美国习惯用语第511讲
今天要学的习惯用语都用来描绘发火。发火是人之常情，几乎每个人都会有难以抑制愤怒心情的时候，所以这是几个常用语。今天要学的第一个习惯用语是： lose one`s coo。 Cool 在这里的意思是冷静，镇定。保持冷静镇定也就是能控制自己的情绪，而lose one`s cool想必有相反的意思，是情绪失控、冒火了。 好，我们听个例子来看看这个习惯用语用在什么场合吧。
例句-1：The first time Joan went to the store, they overcharged her. The second time they charged her double. The third time they did this she lost her cool and made a nasty scene with the manager.
他说：Joan第一次上那家商店去的时候，他们抬高价格多收她的钱；她第二次去，他们把价格抬高了一倍；当他们第三次再故技重演的时候，Joan觉得忍无可忍了，于是跟经理大吵了一通。
这家商店一而再、再而三地敲诈Joan ，让她感到无可忍受，非得把心中的那股火气发泄出来不可了，所以lose one`s cool这个习惯用语的意就是火气发作。
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Lose one`s cool还只是一般地发火，有时发生的一些情况实在令人怒火冲天，于是光是说lose one`s cool还不足以表达那满腔怒火的情绪了。这就用得上下面这个习惯用语： go ballistic。 Ballistic来自ballistics这个词。 Ballistics是专门研究子丨弹丨、导弹等的射程、飞行速度和飞行轨道的学科，称为弹道学。
Go ballistic起初是制造带核弹头的大型火箭的工程技术人员使用的术语。这些火箭达到一定高度以后，发动机随即关闭，而火箭在弹道上继续飞向射击目标。
这就称为go ballistic，当然火箭go ballistic直射目标的威力强大，用来比喻人的冲天怒火正合适，因为当一个人发火的时候，他怒火中烧，随即火冒百丈，正象直冲云霄并发向攻击对象的火箭那样，向招人恨的对象大大发作。
我们听个例子吧。有个大学生要来告诉我们他班上发生的一件事情，请特别注意他话里用到的习惯用语go ballistic：
例句-2：Our professor went ballistic as soon as he found out at least three people had cheated on the exam. Just for that, he made everybody in the class take the exam over again.
他说：我们的教授发现至少有三个人在考试中作弊，他勃然大怒，正是为了那件事，他要求全班每一个人都重新考一遍。
这位教授发现三名学生作弊而要求全班每一个人都重考，显然他实在是生气极了，所以这里的习惯用语go ballistic含义是勃然大怒。
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再学个还是也跟发火有关的习惯用语： blow a fuse。 Fuse是装置在电路上的保险丝。大家都知道，当电路上的电流负荷量太大的时候，那么保险丝就会烧断，于是电路就自动切断了。这就叫做burn out a fuse, 也可以说是blow a fuse。烧断保险丝在电路上负载的超过承受的电流会迸发出火星来。这正形象生动地表现出人怒不可遏于是人们就用blow a fuse来比喻人大发脾气了。我们听个例子，这回说的是个餐馆老板。
例句-3：When the restaurant owner found out that his employees were stealing food from the back room he blew a fuse - he fired them on the spot and chased them out of the building.
他说：当那个餐馆老板发现他的雇员从后屋把食品偷出去的时候，他大发脾气，当下开除了他们，还马上把他们赶出大门。
这里的blew a fuse, 意思是怒不可遏大发脾气。
礼节美语120讲
Jim和Emily是一家跨国公司从中国聘用的新雇员，公司人事部的Paul对他们进行文化差异的培训。
Paul: Hello and good morning. I`m Paul Higgins and I`ve been asked to help prep all of you for your new positions.
J&E: Good morning.
P: Well, let`s get right down to business, shall we? Each of you will be traveling to business meetings, attending fairs and exhibitions as well as receiving clients from abroad. It`s therefore very important that you make a good impression. Let`s start with how to greet people.
Paul自我介绍后，马上展开培训get right down to business. Paul说的，to prep someone for his or her new position，指就职前的培训。做为跨国公司雇员，要经常出去开会，参展，接待外国客户，因此给别人的第一印象很重要：It`s important to make a good impression.
P: Yes, Emily?
E: Why do some Europeans kiss each other when they say hello? I`ve even seen men kiss each other!
P: Yes, in some places in Europe such as France, people do give each other a light kiss on the cheek. It`s considered friendly and is not sexual in any way.
J: But Americans wouldn`t do that, would they?
P: No, it`s highly unlikely that an American would offer a kiss.
欧洲人见面喜欢在脸颊上蜻蜓点水地亲一下，a light kiss on the cheek. 那美国人呢？ Paul说，It`s highly unlikely that an American would offer a kiss. 就是说美国人几乎绝对不可能这样做。
J: But Americans seem to like to hug each other frequently.
P: That`s true. In recent years it has become more popular to hug. But usually it`s people who have met before and perhaps haven`t seen each other in a while that might hug. At a first meeting, a hug would be very unlikely.
E: Hugs kind of creep me out! I don`t really like to be touched by strangers.
美国人似乎很喜欢拥抱。Paul解释说，其实，只有很久不见的熟人才会彼此拥抱，初次见面一般不会。Emily说自己不喜欢陌生人碰她。Hugs kind of creep me out! 拥抱让她浑身不自在。
P: Fair enough. I`d say hugging is not usually appropriate in a business situation. Some people are a bit overly friendly.
But if the person initiates it, I`d recommend you grit your teeth and go along with it, otherwise people might think you are rude.
J: So the same rule would apply to getting a kiss from a European: if they initiate it, just go along and be friendly, right?
P: Yes. As the saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." In other words: follow the local customs.
Paul也承认，拥抱并不适合商业场合，但有些人确实会overly friendly，过份友好。在这种情况下，她建议员工to grit your teeth and go along with it. 咬咬牙，硬着头皮去应和。 Grit is spelled g-r-i-t. 常言说，When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 入乡随俗。