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現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 958講。我是楊琳。<美國習慣用語>
M:我是 Douglas Johnson.
女:我有個好消息！我們的園藝俱樂部終于又要聚會了！前段時間，我們的成員之間鬧了點不愉快。有些人想繼續種植原來的花草，而另外一些人希望引進新品種，兩派意見談不攏，弄得我們差點散伙。不過最后大家還是達成一致，和好如初。這讓我想到一句習慣用語，那就是:
M:Clean slate. Clean is spelled c-l-e-a-n; and slate; s-l-a-t-e, slate.
大家都知道，clean是干凈的，slate是石板的意思。連起來，Clean slate, 干凈的石板，引伸出來就是“盡棄前嫌，重新開始”的意思。像上面的例子中，俱樂部成員最終克服了彼此間的矛盾，盡棄前嫌，重新開始。在下面這個例子中，Jeremy未來如何？我們來聽聽他的朋友是怎么說的:
M:"Jeremy had a terrible gambling problem. He got into such bad debt that he lost his house and his car. Eventually, he received counseling. And a court allowed him to declare bankruptcy. That's given him the CLEAN SLATE he needed. He's slowly rebuilding his life."
[這段話是說: 杰里米以前賭博上癮，結果欠了很多債，房子和車子都沒了。最后，他接受了心理咨詢，法院也允許他宣布破產，這給了他重新開始的機會。他正在慢慢地重新建立自己的生活。 ]
女:他其實很幸運。很多嗜賭的人都有類似問題，而銀行不會讓每個人都宣布破產。這個詞也讓我想到現在美國國會山上的政治辯論。公眾對政治家爭吵不休，而又無法達成任何結果很不滿意，我想下次選舉，可能很多議員都會失去席位! A CLEAN SLATE might be just what it will take to meet the voters' expectations. 選民們希望選舉出新的議員，重新開始。
好了，讓我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"Jeremy had a terrible gambling problem. He got into such bad debt that he lost his house and his car. Eventually, he received counseling. And a court allowed him to declare bankruptcy. That's given him the CLEAN SLATE he needed. He's slowly rebuilding his life."
上面我們說到，如果你不滿意代表自己的議員，下次不選他就是了。可是，如果你對自己的家人心存不滿，要怎么辦呢？或許下面的例子能給你一些啟發，讓我們來聽聽看:
M:"My sister and I used to argue constantly. Sometimes we wouldn't speak to each other for days. Then our mom was diagnosed with cancer. And we decided that we didn't want to go on fighting with each other anymore. We started with a CLEAN SLATE. What happened in the past was behind us."
[這段話是說: 我妹妹和我過去經常吵架，有時一連好幾天彼此誰也不理誰。可自從知道媽媽被診斷出得了癌癥后，我們就決定再也這樣沒完沒了地爭吵了。過去的都過去了，我們決定重新開始。]
女:是啊，有時候從不幸的事情里面，也會在其他方面得到好的結果。上面的例子里，如果這兩個姐妹的媽媽不生病，她們可能一直都這樣吵吵鬧鬧。They decided to leave the past behind them and start with a clean slate. 她們決定盡棄前嫌，重新開始。好的，我們再來聽聽剛才那段話:
M:"My sister and I used to argue constantly. Sometimes we wouldn't speak to each other for days. Then our mom was diagnosed with cancer. And we decided that we didn't want to go on fighting with each other anymore. We started with a CLEAN SLATE. What happened in the past was behind us."
今天我們學習的習慣用語是CLEAN SLATE，意思是“盡棄前嫌，重新開始”。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。
A:Kat, let's start with a clean slate. 快把剛才的不愉快忘了吧！
B:Haha, it's alright 楊琳。I was up all night trying to finish this report, so I'm a little bit cranky today.
A:Awww, 原來是這樣！我也是，一睡不好就影響情緒，容易發飆。不過我一般需要9個小時的嬰兒睡眠，所以開夜車對我來說簡直就是不可能！
B:Well, as I said, I'm an expert at this. Basically, you have to prepare a lot of fruits and vegetables, and most importantly, tons of coffee!
A:你還真是經驗挺足哈！正好，今天咱們的美語怎么說就要教這個開夜車，咱們趕快來學學有關熬夜的詞兒吧！
B:Let's listen!
MC:Jessica 在北京學中文，她的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎么說的詞，就會來請教她。今天是怡茹要問的: 開夜車。
Jessica:怡茹, why do you look so tired?
YR:這幾天又復習又考試，累得我眼睛都快睜不開啦! 昨天晚上，我復習了一個通宵啊! I drove a night car!
Jessica:You drove a night car?
YR:對啊! 我開了一宿夜車! 難道不是這么說的？
Jessica:哈哈，you should use the phrase "pull an all-nighter." It means you spent the whole night studying or working to meet a deadline.
YR:哦，整宿學習工作不睡覺，就是 pull an all-nighter. 唉! 都怪我平時沒好好復習，期末考試前只能臨時抱佛腳!
Jessica:You're not alone, Yiru! A lot of college students pull all-nighters for exams. You can also use the phrase "cram session." It means an intense period of study before a critical exam.
YR:C-r-a-m, cram, 是倉促備考的意思，所以 a cram session 就是考前的突擊復習。正說呢，My study group will have a cram session this afternoon for tomorrow's exam. Hopefully we can get everything done before midnight so that I don't have to pull an all-nighter again!
Jessica:Take it easy, Yiru. Isn't your exam tomorrow an open-book test?
YR:Open-book test? 哦，你是說開卷考試吧？沒錯，這門是開卷，可老師對開卷考試的答案要求更高。我可不想考砸了!
Jessica:You won't bomb it. You're a smart girl!
YR:你說“bomb"--那不是轟炸的意思么？我猜這就是說沒考好，對么？
Jessica:Exactly.
YR:那要是不及格，掛科了，怎么說呢？
Jessica:Then you can use the verb "flunk", f-l-u-n-k, flunk. It means you fail to pass an exam.
YR:I don't want to flunk my exam, so—I gotta go!
Jessica:Before you go, tell me what you've learned today!
YR:第一，開夜車，通宵學習工作，叫 pull an all-nighter; 考試前的突擊復習叫 cram session;
第二，開卷考試是 open-book test;
第三，考試考砸了用動詞 bomb, 不及格則用 flunk!
這次的"美語怎么說"就到這里了。如果你也有不會說的詞，請寫信給Jessica, 電郵請寄meiyu@voanews.com
A:Open-book exam, 開卷考試，這個我喜歡！
B:Well actually, open-book exams can be hard. I prefer closed-book exams with a cheat-sheet.
A:Cheat-sheet? 這難道是……小抄?
B:呵呵，我可不會教大家作弊! A cheat sheet is a certain sized card that you can write all your formulas on, so you don't have to remember them by heart!
A:原來這就是公式卡！真人性化！我記得我高中的時候，成天背數學公式，腦袋都要爆炸了！
B:Yeah. Remembering formulas can be annoying. But apart from the pop quizzes and homework, high school can be fun as well! Just think of all the parties and gossip!
A:哈哈，也是。在今天的美語三級跳里，咱們就去體會一下美國的高中生活與我們的有什么不同！
High School:beginner
