美語訓練班107

A: 歡迎大家來到這期的美語訓練班! 我是楊琳!

B: 我是Mike! 楊琳，來告訴大家今天都要學什么!

A: 好! 今天，我們要一起來聊聊慈善捐款，看看如何表達貨真價實，還要告訴你如何自控!

B: Yeah, I put aside some money for charity every year. Even though I don't have a big paycheck, I feel like it's everyone's job to help those who are in need.

A: 哇，可以嘛 Mike! I didn't know you had such a noble heart!

B: Of course! Well...we'll save this for later in the show. For now let's begin our lesson with....

A: Learn a word!

Learn A Word 1748 prepaid

今天我們要學的詞是 prepaid. Prepaid is spelled p-r-e-p-a-i-d, prepaid. Prepaid 預付的。Many states in the U.S. offer prepaid tuition plans for public universities. 美國很多州都提供預付公立大學學費的計劃。Justin Bieber is launching a new prepaid debit card aimed at teens. 賈斯汀.比伯準備發(fā)行一個新的借記卡，主要吸引十幾歲的青少年用戶。一項最近研究顯示，People between the age of 18 to 34 are more likely than other age groups to consider using a prepaid card instead of a checking account. 18歲到34歲的人，比其他年齡層的人更愿意使用預付卡，而不是活期銀行帳戶。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 prepaid, prepaid, prepaid...

A:I guess prepaid cards are safer than credit cards. You can't over spend since there is only so much money on the card.

B: They certainly can help you better manage your budget, but you need to be careful as well. One time I bought a gift card for my mom, but it turned out that there was less money on the card than what the store advertised!

A: Yep, you need to make sure you have the real McCoy.

B: Exactly! Our audience probably are wondering what "the real McCoy" is! Let's check out today's words and idioms!

Words and Idioms 835 THE REAL McCOY

美國習慣用語第 835 講

常聽人說，如果什么事聽上去好得難以想象，那八成就是騙人的。我的一個朋友不久前在小攤上買了一塊鉆石，只要一百塊。我告訴她，這么大小的鉆石在商店里起碼要花三百塊。結(jié)果她到珠寶店去鑒定，發(fā)現(xiàn)鉆石是假的。這倒讓我想起了今天要學的習慣用語，

M: The real McCoy. McCoy is spelled M-c-C-o-y. The-real-McCoy. The real McCoy.

大家也許會問，McCoy 是什么意思。其實啊，這個詞沒有意思，而是一個人名。The real McCoy 這個習慣用語的意思是“貨真價實的，不是假冒仿造的”。剛才說到我的一個朋友貪便宜，結(jié)果買了一顆假鉆石，就跟大街上的偽造名牌皮包和手表一樣，It was not The real McCoy.下面例子里的這位男士也被假象蒙住了眼睛，不過好在沒有金錢上的損失，讓我們一起聽聽他是怎么說的。

M: "I haven't traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn't understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I'm rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I'll have to fly to Paris!"

這個人說：我很少出門旅行。這次到拉斯維加斯去，居然看到了埃菲爾鐵塔，我真搞不懂，巴黎的標志怎么會跑到了內(nèi)華達，最后發(fā)現(xiàn)，原來是仿造的，我可真夠傻的。如果真想站在埃菲爾鐵塔前面照相，我還得飛到巴黎去。

確實，我最近剛?cè)ミ^拉斯維加斯，那里的賭場都有自己的名堂，在拉斯維加斯大道上，不僅能看到埃菲爾鐵塔，還能看到紐約的自由女神像呢。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

M: "I haven't traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn't understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I'm rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I'll have to fly to Paris!"

我這次在拉斯維加斯看了一場演出，表演者模仿的是貓王。他從穿著打扮到舉止聲音，都酷似貓王，簡直讓人覺得 He is THE REALY McCOY.

在剛剛過去的2008年總統(tǒng)大選中，奧巴馬改寫了美國歷史，成為第一位非洲裔總統(tǒng)。但與此同時，共和黨的副總統(tǒng)候選人佩林也出盡了風頭，讓我們聽聽這是為什么。

M: "Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with."

這個人說：佩林州長成為共和黨有史以來的第一位女性副總統(tǒng)候選人。雖然很多評論人士對她不以為然，但她所到之處，都會吸引很多支持者，他們在佩林身上看到了跟普通政客不同的地方。對他們來說，佩林是一個真實的人，能設(shè)身處地地理解人民的疾苦。

也許再過四年，佩林又會出現(xiàn)在共和黨的選票上，誰知道呢!好，我們再聽一下上面的例句。

M: "Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with."

對于 THE REAL McCOY 這個習慣用語的出處，研究辭源的專家們有不同見解。有的說 THE REAL McCOY 是從19世紀80年代中期一個蘇格蘭威士忌的廣告來的;有的說是從美國19世紀晚期一個臭名昭著的家族紛爭來的;還有人說 McCoy 是美國歷史上一個有名的牧場主、或是造船主、或是走私酒的人。最為大家接受的說法是，THE REAL McCOY 跟二十世紀一個著名的拳擊冠軍有關(guān)，他為了防止別人盜用自己的名號，取名 Kid McCoy.

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結(jié)束了。我是楊晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。好的，這次節(jié)目的制作人是胡小玲。謝謝各位的收聽。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

下次節(jié)目再見。

A: 沒錯! 這次我回北京，滿大街人都背著LV包! Although I think at least half of them are not the real McCoy.

B: Well...personally I think knock-offs are not all that bad. I really can't understand why people would spend over 2000 dollars on a bag! It's just a bag! If I had that kind of money to spend, I would rather give it to charity to help those who are less fortunate!

A: Wow, good for you Mike! Speaking of which, I've already spent my entire paycheck for the month. Do you wanna...maybe...buy me lunch today?

B: Ha, I'm talking about people who really need help. But....I guess lunch is OK!

A: Deal! 咱們言歸正傳， In today's business etiquette, we will touch on the topic of giving to charity. Let's check it out!

禮節(jié)美語 Giving to a Charity part 1

公司開會，討論慈善捐款的問題，Michael說：

Michael: Ok, folks....It's been a tough year, but we're going to stick with our tradition and give our usual yearly amount. Any suggestions?

Frank: Perhaps we could donate to my church's missionary group. I know a couple other good Christian organizations that could use some help.

Jenny: Um....if I might interject. I don't have a problem with religious charities but I do object to any proselytizing.

雖然公司不景氣，但還是打算依慣例捐款。Frank 建議捐給基督教團體，但是 Jenny 反對向特定宗教色彩的團體捐助，避免支持某一宗教之嫌。p-r-o-s-e-l-y-t-i-z-e proselytize 是勸人信教的意思。

M: Ok, that's a good point to think about. We want the donations to reflect the entire company so we should avoid anything controversial.

Gina: I was thinking perhaps we could give to more international causes. The victims of that horrible earthquake in China still need a lot of help.

F: How about the Red Cross? They have a pretty good track record, right?

G: Yeah, let's give them 10%.

M, G, J: Agreed.

Michael 同意 Jenny 的看法，因為捐助代表整個公司，應(yīng)該避免任何爭議。Gina 提議捐給國際慈善事業(yè)，比如說中國地震災(zāi)民。Frank 提出，紅十字會的記錄就不錯，track record 記錄。大家同意把百分之十的錢捐給紅十字會。

J: I was doing some research before this meeting and I found a great website called CharityWatch.org. They have lots of tips about avoiding fraud and giving to the right organizations. Did you know that nearly 70,000 new American charity groups were founded just last year?

F: Wow....that's a lot of choices. It's kind of daunting!

M: So should we stick with the tried and proven groups or should we branch out?

Jenny 說，有個叫“charitywatch.org”的網(wǎng)站，上面有不少如何選擇慈善團體的建議，去年一年，美國就成立了七萬個慈善團體。Michael 問大家，我們是循規(guī)蹈矩，還是做一些新的嘗試呢? stick with the tried and proven groups 是指經(jīng)過證明可靠的慈善團體。

G: Here's an interesting one. A group called "Water-4-Africa" sponsors water-purifying kits that can help eliminate serious diseases.

M: I like it. All in favor?

G, F,: Yes.

J: It sounds good. But I think I should do a bit more research. The American Institute of Philanthropy suggests we check to see how much of the funds they use for direct charity work and how much goes to administration costs.

F: You know, Jenny has a point. All these groups look good on paper, but you never know.

Gina 提到一個為非洲提供潔凈水的團體，大家都覺得不錯。但是 Jenny 表示，應(yīng)該再調(diào)查一下，看看捐款有多少直接用于慈善項目，多少是給工作人員發(fā)工資的。Frank 覺得 Jenny 言之有理，Jenny has a point. 這些團體寫得都很冠冕堂皇，All these groups look good on paper. 但實際操作就不一定了。

A: So you mentioned earlier that you do charity work. What kind of work do you do then?

B: I help out at a local soup kitchen a couple of times a month.

A: Yeah, I'm going to donate some of my clothes to Goodwill this weekend. I'm never going to wear them, so I think they should go to those who need them!

A: Good for you! Now Let's keep listening to Jenny and Michael.

禮節(jié)美語 Giving to a Charity part II

公司開會，討論慈善捐款的問題，Jenny 建議事先調(diào)查一下，某個慈善團體的項目資金和行政開支的比例：

J: The recommendation is that 60% of funds should go to projects with no more than 40% going to the charity's own costs.

M: Here's another good website: CharityNavigator.org. You can search specific groups and check their ratings. The Red Cross is number five in the "Most Recommended Charities."

G: There's also animal-related groups. How about the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?

F: They're number four on the list. Sounds good.

一般的開支規(guī)范是，慈善團體要將百分之六十的捐款用于慈善項目，行政開支不得超過百分之四十。Michael 提到了一個叫“CharityNavigator.org”的網(wǎng)站，在該網(wǎng)站推薦的慈善團體中，紅十字會排名第五，反對虐待動物社團排名第四。

J: World Vision is number one. They're a Christian group that provides lot of medical assistance in Asia and Africa.

M: And of course, while we all enjoy doing a good deed, we do need to ensure that the company can get a tax break from our contributions.

G: I'll double check that donations to each of those groups are in fact tax-deductible.

向亞洲和非洲提供醫(yī)療幫助的基督教團體“世界視野” 名列第一。Michael 提醒說，做好事的同時，也要保證公司的捐款能抵稅。We do need to ensure that the company get a tax break from our contributions. Gina 說，她會 double check 查清楚，這些慈善捐款都是能夠抵稅的，tax-deductible.

F: I just had a thought. Every year we give corporate donations and that's all well and good, but we might consider giving our time instead.

G: Interesting! You mean like volunteering? I like it.

M: Hummm.... that could work. Any specific suggestions?

F: Well, we all have our pet causes. Gina is an animal lover. I have church projects. Jenny is a computer genius....we all have something we could teach or offer.

Frank 建議，在捐款的同時，也可以用做義工的方式為慈善事業(yè)出力，這一建議受到了大家的肯定。Frank 說，we all have our pet causes. 我們都有自己熱衷的事情 pet causes。Gina 喜歡動物，我積極參加教會的活動項目，而 Jenny 是個電腦天才。

J: That idea is very worth considering. In some ways, that's a lot more meaningful than giving money.

G: Yeah. Even doing something simple like volunteering to answer the phone lines at the Red Cross can be a huge help.

M: Ok, how about if we give half of our contribution as donations and for the other half we give our time or expertise to the group of our choice?

All: Agreed!

大家都覺得這個主意不錯。Jenny 說，從某種角度說，這比給錢更有意義。That's a lot more meaningful than giving money. 最后大家一致同意，捐款只做為慈善募捐的一部分，另外一部分由大家自己挑選慈善團體，為它們貢獻時間或是專業(yè)技能。

A: 我也覺得貢獻自己的時間比給錢更有心! I remember one time I went to an organization to help teach "English as a Second Language" courses, I felt so good helping immigrants learn English!

B: It's always better to give than to receive. There is this place that I go to every Wednesday. Basically we help kids with ADHD learn how to concentrate. Since I had ADHD when I was a kid, I learned self-control the hard way. I want to share my experience so these kids can have a easier time than I did.

A: 你的形象簡直都高大了! Now let's look at how to use the word "self-control"!

Learn A Word 1750 self-control

今天我們要學的詞是 self-control. Self-control is spelled self, s-e-l-f, self, and control, c-o-n-t-r-o-l, control, self-control. Self-control 自控。A growing body of research suggests that there is a link between low levels of self-control in childhood and serious problems later in life. 越來越多的研究顯示，孩子小時候缺乏自控能力會導致長大成人后的很多問題。還有研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，If you're struggling with self-control, the best way to achieve it is to surround yourself with strong-willed friends. 如果你缺乏自控能力的話，最好的辦法就是多交一些意志力堅強的朋友。好的，今天我們學習的詞是 self-control, self-control, self-control...

A: 缺乏自控，就交一些自控能力很強的朋友。這靠譜! 環(huán)境真的會影響人! 這就是近朱者赤，近墨者黑啦!

B: Exactly. Yang Lin, now that you work with ME everyday, I guess...we can expect an improvement in your productivity and creativity.

A: Ugh....I think the only thing that I'm going to improve on is my eating ability!

B: Hey!

A: 哈哈，好了好了，不開玩笑了! 我們來聽今天的最后一個環(huán)節(jié):美國習慣用語!

Words and Idioms 836 METHOD TO ONE'S MADNESS

美國習慣用語第 836 講

我上個月坐火車到紐約去看朋友，上車后剛要坐下，旁邊座位上的女乘客就開始很大聲的自言自語，看上去好像不太正常，嚇得我只好在過道對面遠遠地坐下。后來我注意到，每次有人要在這個女的旁邊坐下，她就會開始自言自語，如果沒人，她就很安靜。我這才恍然大悟，原來她是在裝瘋賣傻，為了就是不讓別人坐在自己身邊。這也讓我想起了今天要學的習慣用語，

M: Method to one's madness. Method is spelled m-e-t-h-o-d, and madness; madness; m-a-d-n-e-s-s. Method-to-one's-madness. Method to one's madness.

在中文里，method 是方式方法;madness 是瘋狂。我們說 Method to one's madness，意思是表面看似瘋狂的舉止，其實有它隱含的目的。剛才說到的火車上的那個女人，為了不讓別人坐在自己身邊而裝瘋賣傻。我們就可以說，There was a Method to her madness. 在生活中，讓人摸不著頭腦的事情有很多，但是仔細分析，往往又會發(fā)現(xiàn)其中的道理。讓我們一起聽聽下面這個孩子的回憶。

M: "When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS."

這個人說：小時候，爸爸常常帶我開車到處跑，我原來以為他是開車出去兜風，后來才明白，他是在找便宜的加油站。我早該明白，他開車莫名其妙地到處走不是沒有目的的。

其實，很多人都干過這種事，開車到處跑，就為了找個便宜的加油站，特別是油價特別貴的時候。不過，也不能離家太遠，否則花在路上的汽油錢刨去省下來的錢，也就所剩無幾了。好的，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。

M: "When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS."

說到省錢，我爺爺可不是一般人，我還記得小時候到爺爺家去，看到他攢了很多空的鐵罐子，后來我才發(fā)現(xiàn)，他把這些鐵罐子整齊地擺放在一起，上面鋪塊布，然后睬在上面夠東西。雖說我肯定不會這樣做，但至少 I saw a METHOD TO THEIR MADNESS. 下面例子里有人別出心裁，為了漲工資而背水一戰(zhàn)。讓我們一起聽聽看。

M: "My colleagues assumed I'd gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!"

這個人說：我宣布要辭去銷售部副經(jīng)理的職務(wù)，同事們都以為我瘋了。沒人會想到，我這樣做其實是為了逼著老板給我升職。我的計劃居然成功了，怎么樣，我看似瘋狂的舉動其實是有目的的。

這個人可真夠意思，不過我還是建議，想升職的朋友不要效仿他的做法，搞不好連飯碗都丟了。好，我們再聽一下上面的例句。

M: "My colleagues assumed I'd gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!"

有時候，大家也會聽到有人說，METHOD IN ONE'S MADNESS，特別是在英式英語里面。METHOD IN ONE'S MADNESS 跟 METHOD TO ONE'S MADNESS 兩種說法的意思是一樣的。莎氏比亞的名著《哈姆雷特》里面就曾出現(xiàn)過這個習慣用語。

好的，這次美國習慣用語就到此結(jié)束了。

M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

下次節(jié)目再見。

A: Wow....threatening you are going to resign to get a raise?(Pause) Mike, I think you should go try it!

B: I don't need threats to get a raise, my work performance speaks for itself.

A:.....好了同學們，這次節(jié)目時間就到這里了。

B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

A: See you next time!