美語訓練班第21課:"直覺"和"外行指導外行"
A:美語訓練班上課啦！我是楊琳！
B:我是Jessica！楊琳,今天我們教什麼呢？
A:是啊，教什麼呢？我還沒想好……
B:You're kidding me, aren't you?
A:(好吧，被你看出來了。其實今天的節目很精彩──咱們要學學在長跑比賽中怎麼才能得第一, 聽一個十分倒黴的坐飛機的故事，瞭解一下美國公司員工享受的醫療保險福利, 還要告訴大家怎麼用美語說“直覺”和“外行指導外行”。
B:Sounds good! 不過，咱們還是先花一分鐘，學一個詞。
Learn A Word plummet
今天我們要學的詞是plummet. Plummet is spelled p-l-u-m-m-e-t, plummet. Plummet, 暴跌，直線下降。Apple's share plummeted after Steve Jobs resigned as CEO of the company. 喬布斯辭去蘋果電腦首席執行官一職後，蘋果公司股價暴跌。President Obama's approval ratings plummeted to the lowest point of his presidency with 51% of Americans disapproving of his job performance. 奧巴馬總統的支持率跌至他任期內的最低點，現在有51％的美國人不滿意他的工作表現。Tropical Storm Lee brought rain and wind, causing temperatures to plummet. 熱帶風暴"李"帶來強風暴雨，導致氣溫驟降。好的，今天我們學習的詞是plummet, plummet, plummet.
B:楊林，Did you know that the stock market plummeted again today? What a bummer!
A:Jessica, 你不會是被套牢了吧？
B：我是啊！ Hey! I heard you studied finance in college. Can you give me a few pointers on investment? 推薦幾支好股票吧！
A:就我？那你可是找錯人了！ 我雖然學過一些金融課程，可是沒有真正的股市投資經驗啊。
B:That's too bad.
A:You should hire a professional investment advisor to help you manage your money.
B:I agree. Otherwise it'll be the blind leading the blind.
A:The blind leading the blind? 咱們給聽衆講講這個說法的意思吧！
B:好！請聽“美國習慣用語”。
Words and idioms:The blind leading the blind
女：各位聽衆，現在播送<美國習慣用語>第 942講。我是楊琳。<美國習慣用語>
M：我是 Doug Johnson.
女：前幾天我生病了，從沒下過廚房的女兒很貼心地給我做了一頓飯，我感動得不行，可實話實說，那飯菜的味道實在是不怎麼樣。我一問才知道，是老公教女兒做的。怪不得! 我老公的做飯技術就非常初級，在他的指導下，女兒哪能做出什麼美味呢？這個事情讓我想到了一個習慣用語：
M:The blind leading the blind. Blind is spelled b-l-i-n-d, and leading; l-e-a-d-i-n-g. The blind leading the blind.
女：The blind leading the blind 字面的意思是盲人指引盲人，其實就是指“外行指導外行”。我老公做飯水平很低，結果還去教別人. It was the blind leading the blind. 這完全是外行教外行。下面這個句子談到了一位很有自知之明的家長。我們來聽一聽：
M:"When my son's coach called me about substituting for him at this weekend's soccer practice, I had to turn him down. Sure, I had watched him a few times work with the kids. But I didn't know enough about the game to train or teach them the skills they needed. That would have been THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND!"
這段話是說：[我兒子的足球教練給我打電話，讓我週末替他帶孩子們練球，可我不得不拒絕了他。沒錯，我確實看過幾次他教孩子們踢球。可我的足球賽知識有限，不夠訓練或者教孩子的。如果我真成了教練，那可就是盲人導盲了。]
女：這真是個負責任的好爸爸。順便說一下，像他這種每個禮拜帶孩子去練足球的爸爸在美國有個特定稱呼，叫soccer Dad, 當然，媽媽就是Soccer Mom。這種“足球父母”一般都開着大面包車，把自己的孩子和孩子的朋友同學一塊兒帶上，接送他們練球。好，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話：
M:"When my son's coach called me about substituting for him at this weekend's soccer practice, I had to turn him down. Sure, I had watched him a few times work with the kids. But I didn't know enough about the game to train or teach them the skills they needed. That would have been THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND!"
女: 旅行大家都喜歡。爲了行程輕鬆和獲得更多知識，人們通常會找個熟悉當地環境的導遊來一起旅行。可如果導遊不給力，會怎麼樣呢？我們來聽一聽：
M:"My friends and I were promised an experienced guide on our trip to Alaska. Instead, we ended up with someone who didn't know the area any more than we did. She even got us lost. It was THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. Now we want our money back from the tour company."
這段話是說：[旅行社本來說好要給我和朋友們派個有經驗的導遊，帶着我們在阿拉斯加玩兒。結果，我們的導遊對當地情況的瞭解和我們一樣少。她甚至帶着我們走迷路了。這可真是瞎子給盲人引路。現在，我們要求旅行社退款。]
女: 這樣的導遊根本不能讓旅行輕鬆愉快，反而會成爲你的累贅，而且讓你心情變糟。所以現在的遊客在出發前都會去網上找些遊記，攻略什麼的，自己多儲備一些知識。好，我們再來聽聽剛纔那段話：
M:"My friends and I were promised an experienced guide on our trip to Alaska. Instead, we ended up with someone who didn't know the area any more than we did. She even got us lost. It was THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND. Now we want our money back from the tour company."
女：各位聽衆，今天我們學習的習慣用語是the blind leading the blind，意思是“外行指導外行”。
A:Jessica, 其實我認識一個朋友，他特會炒股。
B:是麼？介紹給我啊！
A:But he's not a real financial advisor, I mean, he doesn't have any credentials. 他就是業餘股民。
B:也許他是股市天才？
A:有可能！我問過他選股票時依據什麼數據
B:What did he say?
A:兩個字──直覺。
B:啊？I don't believe him. 他那是唬你的！
A:有可能！人家也許就是在打發我。不過說到“直覺”，今天的“美語怎麼說”節目就教大家用美語說這個詞！
How to say it:hunch
DONNY 在北京學漢語，他的中國朋友要是遇到了不知道用美語怎麼說的詞，就會來請教他。今天是於苗要問的：直覺。
YM:DONNY, 你知道麼？我要去參加“價格猜猜猜”節目啦!
DONNY:“價格猜猜猜”?! I know that show! You guess the price of a product, and if you get it right, you take the product home. Right?
YM:沒錯！我直覺一向很準，我去一定會贏! 對了，直覺用美語怎麼說啊？
DONNY:You can say hunch. h-u-n-c-h, hunch.
YM:那"我直覺一向很準"，就是"My hunch is always right." 對嗎？
DONNY:That's correct. Or you can use the phrase "gut feeling". It also means hunch.
YM:Gut feeling? Gut 腸子，Gut feeling 腸子的感覺，就是直覺嘍!
DONNY:沒錯! For example, I have a gut feeling that I'm gonna fail my mid-term exam.
YM:Haha, but I have a hunch that you're gonna pass!
DONNY:Then I hope your hunch is right! 對了，於苗，Before you go on the show, we should practice. How much do you think my glasses cost?
YM:啊？你的眼鏡啊......你冷不妨叫我猜，我還真有些緊張。
DONNY:Don't worry. Take a wild guess!
YM:什麼叫 wild guess? 狂野的猜測？
DONNY:A wild guess means you have little evidence to support your guess.
YM:哦，take a wild guess 就是隨便瞎猜! 那可不行，瞎猜贏不了比賽! 我的猜測一定要有根據，靠點譜兒，那又該怎麼說呢？
DONNY:That would be an educated guess. "Educated" is spelled e-d-u-c-a-t-e-d.
YM:educate 是教育，an educated guess 就是根據經驗、常識作出的猜測。
DONNY:That's Right!
YM:Hmm, well, I am guessing your glasses are worth 25 dollars!
DONNY:Wow... Yumiao, you're really good at this! The correct answer is 26 dollars!
YM:Yeah! I won! I won!
DONNY:別激動了! Tell me what you've learned today!
YM:第一，直覺叫 hunch 或 gut feeling；
第二，瞎猜叫 take a wild guess；
第三，有根據的推測是 an educated guess!
A:這麼說，如果我那個股民朋友選股票的時候真的只靠直覺，他也是took an educated guess, not a wild guess. 怎麼說也得有點根據。
B:I agree. Okay, enough with the stock market. I don't want to remind myself that I lost money. 楊林，Tell me something to get my mind off the stock market.
A:Jessica, 不要灰心嘛！這樣吧，咱們來聽聽下面這個故事，有人坐飛機回家，結果一路上倒透了黴。跟他比比，或許你就不覺得自己最慘了！
B:Hmm, I like that idea! I could use other people's sad story to cheer myself up.
A:好吧，那咱們就來聽“美語三級跳”。
GoEnglish:Flight─advanced
Take a flight:Advanced
(取材於 )
各位聽衆，大家好！今天我們爲您播出“美語三級跳”節目“坐飛機”單元的高級課程。
Professor:Todd just arrived at his parents' house in Alaska after flying there from California. He is telling his parents about what a disastrous flight he had.
Winnie:我還擔心Todd 因爲去錯了候機樓趕不上飛機呢。這麼說他並沒有誤機，那有什麼好倒黴的呢？
Professor:Well, let's listen and find out!
Todd:I can't tell you how glad I am to be home! I had a horrible flight.
Mom:What happened? And why do you have that big stain on your shirt?
Todd:The flight attendant was reaching to serve a drink to the man sitting next to me, and suddenly the plane hit some turbulence and she spilled it all over me.
Dad:Well, did the airline company offer to pay for a new shirt?
Todd:Are you kidding me? They're too cheap even to give you peanuts now, much less a new shirt. The flight attendant gave me some soap and showed me where the lavatory was.
Winnie:哦，飛機遇到了turbulence，氣流，結果飛機一顛簸，空姐就把給別人的飲料灑到Todd的襯衫上了。
Professor:That's exactly what happened, Winnie.
Winnie:航空公司也沒賠新襯衫，給Todd一塊肥皂，把他打發到 lavatory去了？Professor Bowman, lavatory和bathroom是一回事麼？
Professor:Yes, but when you're on an airplane you always call the bathroom the "lavatory."
Mom:The airline companies have gotten so cheap these days! When I was your age they gave really good service.
Dad:And can you believe that today they charge you to check your luggage? It's ridiculous!
Todd:Well that isn't even the worst part. When I got to the airport I accidentally went to the wrong terminal, so I had to run to make my flight.
Mom:Oh no! Did you make it on time?
Todd:Well, I got to the gate on time, but then the ticketing agent said that the flight had been overbooked!
Winnie:這麼說，Todd一路小跑總算趕上了飛機。可是飛機 overbooked，這是什麼意思？
Professor:Sometimes the airline companies sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane because they expect some people won't show up. But if everyone shows up and there aren't enough seats, you can say the flight was "overbooked."
Winnie:噢，就是航班訂位超員了！這下可糟了。
Mom:So what happened? Did they let you get on the plane?
Todd:No, the plane was already full, so they bumped me to the next flight. But that flight wasn't until the next morning, so I had to stay the night in a lousy hotel.
Dad:Wow, that sounds terrible. Did they compensate you in some way?
Todd:Well, they gave me a voucher for a free flight.
Mom:Well that's not so bad! For one night of inconvenience, you can visit anywhere you want for free.
Winnie:航空公司"bumped" Todd to the next flight，是不是安排他坐下一班飛機？
Professor:Exactly. The word "bump" is a casual way to say "move or "transfer." For example, "I was originally sitting in the economy cabin, but since I had lots of frequent flier miles the airline bumped me up to first class."
Winnie:哦，這麼說Todd因禍得福，雖然被迫在一個破酒店過夜，但卻得到了一張voucher，機票代金券!
Dad:So where are you going to go with your free ticket? What about Hawaii?
Todd:No, the airline says I can only use it in the continental United States.
Mom:Well what about Florida? It's warm and sunny there too.
Todd:Actually, after this experience, I don't think I want to fly anywhere ever again.
Winnie:Professor, 機票代金券只能飛the continental United States是什麼意思呢？
Professor:The continental United States are all the US states except for Alaska and Hawaii. Sometimes they are called the contiguous United States.
Winnie:哦，所以continental United States指美國大陸，是除了阿拉斯加和夏威夷以外的美國各州。那也不錯啦！
Professor:Well, apparently Todd is not interested in flying ever Winnie: 可他幾天後還要坐飛機回洛杉磯啊？看來我們只能祝他下次旅途比這次順利嘍!
B:That really was a disastrous flight! I feel much better now.
A：我們不要再幸災樂禍了。要是我遇到 overbooked plane─飛機定位超員，spend the night in a lousy hotel─不得不在一個破旅館等上一夜，然後the plane hit turbulence─飛機又遇上氣流，And someone spilled a drink all over me─別人把飲料灑我一身....天啊！我可能就要瘋了！
B:Don't be! It's not the end of the world. At least you made it home okay.
A:對，就算好事多磨吧。其實說起倒黴事兒，我覺得最糟糕的就是得病，特別是得大病。
B:That's true. Health care is expensive, so getting sick can hurt you both physically and financially.
A:對，這時候醫療保險就重要了，保什麼，不保什麼，直接關係到你的荷包。下面的“禮節美語”就講這個話題，我們來聽一聽！
Business Etiquette:Insurance I
ANDY向同事Jane諮詢公司醫療保險的事。
ANDY:Hey, you familiar with our company's insurance policies?
Jane:Umm....I think so. What's up?
A:I've never really paid attention to the fine print of our insurance it looks like I'm going to need to make a claim.
J:Really? Are you OK?
A:I have a slipped disc in my lower back and the doctor says surgery is probably the best option. Does our worker insurance cover this kind of thing?
ANDY問Jane熟不熟悉公司的醫療保險條款，insurance是保險，policies是條款，醫生說他腰椎肩盤突出，可能要做手術，需要向保險公司make a claim，提出醫療賠償。ANDY說，自己從沒仔細研究過公司醫療保險的fine print，fine print小號字，意思是規定細則，不知道做腰椎肩盤手術，保險公司是不是出錢，這裏動詞用cover, to cover this kind of thing 意思是保險涵蓋這類治療。
J:If the injury is workplace related I'm sure it's completely covered.
A:Hummm...I think I'll have to talk to the doctor again about that. that I'm going to have to make some claims, I think I'd better try and understand how the system works. Would you mind breaking it down for me?
J:Sure. Basically we have two insurance policies for man's compensation and medical insurance. The company pays the premiums for workman's compensation, and for a significant part of the medical coverage, but you pay part of that premium, too.
Jane說，如果病情起因跟工作有關，那保險肯定是管的，她還給ANDY做了進一步解釋，這裏用的 break something down意思是把一件事情分成幾部分，詳細說明。Jane說，公司有兩種保險，一種是workman's compensation, 工人撫卹金保險，保費由公司出；另一種是medical coverage醫療保險，公司出一大部分保費，其餘由員工出，在醫療保險中，保費是premium, p-r-e-m-i-u-m, premium保費。
A:That's the charge for insurance I see on my pay slip each month, right?
J:Yep. Every country in the world has a different system, but here we buy insurance from a private provider.
A:So workman's compensation is if I slip and break my arm while working in the office or on the job, right?
J:That's right. The company pays for all your medical bills and there is also some financial compensation if you have to take days off to see doctors or spend time recuperating.
ANDY說，自己每月工資單上都會有一欄扣的就是醫療保險的保費，工資單在英語裏叫 pay slip. ANDY又問，workman's compensation是不是隻管在工作場所或是工作期間受的傷，Jane回答說，沒錯，在這種情況下，不僅一切醫療費用都由公司出，而且如果員工需要 take days off請假去看醫生，或是休養 recuperate, recuperate is spelled r-e-c-u-p-e-r-a-t-e, recuperate, 還能得到某些經濟補貼。
B：Read the fine print before signing on the dotted line!
A:看來，Andy 在同意買公司的醫療保險時就沒把細則看清楚。真希望公司保險能負擔她手術的費用！
B:I hope so too. Sometimes the insurance companies make very complicated rules about plan coverage, and few consumers can understand them.
A:沒錯。到了生病手術的關鍵時刻，才發現保險公司根本不負擔這些花銷，那可真是要抓瞎了！
B:One way to avoid getting yourself into that situation is to exercise and stay healthy!
A:說得對！咱們下面就來聽“體育美語”，一起鍛鍊身體！
American sports English:Distance Events
P:Yang Chen, You are totally out of breath. What's wrong? Are you running away from the police? What did you do THIS time?
Y:Hey! NOT funny! 警察纔不會追我呢。我是在練長跑。I'm training for the 1500m.
P:So you want to be the fastest in the world?
Y:No. I don't want to be the fastest, I just want to be faster than you.
P:That's not so easy. You know I'm very good at distance events.
Y 你擅長distance events，那我們要比試比試才知道誰更快。
P:Well, speed isn't the only important thing to win a distance race, Yang Chen.
Y:Yeah yeah, I know—長跑除了speed速度，還要有patience—耐心，right?
P:Well, patience is good, and so is endurance. E-N-D-U-R-A-N-C-E
Y:Ohhhhhh. Endurance. 耐力。
P:Right. That is the ability to sustain physical activity for a long period of time without stopping.
In the Olympics, distance events are among the most difficult because they involve speed, endurance, patience, and tactics.
Y:Tactics——策略? 你不是讓我把前面那個人絆倒吧？
P:No, please don't trip the person in front of you!
By tactics , I mean planning ahead how to make your moves.
For example, some of the world's greatest distance runners do not take the lead until the very end of the race, so they can conserve energy.
Y:沒錯，好像最後得冠軍的都不是一開始跑在最前面的人，而是到了最後才take the lead。
P:Right. And they have to maintain the lead until they make a final kick K-I-C-K.
Y:Make a final kick 不是踢別人一下，而是最後衝刺。
P:The runner's sprint in the end of the race.
So, Yang Chen, have you been working on YOUR kick? OW!
Y:You mean, THAT kind of kick?
P:Ouch, that hurts.
Y:That's my tactics to beat you!
A:原來長跑也講究tactics─策略！
B:Tactics are important in all kinds of competitions, including when you buy and sell stocks. Oh no, I'm back to the stock market again!
A:就是啊，怎麼又說回來了。好了，等下了節目，我陪你去逛街吧，省得你老想着股票的事兒。
B:That's sweet of you. But remember to stop me when I want to buy things, 'cos I don't have much more money left! 錢都被套牢了！
A:又來了！好了，今天的節目時間差不多了。這次的撰稿人是曉北，編輯是蔚然。同學們，我們下次的美語訓練班再見!
B: Bye!
