今天我们要讲的习惯用语都是用来描述刚接手完全生疏的任务，因而急需培训的工作人员。第一个是：greenhorn。 大家也许知道horn是动物头上长的角。像鹿和牛之类的动物都有角，而这些动物在刚出生的时候，它们的角还没有长成，只是头上有日后会长成角的基部，带有不久便会消退的绿色，所以greenhorn是初生动物的标志。
大约在二百五十年前，人们开始用greenhorn来指刚入伍的年轻新兵。他们当然对军事技能一无所知。若干年后，人们又用greenhorn来描述刚下船来到纽约的新移民，被嘈杂纷乱的大都会弄得晕头转向。而如今greenhorn指的是什么样的人呢? 我们听个例子吧。
例句-1：This new kid is a real greenhorn so I asked him to go get me a left-handed hammer. It sure was funny: he went around asking everybody for such a tool. It took him two hours to realize there isn’t any such thing.
他说：他要那新来的小伙子为他取一把左手用的锤子。他说好笑的是那小伙子到处找人打听这样的工具。他整整花了两小时才弄清根本就没什么左手用的锤子。
可见这孩子是个毫无经验的新手，所以才会中了老工人的圈套。这里的greenhorn是指毫无工作经验的新手。
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我们再学个有类似意思的习惯用语: tenderfoot。 Tender有软弱的意思，所以tenderfoot要是直译就是脚软的。
这个习惯用法来自1849年加州的淘金热时代。当时东部城镇的大批各种行业的人都纷纷横跨美国，蜂拥到加州去圆他们的发财梦。这些城里人压根儿不了解当年西部荒野的生活。他们更没想到去加州的路上必须跋山涉水，日复一日地徒步翻越崎岖的山路，简直得走断了腿脚。
当他们终于到达到目的地时多半已经累得走路又瘸又拐的了。本地人看到这些外来客这付双脚无力的狼狈相，就把他们称为tenderfoot，逐渐tenderfoot成了初来乍到还不适应环境的人的代号。
我们听个例子，这人在说带邻居去野外山地的河上钓鱼的经历。
例句-2：A big mistake - all he did was complain about cooking over a campfire and sleeping in a tent with no electricity and no television. This guy turned out to be a real tenderfoot.
他说：我犯了个大错，他除了抱怨篝火上做饭，睡没电没电视的帐篷之外，什么都没干。这家伙原来真是对野外生活毫无经验。
这里的tenderfoot是指对某种环境毫无经验的生手。
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再来学个意义相近的习惯用语: wet behind the ears。 Wet behind the ears如果直译: 耳朵背后是潮的。这个习惯用语流行至今差不多有一个世纪了。它可能来自这样的说法: 小马、小牛刚生下来的时候全身湿漉漉的；别的地方很快会干，但是耳朵背后却还是湿的。所以说某人耳朵背后是潮的，是把这人比作刚生下不久的婴儿了。
换句话说就是他简直像新生儿一般幼稚无知。我们来听个例子。这回是一位电脑软件专家在对上级说他不能使用他们专为一个重要项目雇佣的那名新员工，因为那人毫无工作经验。
例句-3：I’m telling you, Ed, this guy is still wet behind the ears - he has no idea of how to even start the job. Why, my nine-year old daughter knows more about computers than he does!
他说：我跟你说，Ed，这个人简直乳臭未干，他甚至连这工作怎么着手干都不知道。嘿，我九岁女儿对电脑的了解都比他要多。
这里的wet behind the ears，相当于中文里的“乳臭未干的，” 用来形容某人幼稚无知。
礼节美语055讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作，他跟美国同事Amy一起在北京的一间酒店开会。
(Office ambience)
A：Chen Hao, did you pay attention to what you did when you went through that door?
C：你是说刚才那个旋转门吗？
A：There was an elderly man approaching just as we arrived. You stood back to let him go first.
C：没错！应该让年长的人先走呀。这有什么不对吗？
A：Not when it comes to revolving doors. If the door had been moving and someone else had been ahead of him pushing, you should have waited. However, the door was not moving, which means that you needed to have gone ahead and set the door in motion for him.
C： 你的意思是，如果旋转门已经在转动了，那就应该让老人先走，如果门停在那里，我就应该先去推门了？
A：You could say something like, "Please, allow me to get this door." He would most likely have appreciated your consideration and understood what you were doing.
C：那我刚才让你先走肯定是没错的吧？
A：That was the appropriate thing to do since the door was already moving.
C：Amy, 男士和女士在一起的时候，有哪些规矩呢？
A：Well, I am considered the less-able bodied of the two of us, you know, the weaker sex, so you were right to let me precede you. Then your job was to assist me by pushing the revolving door behind me.
C：我没做错吧？
A：To be perfectly honest, I didn’t feel that you did. Every able-bodied person needs to do their share, but being carefully not to send those in front on a wild ride.
C：真糟糕，过个旋转门原来还有这么多规矩。开完会我们还是别走旋转门了。
A：I’ll agree, but you ought to practice doing the correct thing when you use revolving doors.
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陈豪和Amy开完会一起往回走。
C：Amy, 我来开门。
A：Thank you. That was very nice, but did you notice the woman who was coming up behind us.
C：好像是有个人，我没太注意，怎么了？
A：You practically let the door slam in her face.
C：哎哟，我光顾着给你开门了。
A：You ought to give a glance over your shoulder to see if anyone else is approaching from behind and hold the door for that person.
C：原来还要给后面的人开门！这我真没想到。还有其他什么要注意的吗？
A：When people are heading for the same doorway at the same time but are approaching from opposite directions, the people who are exiting the building or room should be allowed to leave before those who are on their way in attempt to enter.
C：这个我知道，要讲究先上后下，先出后入。谢谢你，Amy
流行美语第295课
Larry跟李华一起去外面散步。今天我们要学两个常用语：in the mood和go with the flow.
LL: Hey, Lihua, it’s so beautiful outside, the sun is shining and I am so happy it is Saturday because we can go out and enjoy the perfect spring weather.
LH: 是啊，真是鸟语花香。这种天气去外面走走简直是超级享受。
LL: You know, I’m really "in the mood" for taking a long stroll and eating brunch at a cafe with outdoor seating.
LH: 什么叫"in the mood"? 你怎么啦，心里有什么不高兴的事吗？是不是压力太大了。在外面散步是件很惬意的事啊，怎么会让你moody心情不好呢？
LL: No, "in the mood" means that I really want to do something, and it can be said in a few different situations.
LH: 所以你刚才说you are in the mood to go for a stroll and eat brunch outside, 意思其实是，你有兴致在外面走走，吃点东西喽？
LL: Exactly. Are you "in the mood" to go for a walk and eat brunch outside?
LH: 只要天气好，我随时有兴致出去走走，I am always in the mood to take a walk outside.
LL: Well, since we’re walking to brunch, what kind of food are you "in the mood" for?
LH: I am in the mood for a tasty sandwich with extra cheese, 我现在最想吃一个可口的三明治，里面加很多奶酪。
LL: I’m in the mood for a salad and a glass of iced tea.
LH: 那一会你有没有兴致去看场电影呢？Are you in the mood to catch a movie after we eat?
LL: No, Lihua, I’m not in the mood. Today is such a beautiful day, I want to spend time outside soaking up the sun.
LH: 这么说，如果我要表达自己不想干某件事情，只要说not in the mood就可以了？
LL: Yes. You can simply say you’re "not in the mood" whenever you want to express that you’re not interested in doing something.
LH: 虽然天气好，可是我还是不愿意一整天待在外面晒太阳。That’s bad for your skin, Larry! 对皮肤不好。
LL: Oh, don’t worry, I brought some sun screen lotion. If you put this on your skin it will protect you from getting sun burned.
LH: 天气预报说明天会下雨，will you be in the mood to see a movie then?
LL: Of course, I’m always in the mood to see a movie on a rainy day.
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LL: Lihua, don’t worry about directions or picking a place to eat brunch, we’re walking down to Eastern Market, so we’ll find a place to eat when we get there, just go with the flow, ok?
LH: Go with the flow? 你是说我们应该跟着人流走吗？我们要去的是Eastern Market，这些人可是往相反方向，去城里上班的！