礼节美语110讲
David Tang到Players杂志社求职面试，考官是杂志社经理Fred Dixon。
F: Hello Mr. Tang. Take a seat.
D: Thanks Mr. Dixon. Call me David, please.
F: Ok, David...call me Fred. How are you this morning?
D: Very well, thanks. Actually, I`m quite excited.
F: Oh?
D: I`ve been a big fan of Players Magazine for many years now. I love what you do here. I love the witty writing, the clever features and even the layout.
David多年来一直是Players杂志的忠实读者，他很欣赏杂志的witty writing, clever features and even the layout. 风趣的文风，巧妙的特写，甚至是版面设计。
F: Nice of you to say. We`ve been working hard to try to keep the magazine as current and relevant as possible. So...I`ve looked over your resume. You`re bilingual, right?
D: Yes. Actually, technically Chinese is my mother tongue...my parents immigrated to Canada when I was seven years old. Later on I went to school in the States and Europe as well.
F: Well, being bilingual is always a plus. We are thinking about expanding our operations and - of course - China is a huge market. Anyway...let`s see here...can you tell me why you think you`d be a good fit for our organization?
David是双语，bilingual，中文是母语mother tongue. Fred承认， bilingual is always a plus. 双语当然更好。 Plus在这儿是优势的意思。 Fred问David为什么觉得自己适合杂志社的工作， a good fit for the organization。David说自己年轻、思维敏锐、精力充沛，and I`m always looking for that next big thing. 随时准备迎接新的时尚和潮流。
F: That`s good. Ok...here`s a question that might seem kind of off the wall. If you were a car...what kind of car would you be and why.
D: Hmmm...interesting question. I`d say I`d be one of those Japanese sports cars. Not too big...not too flashy on the outside, but lots of power under the hood. You`re asking this to get a sense of my personality, right?
F: Yeah, that`s the idea. So you`re saying you are reliable and quietly powerful...is that it?
D: Yeah...that`s a good way of putting it.
Fred问David假如是一辆车的话，会是什么车？这个问题确实有些"off the wall,"出人意料，不同寻常。 David说愿意是一辆日本跑车，sports car，不以大小和外表取人，但是马力十足，lots of power under the hood. Fred理解为David是一个可靠而且quietly powerful不声不响、但干劲十足的人， David回答说，That`s a good way of putting it. 这么说不错。 To put it是表达的意思。面试还有哪些问题，我们下次继续听。
流行美语第334课
开春了，李华和Larry在后院种花种菜。今天我们要学两个常用语：cut out for和fruit.
LH: Larry, 我说的没错吧，种地就是好，既能回归自然，又能有所收获。
LL: Uh ... I`m not sure about that. My back hurts from digging all these holes, and I think some ants have crawled into my pants.
LH: 腰疼？不要紧的，过两天习惯就好了。而且，就算真有蚂蚁爬到你的裤子里也没有关系，蚂蚁不咬人，等一会儿，它自己就爬出来了。
LL: Thanks for the encouragement, Lihua, but I just don`t think I`m cut out for gardening.
LH: Cut out? 我们这才开始育苗，离修枝还远着呢！
LL: Actually, Lihua, when you say that you`re not cut out for something, it means that you aren`t suited for it.
LH: 哦，我明白了， cut out for something，就是适合做某件事情。那你是说自己不适合种地喽？
LL: Right. I`m more cut out for indoor activities, like watching TV in my air conditioned apartment..
LH: Larry, 别泄气，你也不能因为腰疼那么一小会儿，就彻底排斥室外活动啊。
LL: Well you know, I`m just not cut out for outdoor activities in the spring. There is so much pollen that my allergies get really bad.
LH: (Sneeze, sneeze again)哎，这倒是真的。不过，我们还是不能因噎废食，快来帮我参考一下，这些花苗怎么摆更好看。
LL: You can decide where to put them, Lihua. You know that I`m terrible at art, so I don`t think I`m cut out to be a landscape artist.
LH: 不会景观设计没关系，我可以教你！记不记得，当年的麻婆豆腐还是你这个老外教我做的呢！
LL: Oh right, but I don`t think I`m cut out to be a cook either. That mapo doufu was terrible!
LH: 别忘了，熟能生巧，practice makes perfect. 我刚拿到驾照的时候开车简直就是二把刀，可如今呢，早就是行家了。
LL: To be honest, Lihua, I`m not sure you`re cut out for driving. We get really lost every time you drive the car.
LH：Larry, 那不是迷路，我那是故意带你转一圈，欣赏沿途的美景。说到美景，咱们还是赶紧种花吧！
******
MC：Larry和李华用了整个一个上午的时间，终于把花圃种好了。
LH: 好，Larry, 大功告成。
LL: Yeah ... sure ... I hope we can sell some of those tomatoes to pay for a masseuse for my back!
LH: 什么？你要把这些西红柿通通卖掉，用赚来的钱去做按摩？要我说，你快别抱怨了，还是好好欣赏一下我们工作的成果吧。
LL: You`re right, Lihua. I have to say, it is nice to look at this beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
LH: Fruits? 果实，那可要等上两个月，才能吃到嘴里呢！看来不是装的，你还真对园艺一窍不通。
LL: Actually, Lihua, the fruits of your labor are the reward you receive from your hard work.
LH: 哦，the fruits of my labor就是指我的劳动成果，并不一定是吃到嘴里的果实。是啊，忙了大半天，总算可以停下来，欣赏一下这么美丽的园子了。
LL: Exactly! Or if I studied really hard for a test, I could say that the perfect score I received would be the fruits of my labor.
LH: 我以前好象也听别人这么用过fruit这个词。
LL: Well, you can also say that something "bears fruit," meaning that it produces good results. For instance, I just started working out last week, I will have to wait a few months for all my efforts to bear fruit.
LH: 我看也是，你刚才就挖了两个树坑，就累得喘嘘嘘的，好象跑了马拉松似的，太缺练了！
LL: Well, Lihua, you will be able to enjoy the fruit of all my labor this summer when we go to the beach and I can show off my muscles.
LH: 好啊，就怕你一直待在屋里，猛然脱下上衣，一身雪白的肌肉会刺得我睁不开眼睛。
LL: Very funny. Now come on, let`s go out to a restaurant. I may not be cut out for gardening, but I`m definitely cut out for eating!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是cut out for, 意思是适合做某事。另一个是fruit, 意思是努力的成果。