣用語，今天跟大家分享，那就是：

　　M: Par for the course. Par is spelled p-a-r, and course; c-o-u-r-s-e. Par-for-the-course.

　　有人打高爾夫嗎?這個習(xí)慣用語是從高爾夫球來的。Par指的是某個洞、或是高爾夫整場打下來的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)擊球桿數(shù)，比如說18洞72桿。說某件事情是 par for the course，意思就是正常的，意料之中的。就像我們剛才說的，有了孩子就不再有那么多時間出去社交了，It's PAR FOR THE COURSE.

　　你打高爾夫嗎?鍛煉身體嗎?注意飲食嗎?如果既鍛煉身體又注意飲食的話，你一定能長壽。相反的，不注意健康保健會有什么樣的結(jié)果呢?讓我們一起來聽聽下面這個人是怎么說的。

　　M: "Grandpa has never gotten much exercise. He also hasn't watched what he eats. Is it any surprise that lab tests show he's got a variety of health problems? After not taking care of himself, his poor condition is PAR FOR THE COURSE."

　　這個人說： 我爺爺從來不鍛煉身體，也不注意飲食?；灲Y(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，他身上一大堆毛病，這也就沒有什么好奇怪的了。常年不注意身體，結(jié)果當(dāng)然會是這樣。 我的一位伯父，從十幾歲就開始抽煙，65歲的時候突然戒了煙，同時開始每天游泳。很多人都覺得毫無意義，但是醫(yī)生說，改善生活習(xí)慣，不論年紀(jì)大小，都是有好處的。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

　　M: "Grandpa has never gotten much exercise. He also hasn't watched what he eats. Is it any surprise that lab tests show he's got a variety of health problems? After not taking care of himself, his poor condition is PAR FOR THE COURSE."

　　我的一個好朋友 Donna 最近剛剛升任部門經(jīng)理。工資漲了，責(zé)任自然也更重了，而且還要經(jīng)常加班。但是她知道，That's all PAR FOR THE COURSE. 這些都是很自然的。

　　現(xiàn)在經(jīng)濟(jì)不好，很多人找工作。下面這段話給那些經(jīng)常在網(wǎng)上發(fā)信息的人提了個醒兒，讓我們一起聽聽下面這段科技報道。

　　M: "Do you frequently post on the Internet? Sure, your friends can see comments you made about your old boss or your suggestive photo at a wild party. But potential employers might look, too. These days, it's PAR FOR THE COURSE. Expect all kinds of people to be able to access your data."

　　報道里說： 你經(jīng)常在網(wǎng)上貼東西嗎?確實，朋友們可以看到你對原來老板的評價，也能看到你參加派對時拍的那些出格的照片。不過別忘了，一些用人單位也能看得到，如今這年頭兒，這是很正常的。什么人都能看到你的信息。

　　我可能真是老了，不能接受新鮮事物了。我怎么也想不通的是，為什么會有人愿意把自己的隱私拿到網(wǎng)上，讓大家都來看。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

　　M: "Do you frequently post on the Internet? Sure, your friends can see comments you made about your old boss or your suggestive photo at a wild party. But potential employers might look, too. These days, it's PAR FOR THE COURSE. Expect all kinds of people to be able to access your data."

　　剛才說到，年紀(jì)越大，越不能接受新鮮事物了。Is it PAR FOR THE COURSE? 肯定有人不同意。你覺得呢?

　　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: Exactly! I've heard that potential employers are now going on Facebook and Linkedin to check if you seem like a responsible and qualified employee. They also want to rule out those with weird habits.

　　B: So pay attention to what you post on your Facebook! Don't talk about things in the office, and don't ever make any jokes relating to politics, religion, or sexual orientation.

　　A: 是啊! I'm so grateful that we have a great work environment. 今天business etiquette里的Clarie就沒有這么好運(yùn)了，咱們一起來聽聽是怎么回事吧!

　　禮節(jié)美語 Sexual Harassment I

　　Jessica 看到同事 Claire 情緒很低落。

　　Jessica: Hey Claire, you look sad. What's up?

　　Claire: I guess I am a bit depressed.

　　J: Having a bad hair day?

　　C: (chuckle) No, that' not it.

　　J: Come on. You can confide in me. I know how to keep a secret.

　　C: OK... but you really have to keep this to yourself. I don't want to cause trouble.

　　J: Wow. Sounds serious!

　　C: You know my boss, Kevin?

　　J: Sure...I've met him at a couple of company functions.

　　Jessica 開玩笑，問 Clare 情緒低落是不是 having a bad hair day. 說某人 have a bad hair day 意思是因為不順，心情不好。Jessica 說自己嘴很嚴(yán)，所以 Clair 可以 confide in me 把秘密告訴我。Claire 告訴 Jessica 說，事情跟自己的上司 Kevin 有關(guān)。聽起來好象挺嚴(yán)重。

　　C: Well, he keeps commenting on how pretty I am and he frequently touches my shoulders. He says I look tense and could use a massage.

　　J: And this makes you uncomfortable, right?

　　C: Yeah! I don't like it. I have a boyfriend and I'm not interested in Kevin at all. Plus, he's my boss and it's just a weird feeling!

　　J: That sounds like sexual harassment to me!

　　C: Really? Do you think it's that serious?

　　原來，Claire 的上司 Kevin 經(jīng)?？渌?，還動手動腳，讓 Claire 很不舒服。Claire 有男朋友，而且 I'm not interested in Kevin 對 Kevin 沒興趣，所以感覺很怪。Jessica 肯定地說，這是性騷擾 sexual harassment. 這么說性質(zhì)可就嚴(yán)重了。

　　J: The workplace is supposed to be a comfortable place to work in. You shouldn't have to be looking over your shoulder all day. It's the responsibility of a boss to make sure your workday is safe and productive.

　　C: Well, every time he comes out to speak to me, I worry he's going to do or say something that makes me uncomfortable.

　　J: That's sexual harassment and it's a crime!

　　Jessica 說，工作單位應(yīng)該安全、舒適，員工不需要隨時隨地提心吊膽。You shouldn't have to be looking over your shoulder all day. 這里所說的 to look over one's shoulder 意思是小心提防。Claire 承認(rèn)，每次 Kevin 跟她講話，她都很緊張，生怕 Kevin 的舉止會讓自己感到別扭。不過，她又說...

　　C: But overall he is a pretty good boss and most of the people in the office like him. I don't want to be the one to stir up trouble. Maybe I'm too sensitive.

　　J: Sexual harassment is a common problem. I remember I once had a boss who kept asking me out on a date...even though I was married and wearing my wedding ring!

　　C: What did you do about it?

　　Claire 說，Kevin 總的來說是個不錯的老板，大家都很喜歡他，所以 I don't want to be the one to stir up trouble. 不想當(dāng)那個挑起是非的人. Jessica 說，性騷擾是個很常見的問題，自己就曾遇到過一個老板，明知她已經(jīng)結(jié)婚，還三番五次要跟她約會。Jessica 是如何處理的呢?我們下次繼續(xù)聽。

　　A: Claire情緒不高，原來是因為她的上司Kevin總是對她動手動腳，sexual harassment，性騷擾。Jessica說，工作環(huán)境應(yīng)該是舒適的，you shouldn't have to look over your shoulder all day long, 不該成天提心吊膽，但是Claire不想stir up trouble, 挑起是非。

　　B: Luckily I have never been exposed to this, but I have heard that it is common for young women to experiencing harassment in the workplace. In my opinion, you need to tell the person that they are making you uncomfortable, and if they still don't stop then you need to report them.

　　A: Ugh...what a horrible situation! Let's keep listening to Jessica and see what advice she can offer to Claire!

　　禮節(jié)美語 Sexual Harassment II

　　Claire 告訴同事 Jessica，上司 Kevin 跟她動手動腳，讓她很不舒服。Jessica 說，這是性騷擾，自己以前也遇到過。她的做法是：

　　J: One day when my boss made a joke about my body, I spoke up and told him - in front of several colleagues - that I thought he was out of line. I told him what he's doing is sexual harassment. He never did it again, but he also never spoke to me again.

　　C: See? That's what I'm worried about. I want him to stop, but I don't want to cause a scene.

　　J: Well, sometimes you don't have a choice. You can't let this guy get away with it.

　　Jessica 說，有一次她當(dāng)著同事的面告訴老板不要太過份。I told him that I thought he was out of line. 這里的 out of line 意思是出格。雖然 Claire 說，I don't want to cause a scene. 我不想當(dāng)眾把事情鬧大， 可 Jessica 表示，有時你沒有其它選擇。

　　C: But is it really sexual harassment? Could he just be a rude person?

　　J: If he comments on your appearance or body or if he asks questions or comments about your personal life, that's considered harassment. You have a responsibility to stop him so he doesn't do it to someone else.

　　C: Yeah, I guess so. But what should I do?

　　J: You can report him to a superior, but before you do that, maybe you should confront him first.

　　Claire 還是不敢肯定 Kevin 的行為是不是夠得上性騷擾。Jessica 說，如果他對你的外表或個人生活過份關(guān)心或是說三道四，就屬于騷擾。她建議 Claire 直接去找 Kevin 談，confront him.

　　J: I suggest you look Kevin right in the eye and clearly and slowly tell him that you want him to stop touching you and commenting about your appearance. Don't smile or joke this should be a serious conversation. When you finish speaking to him, just walk away and let him think about it.

　　C: And if it happens again?

　　J: Then you report him to company supervisors. If they are smart they will take care of it, otherwise, they know they could get sued. No one likes a lawsuit.

　　Jessica 說，應(yīng)該直接去找 Kevin 明明白白地告訴他，希望他以后不要再動手動腳，或是品頭論足。如果還是不行，再去找公司高層。如果他們聰明的話，they will take care of it. 他們就會妥善處理。No one likes a lawsuit. 沒人愿意吃官司。

　　C: Could I maybe write him a letter? I'm not good at face-to-face confrontation.

　　J: That could work as well. Or, if you'd like, I'd be happy to stand with you when you talk to him. It might be nice to have some support...and I'd be a witness as well.

　　C: Thanks, Jessica. You're a real friend. I'm sorry to drag you into this.

　　J: Not at all. We ladies have to stick together right?

　　C: Yeah. Thanks!

　　Claire 想寫信給 Kevin，表達(dá)自己的意思，因為 I'm not good at face-to-face confrontation. 意思是我不擅長面對面的直接對抗。Jessica 很夠意思，主動表示愿意陪 Claire 去找 Kevin, 給 Claire 壯膽，因為 We ladies have to stick together. 我們都是女性，應(yīng)該抱團(tuán)兒。

　　A: 顯然，Kevin對Claire的態(tài)度是out of line， 出格了,但是Claire呢又不想cause a scene,把事情鬧大。Jessica說，如果有人 對你性騷擾，一定要堅定地confront him，跟他對峙，讓他以后再也不敢這么做。

　　B: I agree. You have a responsibility to stop him so he doesn't do it to someone else.

　　A: True. And if confrontation doesn't work out, you should always go to higher management to get it solved. 把任何罪惡消滅在萌芽狀態(tài)!

　　B: Alright! Let's take a break at this serious topic. Why don't we do another learn a word!

　　Learn A Word 1799 keep in check

　　今天我們要學(xué)的詞是keep in check. Keep is spelled k-e-e-p, keep, and check, c-h-e-c-k, check, keep in check. To keep something in check 意思是約束，控制某事。美國喬治華盛頓大學(xué)的研究人員說，A 15-minute walk three times a day after meals helps people in their 70s and 80s to keep their blood sugar levels in check. 每天三次飯后走15分鐘，有利于七八十歲的人控制血糖水平。Bank Indonesia's new Governor said that keeping inflation in check would be one of the central bank's top priorities. 印尼央行新行長說，控制通貨膨脹將是央行的工作重點之一。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 keep in check, keep in check, keep in check...

　　A: I always stand for half an hour after meals! I've heard that it will help keep your weight in check!

　　B: Hmm...based on what I see, I seriously doubt that that's true ...

　　A: You...

　　B: Haha, I'm just getting back at you! I didn't mean to pour cold water on you, actually I think you look really fit these days!

　　A: Watching your intake and keeping a regular exercise schedule, that's the trick! 哎，你剛提到了一個俗語:pour cold water on, let's check it out!

　　Words and Idioms 854 POUR COLD WATER ON

　　美國習(xí)慣用語 第 854 講

　　有時候覺得，當(dāng)父母真不容易。最近，我們同意女兒重新粉刷自己的房間，誰知她要刷黑色。明知她會不高興，我們還是決定要打消她的這個念頭，在英文里這叫：

　　M: Pour cold water on. Pour is spelled p-o-u-r. Pour-cold-water-on.

　　Pour cold water on 很容易理解，就是中文里面所說的潑冷水。雖然我們同意讓女兒自己選擇房間的顏色，但是黑色已經(jīng)超過了我們的容忍范圍。We just have to POUR COLD WATER ON that choice. 她雖然有些不高興，但最后還是同意妥協(xié)，這才讓我們長長地出了一口氣。讓我們一起聽聽下面這些人最近遇到了什么喪氣的事情。

　　M: "A spokesperson for the company had announced that we'd all be getting raises at the end of the year. Unfortunately, she made the announcement before the board of directors reviewed our financial situation. Given our recent losses, they decided it was best to POUR COLD WATER ON the increases for now. They didn't want to go ahead with a plan that made little sense."

　　這個人說： 公司發(fā)言人剛剛宣布，員工年底一律加薪。糟糕的是，她宣布這一消息趕在了董事會審查財政狀況之前。由于公司最近虧損，董事會決定最好先不提漲工資的事。他們不愿意批準(zhǔn)一項不合情理的計劃。

　　如果公司虧損超過了預(yù)期，這種決定是可以理解的。

　　我妹妹原來打算到哥斯達(dá)黎加去玩，誰知那里突發(fā)地震，她只好推遲行程。It poured cold water on her itinerary.

　　好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

　　M: "A spokesperson for the company had announced that we'd all be getting raises at the end of the year. Unfortunately, she made the announcement before the board of directors reviewed our financial situation. Given our recent losses, they decided it was best to POUR COLD WATER ON the increases for now. They didn't want to go ahead with a plan that made little sense."

　　剛才說到，由于地震，我妹妹沒能按計劃到哥斯達(dá)黎加去玩，十分失望。下面例子里的一個男子本打算去拉斯維加斯玩?zhèn)€痛快，結(jié)果呢?讓我們一起聽聽。

　　M: "My buddies and I organized a fun weekend in Las Vegas. But then my girlfriend POURED COLD WATER ON the trip. She made it clear that she wasn't about to let me go to "Sin City". She was afraid that four guys together would get into too much trouble with all the casinos and bars there."

　　他說：我們幾個哥們兒準(zhǔn)備好一起去拉斯維加斯痛痛快快過個周末。結(jié)果我女朋友攪局。她明明白白地告訴我，不讓我去“罪惡之城”。她擔(dān)心，那里到處都是賭場和酒吧，四個男人肯定會惹禍。

　　拉斯維加斯素有“sin city”罪惡之城的稱號，不過，除了賭場和酒吧以外，那里也有很多超級享受的餐館和演出。這倒讓我想起，今年渡假可以到拉斯維加斯去，I don't think my husband would POUR COLD WATER ON this one. 好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

　　M: "My buddies and I organized a fun weekend in Las Vegas. But then my girlfriend POURED COLD WATER ON the trip. She made it clear that she wasn't about to let me go to "Sin City". She was afraid that four guys together would get into too much trouble with all the casinos and bars there."

　　這個習(xí)慣用語是從救火來的，這一點恐怕不難理解。如果大家在學(xué)習(xí)習(xí)慣用語的過程中遇到任何困難，盡管跟我們聯(lián)系，我保證，I am not going to POUR COLD WATER ON your enthusiasm for learning. 不會給大家的學(xué)習(xí)熱情潑冷水。

　　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 hate to pour cold water on your weekend plans Mike, but your going to have to come in this weekend to help edit.

　　B: That's ok Yanglin, I can get done in 2 hours what it takes you 8 hours to do. Plus I never say no to overtime.....

　　A: Yeah, as if. 好了同學(xué)們，這次節(jié)目時間就到這里了。

　　B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

　　A: See you next time!