J: I go hiking in the park a lot. But not biking. Right now I don"t have a bike.

Y: 你连自行车都没有？

J: No, I don"t. I"m saving up money for a bike. But, Yang Chen, simply hanging out in the park is fun! Rock Creek Park gives me the chance to escape the urban feeling of the city. And it just makes life much more enjoyable.

Y: 没错，没错。住在大城市，如果附近有这么一个公园的确是给生活增加很多乐趣。你可以躲开城市的喧闹，享受大自然的宁静。

J: And there"s even horse stable that offer horseback riding!

Y: 真的，还可以骑马!?

J: Yes! And during the weekend some of the roads in the park are closed to car traffic so that people can enjoy the park without having to worry about cars zipping by.

Y: 我想这些都是环保组织的功劳。

J: Yes. The Sierra Club, a national environmental organization, played a big part in making that happen.

Y: 你记不记得我们上次在街头艺术节碰到了Sierra Club在当地的一个负责人。

J: Oh sure, I remember him. His name is Jason Broehm. And during a street festival he was explaining to people the goals and the mission of the Sierra Club.

实录1: Broehm: My name is Jason Broehm. I"ve lived in D.C for about four years now. I"m a leader in the local chapter of the Sierra Club, an environmental organization. Sierra Club is a national organization with hundreds of thousands of members across the United States and we have 3,000 members located here in the District Columbia.

Y: Sierra Club是个全国性组织，他们在当地就有三千个会员。

J: Jason is the leader of the local chapter in D.C.

Y: Jason说他们作为Sierra Club的一个地方分会， 重点是要解决当地面临的特殊问题。

J: He mentioned things like cleaning up the rivers, improving air and water quality and improving public transportation.

实录2: Broehm: Well, here in the District we"re working on a number of main areas including trying to clean up the areas, the rivers, have better water quality. We want to have better air quality and better public transportation. And finally we would like to have a good system of parks where people can get out and enjoy the natural environment.

Y: 我想Jason本人一定是个热爱大自然的人，要不然他就不会为环保组织工作了。

实录3: Broehm: I do. I love to bike in Rock Creek Park and all over Washington, D.C. I love to hike and walk. And, so, I do very much.

J: Oh, Jason is definitely an outdoor person.

Y: 其实Jason在Sierra Club只是作义工，他还有另外一份正式的工作。

J: Right. His "day job," as we call it, is with a federal agency.

实录4: Broehm: I have another job with a federal agency, but I volunteer my time with the Sierra Club outside of work hours.

Y: 说起作义工，我觉得这是一件非常有意义的事情，不仅可以为社会作贡献，同时也改善了自己的生活。

J: It"s good to know there are people like Jason who volunteer their time educating the public and helping to protect the environment...

Y: 就是，如果每个人拿出一点儿时间来做好事，那你想想这个社会该有多么美好呢？ 谢谢大家收听美语咖啡屋，我们下次节目再见。

J: Thanks for joining us on American Cafe! See you next time!

日期：2008-5-4 9:42:44

美国习惯用语第312讲

今天我们要讲几个包括string这个词的习惯用语。String是线或者绳子、带子。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是: pull the strings。各位一定看过木偶戏吧? 大家知道台上木偶栩栩如生的表演靠的是藏在幕后的真演员；是他们牵动观众看不见绳子操纵木偶按照他们的意图举手投足来演戏。Pull the Strings这个习惯用语出典也许就在这儿。当然它的含义和使用范围已经大大超越木偶戏。让我们听个例子来体会它的意思吧。

例句-1：At first, they said I wasn"t qualified for the job. However, after my rich uncle who owns stock in the company called there and pulled the strings, I was hired right away.

他说：起先他们说我并不胜任那工作。但是我那个拥有这家公司股票的有钱叔叔的打电话去从中斡旋、幕后牵线，我马上就被雇用了。

可见pull the strings意思是利用影响力或权势，导致合乎心意的后果，而且往往还是在暗中操纵局面的。

******

我们来学下一个习惯用语: string someone along。在这个习惯用语里string是动词，意思是用绳子拴起来。这个习惯用语可能来自农场，人们有时把一群牲口用绳子拴在一起排成一行，让它们乖乖地一致行动听你摆布跟你走。当这个习惯用语转用到生活其它方面的时候表示什么意思呢? 让我们来听一段话来琢磨它的意思吧。这是一个人在说自己买旧车的遭遇。

例句-2：The salesman assured me that the used car I was buying was in perfect condition. But, on the way home, the car broke down. That man was stringing me along.

他说：那个推销员向我担保我即将买的车一切完好，但是在我开回家的路上车就抛锚了，原来那人在让我上了圈套。

可见string sb. along意思就是欺哄人，给人上圈套。

******

我们要学的下一个习惯用语是: hold the purse strings。Purse是钱包，大约在十五世纪的时候人们通常用布料做成的小口袋装钱币，拉紧袋口的绳子，袋口会合拢，里面的钱就保存得好好的，不往外掉。今天人们都改用皮夹来放钞票，但是hold the purse strings这个习惯用语却沿用至今。让我们听一个例子来体会它的意思。这是一个十多岁的男孩在抱怨他的吝啬的父亲。

例句-3：I can"t buy anything without my father"s approval. He"s the one who holds the purse strings in the family and he"s very stingy. I think it"s time for me to get a job.

他说：没有我爸爸的允许我不能买任何东西。他是家里掌管财务大权的人，而且他很吝啬，看来我得找份工挣钱了。

所以hold the purse strings解释掌握金钱财务。

******

我们再学一个习惯用语: second string。 String这个词也解释提琴的弦线。Second string原来指备用的弦线。要是第一根弦线断了可以用来替换。但是现在second string常用在运动方面。Second string player是后备队员，往往也是技术略次一等的运动员。我们来听个例子。说话的人在抱怨他最喜爱的篮球队洛杉矶湖人队在这个比赛季节中的表现不佳。湖人队是The Lakers。

例句-4：The Lakers have been forced to use second-string players ever since their stars were hurt early in the season. The team has hardly won a game since.

他说：湖人队的明星队员赛季刚开始就受伤了，他们从此不得不起用后备队员，因而几乎没有赢过一场球。

所以second-string这儿的意思是“后备的，技术较差的”。

日期：2008-5-4 9:46:30

美语咖啡屋第41课

Eric, Day Of A Teenager

J: Hello I"m Jody and welcome to American Cafe!

Y: 大家好。我是杨晨。欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。Jody我们为什么放这个音乐？我现在觉得我到了太空一样。

J: Because, Yang Chen, today we are visiting a different world. The world of teenagers!!

Y: No! 我们能不能谈点儿别的？

J: Calm down, calm down. It"ll be okay. Besides we were all teenagers once. Do you remember when you became a teenager?

Y: 不记得了，好象太遥远了。

J: It does feel like a long time ago. But it was only a mere 10 years.

Y: 十年前！ 你数学怎么学的？

J: Oh, never you mind. Anyway, today, we"re going to revisit that awkward time when you"re no longer a child and not yet an adult. So, without further delay let"s meet Eric, a student in Virginia who celebrates his birthday on New Year"s Day.

实录1: Eric: My name is Eric. I am thirteen. My birthday is January 1st, 1991. And I go to Hayfield Secondary School in Virginia.

J: Eric"s is a teenager alright. Can you hear how his voice is starting to change?

Y: 没错，听得出来他的声音好象在变粗。唉，我很好奇一个13岁的男孩每天都作些什么？

J: That"s just what we"re going to find out. So, here"s Eric as he walks us through a normal school day.

实录2: Eric: I shower, get dressed and go downstairs, eat breakfast and get my stuff ready for school.

Y: Eric刚才谈的是他到学校以前先洗澡，然后穿好衣服，然后到楼下吃饭，然后gets his stuff ready for school. "Stuff" 这个词好象特别有用。

J: Very useful.

Y: 那他到了学校以后都作些什么呢？