美语：打扰别人约会的"电灯泡"

　　A： 我也是“六人行”的粉丝呢，I used to follow it religiously!

　　B： So did I!

　　A： 我还曾经打算也搬到纽约去，找一些可爱又好笑的室友同住，就像Friends那样去生活！

　　B: We all want to live the lives portrayed on TV.

　　A： 没错，有时候，现实生活太无聊了，我简直想背个包裹出去流浪。

　　B： I understand that. We need some change once in a while.

　　A: 说到改变，咱们来听下面的礼节美语，看看Lisa对自己的生活有什么新计划。

　　Business Etiquette: Looking for a change I

　　Emily问同事Lisa要不要一起吃饭。

　　Emily: Hey Lisa...want to grab lunch with me?

　　Lisa: Sure, Emily. We haven't done that in a while.

　　E: Yeah...actually, we haven't hung out at all recently. You seem sort of under the weather. Is there something going on?

　　L: Well, keep this under your hat, but I think I'm going to quit after New Year.

　　Emily问Lisa要不要一起吃饭，她在这里用的动词是 grab, g-r-a-b, grab, grab lunch 是一种口语里常用的说法，意思是随便买点午饭吃，也可以说 to grab something to eat. 听上去，Lisa跟Emily很久没一起吃饭聊天了，we haven't hung out at all recently. to hang out 意思是跟朋友待在一起，Emily还说Lisa看上去sort of under the weather似乎有点不舒服，问她怎么回事。Lisa告诉Emily, 自己新年过后可能要辞职，但要Emily暂时保密，keep this under your hat. To keep something under one's hat 意思是保守秘密，不要告诉别人。Emily听到这个消息感到很突然。

　　E: Quit this company? Oh...wow.

　　L: I know I should be pretty happy here, but I'm not finding the kind of job satisfaction I need. I'm a good graphic designer...

　　E: One of the best in the company.

　　L: That's kind of you to say. But...the stuff we do here hasn't really challenged me very much at all.

　　E: Oh, I get it. Simply put: you're bored, huh?

　　L: That's one way of putting it. For me, a job needs to stimulate my brain, otherwise it becomes a daily drudgery.

　　MC: Lisa是公司里最好的图像设计师之一, 目前这份工作对她没有挑战性，simply put 简单地说，她觉得现在的工作很无聊。put, p-u-t, put 在这里意思是说出来，表达出来，上面两人的对话里还有 that's one way of putting it. 也是同样用法，意思是“可以这么说”。Lisa说，她需要一份能让她兴奋起来的工作，否则的话，工作就变成了a daily drudgery, drudgery is spelled d-r-u-d-g-e-r-y, drudgery, drudgery 意思是无聊乏味的工作。

　　L: Another thing is that I don't feel there is a decent chance of promotion. I've been here for three years and I'm doing the exact same thing at the exact same salary.

　　E: That's true...salaries have been frozen for a while and I hear next year it's the same story.

　　L: I'm finding that I spend a lot of time at work just sitting at my cubicle daydreaming or wasting time. I can's sleep on Sunday nights because I know I have to go back to work the next day.

　　E: Wow...it sounds like you're suffering from serious job dissatisfaction. I guess you really do need a change.

　　Lisa还说，想辞职的另外一个原因是觉得没有升职的机会，There isn't a decent chance of promotion. Emily 表示赞成，因为工资已经有一段时间没涨了，而且她听说，next year it's the same story. 明年也是一样。Lisa说，有时候上班就是在自己的小隔间 cubicle 里发愣，浪费时间，星期天晚上一想到第二天早上还要去上班，就睡不着觉。看来，Lisa真是得换份工作了。

　　A： 工作中觉得无聊、不如意是常事，不过要是像Lisa这样suffer from serious job dissatisfaction, 那可能就真要考虑换个环境了。

　　B： Right. It seems like her current job is a dead-end position--no promotion, no pay raise and no fun.

　　A: 对啊，这样的工作等于是在一天天混日子，浪费时间。不做也罢! 好了，咱们下面换个话题，看场拳击比赛吧！

　　American Sports English: boxing

　　P: Hey Yang Chen, Let's go bowling.

　　Y: 我不会打保龄球。

　　P: Well don't worry, you are in good hands. I'll teach you how to bowl.

　　Y: 那你可要耐心点儿。Be very patient with me.

　　P: No problem. First you need to learn how to hold the bowling ball.

　　Well, first hold the ball in your left hand.

　　Y: Whoa, 好重啊，差点闪了我的腰。

　　P: It's not that heavy. Well, now put the first and second fingers of your right had in the top two holes and your thumb in the bottom hole.

　　Y: OK, Patrick, I'm ready! Now what do I do?

　　P: Walk up to the line at the top of the bowling lane with the ball and center yourself in the lane.

　　Y: Okay, 站到bowling lane保龄球道中间。

　　P: Now, hold the ball with your right hand only. Swing it behind you, and then swing it forward and let it go.

　　Y: Here it goes! (Thud of ball on the lane sound of going in the gutter).

　　P: Oh No, Yang Chen. Your ball went into the gutter.

　　Y: A gutter?

　　P: Yep, those long troughs on both sides of the bowling lane are gutters G-U-T-T-E-R-S. And when your ball goes in the gutter it is called a gutter ball.

　　Y: 保龄球掉到旁边的沟里，就叫gutter ball沟球。

　　P: And since you didn't hit anything, you don't get any points, but you do get another chance.

　　Y: Okay, let me try again. 我再来一次。(Sound of ball hitting lane and going in the gutter) Rats! I got another gutterball.

　　P: It is pretty common to get gutterballs when you first start bowling. You just need practice.

　　Y: Okay, then let me try again. (Sound of ball hitting lane and going into gutter). Aiya! 又一个gutter ball!

　　P: Practice makes perfect!

　　A： 原来，在拳击比赛中扔毛巾就是认输。Throw the towel 就指放弃，承认失败。

　　B: Let me teach you another expression that comes from boxing, to throw one's hat in the ring! It means to announce that you intend to compete for something.

　　A： 哦，to throw one's hat in the ring, 把帽子扔进赛场里，就表示要参与竞争。

　　B: 没错。For example, I threw my hat in the ring and became a candidate for the Student Council President.

　　A: 你竞选学生会主席，我支持你！

　　B: 哈哈，thanks, but I'm not really running for that position. I'm not interested in politics.

　　A： 对啊，你是二月生的，要当艺术家才对啊！

　　B: Exactly! That's my true calling!

　　A: 好了，今天节目时间差不多了，这次节目的撰稿人是晓北，编辑是蔚然，同学们，咱们下次的美语训练班节目再见！

　　B: Bye!