A: 又到了學美語的時間了！大家好，歡迎收聽美語訓練班！我是楊琳！
B: 我是CAT！楊琳,今天我們教什麼呢？
A: 今天，咱們要看看被計程車司機忽悠時該怎麼辦, 要嘗試刺激的跳臺滑雪，要聊聊買車, 還要告訴大家怎麼用美語說“路癡”和“新手”。
B: 新手是”newbie,” 這個我們以前教過了吧？
A: 沒錯，今天咱們教另外一種說法。不過，節目一開始，咱們還是先來學個詞兒！
Learn A Word #1355 Off the charts
今 天我們要學的詞是off the charts. Off is spelled o-f-f; and charts, c-h-a-r-t-s, charts; off the charts. Chart 是表格的意思，off the charts，不在表格上了，意思是超常。The band’s popularity among teenagers is off the charts. 這個樂隊特別受青少年歡迎。研究發現，醫護人員容易患抑鬱症，因為他們工作時間不規律，而且 Their stress levels can be off the charts. 他們承受的壓力也過大。我們還可以把這三個詞用hyphen, 連字元連接起來，作為形容詞。比如：The Washington Redskins are having an off-the-charts season。美國首都華盛頓的橄欖球隊紅人隊這個賽季表現特別好。好的，今天我們學習的詞是off the charts, off the charts, off the charts.
A: 我家附近新開了一個泰國飯館，Its food is totally off the charts! 哪天咱們一起去吃！
B：That’s great! I love Thai food! As a matter of fact, I just bought some cooking books and now I’m learning to make Thai food by myself.
A: 在家鑽研做泰國菜？ 你太賢慧了！
B: 不是，我只是嘴饞嘛！
A: 那什麼時候能嘗嘗你的手藝啊？
B: I’m not there yet. 我還是個新手，做得不好。
A: 誒呀，你太謙虛了。不過說到“新手”，咱們來聽今天的流行美語！
Popular American: shoot hoops, rookie
各位聽眾，現在播送《流行美語》。Larry 和李華要放三天長假，他們正在計畫假期的安排。李華會學到兩個常用語：shoot hoops 和 rookie.
LL: I can’t believe we have a three-day weekend. I haven’t had a break from school for so long.
LH: 是啊，要放假了，一定得好好玩玩。
LL: What are you planning on doing over the long summer?
LH: 不知道啊，不過，今天放學後我和 Tracy 要去吃飯，看電影，你要不要一起來?
LL: Sorry Li Hua. I have plans tonight. I’m going to shoot hoops with Jeffrey and Tom.
LH: Shoot hoops? 那是什麼?
LL: Shoot hoops is a casual way of saying to play basketball.
LH: 喔~原來to shoot hoops 就是去打籃球。
LL: Yes. In basketball, the main goal is to shoot hoops. If you are only playing basketball with friends or alone, in a casual manner, you can say that you are going to shoot hoops.
LH: 我明白了，打籃球主要目的是投籃得分，所以要去打籃球時就說，I’m going to shoot hoops. 那如果我要去踢足球，可以說，I’m going to kick balls 嗎?
LL: No, no, no. No one says they’re going to kick balls when they’re going to play soccer. This way of saying to play a sport is only used in basketball.
LH: 哦，原來只有籃球可以這樣說。對了，Larry, our school is going to shoot hoops with our rival school tomorrow. We have to win! 我這樣說行嗎？
LL: Well, you generally don’t say shoot hoops when you are talking about a basketball game or competition. Shoot hoops is only used for casual basketball playing.
LH: 好吧，不過 Larry, 認識你這麼久，我好象從來沒見你打過籃球，藏而不露嘛！
LL: No, I’m not that good at basketball. I’m just a rookie.
LH: Rookie? What’s a rookie? 我那天有個朋友也說自己是投資的 rookie, 我當時就沒搞懂他的意思。
LL: Haha. A rookie is a beginner, a person who is new to a field or profession.
LH: 哦，Rookie 是初學者的意思，你說自己籃球打得不怎麼樣，剛入門，而我那朋友則是在說自己剛開始做投資。
LL: That’s right. A rookie can be used to describe any type of beginner. You can be a rookie doctor, a rookie English speaker, or a rookie violinist.
LH: 嗯，那我懂了。Larry is not only rookie at basketball, but is also rookie at driving. 你不光打籃球剛入門，開車也是新手。
LL: What do you mean by that? I’ve been driving for years!
LH: 沒錯，你拿到駕照雖然很久了，可你開車的技術還是跟初學者一樣，每次坐你的車我都心驚膽顫的。
LL: Well…I’m just not that good at driving. But you didn’t use the word rookie correctly. Rookie is a noun; it is a person who is a beginner. However, you used the word as an adjective.
LH: 這麼說，rookie 是名詞，不能做形容詞用，我剛剛的用法不對呀。
LL: It’s okay. Try again. Give me another example.
LH: Even though he’s a rookie in BASKETBALL, he practices very hard and has become really good at the sport.
LL: That’s good. You can also say he’s a rookie BASKETBALL player.Or, more simply, he is a BASKETBALL rookie.
LH: 是嗎? 可以直接說一個人是 rookie BASKETBALL player 或者 BASKETBALL rookie. 那我懂了。
LL: That’s good. Can you give me an example of shoot hoops?
LH: Mmm…有了！The basketball rookie is going to shoot hoops.
LL: Yes, that’s right! Hey, you’re learning fast.
LH: 那當然，我學習能力很強的，But I think I’m still a rookie English speaker.
LL: Well, it takes time to become good at a language. You’re doing really well already.
LH: 是嗎? 謝謝啦!
今天李華從Larry那兒學到兩個常用語，一個是 shoot hoops, “打籃球”的意思；另一個是 rookie, 是指“初學者”。這次《流行美語》播送完了，謝謝收聽，下次節目再見。
B: I’m a rookie at making Thai food.
A: I’m a seasoned Thai food eater!
B：So am I!
A: 不要緊，知道什麼好吃是成為大廚的第一步！
B: I hope so!
A: 我期待去你家嘗你手藝的那一天！不過，你們家實在太不好找了，我前幾次去每次都迷路。
B: No!我家才不難找，是你方向感太差。
A: 呵呵，我承認自己的是個路癡。
B: 那趕緊聽聽“美語怎麼說”吧，We’ll teach how to say “路癡”in American English！
How to say it in American English: no sense of direction
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。今天是瓊燕要問的：路癡。
Donny: Hey 瓊燕! You went hiking over the weekend, right? How was it?
QY: The view was breathtaking! 我跟朋友去了一個國家公園，可氣的是，我們都是路癡，走錯了好幾回，1個小時的路足足走了3個小時！I’m such a road idiot…
Donny: Road idiot? That’s not how we say it! You can say, I have no sense of direction.
QY: 哦，direction 是方向，所以No sense of direction 就是沒有方向感–路癡啦！
Donny: Right! People with no sense of direction can easily get lost. 路癡經常迷路。
QY: 這說的不就是我麼？下禮拜我們要開車去南京，一定又會迷路….哎，Donny, 你原來是不是在南京住過？
Donny: Yep! I lived in Nanjing for 3 years. I know that city like the back of my hand.
QY: Like the back of your hand? 瞭若指掌？
Donny: Exactly! It basically means that I know Nanjing really well. You can also say: I know every nook and cranny of Nanjing.
QY: Wait! Every nook and cranny? nook 一定是 n-o-o-k, 那 cranny 要怎麼拼呢？
Donny: Cranny is spelled c-r-a-n-n-y. When people say “every nook and cranny,” they’re talking about every tiny corner and out-of-the-way place.
QY: 我明白了， every nook and cranny 就是所有邊邊角角，犄角旮旯。對了，既然你對南京這麼熟，你一定要跟我們去！這樣我們就不會走丟了。
Donny: Sure! I’d love to go back! Now let’s see what you’ve learned today!
QY: 第一：形容路癡可以說：somebody has no sense of direction;
第二，對一個地方了如直掌，是 know somewhere like the back of one’s hand; 也可以說 know every nook and cranny of a place.
A: I have absolutely no sense of direction, but you know what, getting lost isn’t always a terrible thing!
B: Why?
A: 有時候，迷路了，反而會去一些你平常不會去的地方，有意想不到的收穫。
B: You’re right. Sometimes getting lost can lead to unexpected adventures.
A：不過如果是上班，最好別迷路，否則遲到就慘了。
B: If you’re afraid of getting lost on your way to work, you can always take a taxi.
A: 那可不一定，有時候計程車也不靠譜！不信咱們就來聽聽今天的美語三級跳！
GoEnglish: Commute to work-beginner
各位聽眾，大家好！今天我們為您播出“美語三級跳”節目“出行”單元的初級課程。
MC: Craig 被紐約一家大公司錄用，今天第一天上班。他剛搬來紐約不久，對公司周圍的路不太熟，為了保險起見，他決定打車去公司–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lots of traffic–很多車的話，那麼，坐subway–地鐵，的確比打車更快。讓我們一起聽 Craig 打車是否順利。
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, 司機問 Craig “where he is headed”, 這是什麼意思？
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，那麼Craig在回答的時候，也可以說I’m headed to East 97th Street.
Professor: That’s correct.
MC: 不過，我還真有點兒替Craig擔心。他居然老實地告訴計程車司機，說自己新來乍道，不認識路。這種乘客很可能被司機 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，現在是rush hour–上下班的高峰時段，如果不 take the shortcut–超近道，Craig 就可能會遲到。
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: 沒錯！我倒要看看這條shortcut能不能省時間！
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，但也知道公司其實並不遠。可是，計程車司機開了半個小時還在繞圈子，而且，the meter–計價器，顯示，the fare–車錢，已經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, 看來我們猜對了，司機是想黑 Craig 的錢。
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! 他明智地讓司機停車，決定自己走到公司去。對了，Professor，什麼叫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計程車。Craig說，他以後再也不打車了！對了，Professor，是不是在美國打車時都得給司機 a tip–小費呢？
Professor: Usually you give a tip, but not if he cheats you.
MC: 難怪Craig說，別說小費，他連車錢都不想付! 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，只能認倒楣挨宰了。
B: 我也是。
A: 所以還是自己開車好！ 對了，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。
B: 對啊。
A: 不如買車吧！來聽聽今天的“禮節美語”，講的就是買車的事兒。
Business Etiquette: buying a car I
Chris告訴同事Jason, 準備買輛新車。
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，所以不得不考慮買車。Chris說，my wife has been bugging me about it. 意思是我太太一直在軟磨硬泡要說服我，to bug someone是沒完沒了煩某人的意思，比如說，Stop bugging me. 意思就是別煩我了。這是Chris的第一輛車，他以前都是騎自行車或是騎摩托車上班，但現在 with a baby on the way 眼看就要有孩子了，所以只好考慮買車。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，讓太太挺著大肚子坐Chris的摩托車確實有點強人所難，It’s a tall order. tall order 意思是很難完成的任務或要求。Christ解釋說，其實太太不坐他的摩托車上班，但是擠公車也很辛苦，所以才必須買車。Jason說，他的第一輛車是 17歲過生日時老爸送的，It was an old clunker. clunker is spelled c-l-u-n-k-e-r, clunker, clunker 是老破車的意思，開了幾年後，攢夠了錢才自己買了輛稍微像點兒樣的 secondhand car 二手車。Chris 說，
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，拿不定主意應該買什麼型號的車。Jason承認，It’s a tough call. tough call意思是很難做的決定。他還說，不同型號的車有各自的優缺點，pros and cons 是指一件事情的正反面，pros 是優點，正面的，cons 是缺點，負面的。Chris想買吉普車Jeep，但他太太堅持要買轎車sedan, 因為sedan開長途坐著更舒服些。買車還要考慮其他哪些因素呢？我們下次繼續聽。
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，買車都一樣。好車買不起，破車又不敢買。
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！開那種車馳騁在荒野裏，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，其實我內心是很狂野的！
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? 多麼壯觀的洛基山脈！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. 高臺滑雪。多刺激啊。Say, Patrick, 你臉色發綠. 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: 你有恐高症啊！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，多麼籃的天，快點兒跳。跳下去你就會融入藍天。。。
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，我….
B: 不用不好意思承認，我也不敢！
A: 這個太危險了，咱們有時間還是多研究研究做飯吧。
B: 這也差得太遠了。
A: 哈哈！ 好了，今天的節目時間差不多了。這次的撰稿人是曉北，編輯是蔚然。同學們，我們下次的美語訓練班再見!
B: Bye!
