美語訓練班136

　　B: Welcome to American English Mosaic, I'm Mike Bond!

　　A: And I'm 蔚然。楊琳休假，我?guī)О唷?/p>

　　B: What is the word of the year for 2013? We will find out.

　　A: 人靠衣服馬靠鞍，這句話在職場是是否適用呢?禮節(jié)美語為您介紹。

　　B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what "too close for comfort" and "won’t do something to save your life" mean!

　　A: All coming up on this edition of American English Mosaic!

　　B: Now let's go into our first segment, Learn-a-word!

　　Learn A Word 1900 selfie

　　今天我們要學的詞是 selfie. Selfie is spelled s-e-l-f-i-e, selfie. Selfie 名詞，自拍照片。From Oct 20 to 27, "selfie" was mentioned in Facebook status updates over 368,000 times. 10月20到27號這段時間里，臉書用戶狀態(tài)更新里提到自拍字眼的就有36.8萬次。Many drivers are using their smart phones to take selfies while driving. 現(xiàn)在很多人一邊開車一邊用智能手機自拍。Experts warn that people taking driving selfies are putting their safety and that of those around them in danger. 有關專家警告說，邊開車邊自拍的人讓自己和周圍人的安全都受到了威脅。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 selfie, selfie, selfie....

　　A: 不要說拍selfie, 方向盤后面的開車一族真是干什么的都有。

　　B: Yeah. My sister always puts on her makeup while on the way to work.

　　A: I even saw people playing candy crush saga 糖果粉碎游戲 behind the wheel?

　　B: I….may have tried that once, and ended up almost kissing the car in front of me! I must say, it was too close for comfort.

　　A: 真是太危險了。不過，你正好介紹了我們下面要學的習慣用語。一起來聽。

　　Words and Idioms 895 too close for comfort

　　美國習慣用語第895講

　　我剛才和表姐吃午飯，她告訴我一個好消息，那就是，她們公司的裁員大潮她躲過去了!這一個月來，和她資歷接近的同事一個一個被炒魷魚，她本來以為下一個就輪到自己，沒想到，裁員結束了，而她留了下來。雖然保住工作，但她這些日子提心吊膽的心情讓我想到一個習慣用語，那就是：

　　M: Too close for comfort. Too is spelled t-o-o, close; c-l-o-s-e, and comfort;c-o-m-f-o-r-t. Too-close-for-comfort.

　　Close是“接近”的意思，comfort表示“舒服”，too close for comfort字面的意思就是“過于接近，太相似了，讓人不舒服”。根據(jù)語境，too close for comfort 有時可以表示“險些遇到不好的結果”。比如，我表姐在這次裁員潮中，離被炒魷魚就是 too close for comfort--險些就丟掉工作了!

　　在生活中，我們或多或少會做一些“打擦邊球”的事兒。就是明知道有危險，也抱著僥幸心里去做。比如，開車的時候打手機，甚至發(fā)短信! 我們來聽聽下面這個司機的遭遇：

　　M:"I should have been more careful. Driving home, I was answering a text message. I had only looked away from the road for a couple of seconds. But when I looked up, the car ahead of me had stopped abruptly. That was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I barely missed plowing into him."

　　這段話意思是：我當時真該小心點! 那天，我開車回家，邊開車邊回短信，雖然只有幾秒鐘沒看路，可當我重新把目光轉回路上時發(fā)現(xiàn)，我前面的車已經(jīng)突然停住了! 太危險了! 我差點就撞上它了!

　　打電話、發(fā)短信、上網(wǎng)這些事情請您不開車的時候盡情做，開車的時候可需要全神貫注! 車禍往往就是司機分心造成的，幾秒鐘的注意力不集中就可能導致車毀人亡的慘劇! 剛才那個司機離車禍已經(jīng)很近了，too close for comfort! 我們再來聽聽剛才那段話吧：

　　M: "I should have been more careful. Driving home I was answering a text message. I had only looked away from the road for a couple of seconds. But when I looked up, the car ahead of me had stopped abruptly. That was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I barely missed plowing into him."

　　剛才我們說到，開車需要全神貫注。在下面這個句子中，一個學生意識到，上學也得專心。上課走神不行，要逃學就更不成了! 我們來聽聽他是怎么說的：

　　M: "I'll never skip school again. When I stopped at a restaurant for lunch I saw the assistant principal sitting across from me. Luckily, I managed to slip out the door without being noticed. The risk of getting caught was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I learned my lesson."

　　這段話的意思是：我再也不會逃學了。那天，我逃課去飯館吃飯，結果看到副校長就坐在我對面! 幸運的是，我趁他沒注意，從門口溜走了。我差一點就被副校長抓個正著! 這下我可長記性了。

　　這孩子，因為差點被抓到才不敢繼續(xù)逃課! 其實，就算沒有“巧遇”副校長，他也應該想想，還有那么多孩子想上學卻上不起、上不了，和他們相比，他真應該珍惜受教育的機會才對。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：

　　M: "I'll never skip school again. When I stopped at a restaurant for lunch I saw the assistant principal sitting across from me. Luckily, I managed to slip out the door without being noticed. The risk of getting caught was TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. I learned my lesson."

　　有時候，有些東西太像了，也會讓人不舒服。比如，我一個朋友總說她男友多浪漫，多會寫詩，她小心地保留每一首他寫的情詩?？珊髞硭l(fā)現(xiàn)，這些詩和一本叫 “情詩大全”的書上的內容相差無幾。She finds it all too close for comfort--內容太像了，男友的情詩明顯都是抄書抄來的! 你說，我這朋友能不生氣么?!

　　好的，今天我們學習的習慣用語是 TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT，表示“太接近了，太像了，讓人不舒服。”

　　好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束。

　　M: Until next time.

　　下次節(jié)目再見。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.

　　A: Mike, 你上學時是不是經(jīng)常逃課?

　　B: What? No! I never played hookie. But I was sent home once for wearing a T-shirt with inappropriate words on it.

　　A: What did it say?

　　B: I….probably shouldn’t say. But I did learn my lesson. Dressing properly is important no matter who you are. Let’s listen to our next segment: Business Etiquette and learn more.

　　Business Etiquette

　　Topic: You Are What You Wear

　　Cathy 早上上班見到同事 Adam.

　　Cathy: Hi, Adam, nice tie.

　　Adam: Thanks.

　　C: By the way, can I ask you a personal question?

　　A: Ask away!

　　C: How come you're the only one at the office who wears a tie to work every day? I'm not criticizing your fashion choices, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

　　A: No. I'm happy to answer that question! I assume you're like most people: you prefer to wear comfortable clothing whenever possible, right?

　　Cathy 問了 Adam 個personal question 私人問題，問Adam 為什么每天上班都西裝領帶的，而公司的著裝標準并不嚴格，所以其他人一般都是怎么舒服怎么穿。Cathy 還補充說，I'm not criticizing your fashion choices. 意思是說我不是想對你的穿著指手劃腳，而是好奇。Cathy 承認，平時如果沒事，他就會穿得很隨便。

　　C: Absolutely! If it's a special event or a business meeting or something, then sure, I'll put on a suit or a nice business dress. But I much prefer to dress more casually.

　　A: I understand that logic. But of course you've heard about "power-dressing," no?

　　C: Yeah....if you wear nicer looking clothes, people take you more seriously, right?

　　A: That's the idea. I think everybody knows that the clothing we wear affects how others perceive us. But I've also discovered that what I wear affects how I think.

　　C: Really? That's an interesting idea. What exactly do you mean?

　　Cathy 說，如果有什么特別活動或是要開會，She'll put on a suit or a nice business dress. 穿西裝或套裝，否則的話，她還是喜歡穿得隨便些，to dress more casually. Adam 問 Cathy 有沒有聽過 power-dressing 的說法，也就是說，如果穿得正式，別人就會更把你當回事。Adam 說，他發(fā)現(xiàn)，power-dressing 不僅會影響別人對自己的看法，同時也會對他自己的精神狀態(tài)產(chǎn)生影響。

　　A: Well, there's a lot of research out there that says the position of our bodies affects our thoughts.

　　C: I've heard about that. I read an article that said if you sit up straight your thoughts become sharper than if you were slouching.

　　A: Exactly! But there are some new studies that show what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts.

　　C: Give me an example.

　　A: Scientists found that students who were wearing white lab coats performed better on tests than students who were wearing their own clothes.

　　C: Ah! So because the white lab coat has an association with intelligence, the students' brains actually got more intelligent?

　　有很多研究顯示，一個人身體的姿勢，往往會對人的思維產(chǎn)生影響，比如，坐直了就比窩著的時候思維更敏銳。Slouch is spelled s-l-o-u-c-h, slouch 意思是很放松地窩在那里，蜷在那里。Adam 補充說，現(xiàn)在的一些新的研究結果發(fā)現(xiàn)，what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts. 一個人的穿著也會對他的思維產(chǎn)生影響。比如說，穿著實驗室白大褂的學生，考試往往比穿日常衣服的學生成績好，因為穿著白大褂，會讓學生覺得自己智商更高，因此考試時大腦的表現(xiàn)也就更出色。

　　A: 英語里有句話叫，You are what you wear. 沒錯吧?

　　B: Absolutely. For instance, if you wear casual clothes to an interview, you pretty much have blown your chances of landing that job.

　　A: 我看到有研究說，第一印象的形成只需要三到五秒。

　　B: Therefore, image management is very important. Let’s keep on listening to the second half of Business Etiquette.

　　Business Etiquette

　　Topic: You Are What You Wear II

　　Cathy 跟同事Adam 正在討論，一個人的穿著是否會對他的精神狀態(tài)產(chǎn)生影響。Adam 說，

　　A: Have you ever heard the saying, "clothes make the man"? It might be truer than we imagine.

　　C: When a police officer or firefighter puts on their uniform it must affect their psychology. It probably gives them a sense of responsibility and authority.

　　A: Absolutely. When a judge puts on that heavy black robe it transmits an image of power, but it also serves as a reminder to the judge of the responsibility of their position.

　　C: I know when I'm wearing a nice suit I feel a lot more confident. If I'm going out for a night on the town and I'm all dressed up I feel a lot better about myself than if I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

　　英語里有一種說法叫 clothes make the man. 相當于中文里說的人靠衣服馬靠鞍。Adam 說，這句老話恐怕比我們想的更有道理。警察穿上警服，消防員穿上消防服，法官穿上黑色長袍，都會平添一種使命感和權威感，Cathy 說，她每次穿西裝，也會倍感自信，還說，晚上出去吃飯消遣時，如果 dressed up 精心打扮，就會自我感覺更好。Cathy說的， go out for a night on the town, 是一種固定說法，意思是出去吃飯，喝酒，看節(jié)目，消遣。

　　A: Yeah, I think everyone recognizes that part about the power of clothes....but that's not exactly why I wear a tie to work every day.

　　C: You wear it because you think it makes you smarter.

　　A: Yes. I think putting on a shirt and tie actually affects the way my brain works. C: That's a very interesting concept!

　　A: My eyes look down and see what I'm wearing and my brain gets a reminder that I'm a businessman.... and I think the brain responds to expectations.

　　Adam 說，他每天都穿西裝打領帶，不是給別人看的，更多的是在提醒自己，隨時提醒自己是商界人士，這樣大腦就會做出反應，做出的事，說出的話都會更加得體。

　　C: It's kind of like an actor trying to play a role...you have to have the right costume!

　　A: I think that's a good way of expressing it! I'm sure it's much harder for actors and actresses to get into character before they put on the right costume.

　　C: Yeah....but after the clothes and the makeup go on, they look in the mirror and their brains are able to shift into the role.

　　A: The symbolic meaning of a tie is "business" and so for me it's an identifying symbol that I think affects both how others see me and how I see myself.

　　C: Interesting.....hmm.....maybe I should start wearing a suit.

　　這就跟演員穿上戲服，才能進入角色一樣。Adam 覺得，這樣比喻恰如其分，that's a good way of expressing it. 演員穿上戲服，化好妝，看著鏡子里的自己，他們的大腦就會做出反應，help them to shift into the role. 幫他們進入角色。Adam 最后說，西裝領帶，對他來說就是一種定位的象征符號，不僅影響到別人對他的看法，也會影響到他自己的精神狀態(tài)。 Clothes make the man, 也可以說，you are what you wear, 人靠衣服馬靠鞍。

　　A: Adam 說，穿西裝打領帶，不光是給別人看，也是隨時提醒自己，說話做事都要符合身份，這一點我倒真沒想到。

　　B: I agree that whenever I dress formally, my self-image does go up a notch.

　　A: 看來，以后上班真要改變形象，不能穿得這么隨便了。

　　B: Yeah. It’s always better to overdress than to underdress. Ok, let's listen to another learn a word!

　　Learn A Word 1903 relinquish

　　今天我們要學的詞是 relinquish. Relinquish is spelled r-e-l-i-n-q-u-i-s-h, relinquish. Relinquish 動詞，意思是放棄。Tina Turner recently filed paperwork to relinquish her American citizenship. 蒂娜.特納最近遞交了申請文件，放棄自己美國公民的身份。華爾街日報的報道說，Experts believe increased tax enforcement is the major reason for a record number of U.S. taxpayers relinquishing their citizenship or green cards this year. 有關專家認為，稅法的嚴格執(zhí)行是造成今年放棄公民或綠卡的美國納稅人人數(shù)創(chuàng)下新高的主要原因。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 relinquish, relinquish, relinquish....

　　A: Mike，你那天還在抱怨交稅太多，不如放棄公民吧。

　　B: haha...Maybe one day I’ll become filthy rich. Then I will think about it.

　　A: 好了，讓我們進入下面一個單元，美國習慣用語。

　　美國習慣用語第 896 講

　　昨晚我作東請客，親自下廚，請表弟和他的女朋友來我家吃飯。誰知道我辛苦做的紅燒鯉魚，表弟的女友卻一口不吃! 因為，這位小姐不吃姜，而我在魚里放了姜絲。唉，雖然我白辛苦了一場，但趁這個機會，可以給大家介紹一個新的習慣用語：

　　M: To save one's life. Save is spelled s-a-v-e, and life; life. To-save one's life.

　　Save one's life 這幾個詞大家應該都很熟悉，放在一起，不就是“救命”的意思么?說得沒錯，可是，我們今天介紹的不是這個用法。當我們把一個有否定含義的句子和to save one's life放在一起，意思就變成“寧愿死也不做某事”，“絕對不做某事”。我表弟的女朋友不吃姜，打死也不吃，就可以說 She wouldn't eat ginger to save her live.

　　在生活中，總會有一些事情是我們絕對不做的。比如，讓你身上綁跟繩子，從飛機或懸崖上跳下去，看似有驚無險，可能有些人會愿意挑戰(zhàn)看看，可還有一些人是絕對不會做的。比如下面這個人：

　　M: "Adventurous, I am not. I'd rather die than go bungee jumping, skydiving or mountain climbing. No one could get me to practice any of those sports TO SAVE MY LIFE. I'll let the thrill seekers have their fun. There's simply no possibility of me ever doing anything that's really dangerous."

　　這段話意思是：我不是一個愛冒險的人。讓我去蹦極、高空跳傘或是攀巖，還不如讓我死了算了!任何人都休想讓我去玩兒這些東西。那些喜歡尋求刺激的人，盡可以去玩兒你們的。我是絕對不會做這些危險的事情的。

　　哇，這人還真沒有冒險精神! 他大概只喜歡坐在家里安靜地看書吧。當然，人各有志，自己高興就好! 我們再來聽聽剛才那段話吧：

　　M:"Adventurous, I am not. I'd rather die than go bungee jumping, skydiving or mountain climbing. No one could get me to practice any of those sports TO SAVE MY LIFE. I'll let the thrill seekers have their fun. There's simply no possibility of me ever doing anything that's really dangerous."

　　很多人夢想上電視，當名人，不過，電視節(jié)目也不是好上的。聽聽下面這段話，您也想一想，這樣的電視節(jié)目如果請您去，您會答應么?

　　M: "My girlfriend has been watching that new game show. Contestants have one minute to succeed at completing outrageous tasks. They might have to wrap all the toilet paper from a roll around their bodies or shake their heads over 170 times. Even for lots of money, my girlfriend would never try those things. She wouldn't look ridiculous on TV TO SAVE HER LIFE."

　　這段話的意思是：我女朋友很愛看電視上那個新的游戲節(jié)目。參賽者要在一分鐘內完成一些非常難的任務。比如說，他們可能要把整卷衛(wèi)生紙纏在身上，或者要不停搖頭170多下。就算電視臺給我女朋友很多錢，她也不會去做這些事情。她可絕對不愿意在電視上出洋相。

　　有些人不愿意在電視上出丑，可也有人不在乎。比如，現(xiàn)在很流行的歌手選秀節(jié)目，有些參賽者啊，唱的還真是難聽! They are not able to sing to save their lives! 根本就是五音不全! 可是人家還是很有勇氣地登上舞臺了啊! 好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：

　　M: "My girlfriend has been watching that new game show. Contestants have one minute to succeed at completing outrageous tasks. They might have to wrap all the toilet paper from a roll around their bodies or shake their heads over 170 times. Even for lots of money, my girlfriend would never try those things. She wouldn't look ridiculous on TV TO SAVE HER LIFE."

　　今天我們學習的習慣用語是 TOO SAVE ONE'S LIFE， 把這個短語加在有否定含義的句子后面，表示“絕對不做某事”。好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束。

　　M: Until next time.

　　下次節(jié)目再見。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.

　　A: 剛才那個例句讓我想起楊琳，我記得她在最近一集視頻美語怎么說里說過，不化妝，打死也不上電視。

　　B: Haha, I remember that episode too. She wouldn’t show her face without makeup to save her life!

　　A: 好了同學們，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!