B:“美语训练班”上课啦! 我是Donny。
A: 我是杨琳! Donny, 今天你来介绍咱们的节目内容吧!
B: With pleasure! 今天，咱们要去健身房锻炼, 要看看到异国他乡求学的感受，要聊聊用瑜伽减轻压力, 还要告诉大家怎么用美语说“拍马屁”和“黑洞”。
A: Donny, 节目介绍完了，我有件事得问问你。上次你说帮我修电脑，快一个月了，你到底修好没有啊？
B: 当然修好了! I’m just installing some cool programs to your computer. You need to trust me, 杨琳，I’m quite tech savvy.
A: 真的么？那好吧。不过你刚才提到一个说法–tech savvy, 今天的“学个词儿”就要教这个savvy.
Learn A Word Savvy
今天我们要学的词是savvy. Savvy is spelled s-a-v-v-y, savvy. Savvy 机智的，聪明的。Savvy job hunters use the social networking site LinkedIn to gain all kinds of information. 经验丰富的求职者通过职业社交网站Linkedin获取各种信息。我们可以在savvy前面加上一个特定范围，形容一个人在某一方面很在行。比如：My friend Jack is really computer savvy. 我朋友Jack对电脑特别在行。More and more companies are relying on group discount web sites to connect with tech-savvy consumers. 越来越多的公司通过团购网站，更好地为精通上网的顾客服务。好的， 今天我们学习的词是savvy, savvy, savvy.
A: Donny, I want to become more computer savvy, so next time my laptop breaks down, I think I’ll try to fix it by myself.
B: You’re saying you don’t need my services anymore?
A: 呵呵，你怎么听着跟修电脑的小公司似的，生怕顾客跑了。
B: 你倒是提醒我了，I should start a computer maintenance company on the side and earn some extra money!
A: 你要真开这么个公司生意差不了! 那些大的电脑公司服务质量不行，每次遇到问题打给客服求救，总是电脑接电话，把我指使得晕头转向!
B: I know! We have a way to describe how you feel. It’s like being in a “black hole”! 咱们来听下面的“美国习惯用语”，看看这个短语怎么用。
Words and Idioms: Black Hole
各位听众，现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 940讲。我是杨琳。
我是 Douglas Johnson.
在打电话时，我们经常会遇到自动语音系统，比如打电话到银行问个问题，总会先是机器来“接待你”，让你针对自己需要的服务按某个按键，有时候你做了好多 “选择题”，按了好多键，电话那头却总不是真正的客服人员在说话。作为消费者的你，这时候不免头大，这可以用一个习惯用语来形容，那就是：
A black hole. Black is spelled b-l-a-c-k, and hole; h-o-l-e. A-black-hole.
天文学上有个black hole–黑洞。任何物质都能被黑洞吸进去，哪怕是光。在习惯用语中，a black hole也指深渊，让人迷惑的空洞。在刚才这个打电话的情景中，消费者被自动电话系统指使得团团转，They feel they’re lost in a black hole. 他们会觉得莫名其妙，如坠云雾。
在下面这段话中，“黑洞”跑到家里来了，我们来听听是怎么回事：
“I don’t ever expect to get the book back that I lent to my son. He says it’s somewhere in his bedroom. That means it’s among the countless piles of stuff scattered across his desk, furniture and floor. Whatever goes in there disappears. The place is nothing but A BLACK HOLE.”
这段话是说：[在我把书借给儿子看，就不用想着还能拿回来了。他跟我说书就在他卧室里。这就意味着，我的书被埋在了他书桌、家具和地板上到处散落的一堆堆乱七八糟的东西下面。任何东西进了这个屋子都会不知去向。他的屋子简直就是个黑洞。]
这个情景我似曾相识。大学时我有个好朋友，看上去白白净净的一个女孩儿，就是不爱收拾屋子。借给她的东西她永远不还，都说找不到了。I’m afraid they all vanished in that black hole of hers. 恐怕这些东西都消失在她那如同黑洞一样的屋子里了。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
“I don’t ever expect to get the book back that I lent to my son. He says it’s somewhere in his bedroom. That means it’s among the countless piles of stuff scattered across his desk, furniture and floor. Whatever goes in there disappears. The place is nothing but A BLACK HOLE.”
刚才我们说到的例句都是因为人不爱收拾整理，导致屋子凌乱不堪，东西才容易丢。另外还有一种情况，也容易让人找不到东西，觉得晕，那就是地方太大。下面这个例句就证明了这一点，我们来听一听：
“This year’s conference took place at a brand new facility. There must have been at least 8,000 people there. That was far too big for me. I don’t like such A BLACK HOLE. You meet people that you never see again because it’s so huge. I prefer a much smaller site. There are greater chances for running into people that I recognize.”
这段话是说：[今年的会议在一个崭新的会场召开。 来开会的人至少有8000个。我觉得这个会场太大了。我不喜欢这么大得让人犯晕的地方。地方这么大，人这么多，很多人你见过一次就永远不会再见了。我希望能在小一点的地方开会，那样更有可能遇见熟人。]
别说会场了，出门背个大一些的包包，东西就往往很难找到，我老公经常笑话我说，我找个钥匙也要把头伸进包里搜索一番。He said my purse was a portable black hole. 他说我的包就是个能移动的大黑洞。好，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M: “This year’s conference took place at a brand new facility. There must have been 8,000 there. That was far too big for me. I don’t like such A BLACK HOLE. You meet people that you never see again because it’s so huge. I prefer a much smaller site. There are greater chances for running into people that I recognize.”
各位听众，今天我们学习的习惯用语是a black hole，意思是“让人犯晕的黑洞”。
A: 有时候，真感觉在社会上打拼就如同entering a black hole，周围人才济济，自己的小聪明，小本事，根本显不出来!更别说得到领导的赏识了。
B: So, you want your talent and hard work to be noticed by your supervisors, eh? You know, there’s a shortcut to do that─拍领导的马屁。
A: 啊？我还以为你有什么高招呢。
B: Trust me. It works every time.
A:听起来您是个行家啊！看来那天我问你“拍马屁”用美语怎么说，真是问对人了！
How to say it in American English: office politics
DN 在北京学汉语，他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教他。今天是杨琳要问的：拍马屁。
DN: 杨琳, what are you reading？
YL: 我在看一本畅销小说，讲的是白领们在公司里奋斗的事儿。
DN: But you’re still a college student. Why are you interested in the life of office workers?
YL: 先学习啊! 我看了这书才知道，这小小的办公室里有那么多明争暗斗! 对了，DN, 用美语怎么形容办公室里的勾心斗角啊？
DN: You can use the term “office politics.”
YL: 哦! Office 是办公室，politics是政治，office politics，办公室政治，就是指同事之间的勾心斗角喽。
DN: Yes. office politics are very common at the workplace. Some people say the office is like a modern jungle, and only the fittest can survive.
YL: 啊？你说办公室是现代丛林，适者才能生存？可以想像……虽然我还没上过班，可即使在学校，处理同学间的关系也是门学问。
DN: For example?
YL: 比如，我们组长就特爱拍老师马屁，大家都不喜欢她。对了，这拍马屁美语怎么说？
DN: You can use the phrase “to suck up to somebody”. Suck is spelled s-u-c-k. For example, your team leader sucks up to the teachers, so other students don’t like her.
YL: 大家都说，千穿万穿，马屁不穿，一点没错。老师对我们组长可好了，偏心!
DN: Hmm, teachers are not supposed to play favorites. That’s unfair to other students.
YL: 哎？你说的play favorites就是偏心的意思嘛？
DN:That’s right.
YL: 可是，上司，家长，老师难免 play favorites, 有偏心的时候。唉! 看来哪里都有politics啊!
DN: 别感慨了。说说你今天都学了什么吧!
YL: 第一，办公室里的权力斗争是 office politics；
第二，拍某人的马屁是 suck up to someone；
第三：偏心是play favorites.
B: Teachers aren’t supposed to play favorites, but it never hurts to get on a teacher’s good side.
A: To get on the good side of someone就是赢得某人的喜爱和信任，对么？
B: 没错。
A: 当老师喜欢的学生当然好了！不过我觉得更重要的是能和室友们和睦相处。对了，上次咱们不是在“美语三级跳”里面讲了两个室友初次见面的事儿么？后来怎么样了？
B: 听听就知道了！
GoEnglish: Where are you from─intermediate
各位听众，大家好！今天我们为您播出“美语三级跳”节目“你是哪里人”单元的中级课程。
Professor: Kevin and Jose are new roommates who are meeting each other for the first time. Jose is from Mexico, and is telling Kevin about his experience coming to America.
Winnie: Professor Bowman, 不知道 Jose 对美国印象如何？
Professor: Let’s listen and find out, Winnie.
In the first part, listen for the phrase “every walk of life,” meaning “from many different backgrounds.”
Kevin: So Jose, what do you think of America?
Jose: I like how friendly the people are, and I also like the fact that America is so diverse.
Kevin: That’s true, America is very diverse. You can find people here from every walk of life.
Jose: I know! For example, in Los Angeles there are lots of Latin American communities, but there is also a big Chinatown with lots of Chinese.
Kevin: Yes. You know, in the year 2000, 36 percent of the people living in Los Angeles were born overseas.
Winnie: 百分之36的人都是在外国出生的？那洛杉矶可绝对是一个国际化的大都市。
Professor: That’s right, and it’s becoming even more diverse. What else does Jose like about America?
Winnie: Jose 还觉得美国人特别友好。
Professor: Right again. Now let’s find out what Jose thought was very surprising about America.
Kevin: Did you have any culture shock? Were there things in America you thought were really strange?
Jose: Well, I couldn’t believe how big all the cars were. Why do people need such big cars?
Kevin: Hmm … maybe because they have lots of children?
Jose: Maybe some do, but I think most people just think they look cool driving a huge truck.
Professor: So Winnie, Did you hear Kevin ask Jose about culture shock? What do you think that is?
Winnie: Culture shock 就是文化冲击的意思。美国人喜欢开大车，让 Jose 觉得很奇怪。
Professor: Exactly. So Winnie, did you have any culture shock when you came to America?
Winnie: 当然有啊。美国人喜欢往地上坐。
Professor: Don’t Chinese people sit on the ground?
Winnie: 中国人不太往地上坐。还是让我们继续听 Kevin 跟 Jose 的对话吧。
Kevin: Do you ever get homesick?
Jose: I get homesick from time to time. But when I get homesick, I can send my family an email or talk to them on the phone.
Kevin: Sure, I think it’s natural to get homesick now and then. But with today’s technology, it’s easy to keep in touch.
Jose: Yes. My hometown will always have a special place in my heart.
Winnie: 可怜的 Jose，说自己会想家，homesick. 可我不太明白的是，他说 from time to time 是什么意思啊？
Professor: The phrase “from time to time” means “sometimes.” You can also say “now and then.”
Winnie: 哦，我知道了，就是有时候的意思。那 keep in touch 呢？意思是保持联系吗？
Professor: Yes. In the next section, we’ll find out what was hard for Jose when he came to America.
Kevin: What was the hardest part about moving?
Jose: I had a hard time getting used to my new life. I’m used to having lots of family to support me, but in America I have to do things by myself.
Kevin: Yeah, that sounds hard. What do you do to deal with the homesickness? Do you watch Spanish-language TV?
Jose: No, that just makes me more homesick. Usually I just study a lot so I don’t have time to think about it.
Kevin: Yes, sometimes hearing news about your home country makes you even more homesick.
Professor: Winnie, did you hear how Jose deals with his homesickness?
Winnie: 他说自己埋头学习，这样就没有时间想家了，否则越看西班牙语的电视节目，就会越想家。
Professor: That’s right. And what is different about life in America for Jose?
Winnie: 他在墨西哥周围有很多亲人可以帮他，但是到了美国，他就要学会独立。He has to “get used to” being on his own.
Professor: That’s right, it is often hard to get used to life in a new country. Tune in next time to learn more about moving to America.
A: Jose说的想家 – homesickness， 我真是深有体会。刚来美国的时候，谁也不认识，I had to do things by myself，一切都得靠自己。It was quite a stressful process!
B: Yea, but you got used to it and adapted pretty well as far as I can tell.
A：这不是后来慢慢认识了好多朋友么。在遇到困难时，有朋友、同事帮助解决最好不过了。
B: That’s right. 在下面的“礼节美语”中，Claire needs help from her colleagues. Let’s listen!
Business Etiquette: De-stressing II
A: Tina说得对，现代人上班压力大，即使离开了办公室回到家，Our brains are still so revved up.脑子也还想着工作，轻松不下来。
B: That’s right. So you need to find a way to stop thinking about work, and give your brain a good rest.
A: 那就听音乐，看书，跳舞！
B: Or hit the gym!
A: 没错！ 那咱们就去健身房里锻炼一下吧！请听“体育美语”。
American sports English: pumping iron
M: 236, 237, 238 Oh hi Yang Chen, I didn’t know you were coming to the gym today.
Y: Hi, Marc/Patrick. What are you doing?
M: I’m doing push ups. P-U-S-H, U-P-S.
Y: I know you are doing Pushups 俯卧撑。 可是我听到你在数238 ，你真的做了238 个俯卧撑? Are you serious?
M: Of course! What, you think I was just pretending to do all those pushups because I knew you were coming to the gym and wanted to impress you? Haha! Don’t be ridiculous!
Y: Well, If you don’t want to impress me, then who do you want to impress?
Oh, Wait. I know, 你交了新的女朋友。You want to impress her. 让她对你有好感。
M: Well, I do have a hot date next week, so I’ve been PUMPING IRON at the gym. I’m sure if I have big enough muscles my date will automatically fall in love with me.
Y: PUMPING IRON? 你缺铁吗?
M: No, pumping iron just means working out at the gym.
Y: I like it, pumping iron at the gym. 我也需要常常到健身房来 pump iron。
M: Do you want to impress somebody?
Y. No, I don’t want to impress anybody.不过。。。
M What do you mean 不过?
Y We women aren’t only concerned with muscles.
M: That’s true. They also really care about my great haircut, my designer cologne and my hand-made Italian shoes.
Y: Oh, Marc, I’m so impressed with your great haircut, 你的头发是在那里剪的? 还有你的designer cologne，名牌古龙水， 是在Walmart 买的吗? 还有 hand-made Italian shoes. 手工做的意大利皮鞋；My goodness.
M: Stop it. Yang Chen. I know you are making fun of me. Just tell me what women are really concerned with.
Y: Of course, the inner qualities of a person. 内在美!
M: Come on, Yang Chen, 内在美? Are you kidding me?
A: 看来，去了健身房也逃不开压力，只不过，现在不是工作压力，而是外表长相，吸引异性上的压力！
B: It depends. For example, I myself don’t really go to the gym to build muscle. I work out to be healthy.
A: 是么？那找女朋友的时候，你也不注重外表？
B: 呃，相由心生。I tend to believe nice girls won’t be ugly.
A: 那祝你好运吧！ 好了，今天的节目时间差不多了。这次的撰稿人是晓北，编辑是蔚然。同学们，我们下次的美语训练班再见!
B: Bye!