GoEnglish: Commute to work-beginner
各位聽(tīng)眾,大家好!今天我們?yōu)槟コ?ldquo;美語(yǔ)三級(jí)跳”節(jié)目“出行”單元的初級(jí)課程。
MC: Craig 被紐約一家大公司錄用,今天第一天上班。他剛搬來(lái)紐約不久,對(duì)公司周?chē)穆凡惶?,為了保險(xiǎn)起見(jiàn),他決定打車(chē)去公司--take a taxi。
Professor: Yes, Winnie. But if there is lots of traffic, taking a taxi might be slower than the subway.
MC: 的確,如果路上有l(wèi)ots of traffic--很多車(chē)的話,那么,坐subway--地鐵,的確比打車(chē)更快。讓我們一起聽(tīng) Craig 打車(chē)是否順利。
Driver: Good morning. Where are you headed?
Craig: I'm going to number 250, East 97th Street.
Driver: Which way do you want to go?
Craig: I'm not from New York, so I don't know the way. You decide.
MC: Professor Bowman, 司機(jī)問(wèn) Craig "where he is headed", 這是什么意思?
Professor: Asking someone where he is headed is a common and casual way to ask him where he is going.
MC: 我明白了,那么Craig在回答的時(shí)候,也可以說(shuō)I'm headed to East 97th Street.
Professor: That's correct.
MC: 不過(guò),我還真有點(diǎn)兒替Craig擔(dān)心。他居然老實(shí)地告訴出租車(chē)司機(jī),說(shuō)自己新來(lái)乍道,不認(rèn)識(shí)路。這種乘客很可能被司機(jī) rip off,宰上一刀!
Professor: Well, let's see if your worries are necessary.
Driver: Oh, you don't know where you're going? Well, I know a special shortcut to that address.
Craig: I'm not sure we need a special shortcut. The address isn't very far away.
Driver: Well, it's rush hour right now. If we don't take my shortcut you might be late.
Craig: Hmm.... alright. I guess you know where to go.
Professor:Winnie. Why did the taxi driver say he needs to take the shortcut?
MC: 他說(shuō),現(xiàn)在是rush hour--上下班的高峰時(shí)段,如果不 take the shortcut--超近道,Craig 就可能會(huì)遲到。
Professor: That's right, Winnie. If traffic is really bad, you can say there is a "traffic jam."
But I think the driver sounds quite sketchy.
MC: 沒(méi)錯(cuò)!我倒要看看這條shortcut能不能省時(shí)間!
Craig: Are we there yet? We've been driving for 30 minutes, and it feels like we've been going in circles.
Driver: Don't worry, we'll be there soon.
Craig: But the meter says the fare is already $25 dollars! I'm only going a few blocks. It shouldn't cost so much money.
Driver: Hey, you have to trust me. I'm a professional driver, remember?
MC: Craig 雖然不熟悉紐約,但也知道公司其實(shí)并不遠(yuǎn)。可是,出租車(chē)司機(jī)開(kāi)了半個(gè)小時(shí)還在繞圈子,而且,the meter--計(jì)價(jià)器,顯示,the fare--車(chē)錢(qián),已經(jīng)25塊了!
Professor: That's right, Winnie. And remember, in this case the word "fare" is spelled F-A-R-E, not F-A-I-R.
MC: 我記住了。Professor Bowman, 看來(lái)我們猜對(duì)了,司機(jī)是想黑 Craig 的錢(qián)。
Craig: Alright, just pull over here and I'll get out. This is the last time I hail a cab.
Driver: What? Why? We're almost there.
Craig: You've been saying that for the past 30 minutes. I'm going to walk.
Driver: Well, at least you got to see a lot of the city. Will you give me a good tip for that?
Craig: A tip? I'm not even paying the fare!
MC: 好樣的,Craig! 他明智地讓司機(jī)停車(chē),決定自己走到公司去。對(duì)了,Professor,什么叫hail a cab?
Professor: "Hail a cab" is when you stand on the side of the road and raise your hand to tell the taxis to stop and pick you up.
MC: 哦,就是站在路旁招手叫出租車(chē)。Craig說(shuō),他以后再也不打車(chē)了!對(duì)了,Professor,是不是在美國(guó)打車(chē)時(shí)都得給司機(jī) a tip--小費(fèi)呢?
Professor: Usually you give a tip, but not if he cheats you.
MC: 難怪Craig說(shuō),別說(shuō)小費(fèi),他連車(chē)錢(qián)都不想付! 唉,希望他能順利地走到公司!
Professor: Listen next time to find out!
B: Poor Craig! He was taken for a ride.
A: Yeah, but he got out of the taxi before the cabbie can take more advantage of him. 如果換成我,可能就不好意思,只能認(rèn)倒霉挨宰了。
B: 我也是。
A: 所以還是自己開(kāi)車(chē)好! 對(duì)了,CAT, you don't drive, do you?
B: No I don't. I live in the city and it's very convenient─everything is within walking distance. So I don't need a car.
A: But there must be some places outside the city where you want to go, right?
B: That's right. In that case, I'll have to ask other people for a ride or get a taxi.
A: 那不是要張嘴求人?要不就是要花很多錢(qián)。
B: 對(duì)啊。
A: 不如買(mǎi)車(chē)吧!來(lái)聽(tīng)聽(tīng)今天的“禮節(jié)美語(yǔ)”,講的就是買(mǎi)車(chē)的事兒。
Business Etiquette: buying a car I
Chris告訴同事Jason, 準(zhǔn)備買(mǎi)輛新車(chē)。
Jason: Hey there Chris, what are you up to?
Chris: I'm just poring over some brochures about various car models.
J: Oh, so you're thinking about buying a new car?
C: Yeah, it looks that way. My wife has been bugging me about it. I thought we could probably survive without one, but with a baby on the way, maybe it is time to get a car.
J: So this would be your first automobile?
C: That's right. For quite a few years, I rode a bicycle to work. Then I got a motorbike.
Chris太太懷孕,所以不得不考慮買(mǎi)車(chē)。Chris說(shuō),my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在軟磨硬泡要說(shuō)服我,to bug someone是沒(méi)完沒(méi)了煩某人的意思,比如說(shuō),Stop bugging me. 意思就是別煩我了。這是Chris的第一輛車(chē),他以前都是騎自行車(chē)或是騎摩托車(chē)上班,但現(xiàn)在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了,所以只好考慮買(mǎi)車(chē)。Jason表示理解。
J: Yeah, I think I can understand your wife's position. Asking her to ride on a motorcycle when she's pregnant is a tall order.
C: Oh...I don't let her ride with me. It's just too dangerous. She takes the bus to work, but it is sometimes difficult to get a seat and it's crowded and hot.
J: So it's time to buy your very first car! Wow, that's exciting!
C: Yes, but it's also a pretty big financial responsibility.
J: Yeah. I still remember my first car. It was an old clunker that my dad gave me when I turned 17. I drove it around for a couple of years until I scraped together enough money to buy a better secondhand car.
Jason說(shuō),讓太太挺著大肚子坐Chris的摩托車(chē)確實(shí)有點(diǎn)強(qiáng)人所難,It's a tall order. tall order 意思是很難完成的任務(wù)或要求。Christ解釋說(shuō),其實(shí)太太不坐他的摩托車(chē)上班,但是擠公交車(chē)也很辛苦,所以才必須買(mǎi)車(chē)。Jason說(shuō),他的第一輛車(chē)是 17歲過(guò)生日時(shí)老爸送的,It was an old clunker. clunker is spelled c-l-u-n-k-e-r, clunker, clunker 是老破車(chē)的意思,開(kāi)了幾年后,攢夠了錢(qián)才自己買(mǎi)了輛稍微像點(diǎn)兒樣的 secondhand car 二手車(chē)。Chris 說(shuō),
C: I'm having a hard time deciding which model is best for us.
J: Yeah, it is a tough call. Each one has its pros and cons. Are you looking for a sedan?
C: Yes, I'd like a Jeep, but my wife says we have to get a comfortable sedan for long drives home to see her relatives.
J: I'd advise you to listen to your wife. She will be sitting in the back taking care of the kids so whatever she prefers is probably the best choice.
Chris說(shuō),拿不定主意應(yīng)該買(mǎi)什么型號(hào)的車(chē)。Jason承認(rèn),It's a tough call. tough call意思是很難做的決定。他還說(shuō),不同型號(hào)的車(chē)有各自的優(yōu)缺點(diǎn),pros and cons 是指一件事情的正反面,pros 是優(yōu)點(diǎn),正面的,cons 是缺點(diǎn),負(fù)面的。Chris想買(mǎi)吉普車(chē)Jeep,但他太太堅(jiān)持要買(mǎi)轎車(chē)sedan, 因?yàn)閟edan開(kāi)長(zhǎng)途坐著更舒服些。買(mǎi)車(chē)還要考慮其他哪些因素呢?我們下次繼續(xù)聽(tīng)。
B: See? That's exactly why I don't want to get a car─not only is it a big financial responsibility, it is also too much headache to choose the right model.
A: 咳,買(mǎi)車(chē)都一樣。好車(chē)買(mǎi)不起,破車(chē)又不敢買(mǎi)。
B: So you don't like your car?
A:一般吧,It's not my dream car, but I can live with it just for now.
B:What's your dream car then?
A:越野吉普!開(kāi)那種車(chē)馳騁在荒野里,太酷了!
B: You? driving a jeep in the wilderness? Er....I just don't see it.
A:別看我外表斯文,其實(shí)我內(nèi)心是很狂野的!
B: If that's the case, you'll definitely like the sport we are doing in today's American Sports English!
American sports English: ski jump
Y: Aren't the Rocky Mountains beautiful, Patrick? 多么壯觀的洛基山脈!啊!I'm so glad you agreed to go skiing with me.
P: Uhhh..Yeah, the Rocky Mountains are beautiful, Yang Chen. But I guess when you asked me to go skiing with you, I didn't realize you meant to go ski jumping. S-K-I J-U-M-P-I-N-G
Y: Of course, we are going ski jumping. 高臺(tái)滑雪。多刺激啊。Say, Patrick, 你臉色發(fā)綠. Are you feeling okay?
P: Actually, Yang Chen, I look green because I'm afraid of heights. And right now I'm feeling a little sick.
Y: 你有恐高癥??!Well, think about it this way, once you slide down the take-off ramp and make your jump─you will be at the bottom.
P: I have to ski down there?
Y: Yup. There's only one way to learn, Patrick. Here let me give you a little push.
P: No, Yang Chen, wait. Don't push me.
Y: 跳啊,多么籃的天,快點(diǎn)兒跳。跳下去你就會(huì)融入藍(lán)天。。。
P: I have no idea what you are talking about, it sounds like some kind of cheesy Japanese movie.
Y. All I'm saying is "Jump"!
P: .Noooooooooooooooàà.Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
Y: Are you OK, Patrick?
P: Yeah, I'm okay. I'm glad I'm still alive.
Y: Good, it's my turn next. 該我跳了。You better get out of my way.
P: Okay, I'm out of the way. It's all clear. You can jump now, Yang Chen.
Y: Okay! Here I go! Yeeeeee-haaaawwwww! (Sound of sliding down a ramp, landing).
P: Wow, Yang Chen. That was a great jump! And a perfect landing, too.
Y: I love ski jumping! Do you want to go again, Patrick?
P: Uh, no thanks, Yang Chen. I'll just stay down here and watch you jump.
Y. Here I go again. Yeeeeee-haaaawwwww!
B: How about that, 楊琳? Wanna go try ski jumping some day?
A: 誒....這個(gè),我....
B: 不用不好意思承認(rèn),我也不敢!
A: 這個(gè)太危險(xiǎn)了,咱們有時(shí)間還是多研究研究做飯吧。
B: 這也差得太遠(yuǎn)了。
A: 哈哈! 好了,今天的節(jié)目時(shí)間差不多了。這次的撰稿人是曉北,編輯是蔚然。同學(xué)們,我們下次的美語(yǔ)訓(xùn)練班再見(jiàn)!
B: Bye!