美語訓練班第1課:和"牛"相關表達
A:美語訓練班開班授課啦!
這是我們美國之音節目改版後的第一期美語教學節目! 我是王怡茹!
B:And I'm ting today，我們把美國之音的精品教學節目集中起來播出，成立一個美語訓練班，每堂課25分鐘，25 minutes! 讓你一次學個夠!
A:哎？Donny, 你怎麼能讓大家一次就學夠了呢？咱們節目這麼精彩，人家肯定是聽不夠纔對啊!
B:哈哈，對。看來我的中文還不夠好。
A:你謙虛了。Your Chinese is better than my English!
B:怡茹, 言歸正傳，我們今天教什麼？
A:那可多啦! 我們會帶大家去租房子，射箭，識別投資詐騙 , 還要告訴您怎麼用英文稱讚別人“真牛”。
B:Sounds like a lot! 大家能記得住麼？
A:呃's a good question. 這樣吧，咱們先學個簡單的，就花一分鐘，學一個詞!
Learn A Word: age limit
今天我們要學的詞是age limit, age is spelled a-g-e; limit is spelled l-i-m-i-t; age limit. Age limit 年齡限制。社交網站臉書網並不是任何人都能註冊帳戶的。Facebook enforces an age limit of 13 years or older to register an account. 臉書網規定，只有滿13歲的人才能註冊帳戶。Despite the efforts to enforce the age limit policy, many younger children still join the site by lying about their age. 儘管臉書網努力執行年限規定，但很多不滿13歲的孩子還是謊報年齡，矇混過關。Facebook removes about 20,000 users daily who are below the age limit. 臉書網每天取消大約兩萬個年齡低於最低年限的帳戶。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 age limit, age limit, age limit.
B:So怡茹, do you remember the word from 學個詞兒？
A:那當然了!剛聽完嘛! age limit年齡限制.
B:That's right! Next, we're going to learn an expression that describes a situation everyone could face, regardless of age.
A:哦？你是說我們下面要學的這個詞可以形容任何年紀的人都會遇到的一種情況？I'm getting curious.
B:讓我們收聽“美國習慣用語”
現在播送美國習慣用語第 932講。我是曉北。
我是 Douglas Johnson.
我的小表妹大學畢業，正在實習。她是學會計的，本以爲學校裏學到的東西足以能讓自己勝任實習的工作。沒想到，第一天下來就累得直哭! 還說第二天要去辭職。當然，她最終還是堅持下來，圓滿完成了兩個月的實習。她的這個經歷，讓我想到一個習慣用語:
Baptism by fire. Baptism is spelled b-a-p-t-i-s-m, fire; f-i-r-e. Baptism by fire.
baptism是受洗儀式，fire則是火，所以，baptism by fire就是火的洗禮，一般指剛做某事時受到的嚴峻考驗。我表妹本來沒覺得實習的工作會有多難，誰知，It proved to be much more demanding than she anticipated. That was her baptism by fire. 工作比她想像的難得多，她一上來就受到了嚴峻的考驗。
我表妹只是在會計師行當個小實習生，已經有點吃不消。其實和下面這段話中的見習醫生相比，她的工作已經輕鬆許多了，我們來聽一聽:
"After I graduated medical school, I worked as an intern in an emergency room. Nothing I'd learned in school prepared me. Every day I confronted a constant series of challenges that tested everything I'd ever studied. The little sleep I had to function on also contributed to this being the greatest test of my life. What a BAPTISM BY FIRE!"
這段話是說: 從醫學院畢業後，我在急診室做見習醫生。在學校所學的一切都無法讓我輕鬆勝任這個工作。每天我都會遇到一個接一個的挑戰，檢驗我在學校所學的全部知識。而且我每天只能睡一小會兒覺。這一切使實習醫生的歲月成爲我人生中最嚴峻的考驗。真是火的洗禮啊!
我的一個朋友，在父親過世後被迫接下了家裏開的買賣。她完全沒有經驗，公司的僱員也不熟悉她的做事風格，It was a baptism by fire not only for her, but also the employees. 結果雙方都經歷了痛苦的磨合，最終，我的朋友還是缺乏領導能力，公司解散了。 好了，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話:
"After I graduated medical school, I worked as an intern in an emergency room. Nothing I'd learned in school prepared me. Every day I confronted a constant series of challenges that tested everything I'd ever studied. The little sleep I had to function on also contributed to this being the greatest test of my life. What a BAPTISM BY FIRE!"
剛纔說到我朋友接過家族生意後，領導不來，最終生意失敗。經營一個企業尚且這麼難，那如果是管理一個國家呢？咱們來聽一聽下面這段話:
"One of the most respected U.S. presidents was Franklin D. Roosevelt. When he died abruptly, Vice-President Harry Truman had to assume responsibility for ending World War II. That meant making one of the hardest decisions in U.S. history - to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. It was a BAPTISM BY FIRE."
這段話意思是: 美國最受人愛戴的總統之一是福蘭克林.羅斯福。羅斯福突然去世後，當時的副總統杜魯門臨危受命，他必須做完羅斯福未竟的工作，那就是結束第二次世界大戰。這意味着他要作出美國曆史上最艱難的決定 - 向日本投下原子彈。這真是個萬般艱鉅的考驗。
在1963年，另外一位副總統也面臨了baptism by fire, 他就是約翰遜總統。在肯尼迪總統遇刺身亡後，約翰遜要讓美國走出悲痛，要指揮在越南的戰爭，還要實現一系列社會改革目標。這對他來講，可以說是極大的考驗。好，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話:
"One of the most respected U.S. presidents was Franklin D. Roosevelt. When he died abruptly, Vice-President Harry Truman had to assume responsibility for ending World War II. That meant making one of the hardest decisions in U.S. history - to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. It was a BAPTISM BY FIRE."
今天我們學習的習慣用語是baptism by fire，意思是“痛苦的磨合，初期的嚴峻考驗”。好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結束，我是曉北，我是 Douglas Johnson。
This has been Words and Idioms.
A:Baptism by fire， 火的洗禮，嚴峻考驗。
B:So,怡茹, have you had any experiences that can be described as baptism by fire?
A:當然了! 唉，回想我坎坷的人生啊，拍成電視劇都不過份...
B:你吹牛呢吧？
A:哈哈，你中文不錯啊，還會說"吹牛"呢! 那我考考你，把“吹”字去掉，就說“牛”，美語怎麼說？
B:牛？不就是...
A:別跟我說是cow啊!還是聽聽下面的“美語怎麼說”吧!
How to say it: awesome
Donny 在北京學漢語，他的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎麼說的詞，就會來請教他。今天是方方要問的: 牛。
Donny:FF, I heard you went to a ballroom dance competition yesterday. How did it go?
FF:我進決賽啦! 怎麼樣，牛吧？
Donny:牛？ a cow?
FF:不是，“牛”就是特別厲害，very good!
Donny:I got it. In English, we use the word "awesome", a-w-e-s-o-m-e, awesome.
FF:哦，awesome就是說特牛。
Donny:You can also use the word "ballin". b-a-l-l-i-n, ballin. It also means "cool or very good".
FF:哦，Ballin 也是“很牛”的意思。Donny, 那天的跳舞比賽上還真有不少高手。在這種情況下，我可以跟他們說，You're awesome! 或者 You're ballin! 對麼？
Donny: That's right. You can also say "you rule" or "you rock!"
FF:rule, r-u-l-e, rule; rock, r-o-c-k, rock, 這兩個詞也可以形容某人或某事很牛，不過它們都是動詞，對不對？
Donny: Exactly! For example, 如果你看了一場特別牛的演唱會，you can say "it rocks!" or "it rules!"
FF:明白了。不過那天也有一些人在比賽前一副不可一世的樣子，可真跳起來，也不怎麼樣，真不知道他們有什麼好牛的！對了，形容這些人，也用 awesome 或是 ballin 麼？
Donny:No! You can use "cocky" c-o-c-k-y, cocky， to describe these kind of people.
FF:哦，說一個人牛氣哄哄的，就是cocky.
Donny:Now, FF, If you can tell me what you've learned today, I'd say your English 很牛!
FF:好！第一，說人或事很牛，用形容詞 awesome 或 ballin；
第二，說人或事很牛，還可以用動詞 rule 或者 rock；
第三，形容某人傲慢，牛氣哄哄，可以用 cocky!
這次的美語怎麼說 就到這裏。
A:Yeah! Awesome! You rock!
B:你也很牛...!對了，你開始時不是說帶大家去租房子嘛？
A:馬上就去啊!
Renting:Beginner
大家好！今天我們爲您播出“美語三級跳”節目“找房”單元的初級課程。
Winnie:Jeff is at an apartment building. He's meeting the landlord to ask about renting an apartment.
Professor Bowman, landlord 這個詞由是 land - 土地，和 lord - 主人組成的，應該就是房主的意思吧？
Professor:That's right, Winnie. Now listen for the word "vacancy," which means "open" or "available."
Jeff:Hello, do you have any vacancies?
Landlord:Yes, something just opened up.
Jeff:What kind of apartment is it?
Landlord:It's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.
Winnie:我知道，"vacancy, v-a-c-a-n-c-y, vacancy"就是指等待出租的空房。
Professor:Exactly. "Vacant" means "empty."
Winnie:哦，vacant是vacancy的形容詞，意思是“空的”。現在Jeff 就是要找a vacant apartment. 房主說有一個一室一衛的公寓，聽起來不錯，可是不知道租金貴不貴。
Professor:Let's listen and find out.
Jeff:How much is the rent?
Landlord:The rent is $1500 per month.
Jeff:And how much is the deposit?
Landlord:The deposit is $500.
Winnie:一個一居室的公寓每月要 1500 美元？夠貴的！而且，爲什麼Jeff 還要交一筆deposit“押金”呢？
Professor:Well, if Jeff breaks something in the apartment, the landlord uses the deposit money to fix it. In addition, he may have to pay utilities too. Let's listen.
Jeff:Are utilities included in the rent?
Landlord:Gas and water are included.
Jeff:Do I have to pay for electricity myself?
Landlord:Yes, electricity is not included in the rent.
Winnie:哦，看來Jeff 要自己負擔一部分utilities, u-t-i-l-i-t-i-e-s, - “水電雜費”，因爲房主說，房租裏包括煤氣費和水費，但是電費要單付。
Professor:Winnie, if the landlord says "all utilities are included," then the cost of gas, water and electricity will all be included in the rent. Remember, you don't have to say "gas utility" or "water utility." You can just say "gas" or "water."
Jeff:Hmmm ... This apartment seems a little expensive. Do you have any cheap studios?
Landlord:Actually, the one-bedroom is the only vacant apartment right now.
Jeff:Do you think any studios will open up soon?
Landlord:No, not for a few months.
Winnie:A "studio"? 我知道 Jeff 想找個便宜點的地方，可租這種臥室、起居室合二爲一的單間小公寓，把女孩子帶回家多沒面子！
Professor:I don't know. You wouldn't date a guy living in a studio?
Winnie:找個租studio的男朋友？那也沒什麼不行，但他起碼得有輛特別 cool 的車！我們還是言歸正傳，看看Jeff 租沒租那間公寓吧。
Jeff:When can I see the one-bedroom apartment?
Landlord:There's an open house this weekend.
Jeff:What time does the open house start?
Landlord:It starts at 11AM in the morning.
Professor Bowman, 什麼叫open house?
Professor:Winnie, an "open house" is when the landlord opens the apartment and anybody can just walk in and take a look.
Winnie:Open house這段時間裏什麼人都可以隨便來看。那要不是open house，就得和房主約時間嘍？這個房主也真懶，讓人家看一眼不就得了。
Professor:I agree. Maybe Jeff should rent a different apartment because this landlord is not very good. Now Jeff is going to ask how long the lease is.
Jeff:What kind of lease is it?
Landlord:It's a one-year lease.
Jeff:Can I have a month-to-month lease? I only want to rent the apartment for five months.
Landlord:No, all the leases are for one year. We don't have month-to-month leases.
Jeff:Well then I don't think this would be a good apartment for me. Thank you anyway.
Landlord:You're welcome.
Winnie:唉，看來是不行了。Jeff只想租5個月，可房主非要籤一年的租約。這可怎麼辦？
Professor:Well, I guess Jeff's friend Sarah will have to help him look for another apartment. Tune in next time to see what happens!
A:怎麼樣，我們這個美語三級跳節目非常實用吧？我學了Vacancy, utilities, open house還有好多有用的詞!
B:沒錯! Now let's move from an apartment building to an office.
A:對，Office, 上班和同事們交流時用的英語，這也非常實用!咱們來收聽禮節美語。
禮節美語 - PONZI SCHEME I
Ken早上在飲水器旁見到同事 Dan 和 April.
K:Good morning, Dan. Good morning, April.
D&A:Hi, Ken. Good morning.
K: you heard the big news?
A:No! Tell us!
K:Well, you know Jason Smith?
D:You mean our company's Chief Financial Officer?
That Jason Smith?
K:'s the one. He got arrested yesterday.
A:No way! What for?
Ken問同事 Dan和April，Have you heard the big news? 你們聽沒聽說公司裏的大新聞。原來是公司財務總裁 Jason Smith 被抓起來了。April 覺得難以置信，說 No way! 不可能！what for? 因爲什麼？
K:Seems our Mr. Smith was running a Ponzi scheme.
D:Sorry...I'm not familiar with that term. What's a Ponzi scheme?
A:'s fraud.
K:But a very special kind of fraud.
A:See, what they do is offer investors a very high rate of return on their money. Then the schemer takes some of the money and pays some of the original investors a large dividend.
原來，Jason Smith 是因爲涉嫌參與龐式騙局才被抓起來的。龐式騙局是 Ponzi Scheme. Dan 不知道什麼是龐式騙局。Ken 和 April 解釋說，Ponzi scheme 是一種特殊形式的詐騙，fraud，用高回報率 a high rate of return 來吸引投資者，把從他們那裏騙來的一部分錢做爲紅利 dividend，分給最開始的那些投資者。
K:So of course the original investors think they've struck gold and they tell their friends about this great opportunity.
A:The friends pile their money in too and a few of them see big returns as well. Pretty soon, loads of people are "investing" their money with the bad guy and when he has disappears.
這樣一來，最早的一批投資者會覺得自己找到了金礦，they've struck gold, 馬上介紹自己的親戚朋友也來加入。這樣越滾越大，等騙到了足夠的錢以後，龐式騙局的謀劃者就帶着錢不知去向了。
A:The name comes from an Italian immigrant to America called Charles Ponzi. He was one of the biggest frauds in American history and ended up swindling thousands of people out of millions of dollars.
D:So Jason Smith was running a scheme like that?
K:Pretty much. He cooked his books so he wouldn't get noticed, but these kinds of frauds almost always end up getting exposed because when no new money comes pyramid collapses.
龐式騙局是以一個意大利移民 Charles Ponzi 的名字命名的。他是美國曆史上最大的騙子之一。Swindle 是欺騙的意思。公司財務主管Jason Smith造了假賬 cook the books，但最後還是被抓住了。Closing
A:天啊，Ponzi scheme， 龐式詐騙，真可恨!
B:So what would you do if your money got swindled through a Ponzi scheme?
A:敢詐騙我的錢？我拿箭射他!
B:你以爲你是射鵰英雄傳嘛？!
A:哼，我現在就去學射箭!
American Sports English: Archery
Y:Hi, this is Yang Chen.
P:And I’m Patrick.
(Sound of arrow flying through the air and "plunking" into target)
Y:今天我要學射箭archery。
P:Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. It's also an Olympic sport. Say, Yang Chen, do you have your bow and arrows ready?
Y:Yes, I do, Patrick. Here is my bow，我的弓； And here are my arrows，我的箭。Patrick，你看我這樣拿着弓箭，象不像Robin Hood俠盜羅賓漢!
P:Wow, you look exactly like Robin Hood! Are you ready to take aim and shoot, Miss Robin?
Y:I sure am. 可是那個target目標好像太遠了，能不能讓我靠近點兒, Patrick.
P:The target in Olympic archery is 30 to 90 meters away. You are trying to shoot the arrow as close to the center of the target as can shoot three arrows.
Y:我可以射三支箭。
P:And you have 40 seconds to shoot each arrow.
Y:射一支箭的時間是40秒。Okay, here is my first shot! (Sound of pulling back bow, shooting arrow)
P:Hmm, Uh, well, It was a good try, Yang Chen.
Try again, Yang Chen. Maybe this time you can hit the bull's eye.
Y:The “bull's eye”不是牛眼睛，是靶心的意思。 I'll try again, Patrick. Maybe I'll get lucky. 這次一定射中 bull's eye。
P:Okay, Yang Chen, you can do it! (Shooting sound again)
Y:Yea! I did it! I did it! I hit the Bull's eye! 正中靶心！
P:No, Yang didn't even hit the target. You're way off
Y:Oh, no! Let me try again.
P:Oh, Yang Chen, I think you killed a bird.
B:Wow, I can't believe it's almost been 25 minutes! We're getting to the end of the show!
A:是啊，希望大家這節課有所收穫。
B:So 怡茹, what's the word for 年齡限制again?
A:哈哈哈，啊，age limit!
B:Bingo!
A:好了，今天的節目就到這裏。節目的撰稿人是曉北，編輯是蔚然。同學們，我們下次的美語訓練班再見嘍!
B:Bye!
