A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么?

A: 好滴! 今天，我们要带你去看看美国的药店，聊聊怎么健身保持体型，学学怎么表达走极端，还要告诉你怎么说"冷幽默"!

B: Oh, dry humor? Its one of my many expertise!

A: Well, I think that's your only expertise! (Mike: ouch) 不过现在，咱们还是先来进入第一个单元，Learn a Word!

Learn A Word 1568 across the board

今天我们要学的词是 across the board. Across is spelled a-c-r-o-s-s; board is spelled b-o-a-r-d, across the board. Across the board 指所有人，所有方面。最新调查显示，The number of young adults living with their parents has risen across the board, no matter their age, race or geographic locations. 跟父母住在一起的年轻成年人全面增加，不论年龄，种族，也不论地理位置。美国房屋市场7月底公布的数字显示，Housing prices are up across the board from a month before. 跟一个月前的数字相比，房价普遍上涨。在福布斯杂志公布的最新大学排名中，普林斯顿名列第一。Princeton is doing really well across the board. 普林斯顿大学的各项表现都很出色。好的，今天我们学习的词是 across the board, across the board, across the board...

A: 让我也来造个句, 哦有了! Across the board, our listeners prefer my voice to yours.

B: 杨琳，I hope that's supposed to be dry humor because otherwise you are horribly out of touch with reality.

A: 哈哈，好了好了。咱们休战，好吧? (笑) So, what did you do over the weekend?

B: Oh I took an artist friend out to dinner. She does paintings for business offices but the bad economy means that few businesses are spending money on art. So she's having some trouble making ends meet.

A: 哈? 艺术家阿?

B: Yeah, My friend says that life as an artists is hard because work is either feast or famine.

A: 哦，艺术家的生活确实没太多保障。不过既然你已经提到了feast and famine, 咱们就来听听这个习惯用语的用法吧!

Words and Idioms #982

现在播送美国习惯用语第 982讲。我是杨琳。

M：我是Dan Markus.

最近我的小外甥特别高兴。他今年铲雪赚了不少钱，正好可以用这些钱来买新的电子游戏。今年下了不少雪，所以他也赚得很多。可去年冬天天气就特别暖和，所以他一点活儿都没有。在英语里，我们可以用一个习惯用语来形容这种情形:

M: Feast or famine. Feast is spelled f-e-a-s-t, feast; and famine; f-a-m-i-n-e. Feast or famine.

Feast 是盛宴的意思，而 famine 是饥荒，feast or famine 意思就是走极端，要么多得要命，要么少得可怜。上面的例子里，我外甥的工作要不就是多得数不过来，要不就是一点都没有。 It's been either FEAST OR FAMINE。在下面的例子里，我们来听听一个爵士乐手的经历，你就能明白为什么艺术有时候只能当作一种爱好了。

M: "I love playing in a jazz band. But I can't rely on it for a full-time salary. During the spring and summer, we get hired a lot to play at weddings, outdoor concerts and festivals. Then, once the cooler temperatures set in, we don't get that many jobs at all. It's FEAST OR FAMINE."

这段话是说：我很爱在爵士乐队里演出。但是我不能靠这个来谋生。春夏两个季节，我们经常去各种婚礼，室外演唱会和节日场合演出。可是一旦天气开始变冷，我们的工作机会就没那么多了。忙的时候忙死，闲的时候闲死。]

这也让我想起我的一个邻居。她是个画家，尽管大多数时候生活还行，可是有些时候手头也会觉得紧。这是因为经济好的时候，人们有足够的钱来享受生活，也会更多地投资艺术品。可是每当经济不好的时候，人们可能什么都不会买。For painters or musicians, it's either FEAST OR FAMINE. 对画家或音乐家来说，就是这么，活多的时候忙死，活少的时候闲死。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: "I love playing in a jazz band. But I can't reply on it for a full-time salary. During the spring and summer, we get hired a lot to play at weddings, outdoor concerts and festivals. Then, once the cooler temperatures set in, we don't get that many jobs at all. It's FEAST OR FAMINE."

对于美国人来说，夏天有很多旅游胜地，其中一个是Cape Cod 鳕鱼角。这是美国马塞诸塞州的一个半岛，由于气候凉爽宜人，人们喜欢在夏天去那里休闲度假。让我们来听听旅游记者是怎么介绍的:

M: "Cape Cod is the eastern tip of Massachusetts. It's always been a popular destination for tourists in the summer who enjoy activities like going to the beach, fishing or whale watching. For providers of goods and services there, business used to be rather FEAST OR FAMINE. But people are now living in the area year-round. So business is much more constant."

这段话是说: 鳕鱼角位于马塞诸塞最东部。在夏天，这里是一个旅游胜地。人们喜欢去海滩，钓鱼或者出海看鲸鱼。对于在那里买东西或是提供各种服务的人来说，过去生意不稳定，忙的时候特别忙，淡的时候特别淡。不过现在，很多人常年住在那里，所以生意也就比较平衡稳定了。]

的确是这样。很多以季节为卖点的旅游胜地，旅游旺季生意就多，旅游淡季生意就少。For a ski resort or a beach, business has always been FEAST OR FAMINE. 比如滑雪场或者海滩，生意就是时好时坏。我觉得，这些地方应该开发其他服务项目，设法常年吸引顾客。好的，让我们再来听听刚才那段话:

M: "Cape Cod is the eastern tip of Massachusetts. It's always been a popular destination for tourists in the summer who enjoy activities like going to the beach, fishing or whale watching. For providers of goods and services there, business used to be rather FEAST OR FAMINE. But people are now living in the area year-round. So business is much more constant."

今天我们学习的习惯用语是feast or famine, 意思是"极端化，时好时坏"。好的，这次[美国习惯用语]就到此结束，我是杨琳，我是Dan Markus。谢谢各位的收听。

A : Feast and famine, 走极端。That seems to describe our situation pretty well. While I'm always super busy, you always seem to be doing nothing. 哎，没办法，能干的人总是这么忙呀!

B: Hey，after spending 5 years in America, you've finally learn how to do dry humor!!! We've Americanize you!

A: What? 才没有! 我可是取其精华，去其糟粕! I think dry humor is a very important part in American culture, people always appreciate if you have a good sense of humor.

B: Yep, actually one of the top things that American's look for in a significant other is a good sense of humor.

A: 对! 在下面的美语怎么说里，我们就要带你去看看各种幽默笑话要怎么说!

B: Let's listen!

How to say it in American English

Jessica 在北京学汉语，她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教她。今天是Luis要问的：冷幽默。

LZ: Jessica, you won't believe it! Last night, I met the funniest guy ever!
Jessica: No way! 他怎么好玩儿了？Did he wear bunny ears?

LZ: 头上戴着兔耳朵？这种是幼儿园级的搞笑，没劲! 这人的特点是，每句话都特逗，可是自己从来不笑! 对了，这种冷幽默在美语里要怎么说呢？

Jessica: We call that dry humor. With dry humor, the emphasis is not on funny facial expressions or exaggerated body moves, rather, it's the joke itself that's really humorous.

LZ: 哦，dry humor, 不靠夸张的表情和动作，纯粹靠笑话本身好笑。The guy I was talking about did have a dry sense of humor.

Jessica: I bet he kept a straight face while telling jokes that made everyone else laugh their pants off!

LZ: exactly! 别人都笑翻了，就他自己面无表情地继续讲。这人的冷幽默在party上特受人欢迎。以前大家为了找乐子，顶多就是讲几个荤段子。哎？这"荤段子"又要怎么说呢？

Jessica: We call them "off-color jokes." The most common off-color jokes are about sex, but they can also touch on violence, ethnic groups or other impolite topics.

LZ: 原来荤段子就是off-color jokes, 除了情色内容，还可以是别的有冒犯性的话题。

Jessica: Off-color jokes can be really offensive to those who aren't that close to you or don't share your sense of humor. So, use them carefully.
LZ: 没错，讲荤段子得分对什么人，不熟的朋友可别讲! 啊，说了这么多段子，幽默，我真是跃跃欲试!

Jessica: What? Give what a try?

LZ: 我本来就是个特有幽默感的人，我觉得我能成一单口相声演员!

Jessica: A standup comedian? You?

LZ: 原来, Standup comedian 就是单口相声演员，那行，I'll make standup comedian one of my career goals!

Jessica: Is this dry humor? 'Cos I didn't get it!

LZ: 今天我们学了，冷幽默是dry humor; 荤段子off-color jokes; 单口相声演员是standup comedian.

A: Standup comedian! Oh my gosh, I L-O-V-E Russell Peters!
B: Russell Peters is pretty funny. I'm more of a 相声 guy myself though

A: 哇，你这么中国呐! 不过也是，我记得我小时候生病的时候，爸爸就给我放中央台相声，一乐我就好了!

B: Hahaha, yep, in English we have a saying: "laughter is the best medicine"! When you are really sick, you still need to go the doctor or get some medicine! In today's Go English, we will take you to an American drug store!

A: 对，在美国，医院和药店是分开的，我们赶快去听听看吧!

Health: Beginner

大家好！今天我们为您播出"美语三级跳"节目"医药"单元的初级课程。

Helen 觉得不舒服，要去药店买药。Professor Bowman, "药店"的英文我知道两个，一个是drug store, 还有一个是pharmacy， p-h-a-r-m-a-c-y.

Professor: Yes, Winnie, they are both stores where you buy medicine. In this first section, Helen is talking to the pharmacist to get recommendations on what kind of medicine she should take.

Pharmacist: Hello. Can I help you?

Helen: Yes, I haven't been feeling well lately and need some medicine.

Pharmacist: I see. Do you have a prescription?

Helen: No, I just want some non-prescription medicine.

Professor: So Winnie, what kind of medicine does Helen want?

药店的pharmacist - 药剂师问Helen是不是要买 prescription medicine-- 处方药，不过Helen说她只想买点 non-prescription medicine--非处方药。

Professor: That's right. Prescription is spelled p-r-e-s-c-r-i-p-t-i-o-n, prescription. Sometimes people also call non-prescription medicine "over-the-counter" medicine.

哦，counter是柜台的意思，所以"over-the-counter" medicine，就是"直接从柜台抓的药"，也就是不需要医生开的非处方药。

Professor: Now let's hear what's wrong with Helen.

Pharmacist: Before I can recommend some medicine, I need to know your symptoms.

Helen: My stomach has been hurting, and I have had a bad headache.

Pharmacist: Sure, I have a very good medicine for those symptoms.

Helen: I hope it works! I've really been feeling under the weather.