第四堂

    日常生活

    01 生活起居

    不做“夜猫子”

    dialogue

    joe is listless in the office. her colleague maggie comes to chat with him in the rest time.

    乔上班时看起来无精打采的。他的同事麦琪在休息时过来和他聊天。

    maggie: did you burn the candle last night? look at the bags under your eyes.

    麦琪：你昨晚熬夜了吧? 看看你眼睛下的黑眼圈。

    joe: i have a quite tight schedule, so i have to stay up late to meet the deadline of this annual report. now i feel so sleepy.

    乔：我的时间安排得很紧，所以必须要熬夜加班才能把这份年度报表在最后期限前写完。我现在觉得很困。

    maggie: in fact, you don't need to work extra hours, just improve your work efficiency.

    麦琪：其实，你不必老是加班，只要提高你的工作效率就行了。

    joe: i know that. but recently the boss has been piling on me a lot of work. i have no choice but to keep up late occasionally. i guess i'm not a night owl after all.

    乔：我知道。但是最近老板给我布置了一大堆工作，我没有选择，有时只能加班。我觉得我不是个夜猫子。

    maggie: but you did stay up late yesterday night.

    麦琪：但是你昨天确实熬夜了呀。

    joe: well, i didn't go to bed until four in the morning, and now i am so tired and i can hardly move.

    maggie: you have to get up early in the morning for work. therefore, you certainly can't pull an all-nighter.

    乔：哦，我早上4点才睡觉，现在我困得一点都不想动了。

    麦琪：你早上必须早起上班，所以你当然不能开夜车了。

    joe: sometimes i wish i could be a night owl again. i remember back in college being a night owl was a lot of fun.

    乔：我有时希望自己能再成为夜猫子。想起大学时代做夜猫子太有意思了。

    maggie: do you still want to be a night owl? what about playing throughout this night after work?

    麦琪：你还想做夜猫子？那今天下班后玩个通宵怎么样？

    joe: oh, no, maggie. all i need right now is a cup of coffee to get me through the day and then have a good night sleep!

    乔：哦，不，麦琪。我现在只想要杯咖啡，把这一天的工作做完，然后睡个好觉。

    notes

    1. listless ['listlis] adj. 无精打采的

    2. burn the candle 熬通宵

    3. pile on 堆积

    4. night owl 夜猫子

    5. pull an all-nighter 开夜车（通宵学习或工作）

    小贴士

    night owl（a person who often burns the midnight oil） 比喻经常熬夜的人，就是我们习惯说的“夜猫子”。

    staying up late will reduce your time for sleeping and result in inefficient rest and adjustment of brain and organs, which will cause severe harm to your health. staying up the whole night will take as much energy as when you climb the mountain all morning. the disorder of the nervous system, such as insomnia,irritation, absent-mind and anxiety will ensue, reducing your attention, thinking,and mental ability. as for the skin, it will cause the water loss, gloomy skin,wrinkles, acnes, and black circles and have effect on eye sight as well. but do you know the “sleepless elite”? scientists have identified a “sleepless elite”—a small group of people for whom a lie-in is a waste of time. rather than being tired,bad-tempered under-achievers, they are an energetic, optimistic and outgoing group who can live a happy and healthy life on just four or five hours of shut-eye a night.

    熬夜使睡眠时间大大减少，导致大脑和器官得不到休息调整，这会给健康带来严重的危害。熬一夜损失的精力相当于登山一上午，由此造成失眠、易怒、健忘和焦虑不安等神经系统功能紊乱，使你的注意力、思考能力以及心理承受能力明显下降。熬夜会导致皮肤缺水、肤色暗淡、出现皱纹、长暗疮、黑眼圈，对视力也有很大的影响。但是你知道什么是“夜猫子精英”吗？科学家已证实存在“夜猫子精英”一族，对这些为数不多的人来说，睡懒觉就是在浪费生命。虽然睡眠时间短，但他们精力充沛、乐观向上、外向活泼，而不是疲惫而且坏脾气的“后进生”。他们每晚只睡4到5个小时，却生活得快乐且健康。

    人靠衣裳马靠鞍

    dialogue

    steven is working in an american company.he meets his colleague julia in a dinning hall.

    史蒂文在一家美国公司上班。他在餐厅里见到他的同事朱莉亚。

    steven: hi, julia. would you like to sit here and join us?

    史蒂文：嗨，朱莉亚。你愿意坐在这儿和我们一起吃吗？

    julia: i'd love to. it's so hot today that i hardly go out for dinner.

    朱莉亚：很乐意。今天真热，我都不想出来吃饭了。

    steven: yeah. i heard that word got around about our being able to dress more comfortably during these hot days. look, i just wear a long-sleeve shirt. my suit and tie are in the office in case of seeing customers. what do you think of my clothes today?

    史蒂文：是啊。我听说天太热了公司就会放松着装要求。你看我，就只穿了长袖衬衣。西装和领带在办公室里，以备着见客户时穿。你觉得我今天的穿着怎么样？

    julia: your dress shirt is fine, except that you are not wearing an undershirt.

    朱莉亚：你的衬衣很好，除了没穿汗衫。

    steven: what? an undershirt? isn't it much hotter if i wear it under my shirt?

    史蒂文：什么？里面还要穿汗衫？那样不是更热了吗？

    julia: still it is necessary. when a man isn't wearing an undershirt, it is obvious that he looks unprofessional.

    朱莉亚：但是必须要穿。如果一个男士不穿汗衫，很明显就能看出来那个男士不职业。

    steven: can you tell me why a man has to wear an undershirt?

    史蒂文：能告诉我为什么男人要穿汗衫吗？

    julia: for one it adds elegance. neither men nor women need to be dressed in seethrough clothing in the business world. and it also adds a layer of protection because of heat. when you perspire, the undershirt protects the dress shirt from showing the moisture and causing stains. it also absorbs some of the odor if you perspire heavily.

    朱莉亚：穿汗衫一是可以增添高雅。不管是男士还是女士上班都不应该穿透明的衣服。二是还可以在天热时多一层保护。当你排汗时，汗衫可以让你的衬衣看不出来湿痕和汗渍。如果你出很多汗，汗衫还可以吸收体味。

    steven: oh, i got it. thank you for your advice.

    史蒂文：哦，我明白了。谢谢你的建议。

    notes

    1. get around 传播，散播；绕开；说服

    2. undershirt ['?nd???:t] n. 汗衫，贴身内衣

    3. unprofessional ['?npr?'fe??n?l] adj. 违反职业道德的；非专业的，外行的

    4. polish ['p?li?] n. 光泽，上光剂；优雅；精良；v. 擦亮，磨光；推敲；完善

    5. see-through ['si:?θru:] adj. 透明的

    6. perspire [p?s'pai?] v. 出汗，流汗；分泌

    7. odor ['?ud?] n. 气味；名声；气息

    小贴士

    in western business the concept for dress is conservative. this means nothing too flashy, too provocative, too casual, too tight or too revealing.for ladies, the following dress items are common: pant suit, knee-length skirt or full-length dress, blouse, dress pants, jacket, high-heels and dress shoes. for men these are the accepted norms for business attire: suit and tie. the recognized business colors are black and gray（dark or light）, but some companies have established others as their recognized colors, such as blue. the following items are usually not acceptable in most white-collar environments: jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, open-toed or low-cut shoes（low-cuts）,loafers and sneakers. however, many western businesses have adopted what is commonly referred to as casual fridays or dress-down fridays. they allow employees who are not dealing directly with the customers to wear casual attire, including some of the usually non-acceptable items mentioned above.

    西方商界对于上班着装的观念比较保守，衣服不能太浮华张扬、太随便、太紧或太暴露。对于女士而言，比较常见的有长裤西服装、齐膝短裙或长裙、衬衫、正装长裤、夹克、高跟鞋和时装鞋这样的着装。而对于男式来说，大家认可的商务着装是西服和领带。公认职业装的颜色是黑色或灰色（暗色调或浅色调），但有些公司采用别的着装颜色，比如蓝色。以下罗列的着装在大多数白领工作场合通常是不被接受的：如牛仔裤、t恤衫、圆领背心、露趾或低帮鞋、平底鞋和运动鞋。然而，现在许多西方公司中都实行周五便装日，他们允许那些不直接接触客户的雇员们身着休闲装，包括上述一些在白领工作场合通常不被接受的服饰。

    我为租房忙

    dialogue

    john wants to rent a satisfactory apartment with a proper rent. but it's not easy.

    约翰想租一个租金合理又令人满意的房子，但这并不容易。

    hugh: i heard that you have bought a house, is that true?

    休：我听说你买房了，是真的吗？

    john: oh, i always have the idea, but the house prices have gone through the roof without any sign of reduction these two years. i even can't afford the down payment of a house. i have chosen to rent a house instead of buying one. or else i am going to be mortgage slaves for life.

    约翰：哦，我是有那个想法，但是近两年的房价暴涨，而且丝毫没有下降的征兆，我连买房首付都付不起。我已经选择租房了。否则我就要成为终身房奴了。

    hugh: have you rent a house?

    休：你已经租到房子了吗？

    john: no, i have been busy with looking for an apartment lately near our company.

    约翰：没有，最近我一直忙着在公司附近寻找套房子。

    hugh: that's good. you needn't worry about being late any more for traffic jams.

    休：那样很好啊。你再也不用担心因为交通拥堵而迟到了。

    john: but i haven't found a satisfactory apartment.

    约翰：但是我还没有找到让我满意的房子。

    hugh: what kind of house do you have in mind on earth? there are many houses as you required nearby.

    休：你到底想找一个什么样的房子？这附近有很多这样的房子啊。

    john: i know. but the rental of the houses with furniture and electric appliances is too high. i don't think they deserve that price.

    约翰：我知道。但是带家具和电器的房子租金太贵了，我觉得不值那个价钱。

    hugh: how much is the rent?

    休：租金多少？

    john: 2000 yuan per month.

    约翰：一个月2000元。

    hugh: hmmm…indeed a little high. but the houses downtown are always expensive.

    休：嗯……确实有点贵。不过市区的房子一直都是很贵的。

    notes

    1. go through the roof（物价等）暴涨，飞涨；大声喧哗

    2. payment ['peim?nt] n. 支付，支付的款项；报偿，报应

    3. mortgage ['m?:gid?] n. 按揭；抵押，抵押贷款；v. 抵押

    4. on earth 究竟，到底

    小贴士

    1. what kind of apartment do you have?

    你们的公寓是什么样的？

    2. i'd like to rent a studio or a one-bedroom apartment.

    我想租一间小套房或是一室一厅的公寓。

    3. could i take a look at it?

    我可以看看吗？

    也可以这样说：

    may i have a look at it?

    4. i can't give you your deposit back because you have broken our contract.

    我不能退回你的押金，因为你违约了。

    5. are there shopping centers or banks nearby?

    附近有购物中心和银行吗？

    6. i'd like to lease it for half a year first.

    我想先租半年。

    7. how much is the rent? are utilities included in the rent?

    租金是多少？水电费包括在租金内吗？

    装修房子有讲究

    dialogue

    molly likes to spend time on decoration to make her home more pleasant.

    莫莉很喜欢花时间装修房子让她的家更温馨。

    molly: i think the whole house needs repainting. i'd like the rural style, which can bring some elements of nature. what about repainting the living—room in primrose yellow?

    莫莉：我觉得整个房子都需要重新粉刷。我喜欢田园风格的，这样能给我们带来一些自然元素。你觉得把客厅刷成淡黄色怎么样？

    king: great minds think alike. and we can also ask someone to draw a picture on the wall.

    金：英雄所见略同。我们也可以找人来帮我们在墙上画一幅画。

    molly: i think a crystal chandelier would look great in our living—room, and maybe some new curtains for the windows.

    莫莉：在客厅里装一盏水晶吊灯会很漂亮，另外还需要一些新窗帘装饰窗户。

    king: no problem. you can be in charge of going to curtain shops to choose curtains. having good curtains made isn't cheap.

    金：没问题，你可以负责去窗帘店挑窗帘。要订做好的窗帘可不便宜。

    molly: why can't we just buy curtains already made?

    莫莉：为什么我们不能买已经做好的窗帘？

    king: absolutely not. the windows must be measured, and then the curtains need to be made specially.

    金：绝对不行。必须先量好这些窗户，再专门制做窗帘。

    molly: ok, leave it to me.

    莫莉：好，交给我吧。

    king: perhaps we could buy some potted plants for the dining room. and i think it's better to paint the dining room in orange or yellow to increase our appetite.

    金：也许我们可以买些盆栽装饰餐厅。我认为把餐厅粉刷成橙色或者黄色比较好，这样可以增加食欲。

    molly: great! paint it orange, ok?

    莫莉：这个主意太棒了！把餐厅刷成橙色怎么样？

    king: i can't agree with you any more.

    金：非常赞同。

    notes

    1. rural ['ru:r?l] adj. 农村的

    2. primrose ['primr?uz] n. 报春花；淡黄色；adj. 如樱草般淡黄色泽的；欢乐的

    3. great minds think alike. 英雄所见略同。

    4. chandelier [???ndi'li?] n. 枝形吊灯（烛台）

    5. potted ['p?tid] adj. 盆栽的，罐装的，摘要的；（俚）喝醉的

    小贴士

    decorate, remodel, redo, upgrade词义辨析：

    decorate 指的是对人或物进行装饰，使之更加完美。比如用画和植物来装饰房间。装修很多都需要动用泥工、木工等，而装饰则不需要。remodel和redo都是表示重新改造、翻新的意思，我国国内的装修大部分是装而不是修，基本上都是新房毛坯房，所以没有“翻新”的意思。如果是已经住过人的房子，改造成另外的用途用remodel比较恰当。在美国买卖二手房比国内要普遍得多，美国人平均5年就换一套房子，然后装修（remodel）。在国外购买商品房装修时，经常用upgrade，也就是把毛坯房升级为精装修房。

    例如：

    1. it cost us a lot of money to decorate the interior of the house.

    房屋的内部装饰花去了我们很多钱。

    2. we'll remodel the downstairs living—room first.

    我们先要装修楼下的客厅。

    3. we are occupied with the work of redoing our house.

    我们忙于重新装修我们的房子。

    手忙脚乱来搬家

    dialogue

    monica finally bought a house. now she is calling some friends for packing before the moving company arrives.

    莫尼卡终于买到了房子。现在她正在给一些朋友打电话让他们在搬家公司来之前帮忙打包。

    monica: hey, joe. this is monica.

    莫尼卡：嗨，乔。我是莫尼卡。

    joe: hello, monica. what's going on?

    乔：你好，莫妮卡。最近怎么样啊？

    monica: things are fine with me. actually,i am wondering if you could help me with something.

    莫尼卡：很好。其实我是想问问你能不能给我帮忙。

    joe: help you with what?

    乔：帮什么忙？

    monica: you do know i'm getting ready to move, right? do you mind helping me move house?

    莫尼卡：你知道我正在准备搬家，对吧？你介意帮我下忙吗？

    joe: no problem. we are good friends. when?

    乔：没问题。我们是好朋友嘛。什么时候？

    monica: are you busy this wednesday?

    莫尼卡：你这周三有时间吗？

    joe: i don't think i have any plans.

    乔：那天我没什么事。

    monica: how does 10 a.m. sound to you?

    莫尼卡：上午10点怎么样？

    joe: that'll be fine.

    乔：好的。

    monica: thank you. i'll see you then. then i'll give jane, tony and steven a call to help me out. i shall be lucky to make friends like you.

    莫尼卡：谢谢你，那到时见。我还要给简、托尼和史蒂文打电话让他们帮忙。我能交到像你们这样的朋友真是太荣幸了。

    notes

    1. pack [p?k] v.（把……）打包；收拾行李

    2. help sb. out 帮助某人解决难题；帮助某人摆脱困境；帮助某人完成工作

    小贴士

    搬家省钱省时妙招

    the cost of moving is rarely cheap, but if you do it right, it doesn't have to break the bank.

    搬家的成本很高，不过如果做得恰当，也不会很破费。

    step 1: make a budget（做好预算）

    figure out what will be involved in your move and how much you can afford to spend. consider the cost of shipping large or fragile items versus selling them and then replacing them when you move to your new home.

    弄清楚搬家都需要做哪些以及能支付起多少。对于搬运体积大的或易碎物品，可也先将其卖掉，等搬完新家后再重新买，要考虑好这两者之间的成本。

    step 2: trim your stuff（精简自己的物品）

    step 3: hold a yard sale（不需要的物品卖掉）

    step 4: do it yourself（亲力亲为）

    do as much as possible by yourself, including packing, loading, cleaning, and shipping. the more you do, the less you have to pay.

    尽量自己动手，包括打包、装运、清洁和运输。自己动手做得越多，需要支付的就越少。

    step 5: ask for help（寻求帮助）

    ask friends for help with packing, loading, and cleaning. if you're moving locally, you can borrow friends' cars instead of renting a moving van.

    请朋友来帮忙打包、装运以及清洁。如果是在当地搬家，你可以借用朋友的汽车，而不必租用搬家公司的车辆。

    step 6: shop for discounts（买打折的商品）

    go to the discount store if you need a packing or pick up service.

    如果需要打包和运送服务，就去打折商店。

    精挑细选买家具

    dialogue

    the smiths are planning to buy a sofa of threepiece suite. now they are in a furniture store.

    史密斯夫妇正打算买一组3件套的沙发。现在他们在一家家具店里。

    seller: good morning. what can i do for you?

    卖家：早上好。我能为您做些什么？

    mrs. smith: good morning. we're thinking about buying a set of sofa. could you help us?

    史密斯太太：早上好。我们想买套沙发。你能推荐一下吗？

    seller: certainly. which kind of sofa do you want?

    卖家：当然。您想买什么样式的沙发？

    mrs. smith: a fabric sofa of three-piece suite.

    史密斯太太：3件套的布艺沙发。

    seller: we have several three-piece suites on sale. take a look at this suite. this sofa is made from unique materials. it's beautiful and comfortable on it.

    卖家：我们有几套正在打折销售。请看下这套怎么样？这套沙发采用了独特材料，样式美观并且坐在上面也很舒服。

    mrs. smith: i like the design, but it doesn't match the color of our room.

    史密斯太太：我喜欢这样的设计，但是颜色和我们房间不搭配。

    seller: what about that color?

    卖家：那种颜色怎么样？

    mrs. smith: oh, it looks fine. it's on sale,isn't it?

    史密斯太太：嗯，看起来不错。这套正在打折，是吗？

    seller: yes. the price has been reduced by 40%. it's a real bargain.

    卖家：是的。价格降低了40%。真的很划算。

    mrs. smith: okay, let us look around a little before we decide.

    史密斯太太：好的。我们四处看看再作决定。

    notes

    1. fabric ['f?brik] n. 结构；织物，布料；构造

    2. suite [swi:t] n.（一批）随员；（一套）家具；套房；套，组

    3. on sale 出售，廉价出售

    小贴士

    1. what style of furniture do you like, traditional ones or modern ones?

    你喜欢什么式样的家具，传统的还是现代的？

    2. what do you think of this lamp?

    你觉得这个台灯怎么样？

    3. traditional furniture would be out of place in the house.

    在房子里摆设传统式样的家具很不谐调。

    4. we supply first-class furniture. you can see the material is superior with all the novel design.

    我们供应的家具都是上乘的。您可以看出材料都是优质的，样式设计也很新颖。

    5. if you buy the furniture, the store will fling in slipcovers.

    如果你买这套家具，商店将赠送一组沙发套。

    6. all the products of our company are made of high-class pollution-free wooden materials.

    我们公司生产的所有家具均是用高档无污染实木材料制成。

    7. i'd like to pick out a nice recliner for me to watch tv.

    我想要个活动躺椅以方便看电视。

    8. this kind of wood furniture isn't very sturdy.

    这种木制家具不太结实。