【大紀元2012年11月02日訊】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甚麼?
A: 沒問題！ 今天，我們要跟著電腦達人學學怎麼自己修電腦，聊聊怎麼用合適的方法炒別人魷魚，還要告訴你怎麼說料事如神!
B: Fixing computers? Sounds like you need a professional! It just so happens that I know a guy who is quite handy with computers….me!
A: Well, I thought people good with computers usually have high IQ? 哈哈，好了，不開玩笑了! 我們言歸正傳，趕快先來進入第一個單元，Learn a Word!
Learn A Word – 1577 see something coming
今天我們要學的詞是 see something coming. See is spelled s-e-e; and c-o-m-i-n-g; coming; see something coming. See something coming是預料到某事會發生。I wasn’t surprised when the company closed down. You could see it coming. 公司關門我並不吃驚。這是意料之中的事。研究發現，美國的二氧化碳排放量降到了近20年來的最低點，Many of the world’s leading climate scientists did not see the drop coming. 大部份權威氣象學家都沒料到會出現這個情況。
After last year’s dry winter, forecasters see big snows coming to cities from New York to Washington, D.C. 繼去年乾燥的冬天之後，天氣人員預測，今年冬天，大雪會席捲從紐約到華盛頓的多座城市。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 see something coming, see something coming, see something coming…
A: Ok, so Mike, how was the party last weekend? Did you meet anyone interesting? Did you…meet the future Ms. Bond?
B: Hahaha, you know what? Actually I found this totally cool, cute….
A: 啊? 甚麼甚麼? 快說!
B: Dog. OMG it’s a basset hound and he was so friendly!
A: Ah….I didn’t see that coming….
B: Well, it’s probably because you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed……
A: You’d better watch out, you’re about to be on the firing line. You do understand that I know Kongfu, right?
B: Hahaha, really? what style? 吃飯吃得快的方式嗎? But you did just mention a really good term: on the firing line. Let’s listen to today’s Words and Idioms and find out what it means!
Words and Idioms – 985
現在播送美國習慣用語第 985講。我是楊琳。
M：我是Steve Baragona.
最近，我們的一個製片人製作的短片引起了軒然大波。短片談的是環境保護問題，而其中一位科學家認為全球變暖只是一個噱頭，這種說法馬上引起了其他很多科學家和公眾的不滿，很多人表示了對這個觀點的反對，製片人也被批評報導偏頗，不夠嚴謹。她的處境讓我想到一句習慣用語， 那就是：
M: On the firing line. Firing is spelled f-i-r-i-n-g, and line; l-i-n-e, line. On-the-firing-line. On the firing line.
Firing line, 是射擊線，開火線的意思，那麼on the firing line, 在火線上，引伸出來意思就是處於容易被攻擊的位置上。就像上面提到的例子：The producer of the show ended up ON THE FIRING LINE for presenting only one side of the argument. 製片人因為只介紹了對全球氣候變暖的一種看法而受到批評。 在下面的例子裡，一系列的問題食品帶來了公眾恐慌。我們來聽一聽：
M: “Last month, there was an terrible outbreak of people getting sick from contaminated spinach. Some Americans even died. Not long before, a similar incident happened with peanut butter. That’s why the public became very angry at government officials. They’ll probably remain ON THE FIRING LINE until citizens can be assured of the safety of our food. “
[這段話是說: 上個月，出現了一輪公眾因食用受污染的菠菜而患病的事件，這些蔬菜甚至導致有些人死亡。不久前，市面上還出現過有問題的花生醬。這激起了公眾對政府官員的憤怒情緒。在市民們重新對食品安全感到放心之前，這些政府官員可能會一直是大家批評的對象。]
食品安全可不是小問題，政府確實應該對這種問題負責! 想起我租的公寓，租賃辦公室一直在提高租金。在租戶會議上，They were clearly on the firing line; they were grilled about why the renters had to pay more. 他們顯然變成了租戶的眾矢之的，人們紛紛質問為甚麼要沒完沒了地上漲租金。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
M: “Last month, there was an terrible outbreak of people getting sick from contaminated spinach. Some Americans even died. Not long before, a similar incident happened with peanut butter. That’s why the public became very angry at government officials. They’ll probably remain ON THE FIRING LINE until citizens can be assured of the safety of our food. “
一般在中國家庭裡，財政大權都掌握在妻子手裡。其實很多美國家庭也一樣。下面例子裡的這個人就要講講他妻子是怎麼控制家庭預算，降低生活開支的。咱們一起來聽一聽：
M: “My wife controls the budget in the house. She says we have to cut down on spending. That means buying new clothing, going out to restaurants and taking a summer vacation are all ON THE FIRING LINE now. She’s against any purchases until there’s enough money to pay for them. “
[這段話是說：我妻子掌握家裏的財政大權。她說我們得減少開支。這就意味著買衣服，下餐館，和夏天出去渡假全都可能被取消。她覺得在有足夠的錢以前，不應該再有任何不必要的消費。]
大家注意，on the firing line可以用來形容人的情況，也可以用來形容事，形容事的時候意思就是可能被取消。比如說，Because of the huge tax bill, my plan to purchase the New iPad is on the firing line. 因為得交好多稅，買最新版 iPad 的計劃很可能泡湯。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
M: “My wife controls the budget in the house. She says we have to cut down on spending. That means buying new clothing, going out to restaurants and taking a summer vacation are all ON THE FIRING LINE now. She’s against any purchases until there’s enough money to pay for them. “
今天我們學習的習慣用語是on the firing line, 意思是處於被攻擊的位置。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是楊琳，我是Steve Baragona。謝謝各位的收聽。
A: Speaking of which, my old computer is on the firing line.
B: Wait…what’s wrong with your old computer?
A: My old Mac is super slow now. It takes about 3 minutes to just start it and always freezes in the middle of a show!
B: You know what? You should just consult me…I’m a computer expert. Maybe I can even offer you a discount on my consulting fee if you agree to cook me some Chinese food…Hmmm…
A: 好的聽眾朋友，我們可以直接忽略Mike了。(B: What?) 今天的美語三級跳裡，我們就要跟著電腦達人去診斷一下電腦問題。一塊來聽吧！
Computers: Beginner
今天我們為您播出「美語三級跳」節目「電腦」單元的初級課程。
Chloe 的電腦出了點毛病，她打電話給朋友Matt，讓他幫忙看看。
Professor: That’s right, Winnie. Isn’t it good to have friends who understand computers?
那可不，有電腦達人當朋友真不錯！
Chloe: Hi Matt, thanks for coming over to help me fix my computer.
Matt: No problem. I know everything about computers. What’s the problem?
Chloe: I can’t surf the Internet. What do you think the problem is?
Matt: Well it could be a software problem, or it could be a hardware problem.
Matt說，只要是有關電腦的東西，沒他不懂的，口氣還真大，希望他不是吹牛。
Professor: Well, we will see. Winnie, what is wrong with Chloe’s computer?
她說，她不能 “surf” the Internet. Professor Bowman, surf 不是衝浪的意思麼？
Professor: Yes, but you can also use it to talk about browsing the Internet. For example, I spend three hours every day surfing the Internet.
我明白了，surf the Internet 就是上網。Matt 說，Chloe的電腦不能上網，這不是hardware problem–硬件的問題，就是software problem – 軟件的問題。
Professor: That’s right! Let’s see if Matt can help fix the computer.
Matt: Well, let’s see if the computer can turn on. Here, I’ll just press the power button.
Chloe: Uh … Matt? That’s not my computer. That’s my TV.
Matt: Huh? Oh yes, of course. Where is your computer?
Chloe: My computer is over on the desk. See? It is turned on, but when I try to open the browser, there is no connection to the Internet.
這個Matt，怎麼連電腦和電視都分不清！他說開電腦，卻伸手去按 TV 的 power button–電視開關！
Professor: He doesn’t sound like a computer expert at all.
可不！不過 Professor, Chloe說，她想打開 browser的時候，沒法連接網絡。Browser就是上網用的瀏覽器吧？
Professor: Correct. You can also say you opened a browser window.
哦….open a browser window 就是打開一個瀏覽窗口。我倒真想看看Matt是不是真懂電腦。
Matt: Hmm …. have you tried re-starting your computer?
Chloe: Matt, of course I tried re-starting my computer. That was the first thing I did!
Matt: Really? Well if that didn’t work, I don’t know what to do.
Chloe: That’s your only idea? You said you know everything about computers. I should have just called technical support.
Matt: Well re-starting the computer always works for me.
我猜的沒錯！Matt 唯一的辦法就是re-start the computer，重新啟動電腦，這誰不會啊！對了，重啟電腦是不是也可以說 re-boot the computer？
Professor: That’s right. Re-start and re-boot mean the same thing.
看來，Chloe對Matt很失望，覺得自己還不如打電話給電腦公司的technical support–技術服務部門呢。
Professor: Matt has one more idea to fix the computer. Let’s listen.
Matt: Wait! I know how to fix the problem!
Chloe: Great! What should we do?
Matt: We should contact the Internet company to see if their service is down. Let’s log on to their website to find their phone number.
Chloe: Uh, Matt? The Internet isn’t working. How can we log on to the website?
Matt: Oh yeah.
Professor: So Winnie, what is Matt’s solution for fixing the computer?
Chloe: 他出餿主意說，去網絡公司的網站找他們的聯絡電話，然後打過去問問是不是網絡出問題了！
Professor: Exactly. But that’s impossible because the Internet is down.
就是！Chloe的問題就是不能上網，Matt卻要上網查東西，這不是瞎出主意麼！對了，Professor, Chloe說 Internet is down, 就是說網壞了吧？
Professor: Yes. For example, you can say “I couldn’t go to work today because the subway is down.” You can also say that your E-mail or phone service is down.
我明白了。希望Chloe不是因為甚麼急事需要上網，要不然都讓這個假行家Matt給耽誤了!
Professor: Well, let’s listen next time to find out!
A: 原來， Chloe can’t surf the Internet, 上不了網，請了她的好朋友Matt來幫她看看。Matt說，這不是hardware problem,硬件問題，就是software problem，軟件問題。Matt讓她reboot the computer,重啟電腦，然後就沒招啦! 這個Matt，根本就是個水貨嘛！
B: Yeah, not everyone has the same level of expertise as I have….(A: ugh…) seriously though, people who pretend to know things just irritate me. I knew this guy in college, he looked great on paper, but he constantly got fired after being hired for just two to three months. It turns out the only real skill he had was to interview well and brag about himself on his resume.
A: Yep. 不懂裝懂最煩人了! 不過雖然被炒魷魚是很慘，炒別人的魷魚其實也不容易! 今天的Business Etiquette裡，部門經理Peter就得開除一名僱員，這不，他正在跟同事討論該怎麼辦，咱們一起去聽聽吧！
禮節美語 – You’re Fired – Part I
部門經理 Paul Chen 和他的上司 Sue Krammer 要開除一名僱員。
P: Sue, I really need your help with this one.
S: Oh? What’s the problem?
P: I’ve been asked to fire Tom Smith.
S: Oh…yeah…firing someone is hard. I’ve had to do it many times.
P: I hate it. It’s probably the worst part of my job as a manager.
S: But…it has to be done and somebody’s got to do it. In this case…you.
Paul 要解僱 Tom Smith, 問 Sue 該怎麼做。Sue 說，開除手下確實是一件頭痛的事情，但 Somebody’s got to do it. 總要有人去做。
P: I know…I just want some advice on how to do this properly.
S: Well, let’s review Tom’s case, shall we? First question: Have you given him fair warning?
P: I believe so. I spoke to Tom in March and in May. I informed him he was on probation.
S: OK…so he knows he’s on thin ice. So this action isn’t going to be a complete surprise to him, right?
P: No. He should understand by now that the company is not really happy with his performance.
Paul 說，他事先警告過 Tom. I informed him he was on probation. on probation 意思是留職查看。換句話說，He knows he’s on thin ice. on thin ice 如履薄冰，在這的意思就是他知道公司對他的表現不滿意，知道自己可能會丟飯碗。
S: I think you should simply give Tom a list of behaviors the company has found unacceptable and then fire him. You can’t allow him to drag you into an argument or debate. In this case you are merely the messenger and it’s really not personal.
P: And if he promises to change and do better?
S: You have to firmly but politely let him know that the time for improvement has passed.
Sue 建議，可以列舉Tom種種令人不滿的表現，然後告訴他被解僱了，不給他爭辯的機會。You can’t allow him to drag you into an argument or debate。因為Paul只是傳達上級的決定，you are merely the messenger。你只不過是個傳信的，It’s not personal. 不是針對個人，只是公事公辦而已。如果Tom保證改過自新呢？Sue 建議，要 firmly but politely 既堅定又客氣地告訴他，沒有機會了。
S: Are you planning on asking him to sign a release form?
P: Yes. The policy is if you voluntarily sign a paper accepting your termination, you get 6 weeks of severance pay. Otherwise, if you wish to challenge the decision, you get just two weeks.
S: Ok…good. So go ahead and call him in. Remember: keep it simple. Inform him of the decision and tell him why, then explain the severance deal.
P: Ok…here goes. (Picks up phone) Kathy, please ask Tom to come in…thanks.
公司規定，如果員工自願 voluntarily, v-o-l-u-n-t-a-r-i-l-y, voluntarily 簽字接受解僱的決定，就可以得到六個星期的遣散費 severance pay, severance is spelled s-e-v-e-r-a-n-c-e, 否則只有兩週。Sue 最後提醒 Paul, 要 keep it simple. 越簡潔越好。
A: Paul解釋說，他已經告訴Tom: he was on probation, 留職查看，he knows he’s on thin ice, 如履薄冰。Sue說，解僱他的時候要keep it simple,越簡潔越好，讓他知道這是上級的意思，you are merely the messenger, 你只是傳信兒的。最重要的是: You can’t allow him to drag you into an argument or debate. 不給他爭辯的機會。
B: That’s why I think I can never be a manager.
A: Ehmm?
B: It’s awful to have to fire someone and take away their livelihood. I just don’t think I can do that.
A: Yep. 領導可不好當啊! Paul終於把Tom叫到了辦公室，準備動手了! 咱們趕快接著去聽聽吧!
禮節美語 – You’re Fired – Part II
Tom Smith 被叫到部門經理 Paul Chen 的辦公室。
Tom: Good morning, Paul. How are you?
P: I’m well, thanks. Take a seat. This is Sue Krammer from the head office.
T: Hi, Sue.
S: Hi.
P: Tom, there’s no easy way to say this so I’m just going to say it. We are letting you go.
Paul 開門見山，告訴 Tom 公司決定解僱他。在這種情況下，要說 We are letting you go, 不能說 you’re fired。
T: Go where?
P: Um…we mean we are terminating your employment here.
T: You mean you’re firing me?
P: Um…yes.
T: Wow! Mind telling me why?
P: We’ve warned you about some of your unacceptable behaviors several times now. Also, we feel you are under performing or not up to the standards we demand here.
T: (belligerent) Really? How so?
Tom 顯得很意外，氣憤地質問道，Mind telling me why? 能告訴我為甚麼嗎？Paul 解釋說，公司覺得 you are underperforming, underperform, u-n-d-e-r-p-e-r-f-o-r-m, 意思是工作表現不佳，not up to the standards 不符合要求。Tom 很不客氣地讓 Paul 舉例，這時候 Sue 說話了。
S: If I might interject, here. Tom, your file says that last month you called up a client and chewed him out…without authorization. Tom, that is simply unacceptable.
P: You are frequently late and we’ve received more than a few complaints about your abrasive style with co-workers.
T: All right…but I have good explanations for all of that. You see……
S: I don’t want to interrupt, Tom, but it’s important that you understand that this decision comes down from the top. Paul and I are just the messengers. It would be best if you understood that this decision is final.
Tom 上個月在電話裡 chewed a client out 痛罵客戶。chew someone out 是嚴厲責罵的意思。此外，他上班還經常遲到，對同事態度粗魯，he has an abrasive style with co-workers. Tom 想爭辯，Sue 果斷地說，這是上頭的決定，the decision comes down from the top, and the decision is final. 是不可改變的。
T: So I’m fired and that’s that?
P: Yes, you are being let go. But we would be happy to help you in any way we can.
S: If you need a general reference letter we can provide one, but if they call and ask if you were fired we will have to tell the truth. That’s the law.
P: We can offer a six week severance package if you accept your termination.
T: Fine. I’ll pack up my stuff and be out of here by Wednesday.
S: Thanks for understanding, Tom. We wish you well.
P: Yeah. Please do email me if you have further questions.
Tom 無可奈何地問，so I’m fired and that’s that? 我就這麼被開除了？回答當然是肯定的。公司願意給他寫例行推薦信，但如果用人單位打電話瞭解情況，公司也不能隱瞞他被解僱的事實。Tom 同意在解聘書上簽字，收拾東西走人 pack up and be out of here。
A: See Mike, you really need to listen to your supervisor, me, otherwise you run the risk of being fired! For example, I really like cupcakes…
B: (sarcastically) Really? I would have never guessed……..
A: 好了同學們，這次節目時間就到這裡了。
