今天我们要讲的两个习惯用语里都有一个关键的单词：fast。我们要讲的第一个习惯用语是：Life in the fast lane. 我想大家都知道fast这个词的意思是“快”，那么lane这个词是什么意思呢？一定有不少人会说这个词解释“小路”，“巷子”。对，但是fast lane的意思却是公路上的快车道。
上过高速公路的人都知道，最左边的那条车道是快车道。在这条车道上行驶你能超过别的车道上的车辆而遥遥领先，但是你也必须一刻不停地高速前进，否则后面的千军万马就会冲你而来。那么life in the fast lane是什么意思呢？请大家好好听下面这段话，说的是一个叫 Tom的年青人，请你边听边体会life in the fast lane究竟是什么意思？
例句-1: Tom is a hotel manager. He works 60 hours a week, but he"s always flying to Hong Kong, Tokyo or New York and enjoys life in the fast lane.
一定有不少听众朋友已经明白fast lane是个比喻，用在这儿并不就指快车道，而是指竞争激烈、忙碌而快节奏的生活方式。
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有些人似乎生来就适应这种快节奏的生活。他们不在乎繁忙的工作和巨大的压力。Tom 就是这样一个小伙子。但是还有些人却觉得这样的生活尽管充满刺激也能赚大钱，却也令人精疲力尽。好，我们来听听有关Bill的一段话吧。听的时候还是请您注意life in the fast lane这个习惯用语：
例句2: Bill used to enjoy life in the fast lane in New York, but his family didn"t. Now he"s happier living a quiet life in a small town with his wife and two kids
这回你都听清楚了吧。说的是Bill原来喜欢纽约那种快速紧张的大都市生活，但是他家人却受不了了。于是他现在跟太太还有两个孩子在小城里安安静静地、舒舒服服地过日子。 life in the fast lane这个习惯用语还有另外一个说法，意思完全一样： life on a fast track。在这个短语里，track这个词原意也是快车道。当然它也可以用来比喻快速紧张的生活。比方说美国前总统尼克松曾经这样评论纽约市：
例句3: It"s a place where you can"t slow down - a fast track.
他说：“在纽约那样的地方你可不能松懈，这是一个马不停蹄的地方。”
我想各位不论是不是住在大城市，都想象得出纽约市那种简直没有喘息余地的生活节奏。
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现在我们来讲第二个习惯用语。Go nowhere fast。你们一定发现nowhere这个词是由no和where两个词组成的，所以Go nowhere意思当然是“哪儿都不去”。而fast这个词的意思是“快”。那么整个短语似乎是前后矛盾的。哪儿都不去又怎么会快呢？那就让我们来听一个例子吧。这是被一道几何题难住的人说的话。请你边听边好好想想这个习惯用语的含义。我要给你一个提示：Go nowhere fast也是一种比喻的说法。好，请你仔细听：
例句4: I"ve been working on this problem all evening and I"m going nowhere fast! Could you help me out, because I just don"t know how to do it.
大家都听清楚了吧？显然go nowhere fast意思是费了九牛二虎之力去做一件事，却一无进展。比方说刚才那个人说：“我一晚上都在绞尽脑汁地解那道几何题，却一无进展，你帮帮我好吗？因为我实在不知道怎么解这道题。”
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好，我们再听一个例子。这是在评论一部小说里的人物。他们都背上了家庭历史的包袱。这儿有几个可能是陌生的词和词组：Burden, Burden解释重担。还有一个词组，family history，大家都知道family 这个词，是“家庭”“家族”，history是历史，family history就是家史。好，我们现在一起来听下面这段话。请你注意里面的习惯用语：go nowhere fast。
例句5: Those people in the novel are going nowhere fast. They bear burdens of their family history and are never able to solve any of their problems.
这段话讲的是，这本小说里的人物背上了家庭背景的沉重压力，束手束脚、固步自封，一直没能解决自己面临的问题。
美语咖啡屋第5课
J: Hi everyone! I"m Jody and welcome to American Cafe
Y: 大家好，我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。在我们这个小小的咖啡屋里，您可以了解美国文化，还可以认识美国朋友，最重要是还可以学地道的美国英语。
J: That"s right! And on today"s program, we are going to take you to the Big Apple...New York City, to talk about something New Yorkers cannot live without, Restaurants!
Y: 对，今天这个题目大家一定都喜欢。我们要带您到最有美国特色的大都市纽约，了解对纽约人来说至为重要的餐馆文化。
J: Well, Yang Chen I spoke with Brian Carson, who is the manager of a restaurant located in the heart of New York City.
Y: 这个Brian Carson是我们今天要认识的第一位美国人。他在这个热闹的纽约市中心的一家餐馆做经理。好，我们听听他来解释这个餐馆文化对纽约人来说意味着什么。
实录1 Brian Carson: Most people don"t cook in this city because it"s set up to eat. You walk outside your door and there"s a sea of 10000 restaurants on the isle of Manhattan. It"s just that it"s part of the convenient, ummm, way of life in New York City. People eat out. They dine out, that"s what they do.
Y: 哇，你听见他说了吗? 他说光在曼哈顿区就有一万个餐馆。而且他用了一个词，用"sea”来形容餐馆林立。 "Sea" 就是海洋的意思。
J: He said "a sea of 10,000 restaurants," to describe when something is abundant. You could say, "the grassy field was a sea of green." Ah, you could say, "she is drowning in a sea of confusion."
Y: 你是在说我吗？
J: No, not you. Another example, "The streets of New York are a sea of people."
Y: 确实，中文里也有“人山人海”这种说法。下面我们再接着听听Brian介绍餐馆文化的意义。
实录2 Brian Carson: What makes...um, things special for New Yorkers is when they throw dinner parties. It"s the opposite. They invite people into their world and they create feasts in their environments. That to me and to them is a special night. Eating out is almost like a necessity in this city. It"s just what people do.
Y: 这么说来，纽约人请别人到餐馆吃饭是很普通的，如果请你到家里那是特殊的情况，是不是？
J: Right. And when I spoke to a customer, her name"s Tammy, she was very honest in her response. She also said she doesn"t cook. Much like you, Yang Chen.
Y: 就是想我一样。
J: And she said that it"s simply easier for her to meet her friends out at restaurants. But it is a very special event when they come to her home.
实录3 Tammy Scotsafaber: Eating out is very important for me because I don"t cook, A. I think it is one of the main ways that people end up seeing their friends at dinners and drinks or dinners then drinks. If you have someone to your home then you have to be a hostess as opposed to being able to just relax and have dinner.
Y: 她说得太对了！你想一想，在家请客又费力，又费心，花那么多的精力去准备，对不对？
J: Sorry to interrupt, but I was going to say, you also have to clean your house.
Y: 没错！
J: And New Yorkers, I mean, people who live in big cities, not only New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Los Angeles, you just don"t have time.
Y: 并不是说我很懒惰！
J: No. It"s not because we"re lazy. We"re busy women!
Y: 因为我的时间太宝贵。说起服务员的工作，我想，这份工作挺好的。
J: Well, we spoke with a man by the name of Aaron Zebrook and he has many reasons why he likes to work as a waiter.
实录4 Aaron Zebrook: Pretty women. Lots of cash. Stuff like that is involved. Good food. You learn about wine, you learn about food. You have to know these things. And that"s again appealing. Who doesn"t want to learn about food and wine and try all this good stuff and make cash at the same time at night when you have free time?
Y: 哇，他总结得很精彩，美酒佳肴，金钱美女，听起来真的是很诱人。
J: You learn about lots of stuff, food and wine and people. It can be a really good job.
Y: 也是一种社会经验。
J: Yeah. And I"ll tell you what, for students, it is one of the most popular jobs to have. All this talk about restaurants, Yang Chen, is making my stomach growl.
Y:对，我听到你的肚子在叫了！
J: I know! It"s embarrassing, but I"m starving! So, let"s go to a restaurant and get something to eat.
Y: 好了，今天我们的节目时间到了！我和 Jody 要赶快到外边吃饭去了！
J: Thanks for joining us on American Cafe! Let"s go eat!
Y: 咱们走罢！
美语咖啡屋第6课
Y: 各位听众好！欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。