VOA英语教学：美语训练班 107

 　　A: 欢迎大家来到这期的美语训练班! 我是杨琳!

　　B: 我是Mike! 杨琳，来告诉大家今天都要学什么!

　　A: 好! 今天，我们要一起来聊聊慈善捐款，看看如何表达货真价实，还要告诉你如何自控!

　　B: Yeah, I put aside some money for charity every year. Even though I don't have a big paycheck, I feel like it's everyone's job to help those who are in need.

　　A: 哇，可以嘛 Mike!  I didn't know you had such a noble heart!

　　B: Of course! Well...we'll save this for later in the show. For now let's begin our lesson with....

　　A: Learn a word!

　　Learn A Word 1748 prepaid

　　今天我们要学的词是 prepaid. Prepaid is spelled p-r-e-p-a-i-d, prepaid. Prepaid 预付的。Many states in the U.S. offer prepaid tuition plans for public universities. 美国很多州都提供预付公立大学学费的计划。Justin Bieber is launching a new prepaid debit card aimed at teens. 贾斯汀.比伯准备发行一个新的借记卡，主要吸引十几岁的青少年用户。一项最近研究显示，People between the age of 18 to 34 are more likely than other age groups to consider using a prepaid card instead of a checking account. 18岁到34岁的人，比其他年龄层的人更愿意使用预付卡，而不是活期银行帐户。好的，今天我们学习的词是 prepaid, prepaid, prepaid...

　　A:I guess prepaid cards are safer than credit cards.  You can't over spend since there is only so much money on the card.

　　B: They certainly can help you better manage your budget, but you need to be careful as well. One time I bought a gift card for my mom, but it turned out that there was less money on the card than what the store advertised!

　　A: Yep, you need to make sure you have the real McCoy.

　　B: Exactly! Our audience probably are wondering what "the real McCoy" is! Let's check out today's words and idioms!

　　Words and Idioms 835 THE REAL McCOY

　　美国习惯用语第 835 讲

　　常听人说，如果什么事听上去好得难以想象，那八成就是骗人的。我的一个朋友不久前在小摊上买了一块钻石，只要一百块。我告诉她，这么大小的钻石在商店里起码要花三百块。结果她到珠宝店去鉴定，发现钻石是假的。这倒让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，

　　M: The real McCoy. McCoy is spelled M-c-C-o-y. The-real-McCoy. The real McCoy.

　　大家也许会问，McCoy 是什么意思。其实啊，这个词没有意思，而是一个人名。The real McCoy 这个习惯用语的意思是“货真价实的，不是假冒仿造的”。刚才说到我的一个朋友贪便宜，结果买了一颗假钻石，就跟大街上的伪造名牌皮包和手表一样，It was not The real McCoy.下面例子里的这位男士也被假象蒙住了眼睛，不过好在没有金钱上的损失，让我们一起听听他是怎么说的。

　　M: "I haven't traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn't understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I'm rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I'll have to fly to Paris!"

　　这个人说：我很少出门旅行。这次到拉斯维加斯去，居然看到了埃菲尔铁塔，我真搞不懂，巴黎的标志怎么会跑到了内华达，最后发现，原来是仿造的，我可真够傻的。如果真想站在埃菲尔铁塔前面照相，我还得飞到巴黎去。

　　确实，我最近刚去过拉斯维加斯，那里的赌场都有自己的名堂，在拉斯维加斯大道上，不仅能看到埃菲尔铁塔，还能看到纽约的自由女神像呢。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

　　M:  "I haven't traveled much. So when I visited Las Vegas, I was shocked to see the Eiffel Tower. I just couldn't understand what the symbol of France was doing in Nevada. Well, it turned out to be an impressive replica. I guess I'm rather gullible. If I really want my picture in front of THE REAL McCOY, I'll have to fly to Paris!"

　　我这次在拉斯维加斯看了一场演出，表演者模仿的是猫王。他从穿着打扮到举止声音，都酷似猫王，简直让人觉得 He is THE REALY McCOY.

　　在刚刚过去的2008年总统大选中，奥巴马改写了美国历史，成为第一位非洲裔总统。但与此同时，共和党的副总统候选人佩林也出尽了风头，让我们听听这是为什么。

　　M: "Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with."

　　这个人说：佩林州长成为共和党有史以来的第一位女性副总统候选人。虽然很多评论人士对她不以为然，但她所到之处，都会吸引很多支持者，他们在佩林身上看到了跟普通政客不同的地方。对他们来说，佩林是一个真实的人，能设身处地地理解人民的疾苦。

　　也许再过四年，佩林又会出现在共和党的选票上，谁知道呢！好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

　　M: "Governor Sarah Palin became the first woman to run for Vice President as part of a Republican ticket. While many critics dismissed her candidacy, she drew huge crowds at campaign stops across the U.S. Supporters found her refreshingly different from typical politicians. To them, she was THE REAL McCOY, a genuine person that they could identify with."

　　对于 THE REAL McCOY 这个习惯用语的出处，研究辞源的专家们有不同见解。有的说 THE REAL McCOY 是从19世纪80年代中期一个苏格兰威士忌的广告来的；有的说是从美国19世纪晚期一个臭名昭著的家族纷争来的；还有人说 McCoy 是美国历史上一个有名的牧场主、或是造船主、或是走私酒的人。最为大家接受的说法是，THE REAL McCOY 跟二十世纪一个著名的拳击冠军有关，他为了防止别人盗用自己的名号，取名 Kid McCoy.

　　好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。我是杨晨，我是 Douglas Johnson。好的，这次节目的制作人是胡小玲。谢谢各位的收听。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

　　下次节目再见。

　　A: 没错! 这次我回北京，满大街人都背着LV包! Although I think at least half of them are not the real McCoy.

　　B: Well...personally I  think knock-offs are not all that bad. I really can't understand why people would spend over 2000 dollars on a bag! It's just a bag! If I had that kind of money to spend, I would rather give it to charity to help those who are less fortunate!

　　A: Wow, good for you Mike! Speaking of which, I've already spent my entire paycheck for the month. Do you wanna...maybe...buy me lunch today?

　　B: Ha, I'm talking about people who really need help. But....I guess lunch is OK!

　　A: Deal! 咱们言归正传，  In today's business etiquette, we will touch on the topic of giving to charity. Let's check it out!

　　礼节美语 Giving to a Charity part 1

　　公司开会，讨论慈善捐款的问题，Michael说：

　　Michael: Ok, folks....It's been a tough year, but we're going to stick with our tradition and give our usual yearly amount. Any suggestions?

　　Frank: Perhaps we could donate to my church's missionary group. I know a couple other good Christian organizations that could use some help.

　　Jenny: Um....if I might interject. I don't have a problem with religious charities but I do object to any proselytizing.

　　虽然公司不景气，但还是打算依惯例捐款。Frank 建议捐给基督教团体，但是 Jenny 反对向特定宗教色彩的团体捐助，避免支持某一宗教之嫌。p-r-o-s-e-l-y-t-i-z-e proselytize 是劝人信教的意思。

　　M: Ok, that's a good point to think about. We want the donations to reflect the entire company so we should avoid anything controversial.

　　Gina: I was thinking perhaps we could give to more international causes. The victims of that horrible earthquake in China still need a lot of help.

　　F: How about the Red Cross? They have a pretty good track record, right?

　　G: Yeah, let's give them 10%.

　　M, G, J: Agreed.

　　Michael 同意 Jenny 的看法，因为捐助代表整个公司，应该避免任何争议。Gina 提议捐给国际慈善事业，比如说中国地震灾民。Frank 提出，红十字会的记录就不错，track record 记录。大家同意把百分之十的钱捐给红十字会。

　　J: I was doing some research before this meeting and I found a great website called CharityWatch.org. They have lots of tips about avoiding fraud and giving to the right organizations. Did you know that nearly 70,000 new American charity groups were founded just last year?

　　F: Wow....that's a lot of choices. It's kind of daunting!

　　M: So should we stick with the tried and proven groups or should we branch out?

　　Jenny 说，有个叫“charitywatch.org”的网站，上面有不少如何选择慈善团体的建议，去年一年，美国就成立了七万个慈善团体。Michael 问大家，我们是循规蹈矩，还是做一些新的尝试呢？  stick with the tried and proven groups 是指经过证明可靠的慈善团体。

　　G: Here's an interesting one. A group called "Water-4-Africa" sponsors water-purifying kits that can help eliminate serious diseases.

　　M: I like it. All in favor?

　　G, F,: Yes.

　　J: It sounds good. But I think I should do a bit more research. The American Institute of Philanthropy suggests we check to see how much of the funds they use for direct charity work and how much goes to administration costs.

　　F: You know, Jenny has a point. All these groups look good on paper, but you never know.

　　Gina 提到一个为非洲提供洁净水的团体，大家都觉得不错。但是 Jenny 表示，应该再调查一下，看看捐款有多少直接用于慈善项目，多少是给工作人员发工资的。Frank 觉得 Jenny 言之有理，Jenny has a point. 这些团体写得都很冠冕堂皇，All these groups look good on paper. 但实际操作就不一定了。

　　A: So you mentioned earlier that you do charity work. What kind of work do you do then?

　　B: I help out at a local soup kitchen a couple of times a month.

　　A: Yeah, I'm going to donate some of my clothes to Goodwill this weekend. I'm never going to wear them, so I think they should go to those who need them!

　　A: Good for you! Now Let's keep listening to Jenny and Michael.

　　礼节美语 Giving to a Charity part II

　　公司开会，讨论慈善捐款的问题，Jenny 建议事先调查一下，某个慈善团体的项目资金和行政开支的比例：

　　J: The recommendation is that 60% of funds should go to projects with no more than 40% going to the charity's own costs.

　　M: Here's another good website: CharityNavigator.org. You can search specific groups and check their ratings. The Red Cross is number five in the "Most Recommended Charities."

　　G: There's also animal-related groups. How about the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals?

　　F: They're number four on the list. Sounds good.

　　一般的开支规范是，慈善团体要将百分之六十的捐款用于慈善项目，行政开支不得超过百分之四十。Michael 提到了一个叫“CharityNavigator.org”的网站，在该网站推荐的慈善团体中，红十字会排名第五，反对虐待动物社团排名第四。

　　J: World Vision is number one. They're a Christian group that provides lot of medical assistance in Asia and Africa.

　　M: And of course, while we all enjoy doing a good deed, we do need to ensure that the company can get a tax break from our contributions.

　　G: I'll double check that donations to each of those groups are in fact tax-deductible.

　　向亚洲和非洲提供医疗帮助的基督教团体“世界视野” 名列第一。Michael 提醒说，做好事的同时，也要保证公司的捐款能抵税。We do need to ensure that the company get a tax break from our contributions. Gina 说，她会 double check 查清楚，这些慈善捐款都是能够抵税的，tax-deductible.

　　F: I just had a thought. Every year we give corporate donations and that's all well and good, but we might consider giving our time instead.

　　G: Interesting! You mean like volunteering? I like it.

　　M: Hummm.... that could work. Any specific suggestions?

　　F: Well, we all have our pet causes. Gina is an animal lover. I have church projects. Jenny is a computer genius....we all have something we could teach or offer.

　　Frank 建议，在捐款的同时，也可以用做义工的方式为慈善事业出力，这一建议受到了大家的肯定。Frank 说，we all have our pet causes. 我们都有自己热衷的事情 pet causes。Gina 喜欢动物，我积极参加教会的活动项目，而 Jenny 是个电脑天才。

　　J: That idea is very worth considering. In some ways, that's a lot more meaningful than giving money.

　　G: Yeah. Even doing something simple like volunteering to answer the phone lines at the Red Cross can be a huge help.

　　M: Ok, how about if we give half of our contribution as donations and for the other half we give our time or expertise to the group of our choice?

　　All: Agreed!

　　大家都觉得这个主意不错。Jenny 说，从某种角度说，这比给钱更有意义。That's a lot more meaningful than giving money. 最后大家一致同意，捐款只做为慈善募捐的一部分，另外一部分由大家自己挑选慈善团体，为它们贡献时间或是专业技能。

　　A: 我也觉得贡献自己的时间比给钱更有心! I remember one time I went to an organization to help teach "English as a Second Language" courses, I felt so good helping immigrants learn English!

　　B: It's always better to give than to receive. There is this place that I go to every Wednesday. Basically we help kids with ADHD learn how to concentrate. Since I had ADHD when I was a kid, I learned self-control the hard way.  I want to share my experience so these kids can have a easier time than I did.

　　A: 你的形象简直都高大了! Now let's look at how to use the word "self-control"!

　　Learn A Word 1750 self-control

　　今天我们要学的词是 self-control. Self-control is spelled self, s-e-l-f, self, and control, c-o-n-t-r-o-l, control, self-control. Self-control 自控。A growing body of research suggests that there is a link between low levels of self-control in childhood and serious problems later in life. 越来越多的研究显示，孩子小时候缺乏自控能力会导致长大成人后的很多问题。还有研究发现，If you're struggling with self-control, the best way to achieve it is to surround yourself with strong-willed friends. 如果你缺乏自控能力的话，最好的办法就是多交一些意志力坚强的朋友。好的，今天我们学习的词是 self-control, self-control, self-control...

　　A: 缺乏自控，就交一些自控能力很强的朋友。这靠谱! 环境真的会影响人! 这就是近朱者赤，近墨者黑啦!

　　B: Exactly.  Yang Lin, now that you work with ME everyday, I guess...we can expect an improvement in your productivity and creativity.

　　A: Ugh....I think the only thing that I'm going to improve on is my eating ability!

　　B: Hey!

　　A: 哈哈，好了好了，不开玩笑了! 我们来听今天的最后一个环节:美国习惯用语!

　　Words and Idioms 836 METHOD TO ONE'S MADNESS

　　美国习惯用语第 836 讲

　　我上个月坐火车到纽约去看朋友，上车后刚要坐下，旁边座位上的女乘客就开始很大声的自言自语，看上去好像不太正常，吓得我只好在过道对面远远地坐下。后来我注意到，每次有人要在这个女的旁边坐下，她就会开始自言自语，如果没人，她就很安静。我这才恍然大悟，原来她是在装疯卖傻，为了就是不让别人坐在自己身边。这也让我想起了今天要学的习惯用语，

　　M: Method to one's madness. Method is spelled m-e-t-h-o-d, and madness; madness; m-a-d-n-e-s-s. Method-to-one's-madness. Method to one's madness.

　　在中文里，method 是方式方法；madness 是疯狂。我们说 Method to one's madness，意思是表面看似疯狂的举止，其实有它隐含的目的。刚才说到的火车上的那个女人，为了不让别人坐在自己身边而装疯卖傻。我们就可以说，There was a Method to her madness. 在生活中，让人摸不着头脑的事情有很多，但是仔细分析，往往又会发现其中的道理。让我们一起听听下面这个孩子的回忆。

　　M: "When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS."

　　这个人说：小时候，爸爸常常带我开车到处跑，我原来以为他是开车出去兜风，后来才明白，他是在找便宜的加油站。我早该明白，他开车莫名其妙地到处走不是没有目的的。

　　其实，很多人都干过这种事，开车到处跑，就为了找个便宜的加油站，特别是油价特别贵的时候。不过，也不能离家太远，否则花在路上的汽油钱刨去省下来的钱，也就所剩无几了。好的，让我们再来听听上面那段话。

　　M: "When I was a kid, my dad used to take long drives around the state I grew up in. I thought he wanted to go sightseeing. Then I realized he was looking around for the service station offering the cheapest price on gas. I should have known there was a reasonable explanation for those odd road trips. Yes, there was a METHOD TO HIS MADNESS."

　　说到省钱，我爷爷可不是一般人，我还记得小时候到爷爷家去，看到他攒了很多空的铁罐子，后来我才发现，他把这些铁罐子整齐地摆放在一起，上面铺块布，然后睬在上面够东西。虽说我肯定不会这样做，但至少 I saw a METHOD TO THEIR MADNESS. 下面例子里有人别出心裁，为了涨工资而背水一战。让我们一起听听看。

　　M: "My colleagues assumed I'd gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!"

　　这个人说：我宣布要辞去销售部副经理的职务，同事们都以为我疯了。没人会想到，我这样做其实是为了逼着老板给我升职。我的计划居然成功了，怎么样，我看似疯狂的举动其实是有目的的。

　　这个人可真够意思，不过我还是建议，想升职的朋友不要效仿他的做法，搞不好连饭碗都丢了。好，我们再听一下上面的例句。

　　M: "My colleagues assumed I'd gone crazy when I threatened to resign my position as assistant sales manager. What none of them suspected was that I wanted the boss to give me a promotion. And it worked. Within a week I was running the department. See, there was a METHOD TO MY MADNESS!"

　　有时候，大家也会听到有人说，METHOD IN ONE'S MADNESS，特别是在英式英语里面。METHOD IN ONE'S MADNESS 跟 METHOD TO ONE'S MADNESS 两种说法的意思是一样的。莎氏比亚的名著《哈姆雷特》里面就曾出现过这个习惯用语。

　　好的，这次美国习惯用语就到此结束了。

　　M: This has been Words and Idioms. Until next time.

　　下次节目再见。

　　A: Wow....threatening you are going to resign to get a raise?(Pause)  Mike, I think you should go try it!

　　B: I don't need threats to get a raise, my work performance speaks for itself.

　　A:.....好了同学们，这次节目时间就到这里了。

　　B: Tune in next time for American English Mosaic!

　　A: See you next time!