美語訓練班第94課:提高孩子讀寫能力 最後一搏
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麼!
A: Sure! 今天，我們要一起看看辦公室八卦有多可怕，看看麥當勞怎麼幫助孩子提高讀寫能力，還要告訴你怎麼說最後一博!
B: Yeah...I always try to stay away from office gossip. I feel like the more you know, the more likely you are to become a subject of gossip yourself...
A: 對啊! 我覺得，對於辦公室八卦，最好的方法就是敬而遠之!
B: Yeah, as if you don't gossip...
A: 哎喲，都說了，節目上不能八卦!(both laugh) 好了好了現在，咱們趕快先來進入第一個單元，learn a word!
Learn A Word 1679 neighborhood
今天我們要學的詞是 neighborhood, neighborhood is spelled n-e-i-g-h-b-o-r-h-o-o-d, neighborhood. neighborhood 居民區，小區。統計數字顯示，Almost 20% of people who recently moved regarded living in a Neighborhood close to where they work as a criteria in finding a new home. 最近搬家的人裏，將近20%的人都把離上班地方近做爲選擇住宅區的標準。最近，一個房產銷售網站的調查發現，A neighborhood in Texas is the most diverse neighborhood in America, equally divided between Asian, black, Hispanic and white residents. 德克薩斯州的一個居民區是全美最多元化的社區，亞裔，黑人，西班牙裔和白人居民人數基本相對。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 neighborhood, neighborhood, neighborhood....
A: Yeah, a good neighborhood is really important. You should be able to feel safe where you live.
B: Exactly. I love the neighborhood where I grew up. It's a small town, but everyone was so open and friendly! You don't get the same sense of community when you're living in the big city.
A: 是啊! 在大城市裏，鄰里之間都不來往。我到現在也不知道我對面住的是什麼人! 都在那裏住了三年了....大城市真沒人情味啊! 咱們回到正題，來聽聽今天的美國習慣用語，last-ditch effort!
Words and Idioms 821 LAST-DITCH EFFORT
美國習慣用語第 821講
我昨天晚上特別倒黴，不小心一屁股坐在了自己的眼鏡上，把鼻樑架坐斷了。我先是用萬能膠粘，不管用，又用膠紙粘，也不管用。我老公說可以試試，看能不能焊上，如果還是不管用的話，那我只好去配一副新的了。所以說，我現在只有 last-ditch-effort：
M: Last-ditch effort. Ditch is spelled d-i-t-c-h. Last-ditch-effort. Last-ditch effort.
Ditch 在中文裏是壕溝的意思。Last-ditch effort 這個習慣用語的中文意思是指多次嘗試失敗後所作的最後努力。現在你一定明白了，我老公幫我修眼鏡架是最後的努力，如果再不行，我只好放棄了。
下面這位運動員也有類似經歷。讓我們一起聽聽體育評論員的解釋。
M: "The Olympic gymnast had scored well on her floor exercises, but not enough to earn a medal. She knows she has one final opportunity, so she's making a LAST-DITCH EFFORT. If she doesn't succeed this time, she'll likely to be too old to try again at the Games in four years."
評論員說，這名奧林匹克體操運動員的自由體操的得分不低，但是沒有達到拿獎牌的水平。她心裏明白，她只有最後一次機會了，所以她要做最後的努力。如果這次不成功，四年後的下屆奧運會，她的年紀就太大了。
雖說大多數體操運動員年紀都很輕，但是最近我見到一位35歲的體操運動員，她的表現居然超過了比她年紀小一半的選手，簡直是不可思議。
我們辦公室有個負責送信的小夥子，最近一直在追求我的一個同事，他先是留紙條，然後又給女孩子買咖啡，但是那個女孩子根本不動心。小夥子決定，最後再努把力，As a last-ditch effort, 他在女孩子生日當天送去了99朵玫瑰，終於贏得了芳心。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。
M: "The Olympic gymnast had scored well on her floor exercises, but not enough to earn a medal. She knows she has one final opportunity, so she's making a LAST-DITCH EFFORT. If she doesn't succeed this time, she'll likely to be too old to try again at the Games in four years."
你喜歡園藝嗎？種種花草，甚至可以種點蔬菜，自產自銷。我朋友 Jenny 經常說，千萬別跟我提種花，我這個人什麼也種不活。其實啊，象她這種人並不少見。讓我們聽聽下面這個例句。
M: "I'd never had much luck in my garden. Everything I'd ever planted failed to grow. I was about to give up. But I thought I'd try one more time by choosing a different location. My LAST-DITCH EFFORT made all the difference. Now I've got more tomatoes than I know what to do with!"
這個人說，我在花園裏的運氣永遠特別差，種什麼都活不了，最後我決定，換個地方，再試最後一次，結果居然成功了。如今，我種的西紅柿，多得吃都吃不完。
有時候，園藝確實需要技巧。在英語裏，我們如果說什麼人特別擅長園藝，就可以說 He or she has a green thumb。Green thumb 沒錯，就是綠色的手指。如果哪天別人誇你 have a green thumb, 就是說你會種花種菜。好，我們再聽一下上面的例句。
M: "I'd never had much luck in my garden. Everything I'd ever planted failed to grow. I was about to give up. But I thought I'd try one more time by choosing a different location. My LAST-DITCH EFFORT made all the difference. Now I've got more tomatoes than I know what to do with!"
Last-ditch effort 這個習慣用語來自軍事，大家都知道，在戰場上打仗要挖戰壕，因此，Last-ditch effort 最後一道戰壕，也就意味着最後一道防線。
好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。有聽衆寫信給我，說英語學習太難了，想打退堂鼓，我希望這些聽衆不要放棄，make a last-ditch effort, 一定能成功！
M: Until next time.
下次節目再見。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Ok, I'm going to make a last-ditch effort to give you some fashion advise, can't wear a green shirt with a yellow tie!
B:'s only because I didn't have enough time to get ready this morning! My alarm clock didn't wake me up and I had only 5 minutes to get ready for work!
A: Okok...你可得注意形象，咱倆可代表節目呢，你老這麼拉塌怎麼行? 今天早晨我跟小貝還在討論你奇怪的着裝....
B: What? You guys were gossiping about me? You two little.....
A: 我們是準備善意地幫助你! 不過啊，辦公室的閒話確實很可怕，今天的business etiquette裏就要談到這個話題，咱們一塊來聽聽看!
禮節美語BE-221 Office Gossip I
Sally 早上遇到同事 Lisa, 馬上湊上前去，很神祕地說：
Sally: Did you hear the news about Tom and his wife?
Lisa: happened?
S: Well, Jane told me that Tom has been having an affair! I heard his wife caught him at a hotel with another woman!
L: Really? That's a shocker! I always thought Tom was a loyal, devoted family man.
S: Hey Mary, did you hear about Tom?
Mary: No, what happened? Is he okay?
S: Well, keep this under your hat, but it seems Tom has been having an affair! Everyone's talking about it!
Sally 告訴 Lisa，她聽說 Tom 搞婚外情，被他太太在旅館裏捉姦。Lisa聽後很吃驚，說 That's a shocker! 意思是這件事太出人意料了，因爲她一直覺得Tom是個很忠實的居家男人 family man. 這時另外一位同事 Mary也加入討論。Sally 又把這個小道消息告訴 Mary, 還讓她 keep this under your hat 意思是保密。
Mary: You know, to be perfectly honest, I'm not really keen on office gossip. For one thing, how do we even know the rumor is true? Did you hear it straight from the horse's mouth?
S: Not exactly. Jane said that Phyllis told her that they overheard a conversation between Katy and her friend Samantha about Tom's affair.
M: Well, that doesn't sound like a very accurate source. I really think you should take this rumor with a grain of salt.
Mary說，自己對辦公室裏的這些八卦不感興趣。I'm not keen on office gossip. 她問Sally, Did you hear it straight from the horse's mouth? Mary在這裏用到了一個習慣用語， straight from the horse's mouth. 意思是從當事人本人，或是可靠消息來源那裏得到的消息。Sally承認，是輾轉好幾撥人，聽到的小道消息。Mary說，you should take this rumor with a grain of salt. 意思是那就不能全信了。，To take something with a grain of salt 意思是帶着懷疑的態度，有所保留。 Lisa 聽後說：
L: But Mary, everyone gossips in the office. It's part of office culture.
M: That may be true, but sometimes gossip can be counterproductive and even dangerous. Did you ever play the "telephone game" when you were a kid?
L: . What's the "telephone game?"
M: Everyone sits in a circle and you start with a sentence of information. For example, "John hates chocolate cookies." Then each person whispers that sentence to the next person in turn.
Lisa 覺得，辦公室裏大家都喜歡傳八卦，It's part of office culture. 是辦公室文化的一個部分。Mary 卻覺得，gossip can be counterproductive. 這樣做只會有消極效應。Mary 問 Lisa 小時候玩沒玩過 "telephone game"電話遊戲，大家做成一圈，一個挨一個地把一句話用耳語的方式傳給自己旁邊的人，看傳到最後會變成什麼樣子。
A: Sally告訴Lisa，同事Tom有婚外情，Lisa覺得That's a shocker! 太讓人吃驚了，Tom看着不像是會幹這種事情的人。Sally說，要keep this under your hat, 保密。Lisa本來就很反感在辦公室八卦別人的閒事兒，她說gossip can be counterproductive, 只會有消極反應。
B: I agree. Office gossip is a perfect example of the telephone game. The news gets more and more distorted with each telling, especially when it comes to other people's personal lives.
A: I agree that you have to respect other's privacy. But sometimes you have to gossip! Its a form of socializing, If you don't do it, you lose the chance to bond with your co-workers.
B: What?? I think this may be one of those basic differences between men and women. Let's see what Lisa has to say about this!
禮節美語BE-222 Office Gossip II
Sally 跟同事Lisa和Mary議論辦公室裏關於Tom的傳聞，說Tom 大搞婚外情，被老婆發現。Mary覺得，在辦公室裏議論這些不好，而且並不知道消息是否屬實。Mary 問Lisa小時候玩沒玩過一個叫“打電話的遊戲”，玩的人坐成一圈，把一句話從第一個人用耳語的方式一直傳下去，看傳到最後一個人會是什麼樣子。Lisa 說，
L: Oh, yes! I've played that game! By the time you come to the end of the circle the original sentence has been completely mangled.
M: Right! "John hates chocolate cookies" gets transformed into something like, "James likes monkey pudding."
S: Ok, I get your point. What you mean is that when information gets passed around, often times it becomes corrupted and incorrect, right?
M: Exactly. Also, I think there is a difference between office gossip and commenting on someone's private life.
Lisa 記得，小時候確實玩過這個遊戲。一圈人，等傳到最後一個人，最開始那句話，已經徹底走樣了。她在這裏用到的一個動詞mangle is spelled m-a-n-g-l-e, mangle, 意思是被肢解，破壞得不像樣子。換句話說，一件事一傳十，十傳百，是很難保證準確無誤的。Mary 還說，她覺得，大家議論辦公室裏發生的事情，跟討論別人的私生活也是有差別的。
Mary: If the boss was hard on you today and you tell your colleagues about it, e that's just part of office life. But Tom's private life is no concern of ours.
L: But people have been gossiping since the dawn of time! It's sort of a way for people to bond.
M: Yes, I understand that. But I worry about spreading personal attacks or revealing secrets about someone's private life.
L: You might be right. For one thing, the person we're talking about isn't here to defend himself, and that's not really fair. And like you mentioned, we don't even know if the story is true.
Mary說，如果是老闆對你過於嚴厲，if the boss was too hard on you. 你回來跟同事抱怨，這可能是辦公室生活很正常的內容，但 Tom 的私生活 is no concern of ours. 完全不是我們應該關心的範疇。Lisa覺得很有道理，而且，被議論的對象現在不在現場，所以無法爲自己做出辯解，而且大家也並不知道傳聞是否屬實。 Sally 說，
S: Those are good points. Tom is actually a really nice guy. I've worked with him for five years and he's always been a good friend.
L: For us, if Tom is a good co-worker that's all that really matters.
S: All right....I'm not going to discuss this rumor any further. Let's leave it alone.
L: Good idea.
M: I think we all hope Tom and his wife can work out any troubles they might be having. Let's wish them the best.
Sally跟Tom共事過五年，覺得Tom是個很好的人。Lisa說，對我們來說，Tom只要是個好同事就足夠了，其他都不重要。Sally保證，不再去議論Tom的事，Let's leave it alone. 不要再去管這些流言蜚語。Mary 補充說，希望Tom夫婦兩人能 work out any troubles they might be having. 妥善解決兩人之間的問題。
A: 真是一點都沒錯! 辦公室傳言有時候傳得都沒譜了! 比如上次吧，我跟小貝在討論一則新聞，說是有個孕婦人工受孕成功了，第二天就有人問她她是不是懷孕了! 什麼跟什麼呀!
B: Yeah, it must be that someone passed by and overheard part of the conversation, and they started to use their imagination....
A: Exactly. This kind of gossip is really counterproductive. 也不尊重人呀!
B: So it's better not to gossip and also stay away from those that do.
A: 沒錯! 好了，這個話題就到這兒吧! 下面咱們再來學個詞兒!
Learn A Word 1683 literacy
今天我們要學的詞是 literacy, literacy is spelled l-i-t-e-r-a-c-y, literacy. Literacy 意思是讀寫能力。McDonalds stores in the UK will replace the toys which come with its Happy Meals with books to boost child literacy. 英國的麥當勞將把兒童套餐裏的玩具換成書籍，幫助孩子們提高讀寫能力。印度研究機構的數字顯示，The Muslims have the lowest literacy rates among all religious communities in the country. 跟印度其他宗教的人相比，穆斯林的識字率最低。A new state law in Texas requires high schools to teach students about financial literacy. 美國德克薩斯州的一項新法律要求高中向學生傳授理財方面的知識。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 literacy, literacy, literacy....
A: Financial literacy! 這個我需要，這次報稅，我深刻體會到了我的金融文盲程度....
B: Haha, I'm not surprised! (A: what?) Kidding kidding. Yeah, paying taxes in America can be a real hassle. I never really understand any of those complicated forms...
A: I hope they can simplify the process and lay it on the line...
B: I don't think we will see that in our lifetime. But you just mentioned a very good term: lay it on the line. Let's listen to today's words and idioms and check it out!
Words and Idioms 822 LAY ON THE LINE
美國習慣用語第 822講
我先生的公司有一位資歷很深的工程師，一貫遲到早退，從來沒有人敢管，直到上個月，公司換了一個新老闆，跟他談了一次話。從此以後，他再沒遲到過。很顯然，老闆是明明白白地告訴他，要麼準點上班，要麼就收拾東西走人。聽了這個故事，今天我們要學的習慣用語就不難理解了：
M: Lay it on the line. Lay is spelled l-a-y, and line; l-i-n-e. Lay-it-on-the-line. Lay it on the line.
Lay it on the line 這個習慣用語的意思是坦率地說明。剛纔例子裏的公司老闆，就是用這種法子根治了那個工程師遲到早退的壞習慣。He laid it on the line: if he came late again, he was going to be let go. 他說得很明白，如果再發生遲到的情況，就會被炒魷魚。
下面這個例子裏的教授，也不得不對一個叫 Cheryl 的學生採取同樣的手段。讓我們一起聽聽他是怎麼說的。
M: "I've been too easygoing with Cheryl. She continues to turn her essays in after the deadline. But now I'm going to LAY IT ON THE LINE. If she tries that again, she'll get an 'F' on her paper. Perhaps being firm and clear with her will get her to change."
這個教授說，我對 Cheryl 可能太遷就了。她還是等最後期限過了以後，才把文章交給我。現在我要跟她講清楚，如果再發生這種情況，我就給她不及格。也許只有我強硬一點，她才能改正。
有些人就是吃硬不吃軟。只有 Lay it on the line， 纔會真正引起他們的重視。這倒讓我想起我們的市長。我支持他的一個主要原因，就是因爲他對選民的坦率。他知道，要治理經濟需要做出一些艱難的選擇，比如說要增加稅收。他沒有象其他政客那樣，躲避這些選擇，He laid it on the line. 他坦率地把一切告訴民衆，從而贏得了大家的信任和支持。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。
M: "I've been too easygoing with Cheryl. She continues to turn her essays in after the deadline. But now I'm going to LAY IT ON THE LINE. If she tries that again, she'll get an 'F' on her paper. Perhaps being firm and clear with her will get her to change."
直截了當，不繞彎子是很多教練的風格。讓我們聽聽下面這個乒乓球運動員對自己教練的評價。
M: "Our table tennis coach has never been subtle about criticizing our performance. When we're not playing well, she LAYS IT ON THE LINE. Not everyone on the team appreciates her complete honesty, but I think it'll help us be more competitive.
這個隊員說，教練在批判我們表現的時候，從來不會拐彎抹角。我們打得不好的時候，她一定會告訴我們。隊裏有些人並不喜歡她的這種坦率，可我卻認爲，這種風格能增加我們的競爭力。
乒乓球在美國並不普及，沒有多少人喜歡玩，美國很多還不錯的乒乓球選手其實都是從中國來的。我覺得，美國要想培養更多本土的乒乓好手，首先要讓年輕人產生興趣。比如說，可以組織乒乓球夏令營啊。現在的夏令營種類多得讓人眼花繚亂，既然模特夏令營都能有市場，爲什麼不能辦個乒乓球的夏令營呢！雖然組織者們知道，參加模特夏令營的孩子們幾乎不會有人真正進入模特的領域，但是 They rarely LAID IT ON THR LINE. 他們纔不會明說呢。好，我們再聽一下上面的例句。
M: "Our table tennis coach has never been subtle about criticizing our performance. When we're not playing well, she LAYS IT ON THE LINE. Not everyone on the team appreciates her complete honesty, but I think it'll help us be more competitive.
你肯定想知道這個習慣用語的出處。I have to LAY IT ON THE LINE with you. 說實話，除了這個習慣用語是從二十世紀二十年代開始出現的以外，我還真沒找到它的來源。好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束了。
M: Until next time.
下次節目再見。
M: This has been Words and Idioms.
A: Mike, I have to lay it on the line with you, That shirt and tie combination is making me physically sick!
B:Give it time, I promise it will grow on you!
A: You mean like mold on a tree?! 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裏了。
B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
A: See you next time!
