13. Stand-up Comedy

引用:

更新时间：2007/5/6  
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Y:各位听众好，欢迎大家到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: Hello and welcome to American Cafe. My name is Jody! Hey, Yang Chen, who's going to join us today on American Cafe?

Y: 明克胜先生。你知道吗，现在中国有学英语热，但是他们不知道其实在美国也有很多人在学中文。所以我们今天请明克胜先生来给我们谈谈他为什么要学中文，还有他在学中文的过程中遇到什么困难。我们今天还有一位神秘的嘉宾。你知道是谁吗？

J: I have no idea.

Y: 就是你。

J: Oh, my gosh!

Y: 好，我们就请明克胜先生谈谈他为什么要学中文，他是怎么开始的。

实录1: Carl: Well, I started a long time ago. First learned a little bit when I was in college. But I probably picked up most of it when I was overseas in Taiwan and also Mainland China for about three years total. Started learning, really learning, when I was in Taiwan.

Y: 那么，Jody你呢， 你是怎么开始学中文的呢？

实录2: Jody: Actually I started studying Chinese when I arrived in China. I don't have Chinese under my belt before that time, Yang Chen. So I arrived in Shanghai when I was 21 years old, not speaking any Chinese. And I arrived at the train station at 3 o'clock in the morning surrounded by people who did not speak my language. And I can tell you it was a little frightening. So, I did the only thing I knew what to do ... I sang a song, "Rain drops keep falling on my head." And everyone started laughing and it made the situation better. Actually, Carl said that he began studying in college while he was in the United States. I did not do that. I got a scholarship to leave the country and go to China and study and I took advantage of it. I really wanted to go abroad to study and China seemed like the most foreign place on the planet.

Y: 我们可以想象美国人学中文一定有很多困难，因为这两个语言实在是相差的太远了。那么下面请你们谈谈你们在学习中遇到过什么困难，首先我们让明克胜先生谈一谈。

实录3: Carl: Two of the most challenging things when you study Chinese, in particular, are the tones and the characters. I think that's just extremely difficult. And it was frustrating to be teaching ... teaching kindergarten students and realizing that their reading was much better than mine.

Y: Jody， 你觉得明克胜谈的这些困难是不是每个学中文的学生都会遇到的困难呢？

实录4: Jody: Oh, most definitely. The tones and the characters, Yang Chen, they're so difficult. We're just not used to it. We're not used to the strict tonal aspect of Chinese. 妈、麻、马、骂。

Y: 没错， 我听到过很多外国人说中文的时候因为四声没有掌握对，所以闹出很多笑话。 比如把一个东西讲成另一个东西。我想学中文也和学其他语言一样，每个人都有一些小的诀窍。那么你们两谈一谈你们在学习的过程中有些什么样的诀窍，或者是技巧啊，或者有什么好的经验介绍给大家。

实录5: Carl: The best thing to do when you're learning Chinese is to be around a lot of four-year olds. And the reason I say that is because their level of Chinese and yours are at the very beginning quite similar. You can have these great conversations like "I'm hungry!" "I like blue." "I want the ball!" And so, I thought it was great to be able do that ... very simple Chinese expressions with four and five-year olds.

实录6: Jody: Yeah. I didn't teach small children. I taught university students and we mostly used English. But I did have the opportunity to make friends with students in the music department and I learned several Chinese pop songs and I was able to perform with them and sing Chinese songs at concerts. And when you're a foreigner living in China you get asked to do television commercials and acting shows.

Y: 所以这个语言环境是很重要的，你和不同行业的人交谈也可以学到很多东西。

J: Not only the language but most importantly, the culture and how people live their lives and make a living and have fun.

Y: 好，我们今天的时间快到了，我想最后请你们二位一人用中文讲一句中国的成语啊， 俗语啊，或者是俏皮话，讲什么都可以。

C：天下无难事，只怕有心人。

J：I like this idiom. I heard it and it stuck with me and here it is 好马不吃回头草。

Y：哇，你们两都说得非常好。好，我们今天的时间到了。谢谢大家收听。我们下次节目再见。

J: See you later!

14 Studying Chinese

引用:

Y:各位听众好，欢迎大家到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨。

J: Hello and welcome to American Cafe. My name is Jody! Hey, Yang Chen, who's going to join us today on American Cafe?

Y: 明克胜先生。你知道吗，现在中国有学英语热，但是他们不知道其实在美国也有很多人在学中文。所以我们今天请明克胜先生来给我们谈谈他为什么要学中文，还有他在学中文的过程中遇到什么困难。我们今天还有一位神秘的嘉宾。你知道是谁吗？

J: I have no idea.

Y: 就是你。

J: Oh, my gosh!

Y: 好，我们就请明克胜先生谈谈他为什么要学中文，他是怎么开始的。

实录1: Carl: Well, I started a long time ago. First learned a little bit when I was in college. But I probably picked up most of it when I was overseas in Taiwan and also Mainland China for about three years total. Started learning, really learning, when I was in Taiwan.

Y: 那么，Jody你呢， 你是怎么开始学中文的呢？

实录2: Jody: Actually I started studying Chinese when I arrived in China. I don't have Chinese under my belt before that time, Yang Chen. So I arrived in Shanghai when I was 21 years old, not speaking any Chinese. And I arrived at the train station at 3 o'clock in the morning surrounded by people who did not speak my language. And I can tell you it was a little frightening. So, I did the only thing I knew what to do ... I sang a song, "Rain drops keep falling on my head." And everyone started laughing and it made the situation better. Actually, Carl said that he began studying in college while he was in the United States. I did not do that. I got a scholarship to leave the country and go to China and study and I took advantage of it. I really wanted to go abroad to study and China seemed like the most foreign place on the planet.

Y: 我们可以想象美国人学中文一定有很多困难，因为这两个语言实在是相差的太远了。那么下面请你们谈谈你们在学习中遇到过什么困难，首先我们让明克胜先生谈一谈。

实录3: Carl: Two of the most challenging things when you study Chinese, in particular, are the tones and the characters. I think that's just extremely difficult. And it was frustrating to be teaching ... teaching kindergarten students and realizing that their reading was much better than mine.

Y: Jody， 你觉得明克胜谈的这些困难是不是每个学中文的学生都会遇到的困难呢？

实录4: Jody: Oh, most definitely. The tones and the characters, Yang Chen, they're so difficult. We're just not used to it. We're not used to the strict tonal aspect of Chinese. 妈、麻、马、骂。

Y: 没错， 我听到过很多外国人说中文的时候因为四声没有掌握对，所以闹出很多笑话。 比如把一个东西讲成另一个东西。我想学中文也和学其他语言一样，每个人都有一些小的诀窍。那么你们两谈一谈你们在学习的过程中有些什么样的诀窍，或者是技巧啊，或者有什么好的经验介绍给大家。

实录5: Carl: The best thing to do when you're learning Chinese is to be around a lot of four-year olds. And the reason I say that is because their level of Chinese and yours are at the very beginning quite similar. You can have these great conversations like "I'm hungry!" "I like blue." "I want the ball!" And so, I thought it was great to be able do that ... very simple Chinese expressions with four and five-year olds.

实录6: Jody: Yeah. I didn't teach small children. I taught university students and we mostly used English. But I did have the opportunity to make friends with students in the music department and I learned several Chinese pop songs and I was able to perform with them and sing Chinese songs at concerts. And when you're a foreigner living in China you get asked to do television commercials and acting shows.

Y: 所以这个语言环境是很重要的，你和不同行业的人交谈也可以学到很多东西。

J: Not only the language but most importantly, the culture and how people live their lives and make a living and have fun.

Y: 好，我们今天的时间快到了，我想最后请你们二位一人用中文讲一句中国的成语啊， 俗语啊，或者是俏皮话，讲什么都可以。

C：天下无难事，只怕有心人。

J：I like this idiom. I heard it and it stuck with me and here it is 好马不吃回头草。

Y：哇，你们两都说得非常好。好，我们今天的时间到了。谢谢大家收听。我们下次节目再见。

J: See you later!

15 Daytona Bike Week

引用:

Y: 个位听众好！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, how was your trip down to Florida?

Y: 哎呀，玩得太开心了。我知道你也去了迪斯尼世界，对吧？

J: I did! We drove down too. What a fun time!

Y: 可是玩得时候开心，你知道开车回来的时候开了十几个小时，简直把我累死了。

J: Oh, you're telling me. We drove straight through too and it was a long drive. Hey, on the road did you notice all the motorcycles?

Y: 没错，我正要问你呢，为什么有那么多摩托车呢？

J: Well, it just so happens that we were coming home just as Bike Week was ending in Florida.

Y: 你是说那些摩托车都是要开到同一个地方，参加同一个活动。

J: Yeah, all the bikes were going to Daytona Beach where they have Bike Week. I think this year it ran from Feb 27 to March 7.

Y: 难怪呢。

J: And on the way to Florida I stopped at the headquarters of Bike Week and spoke with a biker named Gino. He told me a little about Bike Week and biker culture.

Y: 好啊，我也正想听听这个Bike Week是怎么回事呢。

实录1 Gino: Well, my name is Gina Garjulo and I am in St. Augustine, Florida. And we're about 65 miles north of Daytona, which has the second largest Bike Week in the world. This Bike Week here is in its 63rd year. And every year people come from all over the world, literally.

Y: 听Gino这么一解释，这个Bike Week其实就是一种摩托车爱好者或者说摩托车手的大聚会。Gino说这个活动已经有63年的历史，参加者来自世界各地。

J: That's right. People come from all over the world to attend Bike Week at Daytona. A lot of people came and a lot of people spent a lot of money.

实录2 Gino: About 500,000 people descend upon Daytona. It's an impact of about $500 million dollars in about a two-week period all together.

Y: Wow! 不过我很好奇，这些摩托车爱好者都是些什么人？

J: Well, Gino explains that Bike Week is a very interesting look into the diversity of the biker culture.

Y: 你说的diversity是什么意思呢？

J: Okay, some people think that all bikers have long scraggly hair and tattoos and beards. You know, that's the stereotype of a biker.

Y: 没错，一提到骑摩托车的人我们就会联想到那种留长头发，穿皮夹克啊，就是那种比较粗野的形象吧？

J: Yeah, I know. And some bikers do fit that description, that stereotype. But here's Gina again to describe the diversity of people who go to Bike Week.

实录3 Gino: It's a very interesting look into the Biker Culture and you've got people that are what we call "one percenters" that are real hardcore bikers that have the long, scraggly hair and beards and everything and the tattoos all over them. Then you have the doctors and lawyers and everything. There are bikes that run up to $150,000. Lots of women ride, uh ... just all interesting people.

Y: 看来人们对摩托手确实有一些误解，其实他们当中有很多受过良好教育的人。Gino 刚才说的 hardcore bikers指的是那些铁杆分子。你说我可不可以形容他们是爱摩托车如命呢？

J: Right. Gino said "hardcore" and that's the perfect word to describe, you know, people who are really devoted to something to a very serious degree. "Hardcore" is one word and it's spelled H-A-R-D "hard," "core" C-O-R-E. And another example of how to use it would be "That's really hardcore, man," really serious.

Y: 我很好奇，这个Bike Week都有些什么活动呢？

实录4 Gino: They camp out. They're get here a week or so early. They have camping spots down there. And, uh, they drive all over the place. They have organized rides, contests ...

Y: 我想除了野营，赛车，观赏摩托车之外，一定还有购物活动吧？比方说他们可以购买特制的皮夹克或者说摩托车用品等等。

J: Even tattoos, Yang Chen.

Y: Oh, 别提那个。"Tattoo"中文就是刺青，就是在身上弄得花花绿绿的。我受不了。

J: That's one thing Gina wanted to make sure of ... that not all bikers have tattoos.

Y: 不能划等号。

(Enter motorcycle sounds)

Y: 啊，怎么有人开着摩托车到我们的咖啡屋来了。

J: Let's go outside and check it out. Uh, uh, Sorry, everyone. We gotta go! Thanks for joining us on American Cafe.

Y: 好，各位听众，我们下次节目再见。

16 Biker Culture

引用:

Y: 个位听众好，我是杨陈。欢迎大家到美语咖啡屋。

J: Hello and welcome to American Cafe! My name's Jody. On a previous show we talked about Bike Week, a long vacation in Florida for people who love motorcycles.

Y: 没错，我们曾经介绍过Bike Week就是摩托爱好者的一次大聚会。

J: Exactly. And people come from all over the world to come to Bike Week.

Y: 对，参加的人来自世界各地。他们的活动丰富多彩。哎，Jody，我觉得这些人已经形成了特殊的摩托车文化，你说对不对。

J: Oh, exactly. There was way too much to cover in only five minutes. So, we're back with our friends Gino and Terry, bikers and motorcycle salesman, to learn more about the traditions of the biker culture.

实录1 Gino: I've been riding for 32 years. Uh I've been in the bike business for about 20 years ... me and my and partner Terry. It's been something I've always enjoyed.

Y: Gino说他玩摩托车的历史已经有32年了，然后他和Terry开业卖摩托车也已经有20年了。

J: Yeah, we talked in the store that he and Terry owned. The store was full of motorcycle gear.

Y: 你说的motorcycle gear，是不是摩托车用品？

J: Right, clothing and helmets, and of course the motorcycles. And Gino described a typical biker. Yang Chen, we should tell everyone that in English "biker," B-I-KE-R", only refers to someone who rides a motorcycle.

Y: 我会骑自行车，我算不算biker？

J: Oh, no, I don't think that counts, Yang Chen.

Y: 我好伤心。

J: Try again next time. Here is Gino to tell us more about the biker culture.

实录2 Gino: They're basically just nice people. They're down-to-earth, hardworking... they'll do anything for anybody.

Y: Gino说的down-to-earth我们可解释为很实在，很朴实，对不对？

J: 对了。

Y: 我听说这些摩托车爱好者之间有很多虽然不是明文规定，但是大家都要遵守的规则，是吗？

J: Exactly. Bikers live by an unwritten code of ethics. You know, they stick together and are very loyal to their friends, family and fellow bikers, even if they don't know them.

Y: 我想这就是为什么人们喜欢聚在一起，因为他们可以找到有共同爱好，可以信任的人。

J: That's such a good point. That's why people join communities like the bikers -- to find that loyalty. Again here is Gino.

实录3 Gino: We all feel akin to each other. You know you see someone broken down on the side of the road there's a biker you always stop to help (th)'em. And traditionally when you see bikers, bikers always wave to each whether you know each other or not just to say hi.

Y:真没想到他们这么团结，比如Gino刚才提到如果他们看到别人的摩托车坏了一定要停下来帮忙。还有呢，如果在高速公路上大家一定要互相招手致意。

J: OK, Yang Chen, I'm going to give you a quick motorcycle quiz.

Y: 你要考我，好啊。

J: What do you think it means when a biker pats the top of his or her helmet?

Y: 如果一个骑摩托车的人拍一拍头盔是什么意思。让我想想。

J: 好。What do you think?

Y: 我知道了。一定是他在提醒对面那个骑摩托车的人前面有一个卖冰激淋的店！

J: Ice cream shop? No, no, no. But I know where you mind is. What it means is to slow down if you are speeding because there is policeman up ahead.

Y: 真的？可见他们骑摩托车经常超速。

J: I don't know. But just in case. Just in case they are speeding. OK, here is another question, Yang Chen. What motorcycle do you think bikers most love to ride?

Y: 这个我知道，一定是本田。

J:No, no, wrong answer. You failed the motorcycle quiz.

Y: 啊， 我又错了？

J: It's the Harley Davidson, a bike named after the two Americans who invented it. Let's introduce Terry, Gino's business partner, as he shows us his pride and joy.

Terry: It's a 2003 Harley Davidson Fatboy.

Y: Wow!

J: Yeah. Wow.

Y: 其实我根本不知道2003年Harley Davidson Fatboy是什么。听起来象一种汉堡包。

J: It does sound like a hamburger. But here is Terry to tell us what it really is.

实录4 Terry and Jody:

Terry: It's the oldest American bike in existence.

Jody: What's it like to ride it?

Terry: It's more fun that you could ever imagine.

Jody: I think so.

Terry: You have to ride one. You ride one and you'll know what it's like.

(Enter music ZZ Top "La Grange")

Y: Terry说的没错。你要想知道骑摩托车的滋味，就必须亲身体验一下。好，我们今天的时间到了，谢谢大家收听美语咖啡屋，我们下次再见。

J: See you next time on American Cafe.

Young At Heart Tap Dance Troupe



Y: 大家好，我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。

J: And I'm Jody! Thanks for dropping by the American Cafe!

Y: 哎，Jody， 你踢踏舞练得这么样了？

(Sound of tap dancing)

J: Slowly, Yang Chen. Really slowly.

Y:一定很难吧？

J: Um, I would have to say in a word, simply ... YES! It's really hard.

Y: 就是吗。当初我就劝你学点简单的东西。

J: I know.

Y: 不是我打击你的积极性，你这个年龄学踢踏舞是不是晚了一点儿？

J: What's that supposed to mean? What do you mean 我的这个年龄?! What's wrong with my age!? But, actually the ladies in my tap dance troupe, called Young At Heart, are in their late 50s and early 60s. So, I'm pretty young. And most of them didn't start tap dancing until they hit 50 years old.

Y: 还有这么多人50多岁了才开始学跳踢踏舞。Young At Heart这个名字起得真好。它的意思是说一个人身体变老了，可是心灵和思想永远是年轻的。这和中文里的“童心未泯”的意思很接近。

J: And in English the expression "young at heart" is often used to describe older people who have a zest for life. You know, they have a young way of looking at life. Here's Hazel, one of the founders of Young At Heart.

实录1 Hazel Elbert：My name is Hazel Elbert. And ah, I started tapping in 1989. In 1989 I was 52 years old. I've been with Young at Heart since, oh dear, I guess it's been about five, going on about six years now.

Y: Hazel五十二岁才开始学跳舞。你们都在什么地方表演，我下次一定要去看看。

J: Oh, that'll be fun! Young At Heart travels to many nursing homes and senior centers in the area and tap dances for people who don't get to go out very much any more.

Y: 这里的nursing homes指的就是养老院，那么senior centers指的是老年人中心。哎，你们到这些养老院或老年人中心去为老人们表演，这也应该算是一种慈善活动吧？

J: Here's Hazel again.

实录2 Hazel Elbert：And you get a good feeling because the whole purpose of our organization is to provide entertainment to elderly people, actually. It's the elderly people that are in our nursing homes or senior centers and what have you, and that's the main purpose of our organization.

J: And you know, what's better than music, dancing, singing and laughter? Those are the best medicines for anybody.

Y: 没错，没错。对我自己来说，多听音乐，唱歌跳舞都是有益身体健康的活动。

J: And you know, there's another side to the benefits of Young At Heart.

Y:那是什么呢？

J: Well, many of the women have used tap dance to help recover from serious illnesses.

Y: 真的？跳踢踏舞还可以帮助她们恢复身体健康啊？

J: Definitely, definitely. Here's Hazel.

ACT Hazel Elbert

Jody: Out of all the dance forms why did you choose tap?

实录3 Hazel: Because I needed a diversion from a medical problem I was having. And I thought tap would be challenging and it would keep my mind occupied. It required a lot of thought, coordination and that's kinda of what I needed at the time.

Y: 原来Hazel是用跳舞来分散她的精力。这样她就不会老把自己当成一个病人。这真的是一种好办法。

J: Right, because tap dance, like Hazel said, is not only physical it's also mental. It requires a lot of thought, a lot of coordination. Another women in the dance troupe, a friend of mine, has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

Y: Chemotherapy就是疗。

J: And she's still tap dancing. Well, here's Emily. She explains how tap dancing saved her from severe shyness.

Y: 害羞？

J: 非常害羞。

Y: 哇，我很好奇，如果她是个害羞的人，那她怎么敢在很多人面前跳舞呢？

J: 我们让她解释。

实录4 Emily：I choose tap dancing because it is something I've always wanted to do since I was yay high but I was too frightened and too scared, and I was a very shy person, oh horribly shy person. But then when I became 52, I said "Uh oh, I think it's time." 52 or not I was going to do this.

Y: Jody, 你知道吗，我听了Emily的话，真的很受鼓舞，因为我也是个很害羞的人，所以我也应该去学跳踢踏舞？

J: What?! You? Shy?! No way! But come on out and dance with us anyway. Young At Heart would love to have you.

Y: 好，各位听众，我们今天的节目就到这里结束。谢谢大家收听，我们下次节目再见。

(Sound of tap dancing)

J: Thanks for tuning into American Cafe! See you next time!

18  Bluegrass Music

引用:

Y: 各位听众好，我是杨晨，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。

J: And I'm Jody. Welcome to American cafe, where you can meet everyday Americans at work and at play. So, come on in and grab a good seat by the window and join us for American Cafe.

Y: 说到这儿啊，我们今天要带您认识两位美国人。他们有一个共同的爱好。

J: That's right. One's a musician and one's a dancer. And they have something in common - they both love bluegrass music!

(Enter "Orange Blossom Special")

J: Yang Chen, did you hear how fast they are playing? It is simply incredible!

Y: Wow, 你说的没错。虽然我看不见他们的手，可是我已经觉得眼花缭乱了。

J: Yang Chen, let's first introduce Bob Carlin, a musician we met at a cultural festival and let him describe this very American type of music; bluegrass.

Y: 好吧。我们首先来认识一下Bob Carlin。他是一位音乐学者，让他给您介绍一下什么是Bluegrass Music， 兰草音乐。

实录1 Bob Carlin: Bluegrass is a form of music in its strictest definition. It's a band of fiddle, or violin, mandolin, five-string banjo, which is an American invention from an African instrument, and, uh, the guitar and string base. And that's the classic bluegrass band.

Y: Jody，Bob Carlin刚才提到了演奏bluegrass的几种基本乐器。我们解释一下这几种乐器好吗？

J: That's a great idea. First he mentions the fiddle, or violin.

Y: 其实 fiddle就是小提琴，在演奏乡村音乐或兰草音乐的时候就称为fiddle。我给它起了个名字，叫“乡村小提琴”，好不好听啊？

J: Very clever. Then there's the mandolin.

Y: 曼陀林琴。

J: Next is the five-string banjo. It is the most important instrument in bluegrass music. What you hear in the background, in fact, is an example of banjo music.

(Enter banjo music)

Y: Banjo就五弦琴或者叫班究琴。您现在听到的就是班究琴。Banjo在兰草音乐里是最重要的一种乐器。

J: Then there's the guitar.

Y: 我想大家都很熟悉吉他。

J: Finally, Yang Chen, there's the string bass.

Y: 最后还有低音琴。解了演奏 Bluegrass 的基本乐器，下面我们听听 Bob Carlin为我们介绍 Bluegrass 的起源和风格。

实录2 Bob Carlin: What separates this from other music groups is that they play in a style that was pioneered by Bill Monroe back in the 1940s. And, um, it's a music that takes its cue or its roots from earlier forms of American string band music, country music and incorporates, uh, some ideas out of jazz, like soloing.

Y: Bob Carlin 刚才谈到的 Bill Monroe 就是兰草音乐之父。还有啊，他提到几个词，我们来解释一下，"jazz" 就是爵士乐。"Soloing" 我想就是某种乐器穿插在乐曲中间的独奏，对吧？

J: That's a perfect definition of soloing.

Y: 谢谢你的夸奖，Jody。你来自西维吉尼亚，可以说你是听着bluegrass 长大的，那么对你来说，bluegrass有什么特别意义呢？

J: You're right. I grew up in West Virginia listening to bluegrass music so it really is in my blood. When bluegrass music is playing, it's very hard to keep my feet still.

Y: 好，那么我们下面就为大家介绍我们今天要认识的第二个美国人。她叫Lynn Masterson。我们听听她为什么喜欢bluegrass。

实录3 Lynn Masterson: Well, it always has a strong beat. For a dancer, a strong beat is very important. Um, it's cheery. It's happy music. It's very, uh, familiar and comfortable music. It's sort of part of who we are.

Y: 我觉得她刚才Masterson女士的这番话很有代表性。 Bluegrass的确很有感染力。她所说的strong beat，也就是节奏感很强，适合跳舞。Jody，bluegrass这个题目要讲的内容实在是太多了。

J: That's true.

Y: 可惜我们没有足够的时间。 不过有一点我觉得非提一下不可，那就是bluegrass对大家熟悉的摇滚乐歌王，也就是猫王Elvis Presley的影响。

J: I knew you were going to bring up Elvis Presley.

Y: 好，下面我们还是听听音乐学者 Bob Carlin 是怎么说的吧。

实录4 Bob Carlin: Of course, Elvis is influenced by bluegrass. You know, Elvis did Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and Bill Monroe just did it one speed through.

(Enter Bill Monroe singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky")

实录5 Bob Carlin: Elvis, he did it as a waltz like Monroe and then he sped it up.

(Enter Elvis Presley singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky")

J: Now that we heard both versions, Yang Chen, which one do you like better?

Y: 当然是Elvis Presley了。

J: I knew you were going to say that.

Y: 因为他的演唱速度比较快，而且有摇滚乐的味道。

J: Okay, okay we know how much you like rock-n-roll and Elvis Presley. But you know, I think Bill Monroe's version better. But, I guess we're going to have to talk about that over coffee because that's all the time we have for today on American Cafe.

Y: 好，我们今天就聊到这儿。听众朋友们，我们下次见。

19 Pfeiffer's Hardware

引用:

Y: 各位听众好，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨

J: Hello, I'm Jody. Welcome to American Cafe. Hey, Yang Chen, how's it going?

Y: 很好啊！

(Sound of table rocking, coffee cup spilling over)

Y: Jody，小心点，你不要晃桌子。 看我的咖啡都洒了。

J: It's not my fault. Look, it's the table. See how crooked it is?

(Sound of table rocking)

Y: Oh, 你说的没错，这桌子好奇怪，一个腿长，一个腿短。 得找人修一修才行啊。

J: No problem! Luckily, I've just come from visiting my favorite hardware store. Here let me...

(Sound of a saw cutting wood)

Y: Jody，你在干什么?

(Sound of a saw cutting wood)

J: I'm fixing ... (grunt) the (grunt) table leg.

Y: 不要再锯了，哎呀，你看别人都在看我们呢!

J: Just ignore (th)'em ... (sawing) just a little bit more (sawing) ... there!

(Piece of wood falling)

Y: 哎呀，现在这桌子更是高低不平了。

J: Oops.

Y: 你现在知道闯祸了。 中国有句成语“班门弄斧”，我看说的就是你。不过你这把锯子到是挺漂亮的。 从那里弄来的？

J: I told you, my favorite hardware store.

Y: 你最喜欢的hardware store ? 什么意思啊？

J: A hardware store. You know, a store that has hardware for fastening things, for fixing things, for...

Y: 我当然知道什么是五金店， 我是觉得奇怪的是，五金店不就是卖工具吗，还分什么喜欢不喜欢的。

J: Well, there is no reason to yell. Maybe some of our listeners don't know. I got an idea. Let's go visit Pfeiffer's Hardware, my favorite hardware store.

Y: 好吧，我们就看看这个五金店有什么特别之处，让你这么激动。

(Background sounds of the Hardware Store. Cash register rings)

实录1 Todd Pfeiffer: My name is Todd Pfeiffer and we're standing in Pfeiffer's Hardware. A hardware store usually has hardware for fastening things, for helping build houses, for renovating houses, for repairing things in the house. And also tools, tools that you use with the hardware to fix things.

Y: Ha! 说了半天，他这个五金店不也就是卖点什么拧螺丝，修房子， 装修之类的工具。我还是不明白为什么你要说这是你最喜欢的五金店。

J: Oh, well, that's easy. It's not what he sells. Well, you know, I'll let Todd explain.

实录2 Todd: It's actually a fascinating place (be)cause it's more than just a place to sell things; it's also a place where people come to talk to get the latest the news. Here it's about conversations about the neighborhood, what's going on in people's lives, what's going on in my life.

Y: 真的？

J: It is a fascinating place. Really.

Y: 居然有人喜欢到五金店去聊天，去公园不更好吗？

J: Well, you can always go to a park. But, like Todd said it's a place where people come to talk and to get the latest news. It's a neighborhood hangout. Here's Todd's wife Adriana.

实录3 Adriana: But on Saturdays it's a really fun place to be. The day flies by. You know, so many people come in and you get to talk to folks. And it's fun to spend the day with Todd. It is. It's really fun. We laugh a lot,...so..

Y: 她说的没错the day just flies by，时间过得好快。

J: That's right. It's so much fun that time passes quickly. Time just flies by.

Y: 现在我有点理解人们为什么喜欢到这家店， 因为老板和老板娘态度特别好，人们到这里有一种亲切的感觉。

J: Exactly. Steve, a retired man in the neighborhood, is a regular at Pfeiffer's Hardware.

Y: 你说的"regular" 是什么意思?

J: Oh, a "regular," it's spelled R-E-G-U-L-A-R, is someone who goes to a business frequently. So, you call them a regular.

Y: Wow, 居然有人逛五金店也会上瘾。这大概就和我们逛百货商店一样吧，百去不厌。

J: Here's Steve explaining why he's a regular at Pfeiffer's Hardware.

实录4 Steve:  Well, the difference here is Todd and Adriana. They make this a wonderful place to visit. I'm glad a place like this exists in the neighborhood. I'm glad that people like Todd and Adriana are available to visit every week, every day. I come and help. I began helping just to be helpful to them but later I found that I enjoyed it. And it's a great pleasure to be productive.

Y: Steve只是个顾客。他常常来这里帮忙而且还乐在其中，看来他是把自己当成他们的一个家庭成员那样了。

J: Exactly! But back to our problem - our broken table. Look what I bought at Pfeiffer's Hardware!

(Enter drill sound)

J: Now we can fix the table!

Y: Uh oh!

J: Trust me!

Y: Trust you? 我看我还是先走，你自己折腾吧。各位听众朋友，我们下次见了。

J: Wait! Come back, Yang Chen! It's easier than it looks!!

(Fade with drill sound)