美语训练班002讲

B: 王老师好!

A: 哈哈，Donny你好！我们美语训练班又上课啦！

B: 对，每节课25分钟。So what are we gonna learn today?

A: 今天我们要去参加一个选秀比赛, 去网球场大展身手, 接着上次继续找房子, 还要告诉大家怎么用英文表示"挨宰"的意思。

B: Interesting! But we're going to open up with something short and simple, right?

A: 没错! 咱们先花一分钟，学一个词!

Learn A Word: trait

今天我们要学的词是trait. Trait特征。A new study in South Korea shows that 1 in 38 children have traits of autism. 韩国一项最新研究显示，每38个孩子里就有一个孩子带有自闭症的特征。Two-thirds of the children with autism traits hadn't been diagnosed before. 其中三分之二带有自闭症特征的孩子以前都没有被确诊过。The researchers estimated that about 2.6 percent of the population has some autism traits, much higher than the U.S. estimate of 1 percent. 研究人员因此估计，百分之2.6的人口都带有某种自闭症特征，远远高出美国原先估计的百分之一的水平。好的，今天我们学习的词是trait.

A: 好! 这个我记住了，Trait, "特征"的意思。对了Donny, 万圣节的时候小孩子们都喊"trick or treat", 那个treat和我们刚学的这个是一个词儿么？

B: No. In "trick or treat", treat is spelt t-r-e-a-t, it means款待，请客。This one is trait, t-r-a-i-t, 特征。

A: 哦，是这样! 那我要是说Dinner is my treat. 就是晚餐我请客喽!

B: 没错，怡茹，你要请我吃饭嘛？不必客气。

A：你想得美啊! 还想宰我。不过Donny, 说到这个"宰人"，咱们赶快来听听下面这集"流行美语"。

Popular American: Take someone under your wing; take someone for a ride

Larry在咖啡馆里碰见了李华，他们会用到两个常用语：Take someone under your wing 和 take someone for a ride.

Larry: Hey, there you are, Lihua.

LH: Oh, hi Larry.

Larry: I haven't seen you since last weekend. What have you been up to? Don't tell me you're having midterms already.

LH: 我连看书的时间都没有! 尽忙着照顾我表妹了。

Larry: Oh?

LH: 她从中国来美国上高中，初来乍到，什么都不会，所以我这两天一直在帮她安顿。

Larry: I'm sure it's a very tough transition for both of you. But, it's so nice of you to take her under your wing.

LH: "Take her under my wing"? 这是什么意思？

Larry: To take someone under your wing means to give them a great deal of personal guidance and protection while they are learning something of which you have experience.

LH: 我明白了， To take someone under your wing就是指导、保护和照料某人。我现在就是这样像母鸡带小鸡一样照顾着我表妹呢!

Larry: It takes time to learn how to cope with living in a totally new environment─it's only natural to need a little bit of help at first. As a matter of fact, I can remember a time not so long ago when I took a certain confused girl from China under my own wing...

LH: 你说你也曾这样帮助过一个女孩？ 你不是在说我吧？Larry, 虽然你给了我很多帮助，但这和我给我表妹的帮助是不同的。我要是不在她身边，她连出门买吃的都不敢!

Larry: But Lihua, you couldn't buy groceries on your own either when you first moved here. One time at the grocery store, your bill came to $7.50 and you pulled out a dollar bill, asking me if it was enough!

LH: Haha, 这个我记得。刚到美国时，每次需要跟美国人打交道我都会非常紧张，就算不说英语，还是觉得很恐怖。

Larry: Luckily, I was there to take you under my wing while you got used to living in the United States─just like how you're taking your cousin under your wing now!

LH: 哈，看来我们都是好心人! 最近我在帮我表妹找房子，她以前的房东欺负她是新来的，把房租提高了两倍！我表妹已经傻呼呼地交了一个月的钱!

Larry: Yeah, you have to be really careful. It sounds like that landlord was taking your cousin for a ride.

LH: Taking her for a ride? 开车带她出去？那个房东可没这么好心!

Larry: Um, I mean "taking her for a ride" as in, takingadvantage of her situation─playing a trick on her for his own benefit.

LH: 哦! 原来 To take someone for a ride 还有欺负人，宰人的意思!

Larry: Yea, that's right. For example, when I went to New York City, my cab driver noticed that I had never been to New York before, and so he took a longer route to my hotel in order to run up my bill. This is a classic case of "taking someone for a ride."

LH: 啊？司机看你是第一次来纽约，就带着你绕远路，多收你的车费。这可真差劲，欺负人!

Larry: Unfortunately, some people will take advantage of other people like that.

LH: 哎？Larry, 咱们是愿意 take others under our wings, 不遗余力地帮助别人，可这个房东和那个出租司机却会 take people for a ride，占别人便宜。所以这两个说法的意思正好相反嘛！

Larry: Yea, you could think of it like that. So, it's a great thing that you are taking your cousin under your wing! Otherwise, it would be easy for people to take her for a ride.

LH: 好吧，为了防止她受欺负，我就继续努力吧。

Larry: I'm sure your cousin is a smart girl. Before you know it, she'll be just as capable to live on her own in the United States as you are─and you won't have to worry about people trying to take her for a ride.

LH: 不过，在她完全自立前，我可有的忙了，估计不能常和你见面了!

Larry: That's OK. Taking someone under your wing is a quite a full-time job!

今天李华学了两个常用语，一个是 to take someone under your wing，意思是"照顾和帮助某人"；另一个是 to take someone for a ride，意思是"占人便宜，欺负人"。好的，这次《流行美语》播送完了。

A: 不错! 我又学会了一个说法，Take someone under your wing 就是"罩着别人"。Donny, 我就是这种大姐姐型的人，特会关心人。

B: Er....Really? You sure look like a nice person...

A: 嘿! 你还不信啊？我给你讲个我帮助别人的事情吧，想当年...

B: 怡茹! 怡茹! Didn't you say at the beginning of the show that we were going to some talent show?

A：哦，对，选秀! 那咱们听听"美语怎么说"吧! 我的故事待会儿再告诉你。

How to Say it in American English: Open Audition

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。今天是杨琳要问的：海选，甄选。

YL: Jessica! 送你一张我的签名照！快拿着！

Jessica: Your autograph? why do I want that?

YL: 告诉你，我快成明星啦!

Jessica: Really? You will be a super star? 你被张艺谋看中了？

YL: 不是。我参加"阳光女生"的海选，击败了众多对手......对了，海选你明白么？Sea selection! 谁都能参加! 也有人管它叫甄选。

Jessica: Sea selection? 哦，(chuckle) I see. In English, it's called "an open audition". Everyone can walk in the door, perform and compete, like American Idol.

YL: 没错，就是那种！原来这叫 "open audition," open开放的，audition, a-u-d-i-t-i-o-n, audition试演选拔，连在一起，open audition就是"海选"或是"甄选"。这么说，I am the winner of the open audition!

Jessica: Well, I don't think you can call yourself a "winner," because more than one person get selected in an open audition to advance to the next round.

YL: 也是，这次一共一百人过关，进入下一轮比赛。但不管怎样，I was selected!

Jessica: Yeah, congratulations! You can also say you made the cut.

YL: 哦，make the cut, 就是被选中，过关了。哎，那要是被刷下来，该怎么说呢？

Jessica: Then you could say you got eliminated. e-l-i-m-i-n-a-t-e-d, eliminated.

YL: 明白了，eliminate是淘汰，被淘汰就是get eliminated.

Jessica: That's right. I sure hope you can make it to the final round and not get eliminated! But first, tell me what you've learned today!

YL: 第一"甄选，海选"在美语里叫 "open audition"；

第二，过关，被选上了，是 make the cut；

第三，被刷下去了，就是 get eliminated.

这次的美语怎么说就到这里。如果你也有不会说的词，请写信给 Jessica, 电邮请寄meiyu@voanews.com

A：原来，入选就是make the cut.

B：对，怡茹, Last time we went apartmenthunting with Jeff and Sarah. I wonder if they've found the perfect place yet.

A: 嗯，我也不知道他们有没有找到合适的房子。听听看吧!

Renting: Intermediate

大家好！今天播出"美语三级跳"节目"找房"单元的中级课程。

Winnie: Jeff想租间公寓，请朋友Sarah帮忙一块儿看广告。

Professor: In this first part, listen for the word "listings," which is a list of available apartments that you can find in a newspaper or online.

Winnie: 哦，listing在这里就是房屋招租广告。

Jeff: Hey Sarah, I'm having some trouble finding an apartment. Can you help me look at some listings online?

Sarah: Sure. What kind of apartment are you looking for?

Jeff: Well, it has to be cheap. I don't want a really expensive apartment.

Sarah: OK. Would you like to live in a studio?

Jeff: Sure, a studio would be fine.

Professor: So Winnie, what is the most important thing for Jeff when looking for an apartment?

Winnie: 价钱！ 他呀，老想找个便宜的studio, 真没劲！

Professor: Well, I guess Jeff is a bit more practical than you. In this next section listen for the word "cozy," which means small and comfortable.

Sarah: Jeff, look at this listing! It says there is a cozy studioapartment for rent, and it's only $700 per month. What do you think?

Jeff: Well I think I can afford that apartment. But are pets allowed?