【英语早间课堂】Under the Table

【直击主题】

Today I'd like to talk about a type of person who always do something cheating and hide the truth about something. It's contradiction to " above board" we've learnt yesterday. What's it? Let's listen to a simple situational dialogue and I'm sure you can find it.

A : Whatever we do, we should do it above board.

B : You are right. We shouldn't do anything under the table.

A : Well, since you agree with me , we put the issue abover board instead of talking about it through other channels .

【答疑解惑】

Have you found it? It is " under the table".在面上的意思就是在桌子下面。We could give our rein¹ into imagination. 在桌子下是不是不容易被看见，因此借喻为：秘密交易的，暗中进行的，不法的。For example: Jesse gave money under the table to get the apartment.杰西悄悄花钱弄到一套房间。 Under the table is used as adverbial in a sentence.

【拓展视野】

If they'er put together with a line, it becomes an adjective which is used as attributive.作为形容词，意思是：秘密的，非法的。 For example, Sadly, a few newspapers got hold of this under-the-table gossip². 可悲的是，几家小报纸抓住这私下闲谈大做文章。The land developers did a lot of under-the-table wheeling and dealing³. 那个土地开发投资人干了很多非法的交易。 Under the table is an idiom which has another meaning that means "to be drunk". 我们知道一个人在酒店喝酒醉了的是时候就经常倒在桌子下，因此这里借喻为“酩酊大醉”的意思。For example, You'll be under the table if you drink all that wine. 如果你把那些酒都喝了,你会醉的。 We have another phrase : dink somebody under the table which means "to get somebody drunk by drinking together". For example, "Want to drink him under the table? Well...you can never do, He's got a hollow leg , you know" “你想灌醉他? 他可是海量,从来没醉过，你知道吗。The phrase her " got a hollow leg " means "to be able to drink too much '. 意思就是我们中文酒场上所说的”海量“。 Rhett who had always drunk others under the table without turning a hair and then put them to bed. 以前瑞德是经常不动声色地将别人灌醉，然后把他们弄上床去的呀！The phrase here "without turning a hair" means "being stay calm and collected" .This sentence comes from the well-known literature called Gone with the Wind . 这句话来自名著《飘》。Without turning a hair 是不动声色的意思。Another phrase " put somebody under the table" means make somebody feel dizzy. 意思是：使某人头昏脑胀。For example:Five minutes'serious thought about that problem puts me under the table.对那问题五分钟认真的思考就使我头昏脑胀。

【小题大作】

And now let's come to the dialogue study. Please listen to the recording⁴ and catch the key phrases. A : Whatever we do, we should do it above board.

B : You are right. We shouldn't do anything under the table.

A : Well, since you agree with me , we put the issue abover board instead of talking about it through other channels .

Now have you done? Let's come to the phrase's accumulation.

{短语积累}

1 above board 坦诚不公的，正大光明的，公开的，不甩手腕的2 agree with 同意某人的说法，意见等等3 under the table 非法地，暗中进行地，，秘密地，偷偷地4 do something 做事情5 put the issue abover board 坦诚不公地谈事情，打开天窗说亮话6 instead of 而不是7 through other channels 通过其实方式，通过其他渠道{句不离法}

1 Whatever we do, we should do it above board.

翻译： 无论我们做什么是，都要正大光明的做。

讲解： 这是一个含有由whatever 引导的让步状语从句的复合句。Whatever 是个复合词，可以拆分开来用于这个句子中，书面形式显得更为正式。For example: What ever I say, he always disagrees. 不管我说什么，他总是不同意。Above board 是副词短语，在这里做状语。

2 You are right. We shouldn't do anything under the table.

翻译：你说得对。我们不能偷偷摸摸的做事。

讲解：under the table 是介词短语，在这里作状语。

3 Well, since you agree with me , we put the issue abover board instead of talking about it through other channels .

翻译：那好，既然你同意的说法，我们就把事情放到桌面上来说，而不是通过其他方式去谈论这件事。

讲解： 这是个由 含有since引导的让步状语从句的复合句。在这里强调一点就是 instead of 这个短语相当于介词用，因此后面如果跟动词，就要用动名词形式。 Through the other channels 是介词短语，在句中做方式状语。

 

We must absorb new knowledge , staying quiet and careful . In addition, it's important to review what we've learnt over and over, which is said by Laishixiong. It's time to say goodbye to you, thank you for your listening , have a wonderful day , see you next time.我们不光是听，还需要自己有一种宁静的心态去吸收知识，内化知识，否则水过鸭背，以一种轻浮的心态去学习，是体会不到学习的快乐的。而且，赖世雄老师在他的书中写道：学习语言贵在反复。好了，又到跟大家说再见了，祝您有个愉快的一天，感谢您的这次收听，下次再会。

【学以致用】

Please translate the following sentences into English with the phrase "under the table"{ 题目 }

1 如果我对政府的计划投反对票，商人们会贿赂我500英镑。

2 他偷偷地把它卖了。

3 你自夸有海量，可他能把你灌醉。

4 当然，不过别再想把我灌醉。你的酒量比我好太多了.

5 那小男孩呆在桌子下面生气，直到他父亲回来。

{ 答案 }

1 He businessmen offered me &500 under the table if I would vote against the government's plans. 2 He sold it under the table.

3 You pride yourself on your capacity, but he can drink you under the table.

4 Sure. But don't try to drink me under the table again. You can drink a lot more than I can.

5 The little boy stayed under the table in bad temper until his father came home.

 

转自可可英语

1 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

2 gossip   

n.流言蜚语，爱说长道短的人；vi.传播流言

参考例句：

• She broadcast the gossip all over the town.她将这个流言传遍全镇。
• They spread a lot of tacky gossip about his love life.关于他的爱情生活，他们散播了许多不堪的闲言闲语。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。