【大紀元2011年09月08日訊】A: 又到了「美語訓練班」的時間了! 我是楊琳.
B: 我是Donny！楊琳, 給大家介紹一下今天要學甚麼吧。
A: 沒問題! 今天，我們要聊聊一邊工作一邊上學是不是可行, 要看看被朋友硬拉進一個不靠譜的樂隊會有多慘，要去打真正的高爾夫球, 還要告訴大家怎麼用美語說「糾結」和「寧當雞頭，不當鳳尾」。
B: 啊？甚麼雞頭和鳳爪？好吃麼？
A: 甚麼啊，不是吃的！待會兒你一聽節目就明白了。
B: 好吧！不過現在，咱們還是先花一分鐘，學一個詞！
Learn A Word Severe
今天我們要學的詞是severe. Severe is spelled s-e-v-e-r-e, severe. Severe 嚴重的，嚴峻的。最近美國大部份地區陷入酷暑之中。The elderly and the young are the most vulnerable to severe heat and humidity. 老年人和小孩子是最難以承受高溫和濕熱天氣的人群。It’s estimated that nearly four million people in Somalia are in danger of severe malnutrition. 據估計，索馬里有將近400萬人面臨嚴重的營養不良。The weather service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for our area. 氣象預報發出警告，說我們這個地區會有暴風雨。 好的，今天我們學習的詞是severe, severe, severe.
A: Severe, 嚴重，嚴峻。Donny，要是我說，現在就業市場競爭激烈，是不是可以用severe competition?
B: That’s right. You can say “recent graduates have a hard time landing a high-paying job because of the severe competition in the job market.”
A: 這句話的意思就是，由於就業市場競爭激烈，新畢業的學生很難搶到高薪工作。對麼？
B: 對。其實，就業市場也有競爭不那麼激烈的，比如去中小城市。
A: 可是大家都願意往大城市去，一來那裏工作機會多，二來，在大城市開闊眼界，打拼，也比較有成就感吧！
B: It depends. In some cases, being the big fish in a small pond can result in an equally successful career.
A: 你說的big fish in a small pond， 小池塘裡的大魚？有些聽眾可能不明白了，咱們趕緊在下面的Words and Idioms中給大家解釋一下！
Words and Idioms: Big fish in a small pond
各位聽眾，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 939講。我是曉北。
我是 Douglas Johnson.
記得大學畢業時，我們班同學紛紛找機會留在大城市或者出國，可是有個男生卻毅然決然回到自己的家鄉就業。我們問他為甚麼，他說自己的學歷和能力回家鄉肯定能受到重用，可是留在大城市裡就顯不出來了，因為這裡人才扎堆，競爭太激烈。他的這種心態，讓我想到一個習慣用語：
Big fish in a small pond. Pond is spelled p-o-n-d. Big fish in a small pond.
Big fish是大魚， small pond 則是小池塘。Big fish in a small pond 小池塘裡的大魚， 其實就是形容小地方的大人物，小圈子裡的傑出者。我同學就是這樣，He has no interest in living in large, competitive cities. He’d rather be a big fish in a small pond. 他不願意住在競爭激烈的大城市，他寧當雞頭，不作鳳尾。
我尊重這位同學的選擇，我想，他選擇去小地方發展應該就是不想經歷下面這段話所描述的情景。我們來聽一聽：
Of the 60 students in her graduating class, Tania ranked number one. She received many honors, including a scholarship to one of the top universities in the country. Once there, Tania found it difficult adjusting to classmates who were all as talented as she was. That’s because she had been used to being a BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND.
這段話是說：[在畢業班的六十名學生裡，塔尼亞的成績是全班第一。她得到了很多榮譽，包括一所全國頂尖大學的獎學金。可是到了那所大學後，塔尼亞發現，其他同學都和她一樣出色，她覺得自己很難適應這樣的情況，因為她已經習慣在小圈子裡當佼佼者。]
人到了新的圈子裡難免要渡過一段不太舒服的適應期，尤其是對當慣了尖子的人。有人覺得寧當雞頭不當鳳尾，但也有人到哪裏都要力爭出類拔萃，全看個人心態。好，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
Of the 60 students in her graduating class, Tania ranked number one. She received many honors, including a scholarship to one of the top universities in the country. Once there, Tania found it difficult adjusting to classmates who were all as talented as she was. That’s because she had been used to being a BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND.
要提醒大家，Fish這個詞的複數形式還是fish，所以我們形容一個人是小地方的大人物，說 He’s a fish in a small pond。那要是幾個人呢？就是They are fish in a small pond。下面這個例句就講到這樣的兩個人，我們來聽一聽：
Everyone at our real estate office knows the Kims. They’ve been successful sellers at the firm for several years. They could easily join a much larger staff at a more prestigious office. But then they’d no longer be BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND. And that wouldn’t interest them.
這段話是說：[我們房地產辦公室的人都知道金姆夫妻倆，多年來，他們一直是公司裡相當成功的房地產銷售員。他們如果想跳槽到更有名氣的公司，加入更大的銷售團隊，絕對不是問題。不過那樣一來，他們就沒法再像現在一樣當辦公室裡的風雲人物了。所以他們對跳槽沒興趣。]
big fish in a small pond 裡的 fish 也可以用 frog–青蛙–這個詞來代替。所以，我同學去家鄉發展，願意當 a big frog in a small pond，小地方的傑出人才，金姆夫婦願意留在現在的地產公司，當 big frogs in a small pond, 小公司裡的紅人。好，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話：
Everyone at our real estate office knows the Kims. They’ve been successful sellers at the firm for several years. They could easily join a much larger staff at a more prestigious office. But then they’d no longer be BIG FISH IN A SMALL POND. And that wouldn’t interest them.
各位聽眾，今天我們學習的習慣用語是big fish in a small pond，意思是「小地方的大人物，小圈子裡的傑出者」。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是曉北，我是 Douglas Johnson。謝謝各位的收聽。
A: Donny, 這些寧願在小地方當大人物的人，就是我在節目開頭時提到的那種心態──寧當雞頭，不當鳳尾。
B: 哦，這下我明白了。不過我看，最好是當鳳凰的頭，當big fish in a big pond!
A: 哪那麼容易啊。不過，If you’re not in a big pond in the first place, you will never know whether you can survive in one，let alone become a big fish. 如果連試都不試，那就肯定沒機會了！所以說，到底應該在甚麼環境裡發展，真是讓人糾結！
B: 說到「糾結」，咱們來聽聽 How to say it in American English, 今天就教這個詞！
How to say it: on the fence
Donny 在北京學漢語， 他的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎麼說的詞，就會來請教他。今天是吳瓊要問的：糾結。
Donny: Hey 吳瓊, congratulations! I heard you got a job offer.
吳瓊: 沒錯，我昨天剛接到的通知！ 這可是我夢寐以求的工作。
Donny: That’s great! You must be very excited.
吳瓊: 不過啊，我還真有點猶豫。公司要我去美國待兩年，我捨不得離開這的朋友，可又不願意放棄這個難得的機會， 實在很糾結。Donny, 糾結英文怎麼說?
Donny: 你可以說，I am torn, t-o-r-n, torn.
吳瓊: Torn? 那不是被撕裂的意思?
Donny: Well, 一邊是熟悉的生活，另一邊是難得的機會，兩個你都不想放棄，it’s like your heart is being torn in two different directions, right? 你也可以說 I’m on the fence.
吳瓊: Fence? 籬笆?
Donny: 對，中文裡說舉棋不定，英語裡說 on the fence 就好像騎在一堵圍牆上，不知道該向哪邊倒。
吳瓊: 我明白了。那你覺得我該怎麼做呢?
Donny: Maybe you should ask yourself which is the lesser of two evils. Is it worse to give up your dream job or be away from your family and friends?
吳瓊: The lesser of two evils? 兩害相權取其輕?
Donny: That’s right. Maybe when you think about it that way the answer will dawn on you.
吳瓊: Dawn on me? D-a-w-n，不是「黎明」的意思麼？
Donny: dawn on me 好像黎明驅走黑夜，讓你把問題看清楚。
吳瓊: 啊，所以我可以說 it suddenly dawned on me. 恍然大悟。
Donny: Bingo. Now let’s see what you’ve learned today.
吳瓊: 第一：糾結，拿不定主意可以說 I’m torn. 或是 I’m on the fence;
第二， 兩害相權取其輕是 the lesser of two evils.
第三：恍然大悟是 It suddenly dawned on me.
B: 楊琳，Do you have any experience choosing the lesser of two evils?
A: 我想想啊….啊，對了！我過生日的時候，有個朋友送了我一大盒巧克力，還有個朋友送了我一個大芝士蛋糕，兩個都會讓我發胖，於是我只能先吃了熱量比較小的那個…..
B: Er….I’m not sure if that’s choosing the lesser of two evils. I think it’s more like you doubled your fun.
A: 這個嘛…..不說我了，咱們還是來聽「美語三級跳」，這集裡的Eric才是真的要choose the lesser of two evils!
GoEnglish: Music─advanced
各位聽眾，大家好！今天我們為您播出「美語三級跳」節目「音樂」單元的高級課程。
P: Ernie and Beth are two students at college and they are starting a musical group together. Today Beth and Ernie are talking to Eric, who is a DJ, to ask him if he wants to join their group.
Winnie: 如果我是 Eric，一定拒絕。Beth 跟 Ernie的音樂品味可不怎麼樣。
P: Let’s see what Eric says about this.
Eric: Hey guys, thanks for inviting me to join your group. I’m pretty interested, but first I just want to know a little bit more about what you’re going to play.
Beth: Eric, it’s going to be really great! We want to be a Vanilla Ice cover band!
Eric: Umm … did you say you want to start a Vanilla Ice cover band? You’re kidding, right?
Ernie: What? Of course not! And we want you to be our DJ.
Winnie: Professor Bowman, 甚麼叫cover band?
P: Winnie, a cover band is a musical group that only plays the songs from one really famous band.
Winnie: 噢，cover band 專門翻唱某個著名樂隊的歌。所以Beth和Ernie的Vanilla Ice cover band就只唱Vanilla Ice的歌嘍！這多沒創意啊。看來Eric對這個想法也不是很感興趣。
Eric: Umm … you know guys, Vanilla Ice hasn’t been popular since the early 1990s. And even then he was pretty terrible. What about playing something more up-to-date?
Beth: You know, I like to think of him as classic. His music never really goes out of style.
Eric: Right … well what are you going to name the group?
Ernie: We’re going to call it Chocolate Ice. Get the joke? Chocolate Ice instead of Vanilla Ice?
Eric: Don’t worry, I get the joke. And if there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that everyone will be laughing at you.
Winnie: 哎呀，Beth還說Vanilla Ice的歌從不過時– “never goes out of style”! 我覺得，他的歌就從來沒有時髦過，he was never “in style” to begin with!
P: Very funny, Winnie. So, what does Eric think of the cover band’s name–Chocolate Ice?
Winnie: 他覺得這個名字太俗了，肯定會被人笑話。
Eric: You know guys, I’m not sure I can play in your group. The problem is that … rap music is violent and demeaning to women. I wouldn’t feel comfortable playing it.
Beth: That’s not true! Some rappers talk about violence, but a lot of them just talk about money.
Eric: I know… and that’s bad too! Who wants to listen to someone rap about how much money he has?
Beth: Well, if it were about nothing but guns and money, why does it appeal to so many young people?
Ernie: I agree with Beth. Besides, hip hop goes way beyond music. It’s a whole culture.
Winnie: Eric說他不喜歡嘻哈音樂，因為這種歌的內容充滿暴力，而且侮辱女性。Professor Bowman, Eric不是DJ麼？他怎麼會不喜歡時下流行的嘻哈音樂呢？
P: Well, it sounds like he may be pretending not to like hip hop music so he doesn’t have to be in the group.
Beth: Well you know Eric, our group isn’t just going to be about music. Ernie is an amazing hip hop dancer. Ernie, show him your dance moves!
Ernie: Sure!
[Music]
Eric: Wow Ernie, your dance moves are so … um … unique. I’ve definitely never seen dancing like that before.
Ernie: Thanks. Want me to teach you how to dance like me?
Eric: Uh, maybe another time. Ok guys, I’ll join your group on one condition.
Beth: Great, what’s that?
Eric: Can I play at gigs with a bag over my head?
Winnie: 看來，Eric對Ernie的熱舞不敢恭維。不過Eric說他可以加入樂隊，不過有個條件，他說的gig是甚麼意思啊？
P: A gig is a performance, usually a small and informal one. You can also call any small or informal job a gig. Eric wants to wear a bag over his head when he plays gigs because he is embarrassed to be seen with this band.
Winnie: 哈，原來如此。我明白了，gig在這裡就是演出。Eric說演出時要把頭遮住，以免丟人，我現在倒真想看看他們的表演呢！
A: 哈哈！我明白你的意思了，Eric如果拒絕加入這個傻乎乎的Vanilla Ice cover band，就會得罪朋友，可如果加入的話，everyone will be laughing at him, 大家肯定都會笑他！所以他是怎麼著，都不划算！
B: So he decided to join the band—but he’s not willing to show his face at the gigs!
A：對！ 我想，Ernie and Beth聽他這麼一說，可能也就明白了──他根本不喜歡他們的樂隊。這麼說來，Eric還是選擇了得罪朋友。
B: I guess so. Every now and then, you have to make some hard decisions that will make some people unhappy.
A: 可不是，這世上沒有十全十美的事兒。比如在下面的「禮節美語」中，Lisa 又想上班，有收入，又想上學，實現自己的夢想。能有這麼兩全其美麼？
B: 聽聽就知道了！
Business Etiquette: Continuing education II
Lisa請Shirley吃飯，說自己想回學校去讀個碩士或是博士學位，徵求Shirley的意見。Shirley說，
Shirley: I got my Master’s in Business Management. It’s helped my career, but it took several years of hard studying. If I didn’t have a supportive family and a husband with a good job, I don’t think I could have done it.
L: So you’re counseling me against this idea?
S: Not necessarily, but I do recommend taking a slow approach. Can you take some night classes or find some way to keep working while you go back to school?
L: Might be difficult.
Shirley念的商業管理碩士學位，她覺得，自己之所以能讀下來，靠的是家人的支持，和老公的高收入。Lisa問Shirley是不是勸她放棄這種想法，so you’re counseling me against it? to counsel someone against something意思是勸說某人不要做某事。Shirley說，not necessarily那也不一定。她建議Lisa慢慢來，take a slow approach, 看能不能邊工作邊選課。Lisa覺得不太實際。
S: Maybe you could get an MBA or something more marketable.
L: That’s worth considering.
S: I got my BA from Brown University. My major was Environmental Studies but that hasn’t been as useful as the business courses I took.
L: Or maybe I should just take some courses that I’m interested in, but skip the Master’s.
S: That’s another idea, but if you really have a dream, don’t let anything stop you from going for it! Going back to school is hard, but it’s not impossible.
Shirley勸Lisa考慮其他更容易找高薪工作的專業。不過，她同時也鼓勵Lisa說，if you really have a dream, don’t let anything stop you from going for it! 如果這真是你的夢想的話，那就不要讓任何事情阻擋你。
L: You’re right! I need to decide if this is truly what I want.
S: And take your time. You’re still young. Maybe there’s even a correspondence course you can take during your free time.
L: Yeah! Then I could slowly build up credits and maybe later transfer into a university program.
S: There you go! That’s some clear thinking.
L: I guess I just love learning! I remember the day my SAT test scores came back….I was so excited!
S: I don’t remember loving school quite so much….most of the time I was either bored or totally stressed out. But like I said earlier, if you have a dream, don’t let anything hold you back!
Shirley說，Lisa甚至可以抽空先選幾門correspondence course函授課程，這樣可以慢慢積攢一些學分credits, 以後如果真想讀學位，也可以用得上。她再次強調說，If you have a dream, don’t let anything hold you back. 意思是有夢想，就不要讓任何事情拉你的後腿。
A: Shirley的建議不錯，工作為主，同時take a slow approach, 慢慢積攢學分，等條件成熟了，再考慮全職讀書。
B: I’m always amazed by people like Lisa who truly enjoy learning!
A：哈哈，我看你和Shirley差不多，提起上學就頭疼，不是覺得沒勁，就是覺得太累！
B：I’d rather spend more time relaxing and having fun. 比如，打高爾夫球！
A: 上次咱們不是去打了麼，play putt putt!
B: 那是mini golf, Today, let’s play some real golf.
American sports English: golf
Y: 大家好。我是楊晨。
M: 我是Mark.
Y: Mark是個真正的高爾夫球好手。不像Partrick, 只會帶我去打put-put golf，迷你高爾夫。Mark,
I’m really excited to play regular golf today.
M: I enjoy play regular golf too. Any sport that let’s you drive around in little cars and smoke cigars while you’re playing has got to be awesome.
Y: I know! No physical exercise required at all! 可是還要smoke cigars抽雪茄?
M: You don’t have to if you don’t smoke. Are you ready to tee-off (T-E-E O-F-F)?
Y: Let’s tee-off..
M: You could say that your boss teed-off a meeting by making an opening speech.
Y:能不能不提我的老闆。It’s the weekend and I want to forget about work.
M: OK your’re right, let’s just play. This course is a par 72.
Y: A what 72?
M: A par 72. The par P-A-R of a golf course is the number of strokes it should take to complete it.
Y: Par72就是高爾夫球術語裡的標準72桿。
M: Right. If you are 5 under par, that means you used five shots less than the average to finish the course.
Y: 那 under par 在高爾夫球裡是好事，對不對?
M: Exactly! But in everyday usage, being under par is not a good thing. If something is not as good as it should be, you can say that it is sub-par (S-U-B P-A-R). For example, my Chinese skills are sub par.我的中文說得不好。
Y: Don’t be so hard on yourself. 大多數老美還不會說中文呢。
M: That’s true. Actually, you could say that in America, not speaking Chinese is par for the course. When something is par for the course, that means that it is normal, or average.
Y: I see. “Par for the course” 就是正常的， 理所當然的。我可不可以說 being lazy is par for the course for Patrick.
M: Ha, well I guess you’re right. But we shouldn’t talk behind his back.
A: 看來，從體育中起源的日常用語還真不少，今天又學了兩個，一個是 sub-par 差勁，另一個是 par for the course 常有的，普遍的。
B: Let me teach you another one. On a par with 相同的，不相上下的。
A: 那我要說，我和Donny高爾夫打得都很臭，糟糕程度不相上下，是不是可以說 I’m on a par with Donny in my lack of golfing skills?
B: 句子對，可不符合事實！
A：對！事實是你比我更差！好了，今天的節目時間差不多了。這次的撰稿人是曉北，編輯是蔚然。同學們，我們下次的美語訓練班再見!
B：Bye!
