2011年ESL之餐饮娱乐 09 An Exclusive Guest List_在线英语听力室

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09 An Exclusive Guest List

draft – an early version of a written document that is incomplete and/or hasmany errors and needs to be edited and changed at least one time before thefinal version if ready to be shared with other people

* How many drafts did you write before trying to get your novel published?

guest list – the names of all the people one expects to come to a party or event

* The guest list includes the bride and groom’s relatives and closest friends.

invitation – a written card or letter asking someone to come to a party or eventand providing all the important information like the date, time, and place, as wellas what the person should wear and bring

* We received an invitation for a summer barbeque, and it says we should bringour own beer.

to go back and forth² – to be unable to make a decision; to believe something isright or correct and then change one’s mind and believe another thing is right orcorrect, repeating the process many times without being able to decide or choose

* Yolanda keeps going back and forth about that dress, because she likes it a lot,but she doesn’t really have enough money to buy something that expensive.

has-been – someone who was well-known, popular, and powerful in the past,but is not important or influential³ anymore

* He had some success early in his career, but he hasn’t done anythingworthwhile in the past 10 years. He’s a has-been.

A-list – the most popular and wealthiest performers, especially actors andsingers

* Movies can make a lot more money if they have A-list actors.

on the fence – unable to make a decision about something because one cansee reasons for and against making a particular choice

* Isaiah is on the fence about whether he should accept the job offer, because itseems like a great opportunity, but he would have to move across the country.

D-lister – an actor who is not well-known or popular

* I’ve never met any celebrities⁴ – not even a D-lister!

exclusive – something that is desirable and available to only a small group ofpeople, because not everyone is popular, beautiful, powerful, or rich enough tohave or do it

* Only members of the club can take advantage of this exclusive offer.

to rub elbows with (someone) – to spend time with famous, rich, and powerfulpeople, especially at parties or important events

* This conference will be a great opportunity to rub elbows with industry leaders.

VIP – a very important person; someone who has a lot of power and influenceand is treated with respect for that reason

* The best parking spaces are reserved for the company’s VIPs.

to exclude – to not include someone; to not allow someone to have, do, orparticipate in something

* People who make more than $40,000 per year are excluded from our financialassistance programs.

celebrity⁵ – a person who is very famous, especially an actor or singer

* When they were in Los Angeles, they went on a tour to see celebrity homes inHollywood.

gatecrasher – a person who goes to a party even though he or she was notinvited

* That’s going to be the best party of the year! Even if I don’t get an invitation, I’llgo as a gatecrasher.

to buff up – to improve or polish something; to make something slightly better

* You’d be much more likely to get a job offer if you buffed up your appearancefor interviews.

if push comes to shove – a phrase used to indicate that one will do somethingif the situation becomes very bad or difficult and that action becomes necessary

* I think most parents would steal to feed their children, if push comes to shove.

to bomb – to fail very badly; to a very poor job

* Their first album bombed, but their second album is a huge success.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Ralph mean when he says, “I’m on the fence about him”?

a) He’s waiting to hear back from him.

b) He’s trying to find his contact information.

c) He hasn’t decided⁶ whether or not to invite him.

2. What does Catherine mean when she says, “this party has bombed”?

a) The party is very disappointing.

b) There was a bomb threat.

c) There were too many guests at the party.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

draft

The word “draft,” in this podcast, means an early, incomplete version of a writtendocument: “When you write your first draft, try not to worry too much aboutspecific words and phrases. You can always edit what you’ve written later.” A“draft” can also refer to a breeze or wind that comes through a crack in a wall,door, or window: “Do you believe you can get sick by sitting in a draft while yourhair is wet?” In sports, “the draft” is the process teams use to pick new players:

“Who do you think will be picked first in the draft?” Finally, “the draft” is theprocess where the government tells people they must fight in a war: “NormallyU.S. military service is voluntary, but during a war, all young men mustparticipate in the draft.”

to buff up

In this podcast, the phrase “to buff up” means to improve or polish something, orto make something slightly better: “Gracie is taking a class in public speaking tobuff up her presentation skills.” The phrase “to buff up” can also mean to makeone’s muscles larger and more defined or toned by lifting weights: “He spendshours every day at the gym, trying to buff up.” The verb “to buff” means to rubsomething with a cloth to make it clean and shiny: “If you buff this silver vase, itwill look like new again.” Finally, an old-fashioned children’s game called “blindman’s bluff” is played by having one child cover his or her eyes and then try tocatch the other children who are running around him or her.

CULTURE NOTE

Famous GatecrashersProbably the most “infamous” (famous for doing something bad or wrong)gatecrashers “in recent history” (in the past few years) are Michaele and TareqSalahi. They are a married couple from the state of Virginia who attended a“state dinner” (an official meal organized for the leaders of two or more countriesto meet) at the “White House” (the home and offices of the U.S. President)without an invitation.

The state dinner was held on November 24, 2009 for Indian Prime MinisterManmohan Singh. “Somehow” (without being able to explain the reasons) theSalahis were able to “pass through” (walk through or past) the “securitycheckpoints” (places where security guards stop unauthorized people fromentering and authorized⁷ people from bringing prohibited items) to enter the WhiteHouse, where they met President Obama, Prime Minister Singh, and other “highprofile”

(important and well-known) politicians and businesspeople.

At the time, Michaele Salahi was being “filmed” (recorded on video) for a “realityTV show” (a show recording⁸ the actions of real people in their real lives, notactors) called The Real Housewives of Washington, D.C. Many people believeshe and her husband crashed the state dinner because they wanted to “raise theprofile” (become more well-known) of themselves and the TV show.

The White House and the “media” (newspapers, news TV shows, reporters, etc.)were “shocked” (very surprised) that the Salahis had been able to pass throughthe security checkpoints. Since that time, they have “cracked down on” (becomemore strict and more serious about) security and their efforts to “prevent” (not letsomething happen) other gatecrashers from attending official White Houseevents without invitations.

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Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT⁹

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 705: An ExclusiveGuest List.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 705. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development – Ialmost forgot there – in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

Our website is www.eslpod.com. Go there and become a member of ESLPodcast and help support this podcast. By becoming a member you will alsoreceive a Learning Guide, an 8- to 10-page guide we provide for each episode ofthe podcast.

This episode is called “An Exclusive Guest List.” A “guest list” is a list of peopleyou are going to invite to a party. Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Catherine: Do you have a draft of the guest list? We need to get the invitationsout next week.

Ralph: It’s not quite done yet. I keep going back and forth about a few peopleI’m not sure about, like Lacy Say.

Catherine: Lacy Say? She’s a has-been. She hasn’t been in a movie for years.

We only want people on the A-list at this party.

Ralph: What about Jess McGillan? I’m on the fence about him.

Catherine: He’s definitely a D-lister. This party is very exclusive and we don’twant any D-listers rubbing elbows with VIPs.

Ralph: I understand that, but what if we don’t get enough A-listers to come?

Catherine: That will not happen. This party has to be a success!

Ralph: And if we don’t have enough guests because we’ve excluded so many Dlistcelebrities?

Catherine: There will always be gatecrashers. We can let in a few to buff up thenumbers, if push comes to shove.

Ralph: What happens to the exclusivity of the party if that happens?

Catherine: If that happens, this party has bombed and I don’t care if we even letin podcasters!

[end of dialogue]

Catherine begins our dialogue by saying to Ralph, “Do you have a draft of theguest list?” A “draft” (draft) of a list or a letter or any other document is an earlyversion of something; it’s not complete, it’s not final. In school you often,especially in a literature class, will have to write essays and papers. Usually youstart with a first draft; you start writing it and then you go and you change it, that’syour second draft, and maybe even a third draft and so forth until you get to thefinal draft. So Catherine is asking Ralph if he has a draft of the guest list. A“guest list” is a list of people that you are inviting¹⁰ to a party. I should mention that“draft” has some other meanings in English as well; take a look at our LearningGuide for some additional explanations.

Catherine says, “We need to get the invitations out next week,” we need to mailor send the invitations next week. An “invitation” is a card or a letter asking youto come to a party. It could be for a wedding, it could be because someone isgraduating, or just because you’re having a party – you’re a party kind of person,you like to party. Well, Catherine’s a real partier. Ralph says, “It’s not quite doneyet (meaning the guest list is not finished yet). I keep going back and forth abouta few people I’m not sure about, like Lacy Say.” “To go back and forth” means tobe unable to make a decision, or to think that something is right and then later tochange your mind and think that it’s wrong; constantly or continually going backand forth. Is it right? Is it wrong? Should I invite him? Should I not invite him?

That’s going back and forth.

Ralph is going back and forth about inviting a woman named Lacy Say.

Catherine says, “Lacy Say? She’s a has-been.” A “has-been” (been) issomeone who was well known and popular a long time ago, but is not popular oris not important anymore. It’s an insulting way of referring to someone.

Catherine says Lacy Say is a has-been, “She hasn’t been in a movie for years,”

so she’s obviously an actress. She says, “We only want people on the A-list atthis party.” The “A-list” would be the most popular, the best-known performers,especially actors and singers. The “B-list” would be actors and singers whoaren’t very good, and so forth.

Ralph says, “What about Jess McGillan? I’m on the fence about him.” “To be onthe fence” means to be unable to make a decision because you see the goodand the bad of each possibility.

So, Ralph is on the fence about Jess McGillan. Catherine says, “He’s definitely aD-lister.” To be a “D-lister” is to be someone on the D-list, meaning an actor orsinger who isn’t very well-known, who no one has ever heard of – and who hasever heard of Jess McGillan anyway? Catherine says, “This party is veryexclusive and we don’t want any D-listers rubbing elbows with VIPs.” When yousay something is “exclusive” you mean that it is available for only a small groupof people, people who are famous or rich or popular. That would be somethingexclusive, only a small number of people can go or be a part of that event.

Catherine says, “we don’t want any D-listers rubbing elbows with VIPs.” “To rub(rub) elbows with (someone)” means to spend time at a party or some event withsomeone who is famous, rich, and/or powerful. I was at a Starbucks near one ofthe movie studios, and when you go there to drink coffee or tea you cansometimes rub elbows with famous actors and actresses, because they come inand get their coffee there. When I go there, I can rub elbows with famous actors.

Unfortunately, I don’t recognize actors very well, so when they come in I don’tknow who they are. So, I’ve never really rubbed elbows, although once I didmeet a actress who I did not recognize, but someone else told me who she was.

I think that was Neve Campbell, who was a television star in the 1990s here inthe United States. Anyway, moving on. Catherine doesn’t want any of theseless important rubbing elbows or talking and meeting with VIPs. A “VIP” is a veryimportant person, someone with a lot of power or influence.

Ralph says, “I understand that, but what if we don’t get enough A-listers tocome?” What if we can’t get enough people to our party? Catherine says, “Thatwill not happen. This party has to be (must be) a success!” Ralph says, “And ifwe don’t have enough guests because we’ve excluded so many D-listcelebrities?” “To exclude” is related to the word “exclusive.” “To exclude” meansnot to allow someone to come to your party or participate in something. It’s theopposite of “include,” which means to allow someone to be part of your group orto do something. Ralph is worried that they will not have enough people to cometo the party if they exclude a lot of D-listers, the less famous actors andcelebrities. A “celebrity” is just anyone who’s very famous, especially a singer oran actor or a podcaster. Those three are usually what we talk about when werefer to celebrities!

So, Catherine says, “There will always be gatecrashers.” A “gatecrasher” is aperson who goes to a party even though they were not invited; they just go to the party and show up. They arrive, and even without an invitation, they go into theparty. She says, “We can let in a few (a few gatecrashers; a few people whoweren’t invited) to buff up the numbers, if push comes to shove.” “To buff (buff)up” is a phrasal verb meaning to improve something, to make it slightly better;when we’re talking about numbers, to increase the numbers of something.

Catherine talks about buffing up the numbers, meaning the number of people atthe party. They can do this if push comes to shove. This is an old expression; “ifpush comes to shove” indicates that you will do something if the situationbecomes very bad or difficult, and it becomes necessary to do it even if you don’twant to. You might say, “I’m going to buy something at the store and I want touse my credit card. But if I have a problem with my credit card, if push comes toshove, I can also pay with cash.” So Catherine is saying if push comes to shovethey can buff up their numbers by letting in gatecrashers.

Ralph says, “What happens to the exclusivity of the party if that happens?” Thenthe party won’t be exclusive anymore. Catherine says, “If that happens, thisparty has bombed.” “To bomb,” as a verb, here means to fail very badly, to do avery poor job. We especially use this when talking about a performance; wemight say, “The latest movie by Tom Cruise bombed,” or “That new song byJennifer Lopez bombed.” It did not do very well; it was not very popular.

Catherine says if the party is not exclusive it will have bombed, and I don’t care ifthat happens – “I don’t care if we even let in podcasters!” meaning that would bethe lowest, least popular person that we would want to come to our party.

Obviously they’re not talking about all podcasters. I think Catherine here isreferring to the less popular podcasters. I think that’s what – I think that’s whatthe scriptwriter meant!

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.