M31-M40

M31 Good FengShui in New York

课文

Fengshui, or geomancy in English, is becoming more and more popular in America. The Chinese consider fengshui old news, but to Americans, it’s something brand-new. Store and home owners are consulting Fengshui masters for advice.

How did this ancient Chinese tradition make its way across the seas? The answer is quite simple. Chinese businessmen have been building high rises in America. They deem it necessary to rely on fengshui experts, just as they would at home. More and more wealthy Americans are beginning to believe in geomancy. They say that geomancers in New York make US$250 an hour! In view of this, we can foresee a bright future for geomancy in America.

沧海遗珠

• geomancy /ˈdʒiːoʊmænsi/ n. 土占，地卜，风水
  • geomancer 风水师
• be impressed with… 对……有深刻印象
• consider sb. with … 将某人视为……（用 with 不要用 as，虽然在口语中有时也有人用 as）
• The owner of the pub treated me to a drink. 酒吧老板请我喝了一杯。
  • pub n. 酒馆；客栈；路人局（游戏术语）
• consult vt. 请教 vi. 商量，切磋
  • consult the dictionary for the word vt.
  • consult with your parents about this vi.
• a piece of advice
• skyscraper 摩天大楼 = high rise
• optometrist /ɑːpˈtɑːmətrɪst/ n. 验光师
• deem vt. 认为
  • I deem it a great honor to be invited to your party.
• in view of… 有鉴于……
• Buddhism /ˈbʊdɪzəm/ n. 佛教
• It is rumored that… = Rumor has it that… = Word has it that… 谣传……

M32 Goldfish, Souls and Coffee Tables

对话

Ms. Smith, an American, is talking to Mr. Ting, an expert on fengshui.

S: What changes would you suggest for my house?

T: I think that you should get an aquarium with goldfish.

S: Why?

T: Goldfish bring good luck.

S: OK. Anything else?

T: You should also get rid of that mirror in front of your bed.

S: Why?

T: Your soul travels at night. It must find its way back to the body. The soul might see your body in the mirror and get confused.

S: Hmm…really? What else?

T: Um…(He bumps into a coffee table.) ouch! And get rid of this table.

S: Why? It’s just a coffee table.

T: It’s dangerous. It will bring you bad luck.

S: Uh…are you sure?

沧海遗珠

• superstition n. 迷信
• SOS 源自： Save Our Souls
• 区分
  • Miss. 未婚
  • Mrs. 已婚
  • Ms. 已婚或未婚均可
• 单复数同形：goldfish, fish, sheep, deer(鹿), reindeer(驯鹿), bison(野牛), trout(鳟鱼), salmon(鲑鱼)
• fishbowl 玻璃鱼缸
• Some people believe that the body dies but the soul lives on forever.

M33 A Deadly Current 死亡暗流

课文

It is a pity that every summer a few people drown at the beach. In some cases, these people were good swimmers. So how did it happen? Riptide!

Riptide is a strong underwater current. It moves quickly away from shore and out to sea. It appears suddenly and pulls its victim under and far off shore. Therefore, people should make it a rule never to swim too far out from the beach.

If you find yourself in a riptide, don’t panic. And by no means should you try to go against the tide and swim back to shore. You’ll tire yourself out and probably drown. Instead, swim parallel to the beach. A riptide is very narrow. So just a few strokes in the right direction and you’ll be out of danger.

沧海遗珠

• Please be all ears. 请全神贯注/洗耳恭听。
• be dying to do… 很想做……
• When you talk about Math, I’m at sea (我茫然不知所措).
• all of a sudden = suddenly
• riptide 激流
• on shore 在岸边 off shore 离开岸边
  • shore 前通常不加任何冠词
  • ashore adv. 在岸上；向岸 adj. 在岸上的；在陆上的
• raft n. 筏；救生艇；（美）大量
• panic - panicked - panicked
• by no means 绝对不
• play pool 打桌球
• give sb. a ride 给某人搭便车

M34 A Lifesaving Kiss

对话

Tonya is a beautiful lifeguard. She has just saved Marvin from drowning in the ocean.

M: I feel a little groggy.

T: That’s natural. You nearly drowned a minute ago.

M: You saved my life! You’re my savior!

T: Don’t get too excited. A minute ago you weren’t breathing, and I had to give you CPR.

M: Oh, I wish I could remember that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with such a beautiful woman as you.

T: Take it easy, OK?

M: Oh, wait…I feel faint again.

T: Nice try, buddy, but don’t even dream about it.

沧海遗珠

• save sb. from…
• I have an ocean of love for you. 我对你的爱浩瀚如海。
• groggy /ˈɡrɑːɡi/ adj. （因生病、劳累等）眩晕无力的
  • Tom felt groggy after a few beers.
• feeble adj. 微弱的，无力的；虚弱的；薄弱的
• CPR 心肺复苏术
  • Cardiopulmonary **R**esuscitation
  • give sb. CPR 替某人做心肺复苏术
  • cardiopulmonary /,kɑrdɪo’pʌlmənəri/ adj. 心肺的
  • resuscitation /rɪˌsʌsɪˈteɪʃn/ n. 复苏
  • mouth-to-mouth resuscitation 口对口人工呼吸
• breathe /briːð/ vi. 呼吸
  • breath /breθ/ n. 呼吸
  • hold one’s breath 屏住呼吸
  • catch one’s breath 喘过气来
  • take a deep breath 深呼吸
  • The bus was so packed that I could hardly breathe. 公共汽车挤得我都喘不过气来了。
    • packed adj. 拥挤的
• reluctant /rɪˈlʌktənt/ adj. 不情愿的；勉强的；顽抗的
• faint adj. 眩晕的，即将晕倒的 vi. 昏倒
• buddy /ˈbʌdi/ n. 老兄，好友（常用于口语）
• scorching /ˈskɔːrtʃɪŋ/ adj. 炙热的

M35 A Sense of Security

课文

Some people take the view that sometimes we have to take changes in order to make progress. I admire such people. It certainly takers courage to take risks. Maybe it’s due to my upbringing, but I am the type who likes to play it safe.

People like me believe in the saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Conservative as it may be, it keeps me out of trouble. I must confess, however, that such a lifestyle may, at times, be boring. Admittedly, my life is not half as colorful or exciting as other people’s, but at least it gives me a sense of security.

沧海遗珠

• 区分读音： admire /ədˈmaɪər/ admirable /ˈædmərəbl/

• progress

  • /ˈprɑːɡres,ˈprɑːɡrəs/n. 进步，发展；前进
  • /ˈprɑːɡres,ˈprɑːɡrəs/vi. 前进，进步；进行

• Haste makes waste. 欲速则不达。

• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 一鸟在手胜过二鸟在林。

• tightrope 拉紧的绳索

  • tightrope walker 走钢丝者

• upbringing n. 教养；养育；抚育

• play it safe 不冒险；求稳；小心翼翼；在牌戏中采取稳定的措施

• at times 偶尔，有时

• science fiction 科幻小说

M36 The Sex Maniac （大色狼）

对话

Randy is consoling his friend Steve, whose girlfriend has just left him.

R: Come on, Steve. No point in crying over split milk (覆水难收).

S: I shouldn’t have let her go.

R: Forget her. There’re plenty of fish in the sea.

S: But there’s only one that I like.

R: How do you know if you haven’t tried others?

S: You know me. I’m a one-woman man.

R: You’re a fool!

S: And you’re a sex maniac.

沧海遗珠

• maniac /ˈmeɪniæk/ n. 疯子，躁狂者 adj. 发狂的；狂热的；癫狂的

• psychiatrist /saɪˈkaɪətrɪst/ n. 精神病学家，精神病医生 (口语中常使用 shrink 表示精神病医生)

• console n. [计] 控制台；[电] 操纵台；支撑架 vt. 安慰；慰藉

• garbage dump 垃圾场

  • dump garbage 倒垃圾

• stubborn /ˈstʌbərn/ adj. 顽固的；顽强的；难处理的

• humble adj. 谦虚的

• purse n. (女士)手提袋；(国家、家庭、团体等的) 财力 vt. （嘴巴）皱起，使缩拢；撅嘴

• There is must someone out there for you. 一定有人在某处等你。

• a one-woman man 从一而终的男人

• be stick with sb. 与某人黏在一起

• be stick to principles 坚持原则

• a pumpkin head 傻瓜

M37 Garbage Could Mean Money

课文

Fashion never ceases to surprise me. Recently, a fashion designer came up with another strange creation. His idea comes straight from the garbage dump, so to speak. He makes sweaters from used plastic bottles. What a weird sweater that’s going to be!

This new kind of sweater will protect you from rain and cold. They will, therefore, be especially attractive to outdoor people such as fishermen, hunters and mountain climbers. However, they’re not cheap. They sell at prices ranging from US$100 to US$150. What a great idea for making money! Don’t you think?

沧海遗珠

• not on my salary 我的薪水支付不起
  • 区分：
    • salary /ˈsæləri/ n. 薪水，工资
    • celery /ˈseləri/ n. 芹菜
• come down with… 因……病倒
• come up with… 提出，想出
• a piece of garbage/rubbish/rush/junk
• in fashion 流行 out of fashion 过时
• call off 取消，放弃
• rain or shine 风雨无阻
  • For my vacation, I’m going to be the beach**,** rain or shine. (注意前面的逗号)
• The poor economic situation was responsible for the creation of social unrest. 贫穷的经济状况是造成社会动荡的原因。
• so to speak 可以说，可谓（常做插入语在句中或句尾）
• minor adj. 未成年的；次要的；较小的；小调的；二流的 n. 未成年人；小调；辅修科目 vi. 辅修
• outdoor adj. outdoors adv.
• 区分
  • cease doing… = cease to do… =stop doing… 停止做……
  • stop to do… 停下来去做……
• magician /məˈdʒɪʃn/ 魔术师

M38 That’s Fashion

对话

Andy and Jess are at a fashion designer’s party.

A: My God, Jess. What’s that on Betty’s head?

J: Beats me. How weird! I think it’s a new kind of hat.

A: Oh, really? If you ask me, it’s more like a bird’s nest. How stupid it looks!

J: You think so? Hey, wait a minute. You might be right. There’s something moving in the nest…I mean, hat.

A: Gee whiz! It’s a bird.

J: Holy cow! How does she keep it from flying away?

A: Don’t you see? She’s got it fastened to a gold chain around he neck.

J: If the bird were strong enough, it could fly her to the moon, so to speak.

A: That would really be funny.

J: Well, that’s fashion.

沧海遗珠

• I’m going to party all weekend. 我整个周末都要参加派对。
  • party 此处作不及物动词（vi. 参加社交聚会），比较少见的用法
• go bird-watching 去赏鸟
• Beats me. 问倒我了。beat
  • beat vt. 打；打败；搅拌；对……采取预防措施；避免；比……好 vi. 打；打败；拍打；有节奏地舒张与收缩 n. 拍子；敲击；有规律的一连串敲打；（巡警的）巡逻区域；工作区域 adj. 筋疲力尽的；疲惫不堪的
• Gee whiz! 哇！
• Holy cow! 我去！
• Birds often build nests from twigs. 鸟经常用小树枝筑巢。
  • twig n. 小细枝
• cattle n. 牛；牲畜（骂人的话）；家畜；无价值的人 不可数
  • bull 公牛
  • cow 母牛，奶牛
  • ox （阉割过的）牛
  • bison n. 北美野牛；欧洲野牛
  • buffalo 水牛（单复同型）
• lamppost n. 街灯柱；路灯柱

M39 At the Foreign Exchange 出国结汇

课文

When you go abroad, what’s the thing you need most? Money, of course! You’ll need to go to the bank to buy some traveler’s checks. Then when you arrive at your destination, you’ll have to go to a bank to cash the checks. Every bank has a foreign exchange department. However, you’ll have to speak with the teller in English because he or she will probably not understand Chinese.

You should, therefore, brush up on some of the words and phrases that are commonly used when changing money at a bank. For example, you might want to know what the day’s exchange rate is, or if there are any handling charges, etc. Worried? Don’t be. Our next lesson will give you a good idea of what you need to say and how to say it.

沧海遗珠

• go aboard 上船/车

  • go abroad 出国

• foreign exchange 外汇

• traveler’s check 旅行支票

• Which department of the bank do you work for?

• brush up on… 复习……，温习…… = review = go over

• idiom /ˈɪdiəm/ n. 成语，习语；土话

• exchange rate 汇率

• handling charge 手续费

• diplomatically /ˌdɪpləˈmætɪkli/ adv. 在外交上；靠外交途径；圆滑地；婉转地

• The door needs to be fixed. = The door needs fixing.

• He need not go. = He doesn’t need to go.

  • need 与 not 并用时，need not 视为助词，无人称时态变化，其后接原形动词。
  • didn’t need to do… 当时不必……（而且没有做）【表示过去的事实】
  • need not have + 过去分词 当时不必……（但却做了）【表示与过去相反的事实】

M40 Changing Money

对话

Richie Li is at a bank in Australia. He tries not to show how nervous he is about speaking English.

R: Excuse me, miss. I would like to change 500 US dollars into Australian dollars, please.

T: Are you changing cash or traveler’s checks?

R: Traveler’s checks.

T: Can I have a look at your passport?

R: Sure. Here you are. By the way, do you charge any commission?

T: Not at this bank. Please sigh here on your checks. How do you want your money?

R: Four one-hundred-dollar bills and the rest in smaller bills, please.

T: Here you are, sir.

R: Thanks. You’ve been very helpful.

T: Thank you. Have a nice day.

R: You too. Goodbye. (Richie says to himself.) Whew! That wasn’t so difficult after all.

沧海遗珠

• reveal vt. 显示；透露；揭露；泄露 n. 揭露；暴露；门侧，窗侧
• jittery adj. 神经过敏的；战战兢兢的；紧张不安的
• write a check 开支票 cash a check 兑换支票
• commission n. 委员会；佣金；服务费；犯；委任；委任状 vt. 委任；使服役；委托制作
  • charge commission 手续费 = handling charge
• Please sign (your name) on the form, please.