【大紀元2012年08月03日訊】A: 歡迎大家來到這期的美語訓練班! 我是楊琳!
B: 我是Kat! 楊琳，快來說說咱們今天都要學甚麼?
A: 今天，咱們一起去看看Ryan的健身成果，討論電話禮儀，學學怎麼說把損害控制在最低限度，還要教大家怎麼說搖搖欲墜!
B: 損害控制? For me, you can bribe me with frozen yogurt to forgive just about anything!
A: 哈哈，對對，我們都有過經驗啦! 咱們言歸正傳，趕快先來進入第一個單元，Learn a Word!
Learn A Word # 1534 teeter
今天我們要學的詞是teeter. Teeter is spelled t-e-e-t-e-r, teeter. Teeter 的意思是「搖搖欲墜，搖擺不定」。 儘管歐盟決定出資救市，Spain’s banking system is still teetering on the edge of disaster. 西班牙銀行系統還是徘徊在災難的邊緣。Japanese media said the Japanese IT parts, materials and finished goods sectors are teetering on the brink of collapse. 日本媒體說，日本的IT業的零件、材料和成品領域都已經遊走在崩潰的邊緣。在英國曼徹斯特，A police officer pulled the driver from a burning car as it teetered on the edge of a motorway bridge. 一名警察從起火的汽車中拽出了一個司機，當時那輛車已經在高架橋邊上搖搖欲墜了。好，今天我們學習的詞是teeter, teeter, teeter…
B: This episode really brings back nightmares for me…
A: Why? What happened?
B: Ok…So over the weekend I went home to visit my parents. And my dad and I decided that we need some exercise and started to play touch football in our house. Before we knew it, my mom’s favorite vase was teetering right on the edge of the coffee table…then CRASH..完蛋啦…
A: OoOoO… you must have had to do some serious damage control!
B: I tried…but more on that later! 咱們先一塊來聽聽怎麼用這個damage control吧!
Words and Idioms #972
現在播送美國習慣用語第 972講。我是楊琳。
M：我是 Dan Markus.
上週末我們家庭聚會，表哥喝多了，說了一些對姑姑不敬的話，不久就傳到了我姑姑的耳朵裡。幾乎就在同時，表哥也意識到自己犯的錯，趕緊去向姑姑賠罪，還特別送了鮮花。他這一系列及時補救的做法讓我想到了一句習慣用語，那就是:
M: Damage control. Damage is spelled d-a-m-a-g-e, and control; c-o-n-t-r-o-l. Damage control. Damage control.
我們都知道，damage這個詞本身是破壞，損壞的意思，而control，控制。連在一起，damage control，損害控制，意思就是採取措施將造成的損害降到最低。就像上面的例子裡，My cousin told my aunt that he was sorry and sent her flowers. It’s DAMAGE CONTROL. 我表哥又道歉又送花，試圖把損害降到最低。下面的例子裡，我們來聽聽看這個叫Drake的人怎麼搞砸了他的晉陞:
M: “There were some doubts about whether Drake would be an effective Union president. Then, he made a racial remark in a speech at an assembly. At first, he ignored critics. Later, he tried to make a joke of it before deciding to offer a public apology. In the end, his attempts at DAMAGE CONTROL weren’t successful. He lost out on the promotion.”
這段話是說：大家對於德雷克能不能成為一個好的工會主席很懷疑。就在這時候，他在一次集會發言時，說了一句帶有種族歧視色彩的話。起初，他根本不理會別人的批評。之後他試圖用玩笑來掩蓋這次錯誤，最後實在沒辦法才公開道歉。結果，他試圖控制損害程度的努力並不成功，沒有得到升職。
專家們建議，一旦你意識到自己做錯了甚麼事或者說錯了甚麼話，就應該馬上補救，一分鐘都不能等。越早對自己造成的損害負起責任，挽救局勢的可能性就越高。好了，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M: “There were some doubts about whether Drake would be an effective union president. Then, he made a racial remark in a speech at an assembly. At first, he ignored critics. Later, he tried to make a joke of it before deciding to offer a public apology. In the end, his attempts at DAMAGE CONTROL weren’t successful. He lost out on the promotion.”
剛剛我們談到，如果做錯了甚麼事情，就應該馬上進行damage control，儘量把傷害降到最低程度。下面的例子裡，這位足球媽媽就意識到了自己的錯誤。她做了甚麼來補救呢? 我們來聽聽看：
M: “My wife knew she was wrong. She should never have told our daughter’s soccer coach that he’d made a lot of bad calls at the game. Fortunately, she wasted no time explaining how she’d been inappropriate, followed by offering him an invitation to dinner at our house. Thanks to my wife’s DAMAGE CONTROL, the coach isn’t upset anymore.”
這段話是說: 我太太知道她做錯了。她不應該指責我女兒足球教練在比賽中決策失誤。好在，她一點也沒耽擱，馬上去跟教練解釋，說自己這種做法不合適，還邀請他來我們家吃飯。她這麼努力把造成的損害降到最低程度，教練也就不再生氣了。
所以說，越快補救，損害就越小! Damage control 這個短語最初出現在20世紀50年代，那時候，這個短語只限於用在把一個船隻事故的損害降到最低。慢慢地，人們開始把這個短語引伸出來使用，到現在，damage control 可以用在任何需要進行補救的場合中。好的，讓我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
M: “My wife knew she was wrong. She should never have told our daughter’s soccer coach that he’d made a lot of bad calls at the game. Fortunately, she wasted no time explaining how she’d been inappropriate, followed by offering him an invitation to dinner at our house. Thanks to my wife’s DAMAGE CONTROL, the coach isn’t upset anymore.”
今天我們學習的習慣用語是 damage control，意思是「損害控制，把損害降到最低程度」。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是楊琳，我是Dan Markus。謝謝各位的收聽。
B: OK…So after the vase accident, my dad and I started to work on damage control immediately. We cooked dinner, cleaned the house and got my mom a new vase with some beautiful flowers!
A: Wow! 你媽值了！不用做飯收拾屋子，還有新花瓶，划得來!
B: Actually, that vase was a wedding present from my grandfather, so she was really pissed off and didn’t speak to us for the whole day!
A: 哈哈，我真想看你膽顫心驚的樣兒!
B: Hey-come on! Thank God that my mom finally forgave us. It also taught us a lesson: DON’T DO ANY ATHLETICS IN THE HOUSE!
A: 我小時候也經常在家跟我爸進行功夫大賽! 不過既然咱們說到了athletics, 今天Ryan要來跟Alice展示他的健身成果，咱們一塊去看看吧!
Athletics: Advanced
今天我們為您播出「美語三級跳」節目「體育運動」單元的高級課程。
Professor: Today Ryan is meeting for coffee with his friend Alice, who he hasn’t seen for a few months. Ryan has been working out a lot during that time and has gotten in really fantastic shape.
Ryan原來的身材可不怎麼樣，不知道他現在的樣子會不會讓Alice大吃一驚？
Professor: Let’s listen and find out!
Alice: Oh my gosh, Ryan, is that you? I hardly recognized you!
Wow, you look so …. different! Have you been working out?
Ryan: Hey Alice. Yeah, I’ve been working out pretty hard core lately. I go to the gym every day to work out with my personal trainer, Hans.
Alice: Uh … yeah I can tell. I mean, your shirt barely fits you anymore because your muscles are so big.
Ryan: Yeah, I’ve been spending all my money on my personal trainer and gym fees so I didn’t have any money left over to buy new clothes.
Alice: Are you sure you aren’t going a little overboard?
Ryan: No way! You know, girls like guys with huge muscles, and I can’t blame them. Sometimes I spend hours just looking at myself in the mirror.
Alice: Right … girls love guys who spend more time in front of the mirror than they do.
看來，Ryan是真下功夫鍛練啦! 他一直在 working out “hard core” – 堅持不懈地鍛練。現在他變成肌肉男啦，Alice都快認不出他了!
Professor: Right. And not only that, he has gotten so big that his clothes don’t fit him anymore. But why does he say he doesn’t get new clothes?
因為他把所有錢都花在健身房會員費和僱personal trainer -「私人健身教練」上了! 這的確是有點go overboard – 過份了。
Professor: So you agree that women don’t like guys who spend all their time at the gym?
去健身房鍛練是可以，不過，Ryan 說他現在經常花幾個小時照鏡子，欣賞自己的肌肉，這可就讓人受不了!
Alice: Well, I’m interested to hear more about what you’ve been doing lately. But first I want to get a latte. What kind of coffee do you want?
Ryan: No coffee for me! That’s way too many calories, and I have to stay on my fitness regimen. I’ll just have a glass of water.
Alice: We’re meeting at a coffee shop, and you don’t want any coffee? Well OK … do you want something to eat? Maybe a sandwich or something?
Ryan: No thanks, there are way too many carbohydrates in the bread. I’m just going to have this protein drink that I brought with me.
看來，Ryan在嚴格執行fitness regimen – 瘦身養生法。Alice請他喝咖啡，可他嫌咖啡的calories – 「卡路里」太多。
Professor: That’s right. It’s one thing to maintain a healthy diet, but that sounds a little crazy.
就是的! 他還說，三明治他也不吃，因為麵包裡有太多carbohydrates – 碳水化合物!
Professor: That definitely doesn’t sound like a healthy diet to me.
可不! Ryan現在似乎只喝protein drinks – 蛋白質飲料! 這有點過頭了吧!
Alice: You know, Ryan, I totally support you getting in shape, and I’m really impressed that you have been able to stay so motivated. But I think exercise is best done in moderation.
Ryan: Oh yeah, I totally agree. For example, I usually do at least two workouts at the gym per day, but on Christmas I only did one because it was a holiday.
Alice: Well let me ask you a question. If women really love your new physique, how will you have time to date when you have to spend all your time at the gym working out?
Ryan: Don’t worry! Once I find a girlfriend, I’ll stop working out and get really fat.
Alice: Well, Ryan, I am very jealous of whatever lucky lady finds you.
啊？原來Ryan健身的目的就是吸引女孩子啊？他說，一旦找到女朋友，就立刻停止鍛練，讓自己變成大胖子。根本不想保持現在全新的physique – 體形。 Professor Bowman，不會所有男人都在打這種如意算盤吧？
Professor: Well if you have to choose between a really vain guy and a lazy guy, who would you pick?
是要vain guy – 虛榮的男人，還是lazy guy – 懶惰的男人？ 我想，我還是養隻狗吧!
A: 原來Ryan has been working out hardcore, 堅持不懈的鍛練，而且只喝protein shake 蛋白質飲料，目的就是為了吸引女孩子啊!
B: I think a lot of guys just go to the gym to show off their muscles!
A: 哈哈，不過啊，如果能一邊健身一邊欣賞帥哥，也不錯!
B: 你又做夢了! Showing off is annoying, but there are worse things: yesterday I was at the gym and there was this guy who was on the phone, chatting away like there was no one else around! So annoying!
A: I know. People today don’t pay attention to etiquette the way they used to. Yesterday I was having dinner with a friend and she was constantly checking her phone! 簡直就像患了電話迷戀症!
B: That’s a modern day disease. In today’s business etiquette, we are going to take a look at a brand new idea: allowing people to use their cell phones while in the air!
A: 哦? 在飛機上也能打電話? 這聽著還不錯， 咱們趕快去一探究竟吧!
禮節美語 – BE-249 Cell Phones I
Sue跟坐在隔壁的同事George聊天。
Sue: Hey George, take a look at this article. It says several major airlines are considering allowing people to use their cell phones while in the air.
George: Oh no, really? That’s one of the worst ideas I’ve ever heard.
S: Oh? Why do you feel that way?
G: Well, I fly for business quite frequently and a plane is now one of the last places where I don’t have to hear people chatting on cell phones. I really enjoy the peace and quiet.
S: But it would be so convenient if we were able to make calls during long flights. Just think of how much work we could get done!
Sue告訴George, 現在好幾家航空公司都考慮允許乘客在飛行途中使用手機。George覺得這個主意簡直糟糕透了，因為飛機是公共場所裡所剩無幾不用聽別人打電話的地方之一，I really enjoy the peace and quiet. George說自己很享受這種寧靜，但是 Sue 覺得，如果能在飛機上打手機，就方便多了，好多事都能在飛機上處理完畢。
G: I think perhaps people are taking the idea of multitasking a little bit too far. I get calls from people on my cell phone and they say things like “Where were you? I’ve been trying to reach you all afternoon.” Well, I was on the golf course and I turned off my cell phone…is that a crime?
S: I see what you mean. We are so connected these days that there is hardly any time for peace and quiet. I’ll tell you a secret that’s a little embarrassing: I leave my cell phone on all night long, just in case a call comes in.
George覺得有些人 take the idea of multitasking a little bit too far. to take something too far 意思是一件事做得過頭了，multitasking is spelled m-u-l-t-i-t-a-s-k-i-n-g, multitasking, multitasking 意思是同時做好幾件工作。George說，有時候去打高爾夫球，把手機關機turn off the cell phone，就會有人因為找不到他而質問他到哪裏去了，George跟Sue這些手機24小時開機的人形成了鮮明對照。
G: I know lots of people who do that. They say, “what if there is an emergency?” I guess I can understand why someone would feel that way, but I think sometimes we need to turn off our cell phones and tune out all the noise.
S: I can see your point. I get really frustrated by businesspeople that seem to never put down their cell phone. I have to listen to their long, boring conversations and there is really no way I can tune it out.
G: So people take calls every 2 or 3 minutes! Most of the time I think business conversations can probably wait until you get back to the office.
George認為，不能因為擔心別人有急事，就把手機隨時開機。Sue對George的看法表示贊同，說 I see your point. point在這裡是觀點的意思，有時候別人打電話，交談內容很無聊，可是 There is no way I can tune it out. 我又沒辦法把這種噪音屏蔽掉，to tune something out意思是不去管它，聽而不聞。George也覺得，其實很多跟工作有關的電話都可以等回辦公室再打。
A: Well, I’m torn. At first I thought it would be nice if I could talk with my friends during a long, boring flight; but putting myself in other passengers’ shoes, hours of endless chatter sounds terrifying!
B: Oh-ho-ho, under my influence, you finally learned how to 換位思考! I’m so proud of you, baby!
A: Ehhhh….Kat…
B: Ok ok, kidding. But seriously, I think that is such a bad idea, I really don’t want to hear all the details of someone’s break-up or the latest details about your gross health problems!
A: 那咱們接著來聽聽Sue和George怎麼說吧!
禮節美語 – BE-250 Cell Phones II
Sue跟坐在隔壁的同事George聊天。
S: That’s true…we might actually be making more work for ourselves by this constant need to stay in touch.
G: If they allow cell phones on airplanes…we’re going to have to hear even more hours of endless chatter.I heard that some trains have what are called “quiet cars” now. People in the quiet cars aren’t allowed to talk on cell phones. I think that’s an excellent idea! I wish there were more “quiet” places. I’d pay more to eat at a restaurant that banned cell phones.
Sue表示，無時無刻stay in touch保持聯繫，無疑會讓自己的工作量增加。George也擔心，如果容許大家在飛機上打電話的話，就又得聽別人沒完沒了的聊大天兒了。George說，現在火車上有不讓接聽電話的”quiet cars”安靜車廂，他希望有更多類似的公共場合，如果哪家餐館禁止顧客接聽手機的話，提高價格他都沒有意見。
S: We really don’t get a lot of quiet time these days. My brother recently went to a meditation center where he didn’t speak for three days. He said after three days, he finally noticed how much noise there is everywhere.
G: I think being connected to the world 24 hours a day, 365 days a year isn’t healthy. We sometimes need to be alone in order to think.
S: And you can’t think if it’s noisy.
G: Many famous people discovered important things when they were just sitting silently by themselves…you know the story about Issac Newton, right?
Sue說，現在的生活實在嘈雜，她哥哥最近到一個meditation center靜思冥想中心去，三天沒說一句話，三天過後才突然間意識到周圍的環境是多麼地嘈雜。George也覺得，一年365天，一天24小時隨時隨地 stay connected 跟別人保持聯絡其實是不利健康的，他還舉例說，很多名人的重要發現都是在冥思苦想時發生，比如 Isaac Newton 牛頓。
S: Yep. He came up with the theory of gravity while sitting in a field and watching an apple fall from a tree.
G: He probably wouldn’t have had time to think about gravity if he was talking on his cell phone. Anyway, I really hope they don’t allow cell phones on planes. We need a few last places without cell phones!
S: All right, I can accept that. And besides, many airlines now allow you to use your laptop during the flight…if you really need to communicate, you can send an e-mail.
Sue說，沒錯，如果牛頓當時正忙著講手機的話，就不會came up with the theory of gravity了。 to come up with意思是想到，發現，the theory of gravity意思是萬有引力的理論。Sue 最後說，其實，現在很多航空公司都已經允許乘客使用laptop手提電腦了，所以如果在飛行期間需要跟別人聯繫，發電子郵件就可以了。
B: And that’s why I love to meditate. The world today is so busy and noisy, it’s hard for people to sit down quietly and listen to their heart.
A: 我覺得我也該跟你一起去! 現在工作這麼忙，我連做夢都夢到我們在開會，太可怕了!
B: There you go! You are totally welcome to come with me!
