美語訓練班第47課:"無語"和"掃貨"用英語怎麼說?
A: 大家好！歡迎來到這期的American English Mosaic！我是楊琳！
B: 我是Kat！楊琳，今天咱們學什麼呢？
A: 今天，咱們要接着跟 Toby找工作，去聽聽如何跟同事表白，學學怎麼安慰別人，還要告訴大家怎麼用美語說“無語”和“掃貨”。
B: 掃貨！That's one of my favorites!
A: Me too!! 不過這個咱們等會再說，先趕快來進入第一個單元，Learn a Word!
Learn A Word whopping
今天我們要學的詞是whopping. Whopping is spelled w-h-o-p-p-i-n-g, whopping. Whopping的意思是巨大的，程度驚人的。美國股市爆出好消息：道瓊斯工業指數今年一季度創下1998年以來最佳同比表現，同時 The Nasdaq rose a whopping 19% since New Year's Day. 納斯達克指數從一月一號到現在已經實現了百分之19的巨大增長。Android game App Temple Run gets a whopping 1 million downloads in three days. 安卓版遊戲應用程序“神廟逃亡”推出三天來下載量驚人，達到一百萬。Many US airlines charge a whopping $150 fee for changing tickets for domestic flights. 許多美國航空公司對國內航 班都收取150美元的高額機票改期費。好，今天我們學習的詞是whopping, whopping, whopping.
A: 前一段時間美國人人都在談論Mega millions, 在我們附近就有三個學校工作人員中獎了! They each won a whopping 35 million dollars after taxes! 每個人贏了3千五百萬！
B: That IS a lot of money. I remember how everybody was talking about what they would do if they won that much money! I'd buy a MASSIVE boat!
A: hmmm, 要是我中獎了，我就先環遊世界，然後再去商場掃貨，把我喜歡的好看衣服全買下來！哈哈！
B: Haha, you are the shopping queen! 不過你剛纔提到的掃貨, 在美語裏也有類似的說法，我們一起來聽一聽！
How to say it in American English
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：掃貨。
Jessica: Wuqiong, 明天我們去吃火鍋好不好？
WQ: 火鍋兒？好吃！可……我沒錢。
Jessica: No money? You told me you got a scholarship!
WQ: 獎學金是拿了，可我一高興就拿去掃貨啦!
Jessica: 掃貨？
WQ: 就是 buy a lot of things!
Jessica: Oh! You went on a shopping spree!
WQ: shopping spree?
Jessica: Right! Spree is spelt s-p-r-e-e. Going on a shopping spree means you spend a lot of money during a single shopping trip. 頭腦發熱，看什麼都買。
WQ: 對! I went on a shopping spree after getting my scholarship money! 我那天瘋狂掃貨，一分錢都沒留下!
Jessica: But do you really need all the things you bought on the shopping spree?
WQ: 說實話，好多東西都用不着，可我當時就是那麼燒包！燒包你懂麼？就是看着手裏的錢難受，非把它花出去!
Jessica: Haha! Actually, in English, we have a similar expression—your money was burning a hole in your pocket.
WQ: My money was burning a hole in my pocket? 錢把衣服兜燒了個窟窿？這的確跟“燒包”很像!
Jessica: Wuqiong, next time your money is burning a hole in your pocket, take me with you! I'll make sure we only go window shopping!
WQ: Window shopping? 買窗戶？
Jessica: (Chuckle) No. Window shopping means we only look at the window displays, without really buying anything!
WQ: 哦，就是光看不買! 這個好，省錢!
Jessica: 對! Now tell me what you've learned today!
WQ: 第一，掃貨叫go on a shopping spree；
第二，燒包叫money is burning a hole in one's pocket；
第三，光看不買是window shopping!
這次的"美語怎麼說"就到這裏了。如果你也有不會說的詞，請寫信給 Jessica, 電郵請寄
A: 所以說嘛，if I ever won the lottery, I could stop window shopping and go on a real shopping spree!
B: You know what, I remember seeing something about this. There was an interview with this guy who won the lottery and he said he wished he had never won it! 有錢了以後，好多人來跟他借錢，弄得親情友情都變了味!
A: 這倒也是! 不過就算沒有朋友和親人，你還是可以買個豪宅，置辦個遊艇什麼的嘛!
B: Well, if you have all the nice things in the world but nobody to share them with, I would say those things are just cold comforts. 趕快來聽聽下面的Words and Idioms 你就明白了!
Words and Idioms
女: 各位聽衆，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 961講。我是楊琳。
M: 我是 Steve Baragona.
女: 今天報紙頭版刊登了本地棒球隊比賽的一張照片。比賽進行到第三局時，球賽解說專門提到在場的受傷軍人，觀衆紛紛起立爲他們喝彩。可我覺得，對一個在戰爭中失去雙腿的士兵，別人的喝彩固然令人欣慰，但他可能更希望自己有一天能再站起來。這讓我想到了一句習慣用語，那就是:
M: Cold comfort. Cold is spelled c-o-l-d, and comfort; c-o-m-f-o-r-t. Cold-comfort.
女: 大家都知道，Cold 是冷的意思，comfort是安慰，連起來，cold comfort, 意思是“不起作用的安慰”。就像上面的例子裏，一位失去雙腿的士兵當然很高興大家記得他爲國家做出的犧牲，但是He may also felt it was COLD COMFORT since he could no longer walk. 畢竟他再也不能走路了，別人的喝彩可能只是“不起作用的安慰”。在下面例子裏，一名員工談到了大家是怎樣認同他的工作成績的，我們來聽一聽：
M: "Two weeks ago, I got the news that my factory would be relocating overseas. As I sat at home wondering what I was going to do for work, I glanced up. There on the wall was the award I had received for "Employee of the Year." It seems COLD COMFORT for what I have to deal with now."
這段話意思是說：“兩個星期前，我得知我工作的工廠要整個搬到海外去作業。我坐在家裏，想着以後要怎麼辦的時候，擡頭正好看到牆上掛的‘年度優秀員工獎’的獎狀。這張獎狀對於目前身處困境的我來說，絲毫起不到安慰的效果。”
女: 真是的！飯碗都要丟了，看到曾經得的獎狀恐怕只是徒增煩惱。我想起上次我朋友的女兒在數學競賽裏得了第二名，雖然評委不停說她也很出色，可是她看起來還是十分沮喪。To her, it was COLD COMFORT. 對她來說，這一點也無法讓她高興起來。好了，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話：
M: "Two weeks ago, I got the news that my factory would be relocating overseas. As I sat at home wondering what I was going to do for work, I glanced up. There on the wall was the award I had received for "Employee of the Year." It seems COLD COMFORT for what I have to deal with now."
女: 上面我們講了cold comfort 不起作用的安慰。下面的例子裏，歷史學家要告訴我們一場慘劇的一些不爲人知的細節。我們一起來聽一下：
M: "In 1963, members of an African-American church in Alabama were attending Sunday church services. Suddenly, a bomb exploded, killing four young girls. The tragedy shocked the nation. And it helped create new laws to end discrimination. For the parents who lost their children, though, that was COLD COMFORT."
這段話是說：“1963年，阿拉巴馬一個非洲裔美國人教堂裏，人們正在進行週日禱告。忽然，一個炸彈爆炸，四名女孩被炸死。這場悲劇震驚了全國，並最終推動美國確立了禁止歧視的法律。但是對於那些失去了孩子的家長來說，這並不能解決什麼問題。”
女: 真是太可憐了。我無法想像失去孩子，將要如何去面對。說到非洲裔美國人，我想大家最熟悉的就是Martin Luther King 馬丁.路德.金了。華盛頓剛剛建成馬丁.路德.金的雕像，奧巴馬總統也到場祝賀。奧巴馬當選本身，就證明了美國在民權上的長足進步。好的，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話：
M: "In 1963, members of an African-American church in Alabama were attending Sunday church services. Suddenly, a bomb exploded, killing four young girls. The tragedy shocked the nation. And it helped create new laws to end discrimination. For the parents who lost their children, though, that was COLD COMFORT."
女: 各位聽衆，今天我們學習的習慣用語是COLD COMFORT，意思是“不起作用的安慰”。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: 我也來造個句，美國每年4月15號是交稅截止期. I have to pay a huge amount in taxes, so my boyfriend took me out for dinner last night! But still, compared to what I had to pay, that free dinner was a cold comfort.
B: 哈哈， I feel you, 楊琳! But think of it this way, you are paying taxes because you have a job. 想想那些沒工作的人吧! 是不是覺得自己幸福多啦?
A: 嗯，這麼一說我就舒服多了! 說起找工作，今天的美語三級跳裏面，懶惰的Toby 竟然得到了面試的機會! 咱們趕快來聽一聽!
GoEnglish
Job Application: Advanced
今天我們爲您播出“美語三級跳”節目“找工作”單元的高級課程。
Professor: Toby has applied for a job at a company, and today he has his first interview with Jack, the head of human resources. Toby 在簡歷上把自己吹得神乎其神，今天可有好戲看啦!
Professor: So let's see if Toby's "people skills" can get him a job he might not be qualified for.
Jack: Hi Toby, my name is Jack Wilson, and I'm the head of human resources here.
Toby: Hello Mr. Wilson, thanks for taking the time to see me.
Jack: Sure. I see on your resume that you've done a lot with computers, sales and customer service. Can you tell me a little bit about your experience?
Toby: Of course. As it says on my resume my main experience is working in retail sales at a book store.
Jack: What were the day-to-day responsibilities for this job?
Toby: I did a lot of market research. Since we sold a lot of newspapers and magazines, I spent a lot of time reading news stories online. 這個Toby，真能胡扯！他上班的時候明明在網上瞎逛，卻說這是market research——市場研究!
Professor: Well what do you expect? In a tough job market you have to exaggerate your skills a little bit. The most important thing is not to sell yourself short. 面試的時候謙虛當然行不通，可是，像Toby這樣胡亂吹噓自己的能力，早晚會露餡兒啊!
Jack: Do you have any experience in customer service?
Toby: Of course. I'm very goal oriented, so whenever a customer asked me for something, it was my goal to help him find it so I could go back to surfing the Internet.
Jack: You mean your "market research"?
Toby: Oh right... of course I meant my market research.
Jack: I see. And do you work well as part of a team?
Toby: Oh yes! I'm really a team player. It's important for all the members of the team to pull their weight.“Goal oriented”指做事有明確目標，可Toby的目標就是能上班偷懶! 他還說自己是team player——有團隊精神，說團隊裏的每個人都應該pull their weight——作好自己那份工作，其實，他根本就不幹活，把工作都推給別人了!
Professor: Exactly. Now in the next section, listen for the phrase "think outside the box," which means "to think about problems in a new or unique way."
Jack: We need all our employees to be pro-active. How would you describe your work ethic?
Toby: I have a really good work ethic. But in addition to that, I pride myself on always thinking outside the box.
Jack: Can you give me an example of how you have come up with a new solution to a problem?
Toby: Umm ... you know, I can't think of one at the moment. But trust me, whenever there is a problem I can always think on my feet and come up with a solution. 哈哈，露餡兒了吧! Toby誇口說，自己善於 think outside the box——想出別出心裁的點子，可是人家讓他舉例的時候，他就沒詞兒了!
Professor: That's right. When you go to an interview you should be ready to give examples of your accomplishments, not just talk generally about your work ethic or creativeness.
不過，professor Bowman, 什麼是“thinking on your feet?”
Professor: Thinking on your feet is quickly thinking of solutions to unexpected problems. For example, a politician needs to think on his feet during a debate in order to respond to attacks from his opponent. 哦，就是“反應敏捷迅速”的意思。
Jack: Well Toby, I appreciate you coming in. Right now we have to interview a few more applicants, so we will get back to you when we make a decision.
Toby: Thanks for your time. Can you tell me when you would want me to start if I'm selected?
Jack: Frankly, Toby, I wouldn't worry about that too much. Ouch! Toby 問人家自己什麼時候開始上班，人家卻說，這個問題您就不用管了! 看來，這份工作肯定沒戲了!
Professor: It sounds like Toby might be working at the campus book store for a while longer.
A: Toby在面試的時候，把自己上網瞎逛說成market research, 還強調自己非常goal-oriented, 目標明確，是個team player, 有團隊精神，而且can think outside the box, 擁有創造性思維。
B: But it sounds like the interviewer totally saw through Toby's exaggerations.
A: 對啊! 要是Toby這樣的人能得到好工作，那我可真無語了!
B: That's true! 你剛纔說到無語，咱們來看看這個詞兒用美語怎麼說!
How to say it in American English
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。今天是小北要問的：無語。
Jessica: Xiaobei! You look upset. What happened?
Yiru: 別提了！我有個朋友欠錢不還，拖了好長時間了，每次都找各種理由搪塞我！氣死我了，以前我還和她理論，現在我簡直是簡直是無語了我！
Jessica: I see. You're so tired of your friend's excuses that you are speechless.
XB: Speechless? 原來這就是無語的意思。
Jessica: Yes. For example, you can say "she was speechless after learning her boyfriend was dating another woman."
XB: 哦，知道男友跟別的女生交往後，她氣得說不出話來。
Jessica: Exactly. Basically, you can use "speechless" to mean something so bad or so surprising that you don't know what to say.
XB: I see. 跟你說，我認識一個女生，她特別虛僞，總是假惺惺地稱讚別人，轉過頭來就說人壞話。Every time I see her being so fake, I'm speechless!
Jessica: I bet you also roll your eyes!
XB: Roll my eyes?
Jessica: If you roll your eyes, you're showing that you don't believe someone or you aren't interested in what they're saying.
XB: 哦，就是因爲不相信或者不耐煩而翻白眼。這個說法真形象! 就在今天早上，I got an email saying I was selected to win 5 million dollars. It also asked for my bank account.
Jessica: That's fishy! It must be a scam!
XB: 我當然知道這是詐騙郵件了！I rolled my eyes when I read it! 不過你說，要是我哪天我真中了500萬！
Jessica: That would blow me away! Meaning I'd be really amazed!
XB: 哦，to blow someone away就是使人大吃一驚，不過，這應該是用在形容什麼好事兒的時候吧？
Jessica: Exactly. For example, My new computer ran so fast it blew me away!
XB: Or Jessica has so much cash hidden under her bed it blows me away!
Jessica: What? Me? Cash? Now I'm rolling my eyes, xiaobei!
XB: 我來總結一下今天學的詞：因爲厭惡或者吃驚而無語，用speechless; 因爲不耐煩或不相信而翻白眼是roll one's eyes; 某些好事讓人大吃一驚用blow someone away.
B: I heard something this morning that totally blew me away...
A: What? What happened?
B: Remember Bob and Amanda in my office? They are GETTING MARRIED!
A: 什麼？我記得一年前，Bob 還在發愁怎麼跟Amanda 講話呢！真爲他們高興！
B: Absolutely! Congrats Bob and Amanda! And to celebrate, let's discuss a similar topic for today's business etiquette: having a crash on your co-worker!
Business Etiquette
King 跟同事 Dan 聊天，發現 Dan 心不在焉。King 說，
King: The trip was pretty good except for the flat tire we got on the way home. I was going to change it myself but Dan, are you even listening to me? Dan?
Dan: Oh sorry, I spaced out there for a second.
K: Who were you looking at? Wait a were looking at Julie!
D: All right, I confess! I'm busted. I have a big crush on Julie.
K: That's wonderful! Julie is a great woman, and you're a great guy! So have you asked her out yet?
D: No. I'm not really sure it's appropriate.
King正在給Dan講自己最近的一次旅行，他們回家路上車胎爆了。We got a flat tire. 正說得高興，King發現Dan根本沒在聽自己說話。Dan很不好意思，承認 I spaced out for a second. 我走神了。space out 是走神的意思，形容心不在焉，走神，還可以用 daydream, 所以剛纔那句話也可以說 I was daydreaming for a second. King發現，Dan走神是在看女同事 Julie。 Dan只好承認說，I'm busted. I have a big crush on Julie. I'm busted. 意思是我被抓住了，被發現了，暴露了。他說自己確實在偷偷喜歡Julie，但又不敢 ask her out 約她出去，不知道這樣做是否合適 appropriate。King 說，
K: I think lots of people meet their "significant other" in the workplace. It's not like she's your ask her out!
D: I don't if she says "no"?
K: Have you ever heard the old expression: "Nothing ventured, nothing gained?" What if she says "yes"?
D: I've always had a really hard time approaching women. I get tongue-tied and start sweating. I don't want to come across as too aggressive, but I also don't want to appear too 's really hard to get it right!
King說，很多人都是在工作場所遇到自己另一半的，significant other 是伴侶的意思，也可以說是自己的 better half. Dan 害怕被拒絕。King 告訴他說：Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 不去冒險嘗試，就絕不會有收穫。Dan 說自己在追女人方面特別不在行，I get tongue-tied and start sweating. 我說話會結結巴巴，直冒冷汗。Dan 還說，既不想顯得太主動，也不想顯得太被動，It's really hard to get it right. 很難把握好分寸。King 勸他說：
K: If there's one thing I've learned in my life it's that you never lose by trying. You never know unless you try! Getting rejected isn't the end the world!
D: But how do I make the initial approach? Should I try to come up with some clever or witty remarks?
K: There are a lot of guys out there who think they're Casanova, but in my experience, women don't go for cheesy pickup lines. I suggest being sweet, straightforward and sincere.
D: So what should I say?
King說，最糟糕也不過是被拒絕。Getting rejected isn't the end the world! 被拒絕也並非世界末日，沒什麼大不了的。Dan問，要不要come up with some clever or witty remark 想出一些俏皮話，King告訴他，約女人出去，直截了當些就好，很多男人都以爲自己是 Casanova, 卡薩諾瓦是十八世紀的一個意大利探險家和作家，也是一個風流倜儻的情聖，在英語裏是大衆情人的代名詞。King 還說，其實，women don't go for cheesy pickup lines. cheesy is spelled c-h-e-e-s-y, cheesy 意思是俗氣的，肉麻的；pick up lines 是指男人跟女人搭訕時說的俏皮話。Dan會鼓起勇氣約 Julie 出去嗎？我們下次繼續聽。
A: 我喜歡這個3S策略: sweet, straightforward and sincere! I hope a sweet, straightforward and sincere man would come and ask me out today!
B: 哈哈，你完了，我要去告訴你的男朋友……
A: oops...善解人意的Kat, 等會我們來討論一下封口費的問題吧……
B: Hush money? 可以呀! 好了， 這次節目時間就到這裏。Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!
