評論
打印
A: 大家好，歡迎收聽美語訓練班！我是楊琳！
B: 我是Kat！楊琳,今天我們教什么呢？
A: 今天，咱們要去找路, 去劃船，要聊聊買新車還是二手車, 還要告訴大家怎么用美語說“掛羊頭賣狗肉”。
B: 狗肉？Er... I have a dog. I don't want to...
A: 哈哈，別緊張，這只是個說法而已。
B: Okay. My dog will be happy to know that!
A: 讓他放心吧！哈哈！好，節目一開始，咱們還是先來學個詞兒！
Learn A Word #1356 set aside
今天我們要學的詞是set aside. Set is spelled s-e-t; and aside, a-s-i-d-e, aside; set aside. Set aside有留出，撥出的意思。比如，He set aside $200 each week and put it in his rainy day fund. 他每周都留出200美元存起來，以備不時之需。I always set aside time to exercise no matter how busy I am. 不管多忙，我都要留出鍛煉身體的時間。在美國運通信用卡公司的倡導下，Every November, one Saturday is set aside as Small Business Saturday, to encourage people to buy from small businesses. 每年11月都會有一個星期六是“小企業日”，鼓勵消費者買小企業生產的產品。好的，今天我們學習的詞是set aside, set aside, set aside.
A: I set aside time to go for a walk every day no matter how busy I am. 我不管多忙，每天都要出去散散步。
B: Good for you! I hope I could do that too, but I have so much work to do. I'm breaking my back to impress my boss.
A: 啊？為了給領導留下好印象，你只好把后背給扭了？
B: Stop teasing me, 楊林！You know what I meant by "breaking my back!"
A: 呵呵，我是知道，可是很多聽眾可能還不明白，所以咱們就來聽聽今天的美國習慣用語吧！
Words and idioms 946
Words and Idioms #946
女: 各位聽眾，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 946講。我是楊琳。
M: 我是 Douglas Johnson.
女: 昨天我接到我妹妹的電話。她告訴我，她男朋友這才第一個星期到咨詢公司上班，就已經忙得見不到人了！她說這間公司把人女人當男人用，男人當牲口用，她男朋友每天都工作到晚上12點，還得把工作帶回家，非常辛苦。這讓我想到了一個習慣用語，那就是：
M：Break one's Back. Break is spelled b-r-e-a-k, and back; b-a-c-k. Break one's Back.
女: 我們知道，Break這個詞本身是“打碎”的意思，而Break one's back,背都打碎了，引申的意思就是“非常辛苦地工作”。我妹妹的男朋友工作非常辛苦，Working as a consultant in this company will break your back. 在這間咨詢公司上班非常辛苦。下面這個例句是一個兒子談到他媽媽為子女所作的犧牲，讓我們來聽聽看：
M: "Mom always wanted my sister and me to enjoy a better life than she had. That meant working two jobs for many years to afford what we needed. She BROKE HER BACK. But, as a result, I became a surgeon and my sister, a concert pianist. We would never have become so successful without our mother's great sacrifices. "
這段話是說：“媽媽一直希望我和妹妹能過上比她更好的生活。她多年來一直身兼兩份工作來滿足我們的所需。她一直非常辛苦。但是現在，我成了一名外科醫生，而我妹妹成了一名鋼琴演奏家。如果沒有媽媽的犧牲，我們絕不可能取得這樣的成功。”
女: 是啊。母親為孩子的犧牲真的很讓人感動。這也是美國很多第一代移民的處境。他們為了讓子女享受到他們沒有享受到的生活，一生都非常辛苦地工作。The parents of immigrant families are willing to BREAK THEIR BACKS in order to give their kids a better life. 移民家庭的父母非常辛苦地工作, 想讓孩子過上更好的生活。 好，讓我們再來聽聽上面那段話。
M: "Mom always wanted my sister and me to enjoy a better life than she had. That meant working two jobs for many years to afford what we needed. She BROKE HER BACK. But, as a result, I became a surgeon and my sister, a concert pianist. We would never have become so successful without our mother's great sacrifices. "
女: 上面我們談到很多人辛勤工作，但是啊，也有恰恰相反的人。有些人，從來都不愿意付出一點努力。我們來聽聽下面這個例子：
M: "My neighbor across the street is one of the laziest people I know. Just about every day, he's out drinking beer on his front porch. Yet his house is falling apart and his yard is full of junk. It would take a lot of effort to get the place in good condition. Unfortunately, I can't imagine him ever BREAKING HIS BACK."
這段話是說：[住在對面的鄰居是我見過的最懶的人。他每天在門口走廊上喝啤酒，可房子卻是東倒西歪，院子里堆滿了垃圾。要把那里清理干凈得花好大功夫。不過，我可無法想象他會辛苦地去整理。]
女: 自己家的院子都不愿意收拾，可真夠懶的！在這里，我們也可以用 neck, n-e-c-k 來代替，"BREAK ONE'S NECK" 一樣也是辛苦工作的意思。I can't imagine him break his neck for anything! 我想沒有什么能讓他去辛勤工作。好，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M: "My neighbor across the street is one of the laziest people I know. Just about every day, he's out drinking beer on his front porch. Yet his house is falling apart and his yard is full of junk. It would take a lot of effort to get the place in good condition. Unfortunately, I can't imagine him ever BREAKING HIS BACK."
各位聽眾，今天我們學習的習慣用語是Break one's Back，意思是“非常辛苦地工作”。好的，這次[美國習慣用語]就到此結束，我是楊琳，我是 Douglas Johnson。謝謝各位的收聽。
