美语咖啡屋1—52期对话全文

美语咖啡屋第1课

Y: 各位听众好, 我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。

J: Hello everyone, my name is Jody ! And welcome to American Cafe! American Cafe is a place where you can improve your spoken English by meeting people who actually live and work in the United States. You're going to learn a lot more than English. I promise.

Y: 没错, 我们这个节目非常丰富多采。您在这里不但可以学到地道的美国英语，还可以认识很多的美国人。

J: For today, Yang Chen and I spent our Sunday visiting a famous Washington D.C. hangout that's been a success here since 1976. It's called Kramer's Books & Afterwards Cafe.

Y: 对，在今天的节目中，我们要带您到一个非常有意思的地方。这里是华盛顿当地的居民非常喜欢的一个hangout, 等一下我们要解释这个词。

J: It's a combination of a cafe, a bookstore, a restaurant and a bar. Y: 这个地方是1976年开业的。它不仅是一个书店，还是一个咖啡馆和餐厅。

J: Great! Let's introduce Mark who has been working at Kramer's for 20 years.

实录1: Mark: It was ... in 1976 when they opened it, it was a unique idea combining a restaurant, bar with a bookstore.

Y: 我想在这里我们用hangout来形容Kramer's是再合适不过了。我们俩在这里真的是渡过了一个很愉快的下午，又买书，又吃，非常非常的放松。这也就是人们到咖啡馆的目的吧。

J: Exactly. And that's exactly what a customer named Peter explained why people come to Kramer's and why it's such a popular destination.

实录2: Peter: It's a great meeting place. It's a very diverse bookstore. And it's just a good place to come. Um, this bookstore has been here a long time, I don't know what long is, maybe 20 years or so. It's always been successful. It's always been lively. It's in a very lively part of town, probably the most cosmopolitan part of Washington.

Y: 这个Peter有点儿英国口音。不过他已经在Washington住了三十多年, 我们可以说他是地道的Washington 人。 J: I think 30 years makes you a resident of the District.

Y: 对， 如果Jody你要是到北京住三十年，我也可以说你是地地道道的北京人。 J: 好，谢谢您。

Y: 我们没有问Peter是做什么的，不过我觉得听他说话好象是一位教授。你看他用的这些词都很好。他用了一个“Cosmopolitan.\

J: I really like that word. \hip. You're with it. Modern. Urban.

Y: \这个词有世界性的，见过世面的这些意思。 我们可以说在中国，北京了，上海了，这些城市都非常cosmopolitan.

J: I think D.C., Washington D.C. the nation's capital, is a very cosmopolitan city. You know, Mark mentioned a good word that I would like to go back to for a minute.

实录3: Mark: Location, Location, location. Dupont Circle is a pedestrian neighborhood. There are people walking on the streets from early in morning 'til the middle of the night. And we're the kind of place where you stop in and browse for books, stop in and have a cocktail. It's just an easy, fun place to go.

Y: 我觉得Mark很有生意头脑。他说Kramer's为什么这么成功，首先是它的地区。这一带叫Dupont Circle，是华盛顿非常繁华的一个地区，有很多年轻人住在这里。

J: It's not only the young people who make it successful. It's that diversity of the clientele. Where all different types of people come in ... professors or diplomats, famous authors. Everybody stops in Kramer's. It's kind of a joke. When someone says what are three things important for the success of a business. The answer is \Location, location, location.\ Y: 一定要说三次。

J: So I thought we would include that. It's kind of a funny expression in English. Y: 对，如果你选对了地方的话，即使你不会经营，它可能也会财源滚滚。

J: Right, right. So both Mark, who is the employee and Peter, who is the frequent customer of the bookstore, - both of them talked about the importance of having a diverse and cosmopolitan clientele for success. Y: Peter是位顾客，那我们就从一个顾客的角度来听听为什么Kramer's这么受欢迎。

实录4: Peter: Where you locate a bookstore is really absolutely critical. There is a cosmopolitan crowd around this area. If you stuck this in the middle of the country it would be a total failure. Y: Jody, 时间过得好快，五分钟马上就要到了。 J: I know. It went so fast.

Y: 我知道。用五分钟来谈论咖啡文化到底对美国人意味着什么显然是不够的。

J: Really five minutes is not enough time. So, I think everyone should join us again for another program of American Cafe.

Y: 那么希望下次节目和您再见。

J: Come on Yang Chen, let's go hang out over a cup of coffee! 美语咖啡屋第2课 J: Hello, I'm Jody! Y: 大家好, 我是杨晨!

J: And welcome to American Cafe. Y: 欢迎您到美语咖啡屋. Enter pipe band music

Y: Jody, 今天的这个音乐, 我怎么觉得怎么熟悉啊 ？

J: Today I thought we would introduce Margaret Peng, the Chinese-American woman we met who does something quite uncommon. She's a drummer in a Scottish pipe band. Yang Chen, how cool is that!? Y: 你说得没错，我对她的印象特别的深. 这个女孩儿叫Margaret Peng, 是一位华裔，是华盛顿苏格兰风笛乐队的队员之一。在这种乐队里华人并不多见。那么，作为一个华裔，她是怎么迷上这种音乐的呢？我们来看看她是怎么说的： 实录1: Margaret Peng: I'm a tenor drummer in the pipe band and I started playing in high school. Eh... I had a friend who was in the bagpipe band in high school. That what she played. She said: \with me, join it.\ J: How many years now?

MP: I've been in this band I've been in for 12, 12 years. Right.

Y: Margaret刚才说她是在高中就加入了乐队一直到现在她练了十二年了，很长时间。 J: 12 years! Wow.

Y: 真的很不简单。 她加入乐队的原因其实很简单。 她当时她有一个朋友在乐队里吹bagpipe 的, 就问她, 你参加不参加? 她说好啊，就是那么简单.

J: That's simple. She was in high school and a friend told her to come join the band. Y: 没错，没错。她在乐队里是鼓手。

J: Yang Chen, I was so impressed when we saw Margaret Peng twirling her mallets in the air! It's like she was dancing! Really beautiful. She explained to me that the mallets are actually the sticks you use to bang the drum.

Y: 对，“mallet”就是敲鼓用的鼓槌，或者小音槌。当时如果你能看到Margaret Peng挥舞小音槌的姿势，你会觉得她非常优美，简直就象跳舞一样。

J: The music of the Scottish pipe band is so bizarre, isn't it? Y: Bizarre?

J: You know, 奇怪。

Y: 我想在这里可能说它奇特更合适吧。 J: Oh, 不是奇怪的意思?

Y: \当然有奇怪的意思，不过这里说奇特更合适一些，因为这个音乐还是很好听的。

J: I don't think anything sounds quite like the music of Scotland. And especially the bagpipes. While the

drums are familiar, Yang Chen, to many cultures, I don't think the bagpipes are.

实录2: Margaret Peng: It takes a lot of time. It's very difficult. There's a bag that you inflate with a blowpipe in your mouth. And you inflate the bag and every time you blow then you squeeze after you finish blowing. And you have to keep the pressure constant to keep that drone sounds. And then you have to play and then you have to walk. So there's a lot of things going on at the same time.

Y: 说起来这种乐器的名字里面有个“笛”，风笛。其实它比中国笛子或长笛相比要大得多，看上去也很重。 J: They have to carry all their instruments as they are marching.

Y: Margaret刚才提到吹奏风笛有一种“drone sound”。我想要让听众更好地了解这种声音，还是让他们听一段音乐。 J: Of course that's the best way. Let's play a droning bagpipe. Enter bagpipe music.

J: I mean, picture this, Yang Chen. A group of musicians, men and women, dressed in the same very formal Scottish costume with kilt, you know a skirt, and carrying their instruments as they parade around. Y: 大家可以想象一下，一群人带着自豪感，昂首阔步地前进。我还记得Margaret当时给我的印象很深，她很威风，对不起？ J: Exactly.

Y: 苏格兰男子身上穿的这种花格裙是苏格兰特有的一种服饰。这种裙子的正确说法是 \而不是 \

J: You're right Yang Chen, the word is \. I think Margaret gave a good explanation of the origin of Scottish pipe band music.

实录3: Margaret Peng: And bagpipes are the traditional Scottish instruments used in time of war to help signal whether they were going to retreat or whether they were going to attack.

Y: 原来在古代的苏格兰，人们用吹奏bagpipe来向军队发出信号，告诉他们应该进攻还是撤退。 最后我们来欣赏一段传统的苏格兰音乐。Jody,你知道吗，这段音乐是我的一个朋友演奏的。

J: Oh, that's wonderful. And actually that's the end of our show today. So, thank you for stopping in to American Cafe. Y: 再见! J: See ya! 美语咖啡屋第3课

J: Hello I'm Jody and welcome to American Cafe. Y: 各位听众好， 欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: You know, Christmas is just around the corner and I am already starting to feel Christmas all around me. Y: 你是说商店里现在挤满了抢购礼物的人，还有电视上不停地在播放圣诞节的广告，对不对？

J: No, no! I ignore all of that stuff. No, what I mean, is I'm starting to hear and smell Christmas. OK, Close your eyes, Yang Chen, and think about Christmas and tell me what you hear and smell. (Silence. Long pause)

J: Yang Chen? Yang Chen, anything yet? You know people are waiting.

Y: 哎呀，你等一等。我正在竖着耳朵听呢，还得使劲闻一闻。你不是说要我闭着眼睛寻找感觉吗？呣,我找到了。 在一个美丽的夜晚，星星在闪耀，我站在雪地里，听到了雪橇那悦耳的声音。对，就是这种感觉，你觉得怎么样？ J: That's okay. But I was thinking more like ... chainsaws.

Y: Chainsaws? 啊呀，你真是扫我的兴啊。原来你说的声音是电动锯的声音。太不浪漫了。

J: Well, I know it's not romantic, but I love the sound of a chainsaw and the smell of a pine tree being cut. The Christmas tree tradition is one of the best things about Christmas. Y: 对。真正的圣诞树用的是松树？ J: Right, pine tree.

Y: 那人们是不是要到森林里去砍树呢？

J: Oh, no no-no. You don't go to a forest to cut down your Christmas tree. There are Christmas tree farms. Y: 哦, 原来有Christmas tree farms。这还不错，用不着去破坏森林。说道这里，我倒是好象真的闻到了松树的味道了。

J: Oh, that's me. Y: 你用了什么香水？

J: Not perfume! I have just come from a Christmas tree sale in my neighborhood. Y: 有意思吗？

J: I did. And it was wonderfully entertaining. The elementary school held a Christmas tree sale to raise money. And there I met a woman named Ann, who is not only the organizer of the sale but she is also very active in the elementary school with the Parent Teacher Association, also known as the PTA. Y: 好啊，那我们就听听组织者Ann都说了些什么。

实录1: Ann: We have from Charlie Brown trees to big beautiful balsam firs And we have a range of prices. And we do this to support the school PTA and it pays for supplies and trips and things like that for the children. And, um, so we do it two days over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and hopefully raise some money. And also just build a lot of good feelings about the school inside the community.

Y: Ann刚才说的 PTA 就是老师和家长联合组成的协会。原来他们举办圣诞树销售活动是为了协会筹款，另外还可以增强学校和社区的感情。

J: Right. And it really does spread community feelings in the neighborhood. That's what Christmas is all about! (Enter Music \annenbaum\ Y: Ann 刚才提到Charlie Brown。 我们都知道Charlie Brown是著名的花生漫画系列里的人物。 J: Again, here's Ann.

实录2: Ann: Well, Charlie Brown, the cartoon character, always had a very small little sad-looking tree that nobody wanted, but he took it home and was very happy with it. So we always have some people that come and look for a Charlie Brown tree.

Y: Ann 刚才说的多好啊，一棵瘦小的圣诞树在可怜巴巴地等待着有人把它带回家。

J: The holiday cartoons with Charlie Brown and Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang are really an important part of Christmas for almost all children in the United States. Well, not just children. because every year I watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. Y: 你要借给我看一看。

J: I will, I will give it you. You and your family will love it. And truly Charlie Brown fell in love with a small, scrawny, little lonely Christmas tree that nobody wanted. And took it home and he gave it love. And it turned out to be a perfect Christmas tree.

Y: 没错。Charlie Brown过圣诞是一个非常经典的故事，大人小孩都喜欢。Jody，你知道吗，我们家那棵圣诞树又小有不太好看，而且是塑料的，用了好几年。我今年本来打算把它扔了，可是我女儿不让我扔。我想她可能对这棵树非常有感情。不过今天听你解释了Charlie Brown Christmas tree，我想要是下次有人再笑话我们家的树太小太难看的话，我就可以告诉他这棵树可是典型的Charlie Brown Christmas tree。

J: Of course, you tell them you have a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, Yang Chen! Y: 没错。我可以向别人炫耀我有棵Charlie Brown Christmas tree。 J: Thanks for tuning into American Cafe. Okay, see you again! Y: 谢谢大家到我们的美语咖啡屋。好，我们下次再见。 美语咖啡屋第4课

Y: 各位听众好。我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。在今天的节目中...。 哎，我们的另外一位节目主持人,Jody, 还没来哪。Oh, Jody... 别担心，别担心， 她来了...。 ( Door closing. Bags rustling.)

J: Yang Chen, I'm so sorry I'm late. Has the program started yet? Y: 当然已经开始啦。

J: Oh, I'm so sorry everyone. Hello everyone! Welcome to American Cafe. My apologies. Y: 你怎么今天迟到了?

J: Just go ahead without me. I'm going to get my bags...

(Sound of rustling bags.)

Y: Jody 你干吗呢? 能不能集中点精神？ ... 啊?! 你竟然去逛街去了？ J: Shopping? No, no, no. I was not shopping. Y: 那这些购物袋是怎么回事儿呢？

J: What bags? Oh, these bags? Right, You see, Yang Chen, I was doing research. Y: 作研究, 做什么研究啊？

J: Research on ... buying and selling. Y: 啊哈，作市场调查。那还不是和逛街差不多。

J: Okay, I may have done a little shopping. But I just wanted to get in the mood. Because I thought shopping is such a popular pastime for Americans, we could do a show on shopping. What do you think? Y: 我知道美国人，特别是女士们周末喜欢逛街。我也很喜欢啊。你下次再作市场调查可要叫我和你一快去啊。

J: Oh, absolutely! Actually for today's show I thought we could talk about a special type of store that I've always wanted to know more about, a consignment store!

Y: Consignment store? 哎, 咱俩那天在Dupont Circle路过的那家店就是一家consignment store,对不对？ J: The one and the same! It's called Secondi Consignment Store. And when I went back, I spoke with Molly, an employee there, who helped me understand exactly how a consignment store operates. Y: 我们来听听Molly怎么解释consignment store是什么意思。

实录1 Molly: A consignment store is a store where people own the items that the store sells for them on their behalf. The original owner of the items is only paid once the items are sold on the store. Y: 这种商店在中文里应该叫寄售商店。

J: Let's listen to Molly again as she talks more about how a consignment store operates.

实录2 Molly: The consigner comes in. One of the managers goes through the items and tells the consigner \pricewise. And then the consigner gets 50 percent of that price. Y: Molly 刚才提到的\ J: Consigner. Correct.

Y: ... 就是委托他们出售商品的客户。一般来说，客户拿东西到她们商店来，有一位专门负责收购的经理决定哪些她们能卖出去，哪些她们不愿意卖。然后和客户商订价钱，商店会得到售价的50%。

J: Wow, Yang Chen, you summed that up really well. A consigner is the person who brings the clothes in that they want the store, the consignment store, to sell for them. So a consignment is just like being a distributor. You know, a slang word for distributor is \a woman.

Y: 呣, 在中文里呢, \应该就是\中间人\或者\经纪人\的意思。

J: Oh, hey, Yang Chen, also at Secondi they have a great system that keeps the inventory fresh. Y: 这家商店，就是Secondi这家商店，那么他们怎么避免货品的积压呢？我们再让Molly解释一下。

实录3 Molly: After the first month the clothing goes down 20 %, and after the second month it goes down 40%, and after the third month if it's still here, the contract that we have with the consigner is just that we can donate it automatically for them.

Y: 噢，原来她们的货物第一月没卖出去就降价20%，两个月卖不出去就降40%，三个月还卖不出去就要捐出去了。听 Molly 怎么一说，如果我们每天去这家商店，那每天都能看到她们的货架上有新的东西。

J: Oh, they have some really great items there. Some were way out of my price range. Too expensive! Y: 我知道，你说的 \就是对我来说价钱太贵了，买不起。 J: But look at my new jeans! $28 and they still had the tag on them!

Y: 才28美元？太值了！好了，各位听众，您今天了解了美国的consignment store，不知道您有什么感想呢？我觉得，我真是一种很不错的消费方法，以低于零售商店的价格买到名牌衣服。这简直就是每个女士的梦想。哎，Jody， 咱们现在就去吧！

实录2 Susan: Your have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than you do of winning the lottery. J: So, you're willing to risk a couple of dollars and see if you can win the jackpot. Susan: Yes!

J: See! She mentioned the word \ (Enter sharp lightning crack) Y: 你知道吗，你听起来象个巫婆一样。

J: Okay. Now, get serious, Yang Chen. You know, after I started interviewing people they all started talking about the big \ Y: 就是，我都替他们发愁。如果赢了，那么多钱怎么花呀？ J: Here's what Susan had to say. Y: 好吧, 我们来听听Susan的宏伟计划。

实录3 Susan: Well, that's what everyone always thinks as they're waiting in line ... \they won.\list, that you wanted to get...you know...

J: Another woman, Olivia from New Orleans, Louisiana, said that after she paid off her and her family's debt she would give some of her winnings to charities.

实录4 Olivia: I would definitely donate some to charity, because there are a lot of good courses. And pay off all my debts, my mother's debts, my sister's debts and travel.

Y: 每个人都那么说。如果赢了以后先把工作辞了，然后买下所有以前买不起的东西，还要捐一部份给慈善机构。 J: Well, that's what they say before they win. I don't know what they say after they win. Y: 好，我们的时间到了。谢谢大家收听美语咖啡屋。

J: Yeah! Thanks for joining us today at American Cafe. I certainly enjoyed talking with you about the American tradition of the...

Y: Stop it, Jody! 如果你再让我听到... J: ...POWERBALL!!

(Enter sharp lightning crack) 美语咖啡屋第9课

Y: 大家好，我是杨晨。欢迎您光临美语咖啡屋。

J: Hello and welcome to American Cafe. My name's Jody! Hey Yang Chen I am having Brunch this weekend with some friends. Do you have time to come join us? Y: 好啊。不过这次可不会象上次那样一吃就吃四个钟头吧。

J: Oh, but that's the whole point of Brunch. After a long workweek, a nice long Brunch is the perfect end to the weekend! And as a matter of fact the meal is so long and so relaxing that it is a combination of breakfast and lunch. It's spelled B-R-U-N-C-H.

Y: 你说的到是有道理。既然brunch是把早饭和午饭合并在一起，那么当然时间就应该长点了。不过说起来brunch这个词不好把它翻成中文呢。我看听众朋友喜欢怎么叫它就怎么叫它什么吧。或者干脆就用英文brunch。

J: Hey Yang Chen, remember we talked to Edina, the manager of the restaurant where we had Brunch last time.

Y: 没错，我们来听听Edina给brunch下的定义。

实录1 Edina：Brunch is a very special time in American life. It's a time where after a very busy workweek a family or friends have time to actually sit down and enjoy their meal. Y: 下面我们就让讲一讲他们的顾客最喜欢点什么菜。

实录2 Edina：It's usually French toast, pancakes, omelets, lots of eggs.

Y: 你记不记得我那天就点了omelettes，煎蛋饼，非常好吃。French toast是一种炸面包片，也很受欢迎。哎，你会作吗？ J: Oh, I make a wonderful French toast.

Y:不过我很好奇，它为什么叫French toast，和法国有关吗？

J: I don't think so. We have French fries and French toast 跟法国没有什么关系。 Y: 你说人们是不是只有在周末才会吃brunch呢？

J: Most definitely! And it's usually on Sunday after, you know, you go out with your friends and party a little, have a couple drinks, listen to music.

Y:人们在周末都爱睡懒觉，早上一起来早饭的时间就已经过了，那么乾脆把两顿饭合在一起，尤其在星期天，很多人在星期六晚上已经狂欢了一整夜，星期天和朋友享受一顿美味的brunch，的确是很开心。

J: Remember we spoke with a group of people who were out having Brunch after a fun night together on the town together.

Y: 我们上次碰到的一个女孩Kristine，她是这么说的：

实录3 Kristine: Brunch tradition is usually, I feel, the nice end of weekend to start off the new week. Nice comforting feeling. Usually very relaxed and laidback, late in the afternoon and really just a nice cap to the whole weekend and it is a chance to catch up on, on the week, I think, too. Y: Kristine 提到了几个很好的词，比如\，都有休息，放松的意思。

J: And brunch is definitely a laidback and relaxed meal, because, you know, if you go out drinking the night before you may be a little bit tired the next day. Y：那人们在吃brunch的时候会喝酒吗？

J: Not everyone. But many people do. In fact, restaurants on their menu, include two particular drinks. You can choose to have either a Mimosas, a mixture of orange juice and champagne or a Bloody Mary, which is a little bit of vodka and tomato juice with spices. Y: 对，可是喝了酒是不是更觉得没精神呢？

J: No, not really. It's just a small amount of alcohol to take off the edge. Y: 我曾经听过这么一个习惯用语，叫 \

J: Ha! I can't believe you know that! That is the perfect idiom. \right. Here's Edina to explain.

实录4 Edina: If you have a weekend to yourself most people go out. You go out Friday night or you go out Saturday night. You enjoy alcohol and you drink as much as you want. You wake up and still have the that sort of taste of the night before. So, something like a Mimosa will give you that sense back. That's what the hair of the dog, the dog is the night before, and the hair is the memories. Y: 这个习惯用语很难解释。

J: \

Y: 我想可不可以这么打个比方呢，就是说你星期六彻夜的狂欢，灌了一肚子烈性酒，就好像你被一只大狗咬了一口。到第二天早上还有点晕晕呼呼的，那么你呢就少喝一点点酒，好像这样能帮助你恢复正常。那么这一点点酒就好象你从狗身上拔的一根毛一样。

J: I think that's a good explanation. You just need a little hair though. Thanks for joining us on American Cafe! Y: 好，我们今天的时间到了，欢迎您下次再到美语咖啡屋。再见! 美语咖啡屋第10课

Y: 各位听众好，我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。

J: Hello I'm Jody and welcome to American Cafe. Hey, Yang Chen, guess what this sound is. (Enter breathing sounds)

Y: 噢，听不大出来，好象是有人打电话恶作剧，是不是？

J: No, no, no! It's not an obscene phone call. It's is the sound of scuba diving. Y: Scuba diving? 潜水，那一定很好玩吧。哎， Jody, 我一直想学潜水，但是我很怕水。 J: Well, if you want to study scuba diving you better get over that. Y: 说到scuba diving，我就想到要全副武装，背着那个很重潜水设备。太难了吧。

J: Well, the next time the Scuba Tour comes around you should try it! Y: Scuba Tour是什么呢？潜水不是要到那种热带或者是靠近海洋的旅游胜地吗？

J: Oh, that's the special thing about the Scuba Tour ... it comes to you! When I went to a Health and Fitness Exposition at the DC convention center. There, they had a Scuba Tour. But, let's hear from Scott Evans who was a member of the Scuba Tour to find out what it is.

实录1 Scott Evans: My name is Scott Evans. We're at the D.C. Convention Center doing the Scuba Tour, which is an experience for non-divers to discover Scuba, basically.

Y: Scuba Tour就是到不同的地方举办活动，教那些初学者体验潜水的乐趣。这到真是个好主意。

J: Oh, it's a brilliant especially if you're in the Scuba business. The Scuba Tour brings it to people who may not have the chance to try it! Here's another diver named John talking about why the Scuba Tour is important. 实录2 John: My name is John, I'm from the Dive Shop in Fairfax, Virginia. There's always people who have always wanted to try it and that's one of the nicest things about an event like this is that they have a chance to try it in a non-threatening environment.

Y: 嗯，太棒了。通过这样的活动能让大多数人不出远门就能学习潜水。

J: Exactly! And I think when John mentioned non-threatening that is really important. The Scuba Tour brought the pool, the equipment, but not the sharks.

Y: 没错。虽然Jody刚才提到有鲨鱼是有点吓唬人，不过第一次学潜水就到海里的确是很惊险，游泳池当然让人觉得安全多了。你那天去的时候人很多吗？

J: Oh, there were many people waiting in line to try out scuba diving. Y: 哎，说了半天我们是不是先给大家解释Scuba这个词是怎么来的？

J: Well, first we should that Scuba is an acronym. S-C-U-B-A. And it stands for something. Here's John Harmon to give us an explanation.

实录3 John Harmon: Okay, my name is John Harmon and SCUBA stands for self-contained, underwater, breathing apparatus.

Y: Scuba这个词在中文里就是水肺，是一种帮助人在水下呼吸的设备。

J: The self-contained, underwater, breathing apparatus or scuba equipment, allows you to stay underwater, like a fish.

Y: 那我们来形容一下它的样子好吗？

J: Let's have John explain the specific equipment used for scuba diving.

实录4 John Harmon: And basically what that consists of is some equipment, which is a tank which contains air; a regulator, which actually is the apparatus that we breathe...to deliver air from the tank to our mouths and a vest which actually allows us to sink under water or float to the surface. Y: 听他这么一说，这种潜水设备挺吓人的，又是氧气罐，又是呼吸器，还得穿上潜水背心。

J: Oh, exactly. Well think about it. You're going underwater. You need good equipment. There's the air tank, the regulator, that delivers the air from the tank, and the vest for floating or sinking and, Yang Chen, don't forget about the wetsuit. Trusting the equipment for breathing is the hardest thing for a scuba student to learn.

Y: 没错，我觉得对我来说，最难做到的大概就是对你的设备感到放心，特别是在深水里，万一出现意外情况该怎么办呢？ J: Exactly! Your life depends on it. So, let's hear what George had to stay.

实录5 George：You gotta learn to trust the equipment and that's probably the biggest thing for students is to trust the equipment. The equipment is high performance. This is life support equipment. Y: 我完全同意George的话。

J: I know. Even though he says it's high-performance, life support equipment, I would still be nervous. Y: 哎，等一等，你说你也会nervous。那说了半天，你自己也不敢下水啊？

J: Well, see the line was really long, Yang Chen. And I wanted to try it... but you know... Y: 好了， 好了，你不用解释了，反正我知道你没敢下水就是了。

J: Possibly. Okay, thanks for joining us on American Cafe. That's all the time we have for today. Y: 好， 谢谢大家收听，我们下次节目再见。 Act11

: 各位听众好，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。 J: Hi I'm Jody and welcome to American Cafe!

Y: 我想我们的听众可能觉得很奇怪，听这声音好像不是在咖啡屋。您猜的没错，我们现在站在一个巧克力店门口。为什么呢？因为今天是情人节。

J: That's right, Yang Chen, it's Valentine's Day. So we left the cafe. We came out on the street to find out what people are buying for Valentine's Day! Y: 巧克力！ 我现在口水要流出来了。

J: And Yang Chen, we've come to the perfect place, Chocolate Chocolate. And you, Yang Chen, I know something about the name Chocolate Chocolate. The chocolate is so good they have to say it twice

Y: 没错。巧克力！ 巧克力！！！今天是情人节。你第一个想到的是人们都送什么礼物呢？就是巧克力。确实是，你看里面人那么多，买巧克力的人好像大多数都是男的。

J: Of course, women love chocolate. Men like to send their sweethearts all kind of good stuff, diamonds and flowers and chocolate.

Y: 你说起钻石，等会儿我们还要去一个珠宝店，专门卖钻石，首饰的珠宝店。

J: That's a great idea. But first let's talk to..., oh, let's talk to this guy! Are these chocolates for you? Man: No, actually one's for my fiance and one's for my mom. Yang Chen: That's so sweet!

Jody: So, we were just saying that Valentine's Day is not only to show your love for a special someone but also family and friends. Is that true?

Man: Yes it is. Women like chocolate anytime, next to diamonds. Jody: You know, there's a diamond store right up the road. Man: All right, I passed that one on the way. So...

J: What else for Valentine's Day are popular traditions when you guys plan to do? Man: Probably dinner, roses, maybe some perfume.

J: Oh, look, there's another guy. I bet he's buying chocolate for his girlfriend. Y: 你错了。你看这个人走进了[维多利亚的秘密]，是一个专门卖内衣的商店。

J: We are in front of Victoria's Secret store and the window is full of sexy red underwear just for Valentine's Day! Y: 我可能不太会去买这种红色的内衣。That's not for me.

J: So, traditional gifts for Valentine's Day include chocolate, sexy underwear, and also flowers. Y: 我们还是去那边看看玫瑰花吧。我们走吧。

Jody: First your name and why you chose to buy roses for your lovely wife on Valentine's Day.

David: Okay, my name is David Pollack and I like to buy the roses for my wife (be)'cause Valentine's Day it's a sentimental value for her to know that I love her and show some appreciation. Y: 说起来Valentine's Day，中国翻成情人节。 J: Literally, \

Y: 其实这个\情人节\不光是说情人之间送礼物。

J: Exactly. Valentine's Day is not just for lovers. Children show their love for their parents. Friends can show their love for each other. So, it's a time of the year to show your feelings, I guess. Y: 就是你对家人，对朋友的爱。

J: You think the name should be changed to something like \Y: 爱心节！

J: 爱心节！Okay, so we've gone to the flower guy, we've gone to the sexy underwear store, we've gone to the chocolate

store. What else is there for Valentine's Day? Y: Diamonds! 钻石！

J: There's a diamond store?! Let's go! (Enter sound of running)

Jody: We are here in a diamond store in Washington, D.C. What are your comments about Valentine's Day and its relationship to diamonds in general?

Mervis: Diamond symbolizes love because for many, many centuries it has always been a tradition of longevity and because demand is pretty much the hardest gem it has a stigma that it lasts forever, which it does. And men and women have always been attracted to its sparkle and brilliance and beauty. Jody: Yeh, if you have sweetheart what do you plan to do this Valentine's Day.

Mervis: well I have more than just a sweetheart. I have a very beautiful wife and three kids. And believe me, my wife is going be spoiled rotten on this Valentine. I shouldn't be saying this in case she hears and I'll let the cat out of the bag. And I speak a large pair of diamond studs for her ears. And...yeh.... (laughter)

J: Diamonds are a girls' best friends. Y: Jody, 你觉得今天过得怎么样？

J: Oh, today is so fun! I love hearing what people are doing for Valentine's Day! Thank you for you joining us outside in D.C. visiting all the places where people are buying traditional Valentine's Day gifts. That's all the time we have on American Cafe! See you next time.

Y: 谢谢大家，我们今天的时间到了。Jody，我有一个遗憾，就是在那个巧克力店，他们有让你试吃巧克力。 J: Free samples? Let's go back now! We're so silly. Act12

J: Hello and welcome to American Cafe. My name's Jody. Y: 各位听众，欢迎大家到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: Hey, Yang Chen, you know our friend down in the music library, Vince...he says \Y: 真的？下次你告诉他我也向他问好。

J: Will do. Anyway, did you know he's a guitar player?

Y: 我知道。他上次还建议我应该多听听他的偶像Jimi Hendrix的音乐呢。

J: Oh, that's weird. That's exactly what we talked about. Wow, he really admires Jimi Hendrix. But who wouldn't. Jimi Hendrix is a music legend.

Y: 等一等，这个music legend我们应该给听众解释一下，就是音乐界的传奇人物。

J: Exactly. And Jimi is not only a music legend, he changed rock-n-roll, 摇滚音乐forever! Y: 说起摇滚乐，我可以跟你聊一天一夜。

J: Me too! But let's make sure that Vince gets a word in.

Vince Bonner: My name is Vince Bonner. And I feel Jimi Hendrix is not the father of the modern guitar, but um, he changed the sound so drastically.

Y: Vince说，虽然Jimi Hendrix并不是现代吉他音乐之父，可是他在很大程度上改变了吉他音乐的声音。不过我不太明白他这儿说的是什么意思。

J: We'll let Vince explain that. But before we hear from Vince I want to mention something again. Sometimes when Vince speaks, he drops the \For example, he will say \Y: Left-handed中文就是左撇子。

J: Right. I mean, left. I mean that's correct!

Y: 好了，好了，我看你越说越糊涂。我们还是听听Vince的解释吧。

Vince: Number one he was a left-handed guitarist. So he played the instrument upside down which is even more incredible. Um Jimi was the first to use distortion and reverb, heh, without it sounding like a lot of noise. Everything

J: So did I!

Y: 可是你本来就是意大利人啊。

J: Yes I am. But it made me feel more Italian. You know, in the U.S. sometimes it's hard to preserve your culture and your heritage.

Y: 你说的没错。不过这种街头文化节就是一种传播文化的好方法。

J: That is right. In this next quote, Diana explains how a street festival can help to preserve your culture and heritage.

Diana Crespi: Italian-Americans aren't looked on as a separate minority in this country; it becomes harder and harder to preserve your culture and heritage. So Festive Italiana really gives the active Italian-American population something to cling onto and a way to preserve their heritage, to promote the culture, the positive part of their culture.

Y: 她刚才说的cling onto是什么意思？

J: To cling onto something means to hold tightly, either with your hands like clinging onto to a rope or with your mind like clinging onto an idea or your heritage.

Y: 就是抓住什么东西不放的意思，比如用手抓住绳子，或者说对一个想法不愿意放弃。 说到继承文化遗产，对于美国这个多民族的国家， 维护各民族的文化有什么重要意义呢？ J:Now let's hear again from Diana.

Diana: And it's important to the fabric of the United States It's important for all cultures to do that not just Italian-Americans.

Y：Fabric of the United State，我好喜欢这个说法。

J：So do I. Because fabric of the United States really describes the diversity of the American culture. Y：对，用fabric来形容美国是由不同文化组成的国家，真的很形像。你知道我现在在想什么？

J：What's that?

Y：作一天的意大利人是很有意思。不过做一天意大利人还不够。我恨不得明天就飞到意大利去。和我一起去好吗？ J：That's a great idea. But I think we have to wait a little bit. I just came back. But we can play some Italian music in the meantime.

30 James Millard on Teaching Hongloumeng Y：各位听众好，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: And I'm Jody! Welcome to American Cafe! Thanks for dropping in. Y: Jody 我今天好高兴！ J: Why are you so excited?

Y: 因为我刚认识了一位在乔治城大学教红楼梦的教授。

J: Oh, well no wonder you are so happy! I know how much you love Hongloumeng.

Y: 没错，因为《红楼梦》是人类历史上最伟大的小说。 J: Yes, well, to you...it is.

Y: 你那是什么表情啊。你想想世界那里还有一部小说象《红楼梦》那样描写了那么多生动的人物。 J: Really? 那我象红楼梦里的那个人物？

Y: 这个我等会儿再告诉你。我们先来让大家认识一下 Millward 教授，他还有个中文名字，叫米华健。他其实是历史教授。

J: A history professor? Then why he is teaching Hongloumeng? Y: 我们就让米华健教授亲自来解释一下他为什么在历史课上教《红楼梦》：

James Millward: Well, I've always taught Chinese history and I thought, well it would be nice to teach something that stresses the cultural side of Chinese history as well. And so I thought why not teach

Hongloumeng and I wonder if we could use Hongloumeng as a historical source to understand 18th century China.

Y: 你觉不觉米华健教授很有创意？让学生通过《红楼梦》来了解当时中国的社会。

J: That is much more creative because, you know, history can be pretty boring. yawn! Y: 没错。如果你一边读《红楼梦》，一边学历史就不会觉得枯燥了。

J: But I wonder what can they learn from Hongloumeng. Isn't it just a love story? Y: 那我们听听米华健教授是怎么说的：

James Millward: We read about Qing Dynasty government and Qing Dynasty society, and the legal system. There are a lot of court cases talked about in the book, Xue Pan. And we read about gender, history of gender and gender relations and women. We read about poetry and the role of poetry and, in particular, about women writing poetry; we read about art and art history. J: Wow. So it's not just a boy-meets-girl love story.

Y: 当然不是！ 《红楼梦》可不是一部简单爱情小说.它其实是一部社会小说。 J: Well, did the students like the book? Y:那我们来问问米华健教授：

James Millward: They liked it. They did find it long. They were glad when they were done. You know, if you sit down in the summer and read the whole thing from beginning to end, it doesn't feel long; but if you are reading it every week, it's like homework, and so it's not as much fun. Y: 你听到了吗， 米华健教授也说了，夏天读《红楼梦》是一种真正的享受。 J: Yeah, but how long is it, Yang Chen? Y: 不太长，只有一百二十回。

J: 不太长? What do you mean!?!? One hundred twenty chapters? Hey, is there a comic book version of Hongloumeng?

Y: 有啊， 我就有一套。不过我建议你先看原著。 也许是因为文化差异，美国学生和中国学生看《红楼梦》会有不同的感受， 我问米华健教授他的学生最喜欢哪个人物.他是这么说的：

James Millward: I know in China as well there is always a big debate about who would you rather have as your wife, Lin Daiyu or Xue Baochai. Generally American students found Lin Daiyu to be kind of whiny, and to be lying there all the time and complaining all the time and they didn't really like her character very

much. Some of them liked Xue Baochai, although of them found her a little bit calculating. Many of them actually liked Wang Xifeng because they saw her as a very capable woman. Y: 非常有意思。这些美国学生觉得林黛玉喜欢抱怨，whiny。 J: Whiny. That's not a good trait for a woman.

Y: 有些人喜欢薛宝钗，可是又觉得她太很有心计，calculating。

J: Calculating? That's another bad quality. Are there any good women to like in Hongloumeng. Y: 你看他们都喜欢王熙凤。哎，你一开始不是问我你象《红楼梦》里的哪个人物马？我看啊，你就象王熙凤。 J: Why? What's wrong with her? Y: She's perfect!

J: Oh, okay. I'll have to read the book to find out because, Yang Chen, maybe I don't believe you. Y: 你最好相信我。

J: Now what about you? Hongloumeng is your favorite book. I know you've read many many times, which character would you like to play? Y: 贾宝玉！

J: Jia Baoyu. Who's that? Y: 男主角啊！

J: A man! Well, we're going to have to talk about that later. Thanks for joining us on today's American Cafe.

Y: 好今天的美语咖啡屋就到这里。我们下次节目再见！ J: A man? What do you mean a man? 31 What is a Bonfire?

(Enter sound of woods and a small fire) Y: 各位听众好。欢迎收听美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: Hello everyone! I'm Jody! Welcome to American Cafe! Except today, we're not in the Cafe. Y: 没错。我们现在是树林里。不过这都是Jody的主意，如果我有选择，我宁可舒舒服服地呆在咖啡馆里。

J: Aw come on, Yang Chen, this is going to be fun. Out in the woods enjoying a campfire. This is what I call living large! Living the good life! Don't ya (you) think?

Y: 你说得到轻松。Living large活得自由自在。先别自在了，你看我们点的火都快灭了，快拿手电筒来。 J: You said you were bringing the flashlights.

Y: Jody!! 你不是说你要拿手电筒吗？ 哎呀，现在怎么办呢。 J: Hey, there's no reason to panic. (Enter animal sound)

Y: (getting anxious) Jody! 这是什么声音，后面是不是有狼啊？

J: That's not a wolf. It was probably just a raccoon. We're fine, Yang Chen.

Y: 听这声音好象是一个个头很大的动物. 我们在树林里，火又快灭了。都怪你非要到这里来作节目。你赶快想办法让火烧得旺一点好不好！

J: Okay, okay. Calm down. How big do you want the fire, Yang Chen? Do you want it as big as a bonfire? Y: Bonfire? 是什么？

J: A bonfire? Well, it just so happens that on today's show we have two experts, you could say, on bonfires. Aren't we lucky? Heh heh.

Y: Lucky? 今天我们这么倒霉你还敢说是lucky?

J: Oh, whatever. Let's go to our guests. First let's hear from our good friend CT, a man who claims to have built over 100 bonfires in his life.

CT: A bonfire is a large campfire. It is just a bunch of wood you collect from natural surroundings and put into a pile and then you light it on fire. And ideally you have more wood and you keep throwing it on and on, making the flames bigger and bigger and then it burns out.

Y: Bonfire 就是篝火，只不过比普通的篝火要大，Jody, 他刚才说点这种篝火要准备很多木头，不断地往火里扔。 J: Yeah, I heard that. He did say that ideally you have more wood and you keep throwing it on the fire. Heh, what a great idea. Okay, I'll go get some more wood while CT tells how big a bonfire should be.

CT: Well it depends on your neighbors. If your neighbors like bonfires I would say you could have a nice size fire in a plot of land that is 20 meters by 20 meters. But maybe you want to have something that's 50 meters by 50 meters. Then you can have a big bonfire.

Y: 我们倒是不用担心邻居们会有意见。因为现在除了我们两人附近根本没有人! J: Yang Chen, you really must calm down. Here, have a beer. (Enter sound of beer can opening)

Y: 太棒了。你可真行，忘了手电筒，倒是没有忘记带啤酒。

J: Hey, I do have my priorities. But look at all the wood I gathered! (Enter sound of wood dropping to the ground)

Y: 不错。不过我还是想听听你认识的那两个所谓的专家还有什么高见。 J: Good idea. Here's Marty.

Marty: Uh...a bonfire is anytime you're burning any lengths of wood. You can throw in trees ... that's a bonfire. When you get a full tree in ... that's a bonfire. The bigger the better. Y: 我喜欢他说的 \，越大越好。

J: And don't forget...it's getting darker and darker. Heh, boy, fire is really important. Y: 你很聪明。

J: Yang Chen, I bet this is what primitive people, you know原始人, felt like thousands of years ago. Y: 我真佩服你的想象力。可我们没有生活在原始社会，干吗要没事找罪受呢？ J: Well, I'm just saying that people like fire. Y: 为什么？

J: It feels good and, I think, it touches part of our primal side. Again here's Marty.

Marty: I am just watching the flames and burning stuff. It's primal burning things. I mean this is like the original source of heat in the world; it is burning wood so ...It smells good. Radiant heat is just beautiful heat; how it radiates out at you and warms your whole body. (Enter sound of roaring fire)

Y: Mary 说的primal side就是原始的本能。 我不知道烤火是不是能让一个人看到自己原始本能，不过我觉得篝火散发出来的光和热给了我一种安全感。 你觉得我们两个人点这么大的篝火是不是太浪费木头了？ J: Boy, you are just never happy. Here let's have a drink to a bonfire! J&Y: Cheers!

Y: 各位听众我们下次节目再见

J: See you next time on American Cafe. Next time I think we'll actually be in the cafe! See you later! 32 Martys Favorite Bonfire

J: Hello I'm Jody! Welcome to American Cafe!

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