评论
打印
Words and Idioms
现在播送<美国习惯用语>第 950讲。我是杨琳。<美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语><美国习惯用语>
M:我是 Douglas Johnson.
就在一个小时之前，我们办公室这里经历了一场惊心动魄！同事都在伏案工作的时候，火警铃忽然响了， 大家争相下楼，议论纷纷。后来证实，其实是厨房微波炉里热的东西着火了，弄响了火警。于是大家也纷纷回到办公桌前，重新拿起手中的工作。这件小事让我想到一个习惯用语，那就是：
M:Business as usual. Business is spelled b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s, and usual, u-s-u-a-l. Business as usual.
大家都知道，business是营业的意思，usual 呢，是正常的。那么business as usual, 用来形容事情经过了异常之后恢复正常状态，可以翻译成“一切照旧，虚惊一场”。上面的例子中， People resumed work after a small fire incident, it was business as usual. 大家在着火小插曲之后继续工作，办公室恢复正常。下面的例子讲了一对父母每天早晨的大挑战，我们来听听看：
M:"Imagine preparing breakfast for six kids. Then getting them washed and dressed, packing their lunches and getting them off to school. That might seem like a huge challenge. But for my wife and me, it's BUSINESS AS USUAL. It's part of our everyday routine."
[这段话是说：想像一下：给六个孩子准备早餐，然后给他们洗脸穿衣服，装饭盒，再把他们统统送到学校去。这看起来是一项巨大的挑战。但是对我妻子和我来说，这是日常便饭。这是我们每天要做的工作。]
我有一个女儿已经够呛了！想像一下，要照料六个孩子，真是不容易！不过，这与经历过大灾难的人相比只是小事一桩。想想日本今年三月的大地震，不知道要经过多久这个国家才能恢复原状。It will not be BUSINESS AS USUAL any time soon for the Japanese people. 日本人民的生活近期内恐怕很难恢复常态。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话：
M:"Imagine preparing breakfast for six kids. Then getting them washed and dressed, packing their lunches and getting them off to school. That might seem like a huge challenge. But for my wife and me, it's BUSINESS AS USUAL. It's part of our everyday routine."
我们居住的小镇是个安静的地方，平常非常惬意。不过有一次，一个名导演看中了我们小镇，准备来这里拍摄，这一下发生了什么事情呢？ 我们来听听看:
M:"Normally, my tiny town is a quiet place. But when a movie director chose it as the site for his upcoming picture, it became incredibly busy. Film stars and production crews flooded Main Street. The local restaurants served overflow crowds, shops saw increased sales, and news reporters came from all around seeking interviews. For three weeks, it was anything but BUSINESS AS USUAL. "
[这段话是说：平常，我住的小镇特别安静。但是当一名电影导演选中这里拍摄之后，这里就变得忙碌无比。电影明星和制作团队挤满了城里的主路。饭馆里的人目不暇接，商店营业额直线上升，新闻记者也都来到这里寻找采访机会。三个星期以来，这里什么都有，就是没有往日的宁静。]
女: 被导演看中也许是好事，这样一来可以大大提高小镇的知名度，商店餐馆也能更好的营业额。可是对我们这些居民来说，我们想要的只是business as usual, 以往的安静生活。看来任何事都有两面性。好了，我们再来听听刚才那段话:
M:"Normally, my tiny town is a quiet place. But when a movie director chose it as the site for his upcoming picture, it became incredibly busy. Film stars and production crews flooded Main Street. The local restaurants served overflow crowds, shops saw increased sales, and news reporters came from all around seeking interviews. For three weeks, like here was anything but BUSINESS AS USUAL. "
今天我们学习的习惯用语是BUSINESS AS USUAL，意思是“一切照常，虚惊一场”。
A:Kat, 你注意到没有，每回在新年伊始，我们都要做新年计划，不过最后，多半都是business as usual, 生活还是会变回老样子。
B:I know! Most new year resolutions will never be realized, and that's pretty frustrating! You know how I deal with it? I make realistic, easy-to-do resolutions.
A:For example?
B:Hmm, instead of making a resolution such as "going to the gym everyday", I have "using the stairs twice a week".
A:你是说，你给自己设定的新年目标是每周有两天要走楼梯，而不搭电梯？
B:对！It's much more realistic than going to the gym daily. Don't you think so?
A:猛一听是挺实际的。不过，这要看你家住几楼! 如果你住在15层，每周两次爬楼可不太现实!
B:I never thought about that!
A:哈哈! 好了，咱们继续听节目，今天咱们要在“美语怎么说”里要教大家说“抢手货”!
