美語訓(xùn)練班095

A: 歡迎大家來到這期的美語訓(xùn)練班! 我是小北!

B: 我是Mike! What are we going to teach today, Xiaobei?

A: 今天，我們要談一下穿著打扮對你能產(chǎn)生多大的影響，聊聊裁員，還要告訴你怎么說咬緊牙關(guān)忍受。

B: But first, let's learn a word!

今天我們要學(xué)的詞是root cause. Root is spelled r-o-o-t, root, and cause, c-a-u-s-e, cause, root cause. root cause 根本原因。世界經(jīng)濟論壇說，The lack of competitiveness in Europe is the root cause of financial instability and rising unemployment numbers in the region. 缺乏競爭力是歐洲經(jīng)濟不穩(wěn)定和失業(yè)率高的根本原因。波音787夢幻客機全面停飛。The root cause for the Dreamliner's problems are currently under investigation. 夢幻客機根本問題出在哪里目前正在調(diào)查之中。The root cause of gun violence in the U.S. is a hot button topic these days. 美國槍支暴力的根本原因是如今的熱門話題。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 root cause, root cause, root cause...

A: Root cause, 根本原因。Mike你知道嘛，要能當(dāng)上微薄紅人，就要每天積極和粉絲互動。所以咱們節(jié)目的微薄還得加強互動。

B: I think that's a big part of it. People like to feel like they have a say in things and there is no better way to learn a language than to have a native speaker to practice with. It's just one of the many important services I bring to the team.

A: 這么說，你在咱們組很重要啊!

B: 當(dāng)然! The following phrase we're going to learn is exactly what can be used to describe me. Let's listen!

Words and Idioms Great White Hope

美國習(xí)慣用語第 1000講。

我妹妹的公司最近業(yè)績不佳，于是公司請了個特別有銷售經(jīng)驗的經(jīng)理，希望能靠著這位高人扭轉(zhuǎn)公司的銷售狀況。 讓我想到一個習(xí)慣用語，那就是:

Great white hope. Great is spelled g-r-e-a-t, white; w-h-i-t-e, and hope; h-o-p-e. Great-white-hope. Great white hope.

Great white hope 指身負眾望的人或事。The new hire at my sister's company is expected to vastly expand sales. He is their great white hope. 大家都覺得我妹妹公司新雇的經(jīng)理能把銷售搞上去。在下面的例句中，一個政黨的主席談到了代表自己政黨參選的理想候選人所具備的素質(zhì)，咱們來聽一聽：

"We need a candidate who can appeal to middle-class voters like our opponent. It has to be someone that represents our traditional values, has strong leadership skills and communicates effectively. Every possibility we've looked at lacks what our party requires to win the next election. Where is our GREAT WHITE HOPE?"

這段話是說: 我們需要的候選人要能和我們的對手一樣，吸引中產(chǎn)階級選民。他必須代表我們的傳統(tǒng)價值觀，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力強，能有效地與人溝通。所有有可能的人選我們都看了，但是他們?nèi)鄙仝A得下次選舉所需要的特質(zhì)。那個可以讓我們賦予厚望的人在哪兒呢?

我最近聽說有的IT產(chǎn)品公司要開發(fā)一款智能電視，能夠直接跟家里的電腦啊，DVD機啊，音響啊什么的連接，只要你一聲令下，它就會自動為你播放電腦或 DVD機的片子。The concept represents the company's great white hope for the future.這個概念代表了這家公司未來希望的所在。這產(chǎn)品要是真出現(xiàn)了，我一定會買，多方便啊。 好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:

"We need a candidate who can appeal to middle-class voters like our opponent. It has to be someone that represents our traditional values, has strong leadership skills and communicates effectively. Every possibility we've looked at lacks what our party requires to win the next election. Where is our GREAT WHITE HOPE?"

剛才我們說到了電子產(chǎn)品業(yè)界的新概念，下面的例句中，我們聽聽在冷飲業(yè)有什么好點子。

"With another ice cream shop down the street from mine, I've had to find ways to be unique. My plan is to introduce some super premium favors using the finest ingredients. The dark chocolate with bite-sized pieces is my GREAT WHITE HOPE. I believe it will bring in lots of customers."

這段話是說：離我們冰淇淋店不遠又開了一家冰淇淋店，所以我必須得出點奇招。我的計劃是推出一些用上好原料做的頂級好吃口味。我把希望寄托在黑巧克力口味小塊冰淇淋上，相信這款產(chǎn)品一定會吸引來很多顧客。

美國的冰淇淋很好吃，世界知名。在美國人最喜歡的口味中，巧克力排第二名，第一名呢?是香草口味! 不知道這和您的喜好是否一致。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:

"With another ice cream shop down the street from mine, I've had to find ways to be unique. My plan is to introduce some super premium favors using the finest ingredients. The dark chocolate with bite-sized pieces is my GREAT WHITE HOPE. I believe it will bring in lots of customers."

學(xué)習(xí)的習(xí)慣用語是great white hope, 意思是被寄予厚望的人或事。

A: Mike, you need to work harder on being our team's great white hope!

B: 好吧好吧， What if I start wearing nicer clothes to work everyday?

A: 穿漂亮衣服有什么用啊?

B: Dressing to impress helps to improve your work performance and makes people to take you more seriously.

A: 真的?

B: Yes! I'll just let this weeks Business Etiquette explain how it works.

Business Etiquette: You Are What You Wear

Cathy 早上上班見到同事 Adam.

Cathy: Hi, Adam, nice tie.

Adam: Thanks.

C: By the way, can I ask you a personal question?

A: Ask away!

C: How come you're the only one at the office who wears a tie to work every day? I'm not criticizing your fashion choices, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to.

A: No. I'm happy to answer that question! I assume you're like most people: you prefer to wear comfortable clothing whenever possible, right?

Cathy 問了 Adam 個personal question 私人問題，問Adam 為什么每天上班都西裝領(lǐng)帶的，而公司的著裝標準并不嚴格，所以其他人一般都是怎么舒服怎么穿。Cathy 還補充說，I'm not criticizing your fashion choices. 意思是說我不是想對你的穿著指手劃腳，而是好奇。Cathy 承認，平時如果沒事，他就會穿得很隨便。

C: Absolutely! If it's a special event or a business meeting or something, then sure, I'll put on a suit or a nice business dress. But I much prefer to dress more casually.

A: I understand that logic. But of course you've heard about "power-dressing," no?

C: Yeah....if you wear nicer looking clothes, people take you more seriously, right?

A: That's the idea. I think everybody knows that the clothing we wear affects how others perceive us. But I've also discovered that what I wear affects how I think.

C: Really? That's an interesting idea. What exactly do you mean?

Cathy 說，如果有什么特別活動或是要開會，She'll put on a suit or a nice business dress. 穿西裝或套裝，否則的話，她還是喜歡穿得隨便些，to dress more casually. Adam 問 Cathy 有沒有聽過 power-dressing 的說法，也就是說，如果穿得正式，別人就會更把你當(dāng)回事。Adam 說，他發(fā)現(xiàn)，power-dressing 不僅會影響別人對自己的看法，同時也會對他自己的精神狀態(tài)產(chǎn)生影響。

A: Well, there's a lot of research out there that says the position of our bodies affects our thoughts.

C: I've heard about that. I read an article that said if you sit up straight your thoughts become sharper than if you were slouching.

A: Exactly! But there are some new studies that show what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts.

C: Give me an example.

A: Scientists found that students who were wearing white lab coats performed better on tests than students who were wearing their own clothes.

C: Ah! So because the white lab coat has an association with intelligence, the students' brains actually got more intelligent?

有很多研究顯示，一個人身體的姿勢，往往會對人的思維產(chǎn)生影響，比如，坐直了就比窩著的時候思維更敏銳。Slouch is spelled s-l-o-u-c-h, slouch 意思是很放松地窩在那里，蜷在那里。Adam 補充說，現(xiàn)在的一些新的研究結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)，what you are wearing can also affect your thoughts. 一個人的穿著也會對他的思維產(chǎn)生影響。比如說，穿著實驗室白大褂的學(xué)生，考試往往比穿日常衣服的學(xué)生成績好，因為穿著白大褂，會讓學(xué)生覺得自己智商更高，因此考試時大腦的表現(xiàn)也就更出色。

A: 下班我就去買漂亮衣服! 這回咱是有堂堂正正的理由去大血拼了--為了提升工作表現(xiàn)!

B: That's the spirit! Though you still have to work hard as well I think. Dressing for success can only take you so far, your personal effort is the most key element.

A:當(dāng)然! 咱們趕快把剛才的對話聽完，看看他們還有什么好建議!

Business Etiquette: You Are What You Wear II

Cathy 跟同事Adam 正在討論，一個人的穿著是否會對他的精神狀態(tài)產(chǎn)生影響。Adam 說，

A: Have you ever heard the saying, "clothes make the man"? It might be truer than we imagine.

C: When a police officer or firefighter puts on their uniform it must affect their psychology. It probably gives them a sense of responsibility and authority.

A: Absolutely. When a judge puts on that heavy black robe it transmits an image of power, but it also serves as a reminder to the judge of the responsibility of their position.

C: I know when I'm wearing a nice suit I feel a lot more confident. If I'm going out for a night on the town and I'm all dressed up I feel a lot better about myself than if I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

英語里有一種說法叫 clothes make the man. 相當(dāng)于中文里說的人靠衣服馬靠鞍。Adam 說，這句老話恐怕比我們想的更有道理。警察穿上警服，消防員穿上消防服，法官穿上黑色長袍，都會平添一種使命感和權(quán)威感，Cathy 說，她每次穿西裝，也會倍感自信，還說，晚上出去吃飯消遣時，如果 dressed up 精心打扮，就會自我感覺更好。Cathy說的， go out for a night on the town, 是一種固定說法，意思是出去吃飯，喝酒，看節(jié)目，消遣。

A: Yeah, I think everyone recognizes that part about the power of clothes....but that's not exactly why I wear a tie to work every day.

C: You wear it because you think it makes you smarter.

A: Yes. I think putting on a shirt and tie actually affects the way my brain works.

C: That's a very interesting concept!

A: My eyes look down and see what I'm wearing and my brain gets a reminder that I'm a businessman.... and I think the brain responds to expectations.

Adam 說，他每天都穿西裝打領(lǐng)帶，不是給別人看的，更多的是在提醒自己，隨時提醒自己是商界人士，這樣大腦就會做出反應(yīng)，做出的事，說出的話都會更加得體。

C: It's kind of like an actor trying to play a role...you have to have the right costume!

A: I think that's a good way of expressing it! I'm sure it's much harder for actors and actresses to get into character before they put on the right costume.

C: Yeah....but after the clothes and the makeup go on, they look in the mirror and their brains are able to shift into the role.

A: The symbolic meaning of a tie is "business" and so for me it's an identifying symbol that I think affects both how others see me and how I see myself.

C: Interesting.....hmm.....maybe I should start wearing a suit.

這就跟演員穿上戲服，才能進入角色一樣。Adam 覺得，這樣比喻恰如其分，that's a good way of expressing it. 演員穿上戲服，化好妝，看著鏡子里的自己，他們的大腦就會做出反應(yīng)，help them to shift into the role. 幫他們進入角色。Adam 最后說，西裝領(lǐng)帶，對他來說就是一種定位的象征符號，不僅影響到別人對他的看法，也會影響到他自己的精神狀態(tài)。 Clothes make the man, 也可以說，you are what you wear, 人靠衣服馬靠鞍。

B: So, wearing nice clothes to work reinforces that what you are doing is important. Plus feeling a little extra confidence never hurts anyone.

A: 不過要是趕上辦公室裁員，你穿得再漂亮，再professional, 也沒用!

B: Well, that's another story. Let's learn how to say 裁員 in English.

Learn A Word: cutback

今天我們要學(xué)的詞是 cutback. Cutback is spelled c-u-t-b-a-c-k, cutback. Cutback 做為名詞，意思是減少，削減。When the budget is tight, one of the first things to happen is a cutback in travel. 預(yù)算緊張的時候，最先被取消的就是出差經(jīng)費。Apple's stock has fallen from a cutback on its orders to suppliers. 蘋果公司因為減少了供應(yīng)商的訂單，導(dǎo)致股價下跌。美國郵政局宣布，從八月份開始，取消星期六的普通信件遞送服務(wù)。The Postal Service expects to save $2 billion annually from the cutback. 美國郵政總局估計，取消星期六的服務(wù)，每年能節(jié)省20億美元。好的，今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的詞是 cutback, cutback, cutback...

A: Mike, do you think our office will see any cutbacks?

B: It's hard to say. The U.S. economy is not back at its full speed yet, so cutbacks can happen to any place. The best thing we can do is just grit our teeth and bear it........Oh speaking of which that's the topic of our next Words and Idioms! Let's listen.

Words and Idioms Grit One's Teeth

美國習(xí)慣用語第 1001講。

我爺爺90大壽，全家人都從各地趕來，要好好給他過個隆重的生日。其實，爺爺一個人清靜慣了，最不喜歡熱鬧。不過，為了不掃兒孫們的興，他還是同意讓大家熱熱鬧鬧地搞個壽宴。這讓我想到一個習(xí)慣用語，那就是:

Grit one's teeth. Grit is spelled g-r-I-t, and teeth; t-e-e-t-h. Grit-one's teeth.

Grit one's teeth是咬緊牙關(guān)，咬牙接受困難的意思。My grandpa didn't appreciate the fancy celebration of his birthday. But he had no choice but to Grit His Teeth. He felt uncomfortable throughout the birthday party. 我爺爺不喜歡這么大張旗鼓地慶祝生日，不過他沒有別的選擇，只能默默地接受大家的安排。在整個生日慶祝會上，他都感覺很不自在。不過，不自在歸不自在，畢竟這還是兒孫的孝心，過生日也是好事，比起在下面例句中所要忍受的東西，可是好多了。咱們來聽一聽：

"Maggie was running well in the marathon when she tripped and sprained her ankle. The pain was intense and she had a long way to go. Many people would have quit. But Maggie decided she was going to continue. She GRITTED HER TEETH and made it to the finish line."

這段話是說: Maggie本來在馬拉松比賽中跑得好好的，卻摔倒扭了腳腕，她疼痛難忍，可是離終點還遠著呢。很多人在這種情況下都會退出比賽?？墒?，Maggie決定繼續(xù)堅持。她咬緊牙關(guān)，跑到了終點。

看來精神作用還是很重要的，靠著完成馬拉松的信念的支持，這個女孩咬牙克服了疼痛。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:

M: "Maggie was running well in the marathon when she tripped and sprained her ankle. The pain was intense and she had a long way to go. Many people would have quit. But Maggie decided she was going to continue. She GRITTED HER TEETH and made it to the finish line."

要說身體上的疼痛還可以咬牙忍受，那精神上的折磨或壓力則可能更讓人難受。我有個朋友，和公婆生活在一起， 每天被公婆數(shù)落，什么飯菜做得不好，沒有教好小孩，等等等等。She just listens and grits her teeth! 她也只能聽著，心里忍著不作聲。跟這個朋友比，下面例句中的問題似乎沒那么嚴重了，咱們來聽一聽。

"Every day on my drive to the office, I'm facing the same nightmare. There are long delays because of road construction. And there's usually an accident or two. Since it's the only route available, I keep GRITTING MY TEETH. It'll continue to take all of my patience until the roadwork is finished."

這段話是說：每天我在開車上班的路上都會遇到同樣的問題。那就是，因為修路，路上總會出現(xiàn)耽擱。而且時常會發(fā)生一兩起交通事故。不過，我上班只有這一條路線，所以對這些問題我只能咬牙接受。在修路結(jié)束以前，我只好動用自己全部的耐心來應(yīng)對這些問題了。

堵車，排隊，等待，這的確是日常生活中既多見又煩人的事情。就比如我們在機場過安檢的時候，隊伍很長，如果再遇上有人不清楚安檢程序，忘記把兜里的金屬物品掏出來，一個人要過好幾次，而這時候你偏偏又在趕飛機，哎呀，那可要煩死了。There we are gritting our teeth. 在這種情況下，大家都在壓著心里的煩躁，默默捱著。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:

Every day on my drive to the office, I'm facing the same nightmare. There are long delays because of road construction. And there's usually an accident or two. Since it's the only route available, I keep GRITTING MY TEETH. It'll continue to take all of my patience until the roadwork is finished.

今天我們學(xué)習(xí)的習(xí)慣用語是grit one's teeth, 意思是咬緊牙關(guān)，默默忍受。

B: I guess we will have to just grit our teeth and handle the extra workload until Yang Lin gets back.

A: 這你算是說對了! 不過算啦，我請假的時候大家也都在分擔(dān)我留下的工作嘛。

B: Good teammates cover for each other!

A: That's right! 好了，今天節(jié)目時間差不多了。

B: If you have any questions or comments, please email us at [email protected]. Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!