英语博客：ESL Podcast 735 – Getting a Visa to Travel

　　Yesenia: I have a great idea. Let’s plan a big party for your mother’s 70th birthday. We’ll invite all of your relatives from all over the world.
Julian: I don’t think very many of them can afford to travel half way around the world for a party.
Yesenia: I’ve already spoken with your rich brother and he’s already offered to pay for your family’s airfare and hotel. If we plan it, he’ll pay for it.
Julian: Julio offered to do that? Well, if he’s on board then we can give it a shot. But here’s another hitch¹. My extended² family lives in a lot of different countries and I’m not sure they’ll get visas to visit the U.S., especially on short notice.
Yesenia: Let’s try, anyway. Your cousins in Canada don’t need a visa because most Canadian citizens don’t need one to cross the border. What about your uncle in Korea?
Julian: He’s already in the U.S. on an exchange visitor visa until June. He should be able to come.
Yesenia: What about your aunt in Greece?
Julian: She won’t need a visa because Greece is one of the countries in the Visa Waiver Program.
Yesenia: Do you think your nephews in South Africa will want to come?
Julian: I’m not sure what the visa situation is there. We’ll have to check with the State Department.
Yesenia: I’ll get on the horn first thing in the morning to see what I can find out. I might email them and ask them to check with the embassy³ or consulate⁴ there to be sure. This party is really shaping up.
Julian: You seem to have it all under control.
Yesenia: Haven’t you always said that party planning is my middle name?
Script⁵ by Dr. Lucy Tse

1 hitch   

v.免费搭(车旅行)；系住；急提；n.故障；急拉

参考例句：

• They had an eighty-mile journey and decided to hitch hike.他们要走80英里的路程，最后决定搭便车。
• All the candidates are able to answer the questions without any hitch.所有报考者都能对答如流。

2 extended   

adj.延伸的；伸展的；延长的；扩大的v.延伸(extend的过去式和过去分词)；伸展；延长

参考例句：

• an extended lunch hour 延长了的午餐时间
• France has greatly extended its influence in world affairs. 在世界事务中，法国的影响已大大地扩大了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

4 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

5 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。