第二單元 Individualism Means Choice!
GUIDANCE:
在本單元中,同學(xué)們將要對(duì)熱門話題:校園暴力進(jìn)行討論;感受拉瑞·金(Larry King)與美國(guó)前總統(tǒng)克林頓(Clinton)先生的對(duì)話魅力;領(lǐng)略美國(guó)前總統(tǒng) CLlinton 先生在作國(guó)情咨文時(shí)的演講風(fēng)采;體會(huì)航空*的職業(yè)辛酸;了解美國(guó)更多的“個(gè)人自由”觀念。
第一部分 Warm Up
LET’S GET HEATED
Dialogue 1
B 的房客給 B 帶來了很多麻煩,A 對(duì) B 表示同情,并建議 B 直接找房客談一談。
A:Are things still going badly with your houseguest?
B: ⑴ It’s getting worse. Now ⑵ he’s eating me out of house and home. I’ve tried talking to him but it all goes in one ear and out the other. He makes himself at home, which is fine. But what really ⑶ gets me is that yesterday he walked into the living room ⑷ in the raw and I had company over! ⑸ That was the last straw.
A:Jim, I really think *you’re beating around the ⑹ bush with this guy. *I know he used to be your best friend in college, but I really think it’s time to lay down the law.
B:You’re right. Everything is probably going to come to a head tonight. I’ll keep you informed.
【詞句解析】
⑴ It’s getting worse.:重讀 worse,表示心中很郁悶。
⑵ He’s eating me out of house and home:美國(guó)俚語,意思是“把屋里所有的東西都吃光了”。
⑶ get me:這是口語的不完整說法,應(yīng)為“gets me angry”。在口語中,雙方的交流在沒有完整語法的情況下,也一樣能完成,這要靠人的共通性。
You get me. 你問住我了。(當(dāng)有人問你一些比較尷尬的問題時(shí),可以用這句來回答)
⑷ in the raw:這里的意思是“裸體”。
⑸ That was the last straw:美國(guó)俚語,意思是“That was all I could tolerate—我再不能忍受了”。
⑹ bush:意思是“矮樹叢”。
【思維解析】
1. You’re beating around the bush
這是美國(guó)的俚語,意思是說“你太含蓄了”。事實(shí)上,美國(guó)人是非常外向型的,但也有含蓄的。多數(shù)美國(guó)人對(duì)含蓄持否定態(tài)度,因?yàn)樗麄冋J(rèn)為那樣會(huì)使本來很復(fù)雜的社會(huì)變得更復(fù)雜。
中國(guó)認(rèn)為沉默是金,最高境界是話外有話,弦外有音。美國(guó)人會(huì)覺得沉默寡言的人是freak,美國(guó)人很喜歡的一句話:wear your heart on your sleeves (把你的心戴在你的袖子上),美國(guó)人更喜歡直接去表達(dá)自己的感情。美國(guó)人喜歡調(diào)動(dòng)所有的細(xì)胞去表達(dá)自己的感情,中國(guó)人更偏向笑不露齒,把語言和感情割裂開來,這樣是很不好的。例如:I am happy.(請(qǐng)練習(xí)有感情的說這句話)
2. I know he used to be your best friend in college, but I really think it’s time to lay down the law
這句話很好地體現(xiàn)美國(guó)人做事的原則,我們中國(guó)也有類似的理念,如:“親兄弟,明算帳”,但我們?cè)趫?zhí)行時(shí),就和美國(guó)人有本質(zhì)的差別。
中國(guó)人總是原則很強(qiáng),但是真的做的時(shí)候就不好說了,中國(guó)人比較看重錢。 美國(guó)人在任何時(shí)候總是在強(qiáng)調(diào): “you are on your own and I am on my own.”,盡管是兄弟,我們還都是獨(dú)立的個(gè)體,需要充分的互相尊重。可能在錢上的體現(xiàn)還好,但是美國(guó)人在individual freedom上會(huì)特別的獨(dú)立。中國(guó)人會(huì)比較愛把自己的意識(shí)強(qiáng)加于他人,覺得這是為他人好。