6月晨读总结(上）

晨读书目：English the American Way

晨读时间：2020.6.15-2020.6.28

小结：

6月晨读的书目介绍了美国从衣食住行到生老病死各个领域的社会文化，以及相关的英语表达。个人感觉这本书对美国文化的介绍可能相对老套了一些，但其中涉及的英文表达是非常地道的。或许我可以用中文去讲述美国文化的基本特点，却不知道如何用一种American way去呈现这些内容，而语言本身也是文化的一种表现形式。因此本月积累最多的，也是美语中的常见但中文不常见的表达。

除了表达的积累之外，在英语练习方法上，这次晨读学到了慢速朗读的重要性：

（1）先听一遍，理解大致的意思，拆分意群；

（2）慢速

a. 像听音乐一样听每个意群内部的节奏（高低，长短，轻重，快慢，具体到音节而不是单词）; b. 再把单词填进去，确认旋律。考虑每个单词是否熟悉，有没有自己不确定的发音，连读如何处理。如果有自己听不出来的发音，就要去查字典; c. 整体感受和模仿

（3）常速练习

这一次通过练习慢速朗读，语音比之前要清晰很多，可能是自己这十天的进步吧。这段时间意识到，学英语并不是说要积累多么高大上的词汇，而是要把基础的事情做好：例如每一个单词的音是不是准，自己是不是可以把学过的词变成积极词汇。实际上就这两个简单的要求自己之前做的并不好。这一次练习慢速的版本，暴露出来自己对很多单词的发音并没有把握，同时自己也没有精细地去听原声节奏和音高，反复确认其旋律。

上面提到的是术的问题。我觉得其反映出来的可能是自己的性格比较急躁，总是希望尽快把一件事情做好。但是如果希望很快把一件事情做好，反而是做不好这件事情的。在这几次晨读营包括写作营，我也发现能够把一个句子读好、写好，是需要遵循特定的程序，按照程序一点点完成的，不是像我之前那样凭感觉制造出一个完成的结果。虽然最后也算是完成，有时候完成的还不错，但是实际上并没有实现刻意练习的目的：我没有没有通过练习暴露自己的短板，也没有在练习中有意识地改善自己的弱点，所以每一次练习所获得的进步并不很大，而且还越来越强化了自己做事毛躁的习惯。希望以后可以通过语音练习磨练自己的性格，让性格沉静下来，精致地做好一件事。

本次晨读总结整理的是课堂上提到的日常用语，适用范围非常宽泛可以随时取用，下一期我会整理一些具体的场景表达以及常见的语音现象。

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一、日常对话

（一）中性句：熟人陌生人都可以用

—— 问候句

How about you?       

I'm okayish./I'm A-OK./Same old./Nothing much.

延伸：其他的问候方式：What's poping?/cooking?/shaking/cracking? = What gives? = What’s happening? 

—— 你去哪儿啊？

Where to?/Where are you headed? (回答：I‘m heading/headed to...) 

（拓展：a Beijing-bound flight = The flight is bound for Beijing; homeward-bound commuters)

——提议句

Do you feel like catching/grabbing a movie tonight?

—— 我很忙

I‘m busy with..../I'm in the middle of ...

—— 难怪

No wonder .... (也可用作讽刺）

I guess that's why...

——算是吧。

I guess you could say that.

Yes and no.

——我想要一个精通电脑的助教。

I could use a computer savvy/literate teaching assistant. 

——表示列举

There are stores for makeup and stores for men; bookstores and shoe stores and toy stores and drugstore… Well, you get the idea./you get the picture. 

This firm makes toys and whatnot.

Lions are brave. Foxes are tricky. And elephants are loyal, just to name a few. 

——表达优缺点

Yeah, that was the upside... but here's downside: ...

——那句老话怎么说来着？

What's that old proverb? 

—— 她会给你特殊情况特殊处理。

She'll squeeze you in right away. 

（二）吐槽句：黑色幽默，看清场合

—— 这什么鬼地方？

Where on earth is that?/Where in the world in that?

—— 做xx真是麻烦/费劲.

It's a real hassle to get this child to eat.

It takes forever to get this child to eat.

Getting this child to eat is like pulling teeth!

... is a real chore: Trying to have your dream wedding, keep all the in-laws happy, and stay within a budget can be a real chore.

——我的工作无聊死了。

I've been doing the same old stuff for two years. 

I've been in the rut for two years. 

My job is a dead-end job./I'm a pencil-pusher. 

——我的老板总是找我茬！

My boss is always picking on me! (老板可以对员工说：My company does payroll twice a month and I don't pay you to have lunch 5 times a day! ，接着可能发生的事情是the company had to downsize, and there was a big layoff.)

（拓展：你就只会捏软柿子：Why don't you always pick on someone in your size?)

—— 我不干了！

I’m quitting!

Call it quits!

(安慰别人每个人的生活都很无聊，就可以说：There's no getting away from the boring life./There's no getting away from the fact that you will probably put up with a boring life.)

(如果一个人已经递了辞职信又后悔，你可以对那个人说，你现在已经覆水难收了：You can't get it back/You can't undone what you've done/Do you think you can unsend the email?)

—— 我对你有意见，要和你说道说道。

I have a bone to pick with you. 

——我今天放你一马。

I let you off the hook this time. 

—— 他们还真以为自己是小鲜肉，不过那是另外一回事了。

They still think they're 21, but that's a topic for another book/that's another story/a horse of a different color.

—— xx可真能xx啊

He can really move!

You can really eat!

—— 你可真行呢，这么久的事情还记得！（带有怀疑的味道）

Wow, you can remember all the way back to high school?

—— 别嘚瑟！

Don't get carried away!/Don't let success into your head!/Don't get big-headed. 

——你可真是个戏精。

You're a ham.

—— 今天身体不太舒服。

I’m feeling under the weather today. 

—— 太恶心了！没有人愿意去看牙医！

Eeew! That's gross! No one likes going to the dentist in any language!

—— 我不买账/你骗不了我/你这招对我不管用

I‘m not buying it./I won't swallow that up./I'm not falling for that./I won't be sold. 

—— 看自己黑历史的时候总会很尴尬。

It's a cringe when I see my pictures 10 years ago. 

(三）鸡汤句：良言一句三冬暖

—— 你会成功的。

You are going places./You are increasingly successful. 

—— 你就要成功了！

You've already got your foot in the door. 

—— 搞定这件事，我这辈子就了无遗憾了/我这辈子就真的值了/功成名就了。

If I can succeed this time, it'll be a real feather in my cap./I will put my name on the map. 

—— 自己养活自己的感觉太好了！

It feels great to be a breadwinner! 

It feels great to be bringing home the bacon!

——今天的表演炸了！

When the band played its biggest hit, they brought down the house. 

——这可真是个好消息。

That's music to my ears.

(拓展：face the music, 惩罚某人；sing someone's praises to sb. 对着某人表扬某人; ring a bell: 对某人来说很熟悉。The name rang the bell but I don't remember where I had heard it before) 

—— 虽然我的工作开始压力有些大，但我相信我上道之后就会慢慢好起来。

My new job is a bit stressful, but I'm sure it will be easier once I learn the ropes. (拓展：teach sb. the ropes)

I thought things were going really well. （类似：我的老板并不会让我压力：My boss won't rush me)

—— 你这么激动干啥，又不是世界末日！

Why are you so worked up? It's not the end of the world! 

(拓展：表示好消息的激动和兴奋：thirlled, pumped）

——你放松一下吧！

Oh let your hair down for once!

—— 彩虹屁

They're awesome!/I like your shoes! Where do you get them?

—— 关心句

What seems to be the problem today? (挑衅时用what's the problem with you?)

—— 过去总是很美好

It takes me back to when Tony first asked me to marry him. 

It seems like just yesterday that we used to go to movies and clubs to have fun. Now fun is going to buy diapers and pureed peas. 

—— 劝告句，别做蠢事（Don't的另一种说法）

Being late won't help you nail the job. /Being late is a big no-no. 

Dressing like this won't help you get a girlfriend. 

—— 你可不能再胖下去了。

You have to watch your waist

You have to watch what you eat

You have to watch your weight. 

——干啥啥不行，吃饭第一名

I don’t know about anyone here running, but both of you sure can eat.

I don’t know about anyone here cooking, but both of you sure can eat. 

—— 你面试的时候得有点眼力见才能展示自己；你得放机灵点；你得随机应变

You need to be on the ball to really sell yourself when having an interview. 

You'd better think on your feet when having an interview. 

（某个公司东山再起：get back on one's feet)

—— 最好找个人给你校对。

It's a great idea to have an extra pair of eyes to look over your writing. 

(另一说法，你英语已经这么好了，就不用找人给你校对了：Now that your English is excellent, you don't have to ask someone to proofread your writing.)

——不要这么绝。给自己留条后路。

Don't burn your bridges.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. 

(如果是具体的情形，可以说做某事可以规避...的风险，比如分散投资可以规避破产的风险：Putting your eggs in different baskets sure beats the risk of bankruptcy/breaking the bank.)

——不要照单全收。

Don't lap it up.

Please take a grain/pinch of salt with it. 

——你真是个好人！

You're a mensch/a good Samaritan. 

——不能错过！

It's a can't-miss!

——完成！

Do you have your tickets? Check.

[出门场景]

Identity card? Check.

Cellphone? Check.

- It’s all set. 

[约会场景]

Is he tall? Check.

Rich? Check.

Handsome? Check.

- I’m in. 

[考完三科，还剩两科]

Three down, two to go. 

(四）白嫖句

—— 你能不能给我送一个三天的体验卡？

Can you throw in a three-day pass?