美語訓(xùn)練班122

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

　　A: And I'm Lin Yang.

　　B: Need to know how to prepare for an important trade expo? We will give you some insights in today's business etiquette.

　　A: 給小費是美國的社交禮儀，到底給多少合適呢? 我們在下面的節(jié)目中為你介紹。

　　B: And in words and idioms, we will learn what "give someone a run for one's money" and "run into the ground" means!

　　A: All coming up on today's American English Mosaic!

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

　　Learn A Word 1810 etiquette

　　今天我們要學(xué)的詞是etiquette. Etiquette is spelled e-t-i-q-u-e-t-t-e, etiquette. Etiquette 是禮節(jié)，規(guī)范的意思。Talking loud over the phone in public places is a major breach in basic etiquette. 在公關(guān)場合大聲講電話是基本社交禮儀的大忌。

　　A judge ordered rapper Meek Mill to enroll in a social media etiquette class. 法官裁決，要求說唱歌手米克.米爾去上社交媒體禮儀課程。在美國，給小費是一種常規(guī)禮節(jié)。不過，Even within the U.S., tipping etiquette tends to change over time and across regions. 然而，美國國內(nèi)給小費的規(guī)范，也會因為時間和地域的改變而存在差異。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 etiquette, etiquette, etiquette...

　　A: 我剛來美國的時候就特別困惑，完全不知道該怎么給小費!

　　B: Yeah, tipping is definitely an important aspect of American culture.

　　A: What's the standard tipping etiquette?

　　B: It's about 15% for lunch and 20% for dinner. Of course, it all depends on your personal experience.

　　A: Yeah but there are so many different tipping situations, like taking a taxi, staying in a hotel, or getting a haircut. I need detailed instructions for all these!

　　B: I guess the general rule is 15%-20%, with a smile and a Thank you!

　　A: Ha, that's cool! All right, enough about tipping. Let's go ahead with our class.

　　B: Let's listen to today's words and idioms!

　　Words and Idioms 865 Give Somebody a Run for One's Money

　　美國習(xí)慣用語第865講

　　我最近一直在忙園藝俱樂部的事情。一年一度的玫瑰節(jié)要到了。周圍地區(qū)很多園藝俱樂部都要大顯身手，競爭相當(dāng)激烈。我們俱樂部雖然規(guī)模不大，資金也不充沛，但是非常有創(chuàng)意，所以別小瞧我們哦。這也讓我想起了一個習(xí)慣用語，

　　M: Give somebody a run for one's money. Run is spelled r-u-n, and money; m-o-n-e-y. Give-somebody-a-run-for-one's-money.

　　To give somebody a run for one's money 意思是對競爭對手構(gòu)成挑戰(zhàn)。我們俱樂部就打算在玫瑰節(jié)的比賽中挑戰(zhàn)其它參賽俱樂部，絕不能讓他們輕松獲勝。We plan to GIVE THEM A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY. 下面例子里的這個水手看來也是個不甘示弱的家伙。

　　我們一起聽聽他是怎么說的：

　　M: "Parker loves to remind me how badly he beat me in last year's regatta. Since then, I've been spending every weekend rebuilding my sailboat and practicing maneuvers. I'm determined to GIVE HIM A RUN FOR HIS MONEY next time. He's going to be surprised by how competitive I'm going to be."

　　他說：帕克老是喜歡提醒我，去年帆船大賽他把我贏得多慘。那次輸了以后，我把每個周末的時間都花在改造帆船、練習(xí)各種動作上。我決心，下次比賽一定要給他點兒顏色看看。他看到我的競爭實力，一定會大吃一驚。

　　我 女兒跟她小表哥Jimmy在一個學(xué)校讀書。二年級學(xué)校匯演，Jimmy是重要角色，而我女兒只是個跑龍?zhí)椎?。她后來一定讓我?guī)ド铣杼璧牟潘嚢啵Y(jié) 果三年級再匯演，一下子成了主要演員之一。She GAVE HER COUSIN A RUN FOR HER MONEY. 成了表哥 Jimmy 的競爭對象。讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

　　M: "Parker loves to remind me how badly he beat me in last year's regatta. Since then, I've been spending every weekend rebuilding my sailboat and practicing maneuvers. I'm determined to GIVE HIM A RUN FOR HIS MONEY next time. He's going to be surprised by how competitive I'm going to be."

　　從上面的例子里，我們可以看出，絕不能滿足于過去的成績，一定要戒驕戒躁。讓我們一起聽聽下面這家公司的經(jīng)驗。

　　M: "Our motorcycle company's enjoyed being the industry leader. But lately one of our rivals has been GIVING US A RUN FOR OUR MONEY. Their technical innovations and bold designs have proven surprisingly popular with younger riders. We realize how competitive the market has become."

　　這段話說的是：我們公司在摩托車行業(yè)一直占據(jù)主導(dǎo)地位，但是最近一段時間里，我們的一家競爭對手對我們構(gòu)成了威脅。沒想到，他們的科技創(chuàng)新和大膽設(shè)計深受年輕人的喜愛，我們這才意識到，現(xiàn)在的市場競爭越來越激烈了。

　　To give somebody a run for their money 最早出現(xiàn)在十九世紀(jì)中期，是從賽馬比賽來的。最初的時候，是指某個人雖然賽馬贏不了多少錢，但是能看到一場競爭激烈的比賽，也還是很開心，后來逐漸發(fā)展成 了今天的意思。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

　　M: "Our motorcycle company's enjoyed being the industry leader. But lately one of our rivals has been GIVING US A RUN FOR OUR MONEY. Their technical innovations and bold designs have proven surprisingly popular with younger riders. We realize how competitive the market has become."

　　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: In today's competitive market, you need to constantly improve your products and customer service. Or else your competitor could give you a run for your money.

　　B: True to that. And one of the best way to expand your customer pool is to attend an trade fair!

　　A: Exactly! In today's business etiquette, we will go see how to prepare for an international trade expo.

　　A: Let's listen!

　　禮節(jié)美語A Trade Expo I

　　公司開會， 經(jīng)理 Nick 高興地宣布，

　　Nick: Well folks...I've got good news! Everything is finalized and we will be setting up a booth at the trade fair in Frankfurt!

　　(Sound of people clapping)

　　Elaine: That's great news! The application process was so difficult, but I'm glad we made it!

　　Mark: The trade show in Frankfurt is the biggest textile show in the world so it's great that we can have a presence there!

　　公司在法蘭克福紡織品博覽會上申請到了一個展臺 we will be setting up a booth。法蘭克福紡織品博覽會是世界上規(guī)模最大的紡織品展示會，能去參加，有個 presence，當(dāng)然是好消息。presence is spelled p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e, presence 在這里是出席、在場的意思。

　　N: But...now comes the hard part. We're going to need to do a lot of preparation work before we leave.

　　E: I was thinking about a new brochure. I'm not really fond of the old one...It looks a little drab.

　　M: Yeah, I agree. Let's get our design team to create a new one.

　　N: Sounds good. We want the brochure to be really eye-catching. It's got to capture your attention right away.

　　展臺申請到了，now comes the hard part. 意思是現(xiàn)在剩下不好辦的事情了。出發(fā)前有很多準(zhǔn)備工作要做。Elaine 建議重新設(shè)計一個宣傳小冊子，因為原來的看起來有些 drab. Drab is spelled d-r-a-b, drab 意思是枯燥、乏味。經(jīng)理 Nick 表示贊成，因為宣傳小冊子必須 eye-catching 吸引眼球。So it can capture your attention right away. 立刻引起人的注意。

　　M: That's one thing about trade fairs; there are so many items on display it's easy for our products to blend into the background. We need to think about how to arrange our booth so we don't get lost in the crowd.

　　E: Good thinking! I'll talk to the designers about how we can make our booth stand out.

　　N: We'll be sending two teams to the trade show. One team will be the face of our operation and the other team will provide support.

　　Mark說，博覽會上展臺多，讓人看得眼花繚亂，自己的產(chǎn)品很容易就會淹沒在汪洋大海之中。在這里，Mark 用了兩種說法，一個是 to blend into the background 另外一個是 to get lost in the crowd, 意思都是跟別人差不多，放那兒就找不著了。 Elaine說，應(yīng)該讓設(shè)計展臺的人想辦法，to make our booth stand out. 讓我們的展臺與眾不同。Nick 同意，決定派兩班人馬去參展，一組人做門面，be the face of our operation, 另外一組人提供后勤保障。

　　A: 經(jīng)理Nick很高興，原因是他們公司在最大的紡織品交易會上得到一個展臺。Now comes the hard part, 現(xiàn)在剩下不好辦的事情了，他們需要an eye-catching brochure, 一個吸引眼球的宣傳冊，還要make our booth stand out, 讓展臺與眾不同。

　　B: Preparing for an expo can be quite challenging. There are so many details to attend to, and you need a fresh and unique idea to make your products stand out.

　　A: Yep, people's first impression of your booth might make or break a deal. Let's keep listening and see how this is going to play out!

　　禮節(jié)美語A Trade Expo II

　　公司開會，經(jīng)理Nick宣布，他們要在法蘭克福的紡織品博覽會上設(shè)展臺，大家頭腦激蕩，看需要做哪些準(zhǔn)備。Elaine說，

　　E: I think we should have a little pow-wow with the team who will be manning the booth. They need to understand how important their role is. First impressions are crucial!

　　M: That's a good idea, Elaine. Seeing as I will be leading the team, I think I'll get everyone together before departure and go over these points. It's really true that first impressions can make or break a deal.

　　Elaine建議跟負(fù)責(zé)展臺的人 have a little pow-wow. pow-wow is spelled p-o-w-w-o-w, 意思是碰頭會，因為他們在展臺接待客人 man the booth, 是公司門面，而且 first impressions are crucial. 第一印象是非常關(guān)鍵的。Mark同意Elaine的看法，因為第一印象 can make or break a deal. 既能促成交易 make a deal, 又能 break a deal 讓交易泡湯。

　　N: That's another thing to stress to your team, Mark. We should remind them to never judge a book by its cover. The guy wandering around our booth might not look like a major buyer, but you never know!

　　E: Looks can be deceiving!

　　N: That's right. We need to treat each person who stops by our booth as a potential customer. Many times I've met someone who didn't look like a major player, but then they pull out their business card and they turn out to be the vice-president of a huge company.

　　經(jīng)理Nick說, 負(fù)責(zé)展臺的人必須記住，never judge a book by its cover. 不要以貌取人。Elaine 也說，looks can be deceiving，外表有時是有欺騙性的，外表其貌不揚的人，說不定卻是個大人物，a major player. 因此，不論什么人從展臺旁邊走過，都必須把他當(dāng)做 a potential customer 潛在的客戶來對待。

　　M: These are all good points, but we also have to be aware of industrial espionage. Some of the people milling around could be spies!

　　N: Yes...there are always people trying to steal ideas. We do need to be careful. We should let our staff know what kind of information they can give away and what kind of information they should not make public.

　　Mark提醒大家，參加商品博覽會要小心 industrial espionage. industrial is spelled i-n-d-u-s-t-r-i-a-l, industrial 工業(yè)的, espionage is spelled e-s-p-i-o-n-a-g-e, espionage 間諜。連在一起，industrial espionage 就是工業(yè)間諜。在展臺附近游蕩的人 those who are milling around the booth, 很可能是尋找機會 to steal ideas 盜取別人的想法，所以必須讓負(fù)責(zé)展臺的員工知道，什么信息可以公開，什么信息不能公開。

　　A: Nick說，never judge a book by its cover, 不要以貌取人，把每個前來展臺參觀的人都當(dāng)作potential customer, 潛在的客戶。但是呢同事也要小心 industrial espionage, 工業(yè)間諜，小心對待那些總在展臺附近游蕩的人，確保他們不會steal ideas, 盜取公司的秘密。

　　B: Sounds like a lot of work! I mean, competitors can wander around your booth and steal your ideas, but it's also a great opportunity for a company to learn the market trends and maybe take a look at what others are doing!

　　A: 哎，你跟公司老板Nick想的一樣耶!

　　B: Great minds think alike! (A: Ugh...) Let's keep listening and see what else they need to prepare!

　　禮節(jié)美語 A Trade Expo III

　　公司開會，經(jīng)理Nick宣布，他們要在法蘭克福的紡織品交易會上設(shè)展臺，大家頭腦激蕩，看需要做哪些準(zhǔn)備。Mark說，

　　M: The booth staff shouldn't give away too much info about our manufacturing process. Basically the only things they should make public are our company profile and our product line.

　　E: But...let's not forget to do a little spying of our own! We won't do anything illegal of course, but we should walk around and see what new trends are on the market. We want to stay on the cutting edge of our industry.

　　Mark認(rèn)為，負(fù)責(zé)展臺的人不能過多泄露公司的生產(chǎn)程序，只能向參觀的人介紹 our company profile 公司概況和 product line 產(chǎn)品系列。Elaine 建議，他們也應(yīng)該設(shè)法在博覽會上了解一下市場最新動向。the new trends on the market. 因為公司必須力爭 stay on the cutting edge of our industry. 走在紡織工業(yè)的最前沿。cutting edge 意思是最新的，最先進的。

　　N: Absolutely! I'm definitely going to be checking out our competitors!

　　M: We should have a chat with the support staff since they have an important role to play. They'll be setting up the booth each morning and logging the contact info of all the potential customers we meet. I want them to scan every business card into our database so we don't lose any contacts.

　　N: Great idea, Mark! That should make our follow-up effort much easier.

　　經(jīng)理Nick說，他一定會利用這次機會 to check out our competitors 看看競爭對手的產(chǎn)品和實力。在這里，to check out something or someone 意思是檢查，查看。Mark 說，負(fù)責(zé)后勤服務(wù)的人員也很重要，他們每天要把收集到的名片輸入數(shù)據(jù)庫。經(jīng)理 Nick 覺得這是個好主意，It should make the follow-up effort much easier. 以后跟這些潛在的客戶聯(lián)系可以方便很多。

　　E: I'm so excited! I think this expo will really boost our sales! Plus, Frankfurt is a really cool city.

　　M: Yeah, after the show I'll definitely explore Frankfurt. Maybe we can take a day or two off after the expo for some R&R!

　　N: Sounds like a plan! Ok, folks...let's get busy! We have a lot to do.

　　會議結(jié)束前，大家都很興奮。Elaine 覺得參加這次博覽會一定會推動公司銷量，而且法蘭克福又是一個很好玩的城市。Mark 也說，準(zhǔn)備交易會結(jié)束后，順便請一、兩天假，for some R&R. 這里的 R&R 代表 rest and relaxation 休息和放松。經(jīng)理 Nick 最后說，sounds like a plan 意思是聽起來不錯。let's get busy 那就行動起來吧。

　　A: Mark說，在開展會的時候，公司也可以check out our competitors看看競爭對手的產(chǎn)品，以確保stay on the cutting edge of our industry, 走在工業(yè)界的最前沿。還要讓展臺工作人員把所有來參觀的人的信息保存好，這樣follow-up effort would be much easier, 以后聯(lián)系也方便。

　　B: Plus after all that they are going to need some R&R, rest and relaxation! It's always a great idea to explore a city while you are on a business trip!

　　A: That's true! 好啦，博覽會就到這里吧! 現(xiàn)在咱們來進入今天最后一個單元....

　　B: Let's listen to another words and idioms!

　　Words and Idioms 866 Run Into the Ground

　　美國習(xí)慣用語第866講

　　前天晚上我去參加本地校董會的公開例會，大家一晚上都在談責(zé)任的問題。學(xué)校管理人員說老師要為教學(xué)質(zhì)量負(fù)責(zé);家長說校董要為納稅人的錢負(fù)責(zé);有些老師說 學(xué)生要為自己在學(xué)校里的表現(xiàn)負(fù)責(zé)，最后聽得我頭都大了。不過，這倒讓我想起了一個習(xí)慣用語，叫

　　M: Run into the ground. Run is spelled r-u-n, and ground; g-r-o-u-n-d. Run-into-the-ground.

　　Run意思是跑。Ground意思是地面。Run into the ground 這個習(xí)慣用語的意思是徹底討論或是去做一件事情。剛才說到，在校董公開例會上，所有人都大談責(zé)任的問題，一直講到?jīng)]有什么好講了為止。這就可以說 They had run it into the ground. 在下面這個例子里，一群抗議示威者也又類似表現(xiàn)。我們一起聽報道：

　　M: "Protesters have been arguing for months that the mayor is a racist. They assert that that's why he doesn't have more minorities working for him. And why he doesn't deserve to be re-elected. They've talked about racism so often that they've RUN IT INTO THE GROUND! They need to find something new to say."

　　這個記者說：幾個月來，抗議示威者一直指責(zé)市長種族歧視。他們指出，這就是為什么市政府里沒有更多的少數(shù)族裔，因此他不配連任市長。他們已經(jīng)把種族歧視的話題說爛了，得找點兒別的新鮮話題說說了。

　　也許他們沒有意識到，一件事情說得太過頭就會失去效果。我正在上高中的侄女最近一直吵著，說自己需要一個 iPhone. She's been RUNNING the topic INTO THE GROUND. 讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

　　M: "Protesters have been arguing for months that the mayor is a racist. They assert that that's why he doesn't have more minorities working for him. And why he doesn't deserve to be re-elected. They've talked about racism so often that they've RUN IT INTO THE GROUND! They need to find something new to say."

　　今天學(xué)習(xí)的習(xí)慣用語 run into the ground 還有另外一個意思，指徹底摧毀某個人或是某件事。我們一起聽下面這個員工講述他所在的部門發(fā)生的事情。

　　M: "Kathy should never have been promoted to supervisor. Her bad decisions led to poor sales and the loss of many talented employees. She almost RAN the department INTO THE GROUND. Fortunately, a replacement was hired, who slowly returned us to profitability."

　　這個員工說：Kathy壓根兒就不應(yīng)該被提升為部門主任。她的一些錯誤決策造成了銷售額的下跌和優(yōu)秀員工的流失。她差點兒把這個部門搞垮。幸好換了個新領(lǐng)導(dǎo)，才慢慢讓我們轉(zhuǎn)虧為 盈?；蛟S，這個Kathy給自己手下的員工壓力太大，She RUN them INTO THE GROUND, 讓他們疲憊不堪，這些人被逼無奈才會辭職。我的鄰居 Tom 曾經(jīng)告訴過我，他從來不會把開了幾年的舊車賣掉，每次都是買新車，使勁開，He run it into the ground. 直到開不動了為止，然后索性扔掉。好的，我們再來聽一下上面那個例句。

　　M: "Kathy should never have been promoted to supervisor. Her bad decisions led to poor sales and the loss of many talented employees. She almost RAN the department INTO THE GROUND. Fortunately, a replacement was hired, who slowly returned us to profitability."

　　好的，這次美國習(xí)慣用語就到此結(jié)束了。這次節(jié)目的制作人是胡小玲。謝謝各位的收聽。

　　M: Until next time.

　　下次節(jié)目再見。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms.

　　A: Mike, seriously, your laziness is running me into the ground! Either pick up the slack or I'm out!

　　B: Funny, your boyfriend was saying something very similar about you last night.......

　　A: 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!