现在，人们还是把电视上演闹剧的人叫做 top banana，但是top banana这个说法随着社会的发展现在也可以指一个公司的总裁，或者是政府官员。下面就是一个讲前美国官员基辛格的例子。
例句-1: For many years Doctor Henry Kissinger has been a top banana in American foreign policy. He is no longer in public office but plenty of people still listen to his advice.
这句话的意思是：许多年来，亨里.基辛格博士在美国外交政策方面是最高级的一位官员。现在他已经不再担任公职，但是许多人仍然愿意听取他的意见。
基辛格博士现在还不断地在报上对一些重大的国际问题发表文章,阐述自己的观点。
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美国人很喜欢幽默和笑话，因此他们也都很喜欢那些专门讲笑话的演员。其中有一位很著名的演员名字叫 George Burns。他活到一百岁。一直讲笑话。他是在刚刚过了一百岁生日后去世的。下面是一个人在表示感叹。
例句2: George Burns had been on the stage all his life before he died at the age of 100. The newspaper said George Burns finally said good night for good. He"ll always be remembered as one of the top bananas in the world of comedy.
这人说：乔治.伯恩斯活到一百岁才去世。他在去世前一辈子在舞台上演出。报纸说， 乔治。伯恩斯终于向大家说了最后的一声:晚安。人们将永远记住他是整个笑剧界最好的演员之一。
乔治。伯恩斯直到去世前不久，尽管带有老态，但是还在舞台上唱唱跳跳的。
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下面我们来讲第二个以 top这个字为主的习惯用语。Top brass. Top brass和 top banana有其相似之处，但是对象不同。Top banana这个说法比较随便，而 top brass这个说法原先来自军队，比 top banana更加尊重一些。Brass就是黄铜。但是，top brass里的 brass是来自美国军帽帽舌上那金颜色的编织物。刚开始的时候，top brass是指军队里的高级将领。但是，在战争结束后，top brass也应用于商业界的重要人物。下面是一个商业评论员在说话。
例句3: Do you know how Mr. Iacocca got to be the top brass at the Chrysler auto company? He was the one most willing to pick up and try new ideas and these took him all the way to the top.
这个评论员说：你们可知道亚科克先生怎么会成为克莱斯勒汽车公司的总裁的？因为他最愿意接纳新的主意，并且试验这些新主意。这些品质使他逐步上升，以致成为最高领导。
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美国人上班的时候都穿得很正式。男男女女一般都穿西装。但是，下了班，他们都习惯穿比较宽大舒服的便服。因此，到了周末大家好像穿的都差不多，很难看出每个人的地位。下面是一个人周末在超级市场买菜时跟朋友在说话。
例句4: See that guy selecting potato chips over there? Don"t mistake him as an ordinary person like you and me. He"s the top brass in our company, with the power to hire or fire anybody in the whole outfit.
这个人对他的朋友说：看见那边在挑土豆片的那个人吗？你别以为他是像你我一样的普通人。他可是我们公司里的重要人物，有权在整个公司里雇用人，也有权解雇职工
流行美语第258课
李华告诉Larry说，她想多赚点钱，买机票回中国探亲。李华今天要学两个常用语：bread和nest egg.
LH: Larry, 我想回中国看看我父母。I need to make some more bread.
LL: You need to make more bread? I know you aren"t a baker, Li Hua, so you must have learned that bread is slang for money.
LH: 没错。那天我听一个朋友说，他要跟父母借点钱，因为he was short on bread，缺钱花了。
LL: Well, Li Hua, how about you? Can you borrow some bread from your parents for a plane ticket home?
LH: 去中国的机票可贵了，我父母可出不起机票钱。要想回家，我唯一的办法就是再出去兼一份差。
LL: Well, with the Christmas holidays coming up, there will be many opportunities for you to earn some bread.
LH: 是啊，快过节了，很多商店都需要人手，找份活儿应该不难。
LL: I wouldn"t think so, but if you do have trouble, I can always loan you some bread.
LH: 谢谢你，Larry. 但是不到迫不得已，我还是希望自己想办法。
LL: Okay, I understand. So, Li Hua, have you thought about where you might want to work?
LH: 我想到百货商店去打工，虽然那里的工作没太大的意思，但是I"d really only be doing it for the bread.
LL: I think a department store is a good choice for you. Who knows? You may even be able to pay for your plane ticket to China and save a little bread.
LH: 我也是这么希望的。我教中文的工资实在是不多，总觉得钱不够花。
LL: Well, I am very lucky to have my job at the architect"s office. Right now, I am bringing in a good amount of bread.
LH: 你的钱都花在什么地方呢？
LL: Well, I spend a lot on monthly expenses, but I also try to save some bread every month and, if possible, invest it.
LH: 投资？看来你还挺有经济头脑的，Larry.
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LL: Saving is important, Li Hua. I am trying to build a nest egg so that I can buy a house some day.
LH: 你要建一个窝里的蛋？(开玩笑地说)那你什么时候变成小鸟啊？
LL: (Laughs) No, no, Li Hua. A "Nest Egg" is a term for money put away in reserve for some special purpose - like getting married, buying a house, or retiring.
LH: 窝里的蛋怎么会指为结婚买房子存的钱呢？
LL: Well, as I understand it, a "nest egg" was originally a fake egg placed in a nest to attract birds to lay more eggs. By putting aside money as a nest egg, you hope it will grow and make more money.
LH: 噢，我明白了，窝里的蛋原来指的是假蛋，放在那里骗家禽多生蛋的，用来指钱，就好像是中文里说的钱生钱的意思，放在银行定期存款里就是个办法。
LL: Yes, my parents have done this. But, they have also invested some of their nest egg in the stock market.
LH: 投资股市可有风险，我就听说过很多老年人投资股市，结果赔得一干二净。
LL: It can be, but my parents aren"t investing in the stock market on their own. They have an investment company that is helping them manage their nest egg.
LH: 那就好，等我开始在百货商店打工了，I hope I"ll have a nest egg, too.
LL: Well, I am building a nest egg to someday buy a house - What about you, Li Hua? What is your nest egg for?
LH: 我先得存点钱应急，万一哪天车坏了或是生一场大病，手里有钱心里就踏实多了。
LL: That"s a good plan. My older brother wants to build a nest egg for his children.
LH: Wait a minute, Larry. 你哥哥不是没孩子吗？
LL: You are right, Li Hua, but he has recently gotten married, and he and his wife want to have children. They will need to have a big nest egg for that!
LH: 是啊，养孩子真的需要很多钱，特别是大学学费，做父母的确实需要提前做好准备。
LL: Yes, they won"t just need a chicken-sized nest egg - they"ll need an ostrich-sized nest egg!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是bread, 指钱。另一个是nest egg, 是存下来的钱。
美国习惯用语第259讲
在今天我们要讲的两个习惯用语里，一个关键的字就是：pin。Pin这个字单独用的时候可以解释为：别针。但是，pin这个字也有不少和其他字合在一起用的时候，例如：Clothespins, hairpins, rolling pins. Clothespins是晒衣服时候用来夹衣服的夹子；hairpins是女人夹头发用的，rolling pins是擀面杖。不过，在我们今天要讲的习惯用语里，pin的意思就是用金属做的，头很尖的针，就像大头针一样。我们要讲的第一个习惯用语是：Pinhead. Pinhead这个字是由两个字，pin和head组成的。Head就是头。Pinhead这个字不能随便乱用，因为它对人不是很尊重。要是你把别人叫做pinhead，那你就是说那个人很笨，没有脑子；脑子小得像个针那样。下面就是一个人在说他的同事。
例句-1：Jack is one of the best-looking men in the office. Too bad he"s such a pinhead. If you talk to him for two minutes, you realize he doesn"t have a brain in his head.
这个人说：杰克是办公室里最英俊的男人之一。但是，可惜的是他笨得要死，一点头脑都没有。要是你跟他说两分钟的话，你就会知道他的脑瓜子里根本就是空的。
当然，说一个人没有脑子，或说他的脑子小得像个针头那样。这都是夸张。实际上也就是说有的人脑子快，灵活一些，而有些人由于种种原因，脑子慢一些。这都是常见的现象。下面是一个人在为他的朋友感到不平。他说：
列句2：We have to admit Mark is really a pinhead. But I respect him because he works so hard. The problem is that some of our workers like to make fun of him. No wonder he lacks self esteem. It"s a darn shame!