这个人说：人们倾向于投那些名气大的候选人的票。但是，听了那个新候选人的讲话，我认为在一些问题上，他很有道理。尽管他没有名气，我准备投他的票，也许他能改变一些现状。
流行美语第229课
Larry告诉李华他想报名参加救灾，帮助灾民。李华今天会学到两个常用语： get-go和on board。
LL: Li Hua，there was a news report about families whose homes were damaged in a flood and they are not far from where my parents live. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to go help these people.
LH: 对，我今天早上听到这条新闻，说有不少房屋被洪水冲垮了。你要去帮助救灾那当然好咯。不过你刚才说 from the get-go I wanted to go help these people。From the get-go是什么意思呀？
LL: From the get-go means from the beginning. I knew from the beginning, from the get-go, that I wanted to do something to help out.
LH: 原来from the get-go就是一开始的时候。 也就是，你一听到这新闻就想去救灾。我虽然没有想到要去救灾，不过我听到这消息后就马上为灾民的遭遇感到难过。From the get-go, I felt sorry for those people .
LL: From the get-go, I felt the same way. So, this afternoon I am going to go to the American Red Cross to volunteer.
LH: 你今天下午就要去美国红十字会去做义工呀？这太好了。
LL: The Red Cross is a wonderful organization. In any disaster, they are always ready to help, ensuring that the victims have food, water, medicine and shelter from the get-go.
LH: 可不是嘛。美国红十字会是有名的，一有灾情，他们一般都是首先赶到，向灾民提供救济。Larry，你到红十字会打算作些什么呢？
LL: Well, my plan from the get-go has been to stop by the Red Cross and see what kind of help they need. Depending on what they need, I will take a couple days off work and drive to the town hit by the flood to help out.
LH: 对，是要根据他们的需要。你还要向公司请假，开车到灾区去？ Larry. 我好佩服你。我从一认识你， from the get-go，就知道你是个好人。
LL: Thanks, Li Hua. That is really nice of you to say. You have been a good friend from the get go, too.
LH: 谁都喜欢和你这样的人作朋友。Larry, 你去红十字会之前，我们先去吃午饭，怎么样？
LL: That would be good. Today I have been hungry from the get-go. Where do you want to go?
LH: 你早就饿啦，那我们就在附近找个地方吧。你看马路对面的这家pizza店怎么样？
LL: Great! That place has been so popular from the get-go!
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(Restaurant sounds)
LL: (To waiter) I"ll have two slices of cheese pizza please. So, Li Hua, I was wondering if I could convince you to get on board this volunteering effort.
LH: Get on board? 你的意思是让我也参加救灾？
LL: Yes, when I asked you to get on board, I meant would you join me and help out.
LH: 我这两天正好不用教课，所以跟你去一两天没问题。
LL: That would be great! The people at the Red Cross will be so happy to have you on board.
LH: 那我们怎么去呢？
LL: Well, I was thinking we would drive. I was wondering if you would be on board with the idea of renting a van for the trip.
LH: 租个面包车？ 租车不是很贵吗？
LL: It is a little expensive. But don"t worry, Li Hua, I will pay for renting the van. I"d rather have you on board to help out.
LH: 那好啊， 如果你出钱，我没意见。 .
LL: And since we have a van, I am wondering if we can get anyone else on board. We will have room to take some other people.
LH: 那也是，车里还有好几个空位呢，我的一些学生可能也愿意去灾区服务。
LL: You should ask them, Li Hua, the more people we can get on board to help with the relief effort, the better.
LH: Larry, 我们现在就去红十字会报名吧。让他们知道我们要参加救灾， let them know we are on board.
LL: Good idea, but I really want to finish this pizza first.
LH: I am definitely on board with that! Let"s eat!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是from the get-go，意思是从一开始。还有一个是on board,, 意思是赞成、 愿意参加。
美国习惯用语第230讲
今天我们要讲的两个习惯用语都是以right这个字开始的。英文里有好几个字的发音都是right。比如说，写字的写就是write。但是，它的拚法是：write,而不是right。我们今天要讲的 right, 可以解释为：左右的右，或者是：正确的，也就是：对的。Right这个字每天都可以听到好多次。在这次节目里，我们要讲的第一个习惯用语就是：Right on the mark. Mark在这里的意思是：目标，就像射箭时的目标一样。要是一枝箭射中了目标，那就是说那个射箭的人射得很准。Right on the mark作为俗语，它的意思是某人做的预测非常准确。下面我们来举一个例子。这是一个公司的总裁在谈论他的公司。
例句-1: At the start of the year our financial vice president predicted that business would pick up and we"d end up in December making a profit of fifteen percent. And he was right on the mark - it was exactly right.
这个总裁说：今年年初，我们负责财务的副总裁预测我们的生意会更兴旺，到十二月，我们最终的利润是百分之十五。他的预测完全正确，一点都不错。
美国商业界人士，跟其他国家的商人一样经常要对市场和自己产品的销售能力进行估计。他们在说某人的估计很准确的时候,经常用right on the mark这个习惯用语。
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美国许多大公司在国外都有分公司，因此派人到国外去常驻也是经常的事。但是，有的国家大家都喜欢去，有的国家不太有人愿意去。下面这个例子是一个公司雇员在跟同事说有关公司派谁去担任法国分公司经理的事。
例句2: I predicted two months ago that Jack would be given the position of manager of our Paris office. See, I was right on the mark. Do you know, Jack"s father is a close friend of the Chairman of the board. Sure it helps!
这个人说：我早在两个月前就估计公司会让杰克当我们巴黎分公司经理的 。你们看，我的估计完全正确。你们知道吗，杰克的爸爸是董事长的好朋友。这当然是很有帮助的。
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我们今天要讲的第二个习惯用语也是以right这个字开头的。我们先来给大家念一遍。Right up one"s alley. Alley就是很窄的小巷，一般都在大马路的后面。要是你听到谁说： right up one"s alley。它的意思就是：很适合他的兴趣或才能。当你在大学上学的时候，很重要的一点是要选择适合你兴趣或你特长的课程。这样好为你未来的事业打好基础。下面我们要举的例子是一个学生在对一个朋友说他下学期的课程。
例句3: One course I know I"ll take is advanced computer programming. Funny - a year ago I was afraid of computers. But once I tried, I found that working with a computer is right up my alley.
这个学生说：我知道有一门课我一定要上的，那就是电脑程序。有趣的是，一年前，我很害怕电脑，但是，我试了一下以后，我发现和电脑打交道对我来说实在是非常合适的。
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美国社会和文化很强调一个人的独立意志，家长一般很注意要尊重孩子的意愿，那怕对很小的孩子也是如此。但是，也有一些家长要把自己的想法或计划强加于孩子。例如，有的做生意的家长一定要孩子接管自己的公司。下面是一个正准备考大学的学生在说他面临的问题。
例句4: My dad is very angry with me because I refuse to take over his business. I have always been interested in medicine and I believe to be a doctor is really right up my alley. I don"t know how to convince my father I"m not good at business.
这个学生看来很苦脑。他说：我爸爸对我非常生气，因为我不愿意接管他的经营。我一直对医学很感兴趣，我认为我很适合当一个医生。我真不知道怎么样才能说服我爸爸，让他相信我不适合做生意。
流行美语第230课
李华在帮Larry打扫他的公寓。李华今天会学到两个常用语Oodles和chuck。
LL: Oh! I forgot about this closet. Whoa. There are oodles of things in here I don"t need.
LH: Oodles? 你是说面条，noodles?
LL: No, no. Oodles and noodles may rhyme, but oodles means lots of something.
LH: 噢，oodles和noodles虽然押韵，但是oodles和面条毫无关系。Larry，你壁橱里怎么会有那么多东西呀？ 看来今天我们要扔很多东西。That means there will be oodles of things to throw away!
LL: Yes, like the oodles of old tennis balls I"ll never use again.
LH: 不只是网球，还有那么些旧杂志，你怎么会有这么多杂志呢？