【大紀元2012年02月09日訊】A: 歡迎來到American English Mosaic, 我是楊琳！
B：我是Kat, 楊林，快說說今天教甚麼！
A: 今天咱們要去爬山，要請專業人士教教咱們在商業場合的站姿和手勢，要聊聊新手開車得小心點兒甚麼，還要告訴大家怎麼說”劇透”和”一模一樣”。
B: “劇透”，是說衣服非常透, 對麼？
A: 呵呵，不是這個意思。你待會兒就明白了。咱們現在還是先來學個詞兒！
Learn A Word top-selling
今天我們要學的詞是 top-selling. Top is spelled t-o-p, top; and selling, s-e-l-l-i-n-g, selling; top-selling. Top-selling, 意思是最暢銷的，熱賣的。蘋果公司最暢銷的智能手機iPhone 4s將在中國出售。Apple’s top-selling smart phone, the iPhone 4S, will soon be available in China. 馬自達3成為澳洲市場最暢銷的車型。Mazda3 compact became the top-selling car model in the Australian market. 哈里.波特系列的終結版是英國2011年最暢銷的DVD。The final movie in the Harry Potter series was the top-selling DVD in Britain in 2011. 好的，今天我們學習的詞是top-selling, top-selling, top-selling.
A: Top-selling items – 最熱賣的商品。這種產品常常供不應求，而且會給商家賺很多錢。
B: Exactly. For example, iPhone has become the cash cow for Apple.
A: Cash cow? 是搖錢樹麼？
B：對啊！Did you see people lining up outside the Apple store in Beijing to get the latest iPhone?
A: Tell me about it! 賣得火的商品都會引發別的商家來模仿。就跟電視節目一樣，一部穿越劇火了，就接二連三出了好多情節類似的。
B：Hopefully they’re not just carbon copies of the original one. 那樣多沒意思啊！
A: Carbon copy? 我們在今天的美國習慣用語中就要教這個詞！
Words and Idioms
各位聽眾，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 951講。我是楊琳。
M：我是Douglas Johnson.
女：去年我跟我妹妹一塊去旅遊的時候，住的旅館很特別。我妹妹非常喜歡我們住的房間，還說回家後要把自己的房間也裝飾成那樣。我本想今年去幫她拍點照片，讓她好照著重新裝飾屋子。沒想到上個星期我去她家的時候，她的房間跟旅館的房間看起來… 真的不只是相似，而是，一模一樣了! 這讓我想到了一個習慣用語，那就是:
M: Carbon copy. Carbon is spelled c-a-r-b-o-n, and copy, c-o-p-y. Carbon-copy.
Carbon 本身是複寫紙的意思，那大家都猜到了吧，carbon copy，就是形容非常相似，一模一樣。我剛進我妹妹的房間時特別吃驚，因為Her room is a carbon copy of the hotel room we stayed in last year. 她的房間跟去年我們住的旅館房間一模一樣。
下面例子中的這個男生在見到一個人後大吃一驚，到底發生了甚麼事呢? 我們來聽聽看：
M: “My new girlfriend said she wanted me to meet someone. I was shocked when I answered the door. Standing there was a woman who looked exactly like my girlfriend. She talked just like her, too. In fact, she was a CARBON COPY. That’s when I realized I was dating a twin.”
[這段話是說：我的新女友說她想讓我見見一個人。結果開門的時候我大吃一驚。站在我面前的人跟我女友長得一模一樣，講話的樣子也跟我女友一樣。我這時候才意識到，原來她們是雙胞胎! ]
女：想起來，我原來也曾經有過一個雙胞胎男朋友！我還總分不清他跟他哥哥呢。 He is a carbon copy of his twin brother. 他們兄弟倆看起來一模一樣。形容這種長得一模一樣的人，英語裡還有個特別的詞，叫 DOPPELGANGER. DOPPELGANGER is spelled d-o-p-p-e-l-g-a-n-g-e-r; doppelganger. 如果你找到了跟你長得一模一樣的人，你就找到了你的DOPPELGANGER! 好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
M: “My new girlfriend said she wanted me to meet someone. I was shocked when I answered the door. Standing there was a woman who looked exactly like my girlfriend. She talked just like her, too. In fact, she was a CARBON COPY. That’s when I realized I was dating a twin.”
女: 碰到跟自己長得很像的人也許很有趣，不過啊，有時候你可能希望獨一無二，特別是涉及創造力的時候。下面例子裡的市長大人大發脾氣。為甚麼呢? 我們來聽聽看:
M: “The architect claimed his designs for the city park were original. But on closer inspection, it became clear that wasn’t true. All the features, including the gardens, pond, bridge and playing fields, were no different from those in a park in Boston. The mayor was furious. He trusted the architect to offer something unique, not a CARBON COPY. “
[這段話是說：這名設計師聲稱城市公園是他的原創設計。但是進一步的調查發現，這顯然不是事實。包括花園，池塘，橋樑和休閒場地的所有設施都跟波士頓一座公園分毫不差。市長大發脾氣。他是要這名建築師設計一座獨一無二的公園，而不是一座仿製品。]
女: 本來想要一座別緻的公園，結果卻在城市裡建了一座仿製品，換了我是市長，我一定也會大發雷霆。我記得我剛工作的時候也發生過類似的事情。我們的競爭對手不知道怎麼得到了我們的創意，開啟了一個完全雷同的項目! Our business competitor launched a carbon copy of our project. I bet they’ve got our ideas somewhere. 我們的競爭對手推出了一個跟我們一模一樣的項目，他們肯定是從哪裏得到了我們的創意。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M: “The architect claimed his designs for the city park were original. But on closer inspection, it became clear that wasn’t true. All the features, including the gardens, pond, bridge and playing fields, were no different from those in a park in Boston. The mayor was furious. He trusted the architect to offer something unique, not a CARBON COPY. “
女：各位聽眾，今天我們學習的習慣用語是CARBON COPY，意思是非常相似，一模一樣。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是楊琳，我是 Douglas Johnson。謝謝各位的收聽。
A: Kat, you’re right. Carbon copy art works can’t measure up to the original ones because they’re not unique or innovative. 比如主題雷同的電視劇或電影，第一部讓人覺得新鮮有趣，後面的就乏味了！
B：That’s right. But even movies full of original ideas and surprises can fail to attract viewers.
A: 你說拍攝手法新穎，驚奇不斷的電影也會讓觀眾打不起興趣？這是為甚麼呢？
B: If you’ve known the movie’s ending before even watching it! For example, if some impatient friend of yours gives you a detailed description of the whole movie before you could watch it yourself.
A: 我明白了！你是說有人特熱心，在你還沒看電影之前先把整個故事給你詳細講一遍！咳！這真是瞎幫忙。這就是咱們在節目開始時說到的「劇透」！正好，咱們來聽聽這個詞用美語怎麼說！
JESSICA在北京學漢語，她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎麼說的詞，就會來請教她。今天是吳瓊要問的：劇透。
JESSICA: 吳瓊, I sent you a movie review article yesterday. Have you read it?
WQ: 你是說那篇電影的影評，我可不能看!
JESSICA: Why not? !
WQ: 因為電影我還沒看啊！影評上來就警告讀者說：本文有劇透！也就是說，看了文章就知道電影結局了！JESSICA, 這令人掃興的「劇透」用美語怎麼說呢？
JESSICA: It’s called a spoiler. Spoiler is spelled s-p-o-i-l-e-r. A spoiler will reveal the ending of the movie to you when you’d rather find it out by yourself.
WQ: I see！Spoilers can really ruin the fun of watching a movie!
JESSICA: True. That’s why people write a warning at the beginning of a review, which says “the following review contains spoilers.”
WQ: 對！影評應該先警告大家有劇透內容，省得掃觀眾的興！ 不過話說回來，有些片子編得很濫，只要看了開頭，不用劇透，傻瓜都能猜出結局！
JESSICA: I agree. Those movies are no fun to begin with. You only need to avoid spoilers when there are plot twists.
WQ: Plot twist? P-l-o-t, plot是故事情節， t-w-i-s-t, twist，是扭曲，所以plot twist 我猜就是出乎意料的情節，電影裡的形勢大逆轉，對不對？
JESSICA: Yes! Plot twists are the development that viewers don’t expect to happen. Good writers use plot twists to keep viewers interested.
WQ: 我就特別喜歡結局出人意料的片子，特別是電視劇，一集結尾留下個懸念，吊胃口！
JESSICA: In English, we call that a cliffhanger. It’s usually a dilemma or a dangerous situation. So you want to watch the next episode to see how the characters deal with it.
WQ: 哦！原來，在結尾時留下的懸念就是cliffhanger! C-l-i-f-f-h-a-n-g-e-r, cliffhanger. 誒呀，我要走了，My favorite show is about to start, and last episode ended on a cliffhanger!
JESSICA: Okay, but before you go, tell me what you’ve learned today!
WQ: 第一，劇透是a spoiler; 出乎意料的故事情節是 a plot twist；電影或電視結尾時的懸念是 a cliffhanger.
B: Well, speaking of cliffhanger…
A: 還記得我們上次在GoEnglish節目裡說到Phil向朋友借車，要去Las Vegas 玩兒，朋友還說，Phil要是賭博贏了錢，必須分一半給他。
B：Also, The car Phil borrowed was brand new and the owner was worried about Phil damaging his car in Vegas….
A:沒錯，一般電視劇的情節設置都是：怕甚麼來甚麼。我估計Phil一定會把車撞壞的，說不定輸個精光，還得把車賣了！
B: Let’s listen to GoEnglish again and see if you guessed right.
GoEnglish: Driving: Advanced
大家好！今天我們為您播出美語三級跳節目開車單元的高級課程。
Professor: In the last episode, Phil borrowed his friend’s car to take a weekend trip to Las Vegas. Now he has come back home and is telling his friend Becky about the trip.
Phil回來啦！不知道他到底贏沒贏錢？
Phil: Wow Becky, you wouldn’t believe how much fun I had on my trip to Las Vegas last weekend.
Becky: Really? I’ve never been to Las Vegas. How was it?
Phil: It was totally awesome. I spent the whole weekend partying and going to shows, and the best part is that I didn’t even have to pay for it.
Becky: You didn’t have to pay for it? How is that?
Phil: I won so much money gambling that it covered the cost of the trip. I’m telling you, there’s no feeling like stepping on the gas and going out on a road trip.
Phil真是好運氣! 他在拉斯維加斯贏了好多錢，這次出去玩等於一分錢沒掏! 不過，Professor Bowman, 他說stepping on the gas是甚麼意思呢？
P: Winnie, “stepping on the gas” is like pushing down the accelerator pedal, which is also called the “gas pedal.”
哦，stepping on the gas 就是「腳踩油門，給車加速」的意思。Phil說，那種一腳油門下去，讓車奔馳的感覺特別棒。
P: Exactly. Sometimes when Americans want someone to hurry up, they can tell that person to “step on it,” which is a reference to stepping on the gas to go faster.
哦，催別人快點兒，就可以說”step on it”。
Becky: You know, I’ve always wanted to go on a road trip like that, but the problem is that I don’t have a driver’s license.
Phil: You don’t have a driver’s license? I thought everyone has a driver’s license.
Becky: Well not me. I grew up in New York City and have always taken public transportation, so I never needed to know how to drive. Plus, cars create lots of carbon emissions.
Phil: That’s true, but it’s not so bad if you get a car with good gas mileage.
Becky: I guess you’re right. And if you wanted to be really environmentally friendly, you could even get a hybrid.
原來，Becky在紐約長大，一直坐公車和地鐵，所以不會開車。Professor Bowman, carbon emissions 是甚麼？
Professor: Winnie, carbon is short for carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases. So carbon emissions are the amount of carbon dioxide cars emit.
哦，carbon emissions就是二氧化碳排放量。Phil說，為了環保，人們應該買 good gas mileage–“燃油使用效率高”的車，Becky則建議用 hybrid, 油電混合動力車。
Becky: But I still don’t know … isn’t driving kind of dangerous?
Phil: There are things you can do to stay safe. For example, you should always practice defensive driving, and leave lots of space between your car and the other cars.
Becky: Yeah, I really hate aggressive drivers. And when people get road rage, they become a real hazard on the road.
Phil: Exactly. It’s best not to drive when you’re angry. That can be really dangerous.
Professor: Winnie, do you know what “defensive driving” and “aggressive drivers” mean?
“defensive driving” 就是為保護自身安全的防禦型駕駛技巧，為的就是躲開那些 “aggressive drivers”–橫衝直撞的馬路殺手。不過，”road rage”又是甚麼意思呢？
Professor: “Road rage” means when you’re driving, something happens and makes you really mad, and so you start driving erratically. For example, some people get road rage when they get cut off.
我明白了，road rage 就是「路怒症」。比如說，有人看到別的車插到自己前面，就會暴怒。要我說，情緒如此不穩定的人，壓根就不應該開車。
Becky: I have been thinking about getting a license lately, but I need someone to teach me.
Phil: Well, I’d be happy to teach you how to drive. I’m a really safe driver.
Becky: Wow, that sounds great! When can we start?
Phil: Well … actually there is just one problem.
Becky: What’s that?
Phil: I don’t have a car. Do you have one that I could borrow?
說來說去，Phil自己根本沒車啊？
Professor: Well, probably he’s lived on borrowed cars for all these years!
A: 啊？ 怎麼就讓他順利過關了，還贏了好多錢！
B：That was a bit of an anti-climax.
A: Anti-climax? 你是說鋪墊得挺好，結果卻讓人失望，對麼？
B：Yeah. Who wants an uneventful Vegas story? Right?
A: 得！熱鬧是沒看成！咱們繼續聽節目吧。
B：好吧，let’s listen to business etiquette.
禮節美語—Body Language II
公司主管Andy 請專門研究肢體語言的諮詢顧問Monica給公司銷售員上課。Andy說，站姿和握手都很重要。握手要緊握，同時注視對方的眼睛。Sara提問說：
S: As a woman I find that I sometimes don’t get a good reaction from my handshakes. What am I doing wrong?
M: A woman naturally has a weaker grip than a man. I suggest you go ahead and use a little bit more force. That way, you’ll be noticed and taken more seriously.
A: And of course as a salesperson smiling is very important.
M: Oh yes, but it’s not just a smile….your entire face needs to light up, and you should remember to flash your teeth when you smile every now and then as it shows sincerity.
Sara說她跟客戶握手好像從來都得不到甚麼強烈的反映，Monica建議她下次握手稍微用點勁，因為女性天生 has a weaker grip 握手的力量比較弱，握手有力才會讓別人重視你，把你當真。除了站姿和握手外，面帶微笑也很重要，而且 your entire face needs to light up 整個面目表情看起來都要很高興，時不時還要露出牙齒微笑 flash your teeth，這樣會顯得更真誠。
J: What should I do with my hands when I’m talking to someone? My natural instinct is to make gestures.
M: Gestures are fine….just don’t overdo it. One easy thing to remember is called “mirroring” and basically it means you “mirror” or imitate the actions of the other person.
J: So if the other person is more animated you should be a bit livelier as well?
M: Exactly. But, never raise your hands higher than your chin when you gesture as this can look threatening.
S: Should I nod my head while I’m listening to another person speak?
M: Absolutely. It makes people feel that you’re listening, and that you agree. You can also slightly tilt your head to one side when listening as this indicates non-aggressive behavior.
Monica說，跟別人交談時可以做些手勢，但 don’t overdo it. 不要做過頭。她還教給大家一種技巧，叫 “mirroring”, 就是鏡子 mirror 的後面加上 ing, 意思是跟對方學，如果對方說話眉飛色舞，你就也誇張一些；如果對方比較沉穩低調，你也要稍微穩重點，但要注意，never raise your hands higher than your chin. 做手勢的時候，手千萬不要高過下巴，因為這會讓別人感覺威脅。聽別人講話還可以頻頻點頭，讓別人感覺你聽得很認真。
A: Different cultures have different ideas about personal space. If the person seems to be moving away from you when you speak, maybe you are too close and they feel like you’re invading their space.
M: That’s true. You have to find what works for the individual based on their culture and your level of familiarity. Now I want you to experiment with the things I’ve taught you today and we will get back together and discuss how it’s working out for you.
S: Great!
J: Thanks for stopping by, Monica.
M: You’re very welcome.
Andy補充說，不同文化對 personal space 個人空間的定義也不一樣，如果跟你講話的人好像一直在往後移，那就表示，他們覺得你離得太近了，換句話說，You’re invading their space. 這跟文化和彼此之間的熟悉程度都有關。培訓結束前，Monica要大家回去把今天學到的東西付諸實踐，下次見面時再繼續討論。
A: KAT, 你發現了麼，中國人笑的時候希望笑不露齒，這樣比較斯文，可是，Americans like to flash their teeth when they smile!
B: Well, according to Monica, doing so makes your smile look more sincere.
A: 我倒覺得太誇張了，反而顯得有點做作呢！
B：Hmm, then think of it this way: We Americans usually spend tons of money on dental health, and we’d like to show off our beautiful teeth.
A: 哈哈！是在展示自己的一口好牙？那，Do I need to compliment your teeth next time you give me the big smile?
B: 那也不用了！哈哈！
A：好了，咱們繼續聽節目吧，American Sports English!
ASE Mountain Climbing
Y: My gosh Patrick, Where are we?
P: Yang Chen. I’m taking you mountain climbing.
Y: 登山? This is scary!
P: Don’t worry, I’m an expert mountain climber. I am as steady on these steep slopes as a mountain goat.
Y: 野山羊? 你倒是smell like a mountain goat.
P: Stop complaining. We’re about to reach the crux of the climb.
Y: 甚麼是the crux of the climb?
P: Actually, the crux C-R-U-X of something is the most difficult or important part.
Y: Oh, crux 就是中文裡的關鍵，最困難的部分。
P: Exactly. Or I could say that I decided to quit my job for many reasons, but the crux of the problem was that I didn’t make enough money.
Y: Right … well enough of all this chit chat. I’m going to start climbing up this steep section and … [scream]
P: Oh my gosh! Yang Chen fell off the side of the cliff! Yang Chen, are you OK?
Y: Patrick, please pull me back up. Hurry!
P: Wow, you’re hanging off the side of the cliff! This is going to be a real cliffhanger. Do you know what that means?
Y: Patrick, 現在不是教英語的時候。Help me!
P: One second. A cliff hanger is when a chapter of a movie or book ends without a resolution.
Y: Patrick! 我知道cliff hanger! 就是留下懸念的意思。我現在你懷疑你把我帶到這深山老林是要害死我。
P: Hmmm … I don’t know. Don’t you think it might be good to have a cliffhanger ending?
Y: No! Now pull me up!
P: Nah, I like the cliffhanger ending.
B: 哈哈！ Another cliffhanger ending!What’s with Xiaoyan and Patrick. They like to give one another a hard time.
A: That’s what’s funny about the program. 不過話說回來，Do you like mountain climbing, Kat?
B: Yes, I do! I can bring you to our climbing club’s next get-together, if you want.
A: 好！一言為定！呀，節目時間到了。這次的撰稿人還是小北，編輯依然是蔚然。同學們，我們老時間，下次見！
B：See you next time!
