礼节美语108讲
David兴高彩烈地来找Peter。让我们听听他有什么好消息。
David: Peter! Have I got news for you!
Peter: Wow, Dave...I`ve never seen you so excited. What`s the occasion?
D: Ok...you`ve known me for years, right?
P: Uh huh.
D: What`s the one job I`ve been dreaming of having my whole life?
P: You`ve always wanted to work as a writer for Players Magazine.
David说，Have I got news for you! 在这里不是问句，而是要加强语气，意思是我有事要告诉你！So What`s the occasion? 是什么重大消息呢？ Peter故意卖关子，暗示David ，跟他多年来的理想有关，那就是给Players杂志撰稿。
D: That`s right!! And I landed a job interview with them!!! I go in to meet the boss next Tuesday!!
P: Wow, man! I`m so happy for you! Good for you!
D: But, truth be told...I`m terrified of the interview. How can I ace it?
David喜出望外地告诉Peter, I landed a job interview with them. 他得到了面试的机会。Land, 在这里是动词，意思是得到。但是David承认，truth be told，说实话，他心里很怕，所以让Peter给他出主意，怎样才能ace it. 意思是得满分，一举拿下这次面试。
P: Awww, everyone is terrified of job interviews, but there are some things you can do to help prepare.
D: Such as?
P: Well, for starters, you should do as much research as possible on PLAYERS Magazine.
D: Yeah...I`ll need to review some of their older issues and brush up on the magazine`s history. I need to know that company inside and out!
P: That`s right. Bosses like the guy who does his homework.
如何为面试做准备？ David表示，他准备回去，brush up on the magazine`s history. 重温一下这份杂志的历史， brush up on something的意思是温故知新. David还说，I need to know that company inside and out. 意思是把这家杂志从里到外了解个底儿透。 Peter表示赞成，因为bosses like the guy who does his homework. 老板都喜欢认真的人。 Do one`s homework做好功课，就是事先做好准备工作的意思。
D: I was thinking about asking you to play the role of the interviewer so I can rehearse my performance. I`ve already done it front of a mirror like a hundred times.
P: (Chuckle) Sure...I`ll play the boss. But you know...you`re going to have to fight to stay calm. It doesn`t look good if you go into the interview too hyper. You gotta look calm and in control.
David让Peter扮演面试考官，play the role of the interviewer, 帮他模拟面试，so I can rehearse my performance. Rehearse。 Peter建议David不能过于激动too hyper, hyper是高度兴奋的意思。You gotta look calm and in control. 要显得镇定自若。
李华和Larry因为暴风雪，都不用去上班，俩人商量该干点什么。今天我们要学两个常用语：fish out of water和have a crack at something.
LH: Larry, 下大雪真是太好了，堆雪人、打雪仗比上班好玩多了。
LL: Yeah it`s really nice that we don`t have to go to work or class. But I am a little worried that I might freeze to death in the snow!
LH: 冻死在雪里？你也太夸张了吧。下雪天儿其实 一点儿都不冷，多穿两件衣服就行了。
LL: Lihua, I`m from the southern United States, where it never snows. I feel like a fish out of water in all this snowy weather.
LH: 你说什么？感觉自己象是a fish out of water? 这是什么意思呢？
LL: When you are in a strange environment, or feel like you are out of place, you can say that you feel like a fish out of water.
LH: 哦，a fish out of water感觉好象离开水的鱼一样不自在，跟周围陌生的环境格格不入。
LL: Exactly! For example, Roger grew up living in the city, so he felt like a fish out of water when his girlfriend took him on a camping trip.
LH: 我刚从中国到美国来读书的时候，那才叫不适应呢！
LL: Right! I bet when you came to America for the first time and were in a totally new environment, you felt like a fish out of water.
LH: 绝对的！不过，我很快就认识了很多象你这样的好朋友， 没过多久就适应了。So I don`t feel like a fish out of water anymore.
LL: That`s great, Lihua! You know, I felt that way too when I visited New York. I grew up in a small town, so I really felt like a fish out of water in the big city.
LH: 不提过去那些事儿了，快穿上衣服，我们出去玩雪！
LL: Ok, Lihua. If I freeze to death, will you tell my parents that I love them?
LH: 好了，Larry, 别闹了。在雪地里玩儿一会儿是死不了人的！
******
LH: Larry, 你想先玩什么？是堆雪人还是滑雪橇？
LL: I`ve got a great idea! Let`s build an army of snowmen. We will make a snow version of the Terra Cotta Warriors!
LH: 兵马俑？Larry, 你知道兵马俑一共有多少个吗？我们还没堆完，雪就化光了。
LL: Come on, we`ll never know for sure unless we try! Let`s have a crack at it.
LH: Have a crack at it? 这是什么意思啊？
LL: When you try to do something that is not very likely to succeed, you can say that you "have a crack at it." Crack is spelled c-r-a-c-k.
LH: 你是说，明知不太可能用雪堆出兵马俑来，你还是想试试看， to have a crack at it?
LL: Right! Or for example, even though I knew it was unlikely that I would win American Idol, I decided to have a crack at it anyway and try out for it.
LH: 慢着慢着，你去参加美国偶像的选秀了？我怎么不知道。Larry, 我了解你唱歌的水平，你当选美国偶像的机会，恐怕还不如我们用雪堆出个兵马俑来的机会大呢！
LL: Don`t worry, even though I might not have a great voice, I can make up for it with my hot dance moves.
LH: 你的热舞？那就更可怕了。不过言归正传，Larry, 我以前听人说过"take a stab at something"这跟have a crack at something是一个意思吗？
LL: Yes. They mean the same thing.
LH: 那你能不能给我举个不会让我做恶梦的例子？
LL: Sure. My math teacher gave the class a really hard problem to do. Even though he knew we probably wouldn`t be able to do it, he told us to take a stab at it anyway.
LH: 这位数学老师真够损的，明知学生做不出来，还要他们去试。那我可以说，明知教你跳舞是浪费时间，可我还是决定要take a stab at it?
LL: Very funny. Now come on, let`s start making these snowmen!
LH: Larry, 你还是自己堆吧，我要去那边山坡上滑雪了。
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是fish out of water, 意思是在陌生的环境里觉得格格不入，不自在。另一个是have a crack at something, 或是 take a stab at something, 意思是明明知道可能不会成功，可还是要去尝试一下。