美国习惯用语第508讲
今天要讲的习惯用语有这样一个共同的关键词： flip。 Flip这个词有多种不同的意思，而且既可以是动词也可以是名词。当flip作动词的时候有一种意思是急促而突然地翻动。比方说： the boiling water in the pot flipped out its lid, 锅里沸腾的水掀翻了锅盖。
我们今天要学的第一个习惯用语就是： flip out。 习惯用语flip out其实就是借用在火上满锅沸腾的水和蒸气往上直冲掀翻锅盖的画面，来形象地比喻人怒火中烧，以致按捺不住失去了控制。
其实习惯用语flip out还有一种形式就是： flip one`s lid。 Lid是盖子，flip one`s lid要是直译也是掀翻了盖子。它也用来描绘人怒气直冲、失去自制。 Flip out和flip one`s lid，起先出现在二十世纪四十年代早期的电影或者杂志上，随后逐渐融会到日常生活的语言中。
我们听两个例子。先说话的是个学生，刚拿到了发回来的英语课作文，正对自己得到的评分大发脾气：
例句-1：Look at this! I spent days on this paper and even paid a graduate student to help me, and this stupid professor gives me a `D`! Man. I`ll flip out if I can`t get at least a `C` in this course.
他说：瞧瞧这个！我在这篇文章上花了几天时间，甚至还花钱雇了位研究生来帮我，而这个笨蛋教授竟然让我得`D`! 哼，我这门功课至少要拿个`C`，要不，我会闹翻天。
这里的习惯用语flip out意思就是怒不可遏地吵闹。
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当一个人flip out或者flip his lid, 他甚至会愤怒得仿佛失去了理智。我们再听个例子， 这段话在说Mickey有一天走出家门发现他的汽车竟然被偷走了。这下他可真是暴跳如雷了：
例句-2：Did you see Mickey when he saw his car was gone? He totally flipped out - he was hopping around like a crazy man, screaming and yelling out in the middle of the street.
他说：你见到Mickey发现自己丢车时的那模样吗？他简直是失去理智了- 在大街中心象疯子似地暴跳如雷、尖声喊叫。
这里的flip out意思还是激怒得几乎失去理智。
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今天要学的第二个习惯用语是： flip side。 这里flip成了名词了，意思是反面或者次要的一面， 而flip side原来是指唱片的反面的。要是唱片的正面录制了一首热门的流行乐曲的话，唱片的反面往往会录上一些听众反应平平的并不引起轰动的乐曲。当然作为习惯用语flip side不再指唱片的另一面了。下面有个例子，我们听听flip side在这段话里表示什么。
例句-3：It`s fantastic that the President has planned to balance the budget and give Americans a tax break. But the flip side is that students just coming out of college are getting the least tax break of all.
他说：总统已经打算要平衡预算并且给予美国人税额优惠。 但是刚从大学毕业的学生得到的税额优惠却比谁都少。
这段话说了总统减税计划的两方面。一方面广大美国人民都能享受有关优惠，而另一方面，刚毕业的大学生从中得到的好处却少于任何人。 The flip side在这里放在这两种情况之间，显然用来表示语气的转折，导出相对方面，作用相当于on the other hand.
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再听个例子也应用了习惯用语flip side，说话的人得到了新的工作机会，正在权衡利弊：
例句-4：The new job would pay me twice as much money as I make now, The flip side is the family would have to move across the whole country and my wife and kids sure don`t like that idea.
他说： 那份新工作的薪金比我目前的多一倍，然而另一方面，为此我们全家人却不得不跨越整个美国迁居到那一边去。我太太和孩子绝对不喜欢那主意。
这里的the flip side也是用来引导问题的相对方面的，作用相当于on the other hand.
美语三级跳 (Go English) 001C讲 - “电影”单元高级课程
Movie Dialogue: Advanced (取材于 goenglish.me)
各位听众，大家好！今天我们为您播出“美语三级跳”节目“电影”单元的高级课程。
Professor: Today we`re going to learn some useful vocabulary for talking about movies.
太好了！Professor Bowman. 我特别喜欢看电影，正好学点新词汇！
Professor: Good, Winnie! Then listen closely to Emily and Peter discussing their favorite movies.
E: So Peter, do you have a favorite comedy?
P: Well that`s hard to say because there are so many good ones. I don`t think I could pick a favorite.
E: You know what comedy I really like? "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective." I think Jim Carrey is really funny.
P: Oh yeah, that`s one of my favorite flicks. I think Jim Carrey is one of the funniest comedians ever.
E: I agree. But even though I like comedies, I usually prefer more serious films. My favorite movie is "Titanic."
Professor: Winnie, Did you hear the words "flick" and "film"? They both mean "movie," but "flick" is slang for a movie that doesn`t have a lot of artistic value, but may be fun to watch anyway.
哦，flick 和film都是电影，但是flick指那些艺术价值不高，看来消遣的电影。
Professor: In the next segment, listen for the words "cheesy" and "special effects."
P: You like Titanic? That movie is so cheesy.
E: It`s not cheesy! It`s romantic. When it first came out, I saw it in the theaters five times in one week.
P: Really? Well the special effects might have been good in 1997, but when you watch it today they make the film seem really cheesy.
E: Alright, maybe it`s a little bit cheesy. But come on, isn`t it fun to go to a cheap flick once in a while?
P: Actually, I have to admit that you`re right. I like some pretty cheesy movies too. I love Arnold Schwarzenegger action flicks, especially "Terminator."
E: Haha, that`s definitely a cheesy movie too. Did you watch it over and over again?
P: Well ... I saw it only once, but for the next two months when I talked to people, I pretended I was the Terminator.
Professor: Winnie, Did you notice that a "cheesy" movie can easily be called a "flick"? They both mean that the movie is low quality or low-brow.
的确，不少flick都是为了迎合大众口味，比较俗气的片子，这种“cheesy”的电影一般就是消遣一下，看过就忘了。
Professor: But apparently Peter really got into the "Terminator" character! Now we`re going to learn about words to describe action movies and horror movies. Listen for the terms "gory," "gross me out" and "freak me out."
E: You talked like the Terminator for two months? Wow, I think you liked that movie even more than I liked "Titanic." Why did you like "Terminator" so much?
P: Well, "Terminator" is a really great action movie, and I like action movies because they`re exciting.
E: Isn`t "Terminator" really violent? I usually don`t like gory movies because they gross me out.
P: It is pretty violent, but since it`s just robots fighting one another, it isn`t very bloody and so it won`t gross you out.
E: Hmm ... I don`t know. Even though it may not be gory, I think it would still be scary enough to totally freak me out.
Professor: OK, Winnie, a movie is gory if it contains lots of death and blood. If you really don`t like to watch that kind of thing, you can say that you were "grossed out."
没错，我一看血腥电影就觉得恶心，I`m totally grossed out by gory movies!
Professor: And you might be "freaked out" by some other movies, meaning you get scared when watching them.
In the next segment, we`re going to learn how to talk about movies we don`t like.
E: Well now that I know what kind of movies you like, tell me, what`s your least favorite kind of movie?
P: I don`t really like sci-fi movies because they`re always really weird.
E: I know! I don`t get them at all. But wait, isn`t "Terminator" a sci-fi movie?
P: Hmm ... you`re right. Well, I guess "Terminator" is an exception to the rule.
Professor: Winnie, Did you also hear "exception to the rule"?
嗯，我猜这是“例外”的意思！
Prof: You`re right!
So do you think Emily and Peter are a good match?
嗯，我看他们聊电影聊得挺投机的！