这个学生说：我为了九月份入医学院准备好了一切。可是，我爸爸的公司突然破产，现在再申请学生贷款又已经太晚。我怕我想当医生的梦想已经破灭。
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我们再来给大家讲解一个由smoke这个字为主的习惯用语。Smoke screen. Screen这个字的意思是：屏幕，或者是帘子。所以，smoke screen就是烟幕。Smoke screen这个习惯用语是八十多年前第一次世界大战期间出现的。当时，在海面飞快前进的驱逐舰会在海面造成很密的烟雾。那些战舰为了保护自己，免受敌方炮弹的袭击而躲在驱逐舰造成的烟雾后面。
现在，smoke screen这个说法已经成为日常用语，意思是人们为了隐瞒，或伪装某件事而用的手法。下面就是一个例子。
例句3: That man talks about how glad he was to retire at age forty-five and enjoy himself. But it"s just a smoke screen to hide the fact he got fired from his job and can"t find another.
这句话的意思是：那个人说，他非常高兴在四十五岁就退休，能够好好享受生活。但是，这种说法只是用来掩盖真相。事实是他被他的公司解雇了，又找不到其他的工作。
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在美国，夫妇要离婚一般都要各自请律师，因为双方往往会在财产分配、孩子归哪一方、扶养费等问题上发生争执，而美国的法律又非常复杂。所以请一位能代表自己利益的律师也是有必要的。在女方不工作，或收入不多的情况下，男方必须每月给女方提供扶养费，但是也有不付这笔钱的。下面就是一个例子。
例句4: Sam"s been telling everybody his wife is having an affair. But we think this is nothing but a smoke screen for his plan to divorce her for a younger woman and save paying her a lot of alimony.
这人说：山姆对每个人说他的太太有外遇。但是，我们认为这是他使用的烟幕来掩盖他为了一个年轻女人而跟太太离婚的计划。说他太太有外遇就可以使他不用付他太太大笔扶养费。
流行美语第256课
Larry和李华正在商量下个周末去哪里玩儿。李华今天要学两个常用语outdoorsy和artsy.
LL: Hey, Li Hua, do you remember how much fun we had camping in the woods? Wouldn"t you like to do something outdoorsy again this weekend?
LH: Do something outdoorsy? 你是说户外活动吧。
LL: That"s right! But "doing something outdoorsy" doesn"t just mean to do something outside, though. Playing basketball or badminton outside isn"t really outdoorsy.
LH: 在户外打球都不算outdoorsy, 那什么才算呢？
LL: Well, outdoorsy activities - like fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and canoeing - are ones that you do in natural settings, such as in a forest or near a river.
LH: 哦，我知道了，就是一定要到野外才行，在公园里和运动场上还算不上是outdoorsy.
LL: That"s it. So - what do you say, do you want to do something outdoorsy this weekend, Li Hua?
LH: 上次去宿营确实挺开心的，咱们这次干点儿什么别？
LL: Well, you know me, Li Hua. I"m a very outdoorsy kind of guy. How about we go canoeing?
LH: 划独木舟啊。听起来挺过瘾的，可我有点儿怕。
LL: Don"t worry. I can teach you how to paddle a canoe. You don"t have to be an outdoorsy person to learn how to do it.
LH: 可是独木舟那么窄，翻了怎么办啊，我可不会游泳。有没有不那么危险的野外活动呢？
LL: Oh, that is right. I forgot you can"t swim very well. Okay...What other outdoorsy things might you like to do?
LH: 有了！我们到纽约州的山里去远足吧！
LL: Perfect. And I can borrow a backpack from one of my outdoorsy friends. That way we can bring food, water and other supplies we might need.
LH: Okay. 那我要做些什么准备呢？
LL: In addition to a backpack, you are going to need a good pair of hiking boots. I know a place that specializes in all sorts of outdoorsy stuff. We can get the boots there.
LH: 好，那你陪我去买。也许你能把我改造成一个喜欢野外活动的人呢！
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LL: I don"t think buying hiking boots will turn you into an outdoorsy person, Li Hua. I think you are really more of an artsy person.
LH: Arsty...喜欢野外活动的人可以说outdoorsy, 那说一个人 arsty肯定是说她喜欢艺术喽？
LL: Exactly! "Artsy" people enjoy appreciating and making all kinds of art - painting, drama and music.
LH: 那我就是个 arsty的人。我喜欢绘画、音乐和装饰。
LL: You are definitely artsy, Li Hua. I"ve always been impressed with your calligraphy.
LH: 哦，我小时候我学过很长时间的书法；我父母都喜欢艺术，对我学习绘画和书法很支持。
LL: My family isn"t very artsy. My parents were always interested in sports and really encouraged me and my brother and sister to get involved in athletic activities.
LH: 你姑姑呢？她看上去好像很arsty.
LL: Oh, Aunt Jane? You are right, Li Hua, she is VERY artsy. Aunt Jane is artsy in almost every way.
LH: 对呀，从她的服饰就能看得出来。
LL: Yes, and not only are her clothes artsy, but her entire house is artsy, too. She loves to decorate her rooms in very interesting ways.
LH: 我在中国有个朋友，也特别喜欢艺术，可是跟你姑姑不一样。
LL: How so?
LH: 他穿得特别简单，但是酷爱钢琴，每天要花好几个小时练琴。
LL: I guess there are many different kinds of artsy people. What they have in common is their love of art.
LH: 你呢，Larry, 要不跟我学书法吧，我保证把你变成一个喜欢艺术的人。
LL: That"s a generous offer, Li Hua. But I"m afraid there is a reason why I am an outdoorsy person and not an artsy person! I"ll leave the calligraphy to you!
今天李华学到了两个常用语.一个是outdoorsy, 是喜欢野外活动的人.另一个是arsty,是喜欢艺术的人。
美国习惯用语第256讲
今天我们给大家介绍两个以 smoke为主的常用语。首先我们要讲的是：To go up in smoke. 大家知道，smoke就是烟。To go up in smoke是指某项工程，或某个交易没有取得任何成果，就像烟一样一下子就消失了。我们来举一个例子。这是一个生活在美国西部的农民在说话。他经营一个小小的农场，生活很贫苦。他说：
例句-1: This big oil company thought there might be a lot of oil in the ground under our farm. They drilled three wells but got nothing out of them buy dirt. So all our dreams of being millionaires went up in smoke.
这个农民说：这个大石油公司以为我们农场的地下有很多石油。他们挖了三口油井，但是除了土以外，从油井里什么也没有得到。所以，我们想成为百万富翁的美梦全部成了泡影。
这句话里有几个字可以说明，有不少英文字在不同场合有不同的解释。比如说，这句话里用的 oil这个字。Oil就是油，这是一个总称。烧菜的油可以称为oil，任何油类的液体都可以用oil这个名称。但是在这个句子里，从上下文里就可以知道，说话的人是在讲石油。这句话里用的well这个字也是一样，水井在英文里叫做well，油井也叫做well，要看所指的情况而定。
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我们再来举一个例子。这是一个年轻人原来准备学医，将来当医生。可是，偶然发生的一件事使他的梦想不能实现。下面是这个年轻人在对他的朋友说话。
例句2: I was all set to go to medical school next September. But dad"s company suddenly went bankrupt and it"s too late to apply for a student loan. I"m afraid my dream of being a doctor has just gone up in smoke.
这个学生说：我为了九月份入医学院准备好了一切。可是，我爸爸的公司突然破产，现在再申请学生贷款又已经太晚。我怕我想当医生的梦想已经破灭。
******
我们再来给大家讲解一个由smoke这个字为主的习惯用语。Smoke screen. Screen这个字的意思是：屏幕，或者是帘子。所以，smoke screen就是烟幕。Smoke screen这个习惯用语是八十多年前第一次世界大战期间出现的。当时，在海面飞快前进的驱逐舰会在海面造成很密的烟雾。那些战舰为了保护自己，免受敌方炮弹的袭击而躲在驱逐舰造成的烟雾后面。
现在，smoke screen这个说法已经成为日常用语，意思是人们为了隐瞒，或伪装某件事而用的手法。下面就是一个例子。
例句3: That man talks about how glad he was to retire at age forty-five and enjoy himself. But it"s just a smoke screen to hide the fact he got fired from his job and can"t find another.
这句话的意思是：那个人说，他非常高兴在四十五岁就退休，能够好好享受生活。但是，这种说法只是用来掩盖真相。事实是他被他的公司解雇了，又找不到其他的工作。
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