美語訓練班077

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么?

A: 沒問題! 今天，我們要聊聊怎樣變成社交網(wǎng)站最跑紅的人物，學學西方文化中有哪些禁忌，還要告訴你怎么說壓力山大!

B: Well, if you are talking about the most popular guy on social media who ever lived you don't have to look anywhere else! (咳咳...)

A: Exactly! Only on social media, never in real life! (笑; B: Hey!) 好了好了, 不開玩笑了，我們言歸正傳，趕快來進入第一個單元，learn a word!

Learn A Word 1590 stressful

今天我們要學的詞是 stressful. Stressful is spelled s-t-r-e-s-s-f-u-l, stressful. Stressful 意思是壓力很大的。Starting a new job can be exciting and stressful at the same time. 開始一份新工作可能既令人興奮，又讓人倍感壓力。有調(diào)查顯示，Law enforcement agents, taxi drivers, and corporate executives are among the most stressful jobs in the country. 執(zhí)法人員，出租車司機和公司主管屬于美國各種職業(yè)中壓力最大的行業(yè)。美國新聞周刊公布了2012年度壓力最大的25所大學的排行榜。在排行榜中，Washington University at Saint Louis is ranked as the most stressful university in the country. 圣路易斯的華盛頓大學被列為全美國學生壓力最大的學校。好的，今天我們學習的詞是stressful, stressful, stressful...

A: 說起壓力大，最近工作真多，I'm so stressed out!

B: Awww...I'm sorry yanglin! You know what? I hear that making food for others can help you release stress. As a very compassionate friend, I will help you. You can bake me some cookies!

A: 你!做! 夢! Yeah, but seriously, I think that a messy environment can actually stress me out.

B: Exactly! I'm the same way! Last night I spent 4 hours cleaning my room, it was covered in flotsam and jetsam! No wonder I've been so stressed this week!

A: 對啊! 環(huán)境整潔，心情也更好! 不過你剛才提到一個很好的詞兒， flotsam and jetsam ! 咱們現(xiàn)在就來學學這個習慣用語的用法吧!

Words and Idioms 987

美國習慣用語第 987講。我是楊琳。

M：我是Dan Markus.

上個禮拜我?guī)鸵粋€好朋友搬家，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)她家有好多我認為沒什么用的東西，什么大學時候的筆記本啊，書啊，還有看起來她好久都沒穿過的衣服。我問她這些筆記本里是不是有很多珍貴資料，但她說，其實里面都是一些：

M: Flotsam and jetsam. Flotsam is spelled f-l-o-t-s-a-m, and jetsam; j-e-t-s-a-m. Flotsam-and-jetsam.

這兩個詞都不太常見，flotsam意思是船沉沒以后漂浮在水面上的廢物，而jetsam是指因為擔心船會沉，所以扔到水里的廢物，以便減輕船上的載物量。大家可能猜到了，flotsam and jetsam, 連起來就是沒有價值的物品。就像上面的例子中，在我朋友的大學筆記本里： There wasn't any important information written down, it was all FLOATSAM AND JETSAM. 里面沒有什么重要信息，全都沒什么用。在下面的例子里，我們要看看一個人在他爺爺去世后整理遺物時發(fā)現(xiàn)了什么：

M: "After my grandfather died, I went to clean out his garage. I found piles of yellowed newspapers and magazines, empty bottles, pieces of used furniture, and broken tools and sports equipment. There was nothing of any value. It was nothing more than flotsam and jetsam."

[這段話是說: 我爺爺去世后，我去整理他的車庫。那里有成捆范黃的舊報紙和雜志，空瓶子，舊家具，還有已經(jīng)損壞的工具和體育器材。什么值錢的東西都沒有，全都是廢物。]

其實大家經(jīng)常會在車庫里堆些沒有用的東西，久而久之也就忘記了。比如我，我每年就得清理一次我的衣櫥，能發(fā)現(xiàn)好多我再也不會穿的衣服，把他們捐給慈善機構(gòu)。 I clean my closet once a year, and there are always some flotsam and jetsam. 好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：

M: "After my grandfather died, I went to clean out his garage. I found piles of yellowed newspapers and magazines, empty bottles, pieces of used furniture, and broken tools and sports equipment. There was nothing of any value. It was nothing more than flotsam and jetsam."

Flotsam and jetsam 這個短語，除了指沒有價值的物品以外，還有另外一個意思，就是不受重視的人。下面的例子里，一個記者就要來給我們講講當?shù)鼐用耜P(guān)注的問題，我們來聽聽看：

M: "Citizens who want more upscale living areas have been pleading with the City Council. They want to see more of the poorer neighborhoods redeveloped. They're tired of seeing homeless people wandering around. To them, such FLOTSAM AND JETSAM needs to be removed. "

[這段話是說：希望提升居住環(huán)境的居民一直請求市政廳，他們希望重新開發(fā)更多的貧困社區(qū)。他們不想再看到無家可歸的人到處游蕩，對他們來說，這些人不該出現(xiàn)在他們的社區(qū)附近。]

這也是可以理解的，誰不想要一個安全的居住環(huán)境呢?我最近聽我們小區(qū)的人說，當?shù)貙W校校長決定啟動一個項目，幫助那些問題學生。He believed it was time to pay greater attention to the FLOTSAM AND JETSAM. And, truthfully, it is those struggling students that need more help. 他認為應該給那些不受重視的學生更多關(guān)懷。確實，那些問題學生需要更多的幫助。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：

M: "Citizens who want more upscale living areas have been pleading with the City Council. They want to see more of the poorer neighborhoods redeveloped. They're tired of seeing homeless people wandering around. To them, such FLOTSAM AND JETSAM needs to be removed. "

今天我們學習的習慣用語是flotsam and jetsam, 意思是毫無價值的物品，或者不受重視的人。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結(jié)束，我是楊琳，我是Dan Markus。

A: This term totally reminds me of facebook! Some of my friends put everything up there. There is so much flotsam and jetsam on their Facebook page! 都是沒用的信息!

B: You can say that again. I really don't need to see 100 photos of a cat wearing a hat; or a status about someone's bodily functions, or a huge paragraph detailing your fight you just had with your girlfriend....

A: 就是! 我有個朋友，每天都在微博上上傳100張她和她的狗的照片! 我有時候真想把她屏蔽了...

B: Yeah, it's all about how you use it. Social media is a great thing to connect with friends who are far from you, but you really need to watch out how much information you share.

A: 不過我們的節(jié)目不也是在微博上才積攢了那么多粉絲? 所以社交網(wǎng)站還是很有用的! 正好，在今天的美語三級跳里，我們就要跟著Matt一塊在MyFace上建個帳戶。咱們趕快來聽聽吧!

Computers: Advanced

今天我們?yōu)槟コ?ldquo;美語三級跳”節(jié)目“電腦”單元的高級課程。

Professor: Today we're learning some advanced words for talking about online social networking. Chloe is helping Matt build his MyFace page.

MyFace一聽就知道是社交網(wǎng)站。

Matt: Thanks a lot for helping me build my MyFace profile, Chloe. I'm hoping that it will make me seem a lot cooler than I am in real life.

Chloe: Don't worry, Matt. By the time I'm done setting up your online profile, you will be the coolest, most popular guy who ever lived.

Matt: Awesome! So what should we do first?

Chloe: To start, we need a really cool profile picture. Do you have any pics of you doing something really exciting or funny?

Matt: Well .... I do have a great picture of me playing chess. Is that exciting enough?

Chloe: That's the most exciting picture you have? I can see I have a lot of work to do.

Chloe這下可有的忙了! Matt想當社交網(wǎng)站上的帥哥，Chloe說，第一步是要有一張?zhí)貏e吸引人的頭像照片?？墒荕att沒什么拿得出手的好照片!

Professor: That's right. And did you notice how Chloe called the pictures "pics"? On the Internet, photographs are often called p-i-c-s, "pics".

噢，" pics" 就是照片。

Chloe: Alright. Next we need to set your status to say that you're in a relationship.

Matt: Wait a minute, I don't have a girlfriend.

Chloe: I know! But you see, Matt, women only want what they can't have. Being unavailable will only make you more attractive to them.

Matt: But what happens after a girl starts to like me? If I ask her out on a date when I have a girlfriend, she will think I'm a creep.

Chloe: Don't worry. Then you just change your status to "It's Complicated" and tell her that you're going through a painful breakup, and that you need someone to talk to.

Matt: Wow, you're really good at this stuff!

哇， Chloe 還真是戀愛專家!她讓Matt在網(wǎng)站上寫自己有女朋友，這樣反而更能獲得女孩子的青睞! 因為女人總是越得不到的東西越想要!

Professor: Right! But what does she say he should do if a girl starts to like him?

她說，如果有女生看上Matt， Matt就要把感情狀況"status"改成"It's complicated"，“一言難盡”! 然后告訴對方，自己正在和女友分手。這樣一來，就能和對方約會啦!

Chloe: Alright, the next thing we have to do is get you a lot of friends. You should send everyone you have ever met a message inviting them to be your friend on MyFace.

Matt: But what if I haven't talked to them in years? Isn't that kind of weird?

Chloe: Matt, that's not the point! The important thing is that when people look at your MyFace page, they see how popular you are because you have at least 500 friends.

Matt: Five hundred friends? But I don't have 500 friends. In fact, I think it's impossible for anyone to have 500 friends.

Chloe: Well then, invite people you don't like to be your friends too. It doesn't matter.

Matt: Invite people I don't like to be my friends? Man, this social networking stuff is really weird.

Chloe還建議Matt在網(wǎng)站上多加好友，好讓別人覺得他交友廣泛，受歡迎。為了湊數(shù)，她甚至讓Matt邀請自己討厭的人。

Professor: That's right. Matt thinks this kind of social networking is really strange.

對啊，本來是社交嘛，為什么要把自己討厭的人也拉進來呢?

Chloe: Alright Matt, we're almost done. But there is one last important thing. Remember to post updates to your status every 15 minutes.

Matt: You mean every 15 minutes I should post an update about what I'm doing? What if I'm doing something really boring, like cleaning my apartment?

Chloe: It doesn't matter if you're doing something completely uninteresting. Post a message on your Web page so everyone knows what you're doing 24 hours per day.

Matt: Wow, this sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I don't really want a MyFace page.

Chloe: Oh yes you do! I want to add you to my list of friends. I'm almost to 700!

Chloe還讓Matt隨時隨刻把生活中芝麻綠豆的事兒寫在網(wǎng)上。我有些朋友就是這樣的，哪怕是出門倒垃圾都要寫在社交網(wǎng)站上，煩死人了!哎? Professor Bowman, 你干嘛呢?

Prof: ....What? Oh, yes! Winnie, (lower voice) I'm updating my Facebook status ....

A: Matt決定在社交網(wǎng)站上注冊一個帳戶，想變成網(wǎng)絡紅人。Chole說，一定要把 relationship status，感情狀態(tài)寫成Matt有女朋友，因為women only want what they can't have.女人總想要她們得不到的東西。而且要 post updates to your status every 15 minutes, 每隔15分鐘就更新狀態(tài)，讓人家知道你24小時都在干什么! 這聽起來好像天天不出門的宅男!

B: Post updates every 15 minutes? That's just insane. I think it's a social faux pas to post too frequently online. A lot of people find that really irritating.

A: 沒錯! 不過我記得我剛來美國的時候，對很多文化和風俗都不夠了解，所以經(jīng)常犯錯!

B: Haha, but now you are an expert! In today's business etiquette, we are going to learn some of the social faux pas in American culture. Let's go and check it out!

禮節(jié)美語 Avoiding a Faux Pas Part I

中國雇員Cathy 憂心忡忡地去找美國同事 Mark 請教。

Kathy: Hey Mark...do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?

Mark: No problem, I've got time.

K: Great! Well, I'm going to Seattle for half a year. I'm attending a course at a university and I'll be doing some research as well.

M: Sounds like fun!

K: Yes. But I'm really worried that I don't understand American culture well enough. You know how here in China we have lots of little things that are considered impolite...what if I do something wrong in America? I'd be so embarrassed if that happened!

原來，Kathy 要去西雅圖進修半年，但是擔心自己對美國文化和風土人情了解不夠，會在小事情上鬧笑話，讓自己難堪，embarrassed, e-m-b-a-r-r-a-s-s-e-d, embarrassed。

M: Ah, I see! Actually, we have a great word in English that describes making a cultural mistake...it's called a "faux pas" and it's actually originally a French term.

K: So I should say I want to avoid any cultural "faux pas?"

M: That's correct. You know, actually you shouldn't worry too much. America is a pretty relaxed country, but there are a couple things you should be aware of.

K: Oh? Such as?

Mark 說，這種文化上的失誤叫 faux fas, f-a-u-x and f-a-s, faux fas 是從法語來的。前面可以用動詞 avoid 避免或是 commit 犯下。

Mark安慰 Cathy 說，美國是一個很隨便的國家，American is a pretty relaxed country. 不過還是有些地方需要注意。Such as? 比如說呢?

M: Americans - and western people in general - can be very sensitive about smells.

K: Oh...so I should be careful after eating spicy foods, right?

M: Yep. Things like garlic or various Chinese dishes can have a strong smell. It's best to chew gum or use a breath freshener.

K: That's a good thing to remember. How about when I visit a friend's home? What do I bring?

Mark 說，西方人對氣味非常敏感，中國人喜歡吃的大蒜等食物，都會留下十分濃重的味道，It's best to chew gum or use a breath freshener. 所以最好嚼嚼口香糖，設法去去嘴里的味兒。去朋友家作客，帶點兒什么呢?

M: If you and your guest drink alcohol, it's always nice to bring a bottle of wine. If wine is a problem, you could try fruit or some kind of dessert.

K: But should it be an expensive gift?

M: No, the price is not so important. Just bring something to show you care about your hosts and are grateful for their invitation.

Mark 說，如果賓主雙方都喝酒的話，帶瓶葡萄酒絕對沒錯，否則的話，可以考慮帶點水果或是甜點。禮物不一定要非常貴重，能夠表達對主人的關(guān)心和對邀請的感激就可以了。

A: 原來，Kathy要去西雅圖進修，請Mark來給她講講美國社會的風俗。Mark 說，America is a pretty relaxed country, 美國是一個很隨便的國家，但是西方人普遍對氣味很敏感，所以吃飯之后，It's best to chew gum or use a breath freshener, 應該嚼嚼口香糖，去去嘴里的味兒。去別人家做客，要帶點小禮物，to show you are grateful for their invitation. So Mike, 你覺得什么是文化失誤呢?

B: Hmm, there are a lot. For example, never ask someone about how much they make, never ask someone you just met about their political or religious belief; never ask a woman if she's pregnant...because it's just soo awkward if her answer is no....

A: 哈哈哈，對對對! 這可千萬得小心，不然人家恨你一輩子! 好了，咱們接著去聽聽Mark還給Cathy講了什么吧!

禮節(jié)美語 Avoiding a Faux Pas Part II

中國雇員Cathy 要去美國考察，找美國同事 Mark 了解美國文化，以免在待人接物的時候在禮節(jié)方面鬧笑話。

K: If I'm using public transport...should I give up my seat if I see elderly people?

M: Yes. I think that's proper behavior pretty much everywhere in the world. Give up your seat to pregnant women, senior citizens and people with small children.

K: A friend told me that Westerners don't like it when people blow their nose.

M: Actually, that's true. In the West many think blowing your nose in public is a bit rude. Of course, if you have to do it, then you may - just turn as far away from people as possible and do it quietly. It would be even better to get up and move away before blowing your nose.

K: Wow...that's good to know. I might have committed a real "faux pas."

坐公交車給老人、小孩和孕婦讓座，到哪里都不會錯。在大庭廣眾之下擤鼻子會被認為是舉止粗魯。It is a bit rude to blow your nose in public. 如果迫不得已，最好盡量離別人遠點，或者索性站起來，到旁邊去擤。

M: And of course, spitting is always a no-no.

K: Yeah. I agree with that one. It's disgusting when someone coughs and spits in public. In the movies it seems like all Westerners wear their shoes indoors, is this true?

M: Many people in America do wear their shoes in the house. You should wipe off your shoes on the doormat before you go inside. But...more and more Western people are beginning to follow the Asian tradition of removing your shoes in the house.

Mark 說，隨地吐痰是絕對不行的。spitting is always a no-no. 美國人在家也穿鞋?Mark 說，不少美國人在家確實穿鞋，但是去別人家作客，最好 wipe off your shoes on the doormat before you go inside. 進去以前最好在門墊上把鞋底擦干凈。

K: My boss told me that it's a super big faux pas to be late in Japan. Is that true in America as well?

M: Yes...but we are a little more flexible. If you arrive within five minutes of a meeting time it might be OK. But it's always best to be on time or be early.

K: When I was in London last year I was eating with my Chinese friend. She whistled for a waiter to come over and when the man came over, he looked so angry!

M: Oh, yes...that's a major faux pas. NEVER snap your fingers or whistle at any kind of service personnel. It's considered very impolite!

K: Mark...I can't thank you enough for your tips! I really appreciate it!

M: Sure! Let's chat again before you leave.

遲到在日本是大忌，a super big faux pas。Mark 說，在美國雖然沒那么嚴格，遲到五分鐘也算正常，但最好還是準時或是提前到。還有，在西方，招呼任何服務人員，都不能打響指或是吹口哨。NEVER snap your fingers or whistle at any kind of service personnel. 這樣做被認為是非常不禮貌的。

A: Yeah, I hate people who's constantly late! What's the point in setting a specific time if you are not going to be there by then?

B: But isn't it you who always set the alarm clock at seven and come to office at eleven?

A: aThat's different, I need my beauty sleep! (B: you need more than sleep....) 好了同學們，這次節(jié)目時間就到這里了。