(单词翻译:单击)
情景对话
Todd: So Tres, lots of people might want to know when is the best time to visit the United States season-wise. What would you recommend to somebody that might go to America?
托德：特雷斯，许多人都想知道去美国旅游的最佳季节。你会建议他们什么时候去美国游览？
Tres: Definitely the best time is in the fall part of the year: end of August through end of November, beginning of December. The reason why is because the weather is beautiful. You have blue skies almost every day. There's not too much rain, no tornadoes or hurricanes that come through, and the weather is just generally cool and pleasant. On top of that you have the amazing food that's associated with the fall months and the holidays also take place then. For example, Halloween, we go door to door trick-or-treating, receive a lot of candy. There's also Thanks Giving, where many families cook the traditional turkey. Some other families have chop-suey, what have you, and there's also the tofu-turkey.
特雷斯：最佳时间绝对是秋天：8月底到11月底或12月初这段期间。因为这段期间的天气很好。几乎每天都是蓝天。不会有很多雨水，也不会赶上龙卷风或是飓风季，气温凉爽适宜。除此以外，秋天有很多节日，所以可以享用到各种节日美食。举例来说，万圣节时我们会挨家挨户进行“不给糖就捣乱”活动，所以我们会得到很多糖果。而感恩节时许多家庭会按照传统烹饪火鸡。还有些家庭会做炒杂碎等诸如此类的食物，当然还有豆腐火鸡。
Todd: Tofu turkey.
托德：豆腐火鸡。
Tres: Yeah, tofu-turkey.
特雷斯：对，豆腐火鸡。
Todd: Have you had tofu-turkey?
托德：你吃过豆腐火鸡吗？
Tres: I've never had a tofu-turkey but I've only heard about it. I went to a little arts college where there were only a few meat-eaters.
特雷斯：我没有吃过，我只是听说过。我在一所小型艺术学院上学，那里只有少数人吃肉。
Todd: Oh.
托德：哦。
Tres: I always heard about it. Also in the fall it's a great time to visit the out doors in the United States. You have fall foliage. Especially if you're in the New England States, where the mountains are just "on fire" with the oranges and yellows.
特雷斯：我只是听说过。秋天非常适合去美国户外游览。可以欣赏红叶，尤其是新英格兰各州，各座山布满了橙色和黄色的落叶，就像被火点亮一样。
Todd: Yeah, it's nice. Nice time of year. OK, and any other season you think is a good time to visit? So the fall's really good.
托德：真不错。一年中的美好时节。秋季是很适合旅游的季节，那你认为还有哪个季节适合去美国游玩吗？
Tres: I think the fall's great. It also depends on personal preference. If one really likes the summer atmosphere, then of course going to New York or the West Coast in the summer time is great. You can visit the beaches. If you like skiing, of course winter is great, if you go to any of the Rocky Mountain States. Colorado for example, you can really take advantage of the snow out there. Great powder.
特雷斯：我认为秋季是最适宜的。不过这也要取决于个人喜好。如果你喜欢夏天的氛围，那你可以去纽约或是西海岸，那些地方在夏季时非常棒。可以去海滩玩耍。如果你喜欢滑雪，那当然是冬天去落基山脉诸州旅游了。比如说科罗拉多州，你可以尽情享受那里的雪，非常棒。
Todd: Have you traveled much in the United States?
托德：你去过美国的大部分地方吗？
Tres: Ever since I was a child, I'd get in the car and travel with my parents. We'd drive from OKlahoma to New York, or down south to the Pacific Northwest. Almost every single state. Maybe five, six states that I haven't visited.
特雷斯：从我小时候开始，我就经常和父母一起开车去旅行。我们曾经从俄克拉荷马州开车前往纽约，也曾开车南下，游览太平洋西北地区。我几乎去过美国所有的州，可能有五六个州没有去过吧。
Todd: OK sounds good. Thanks Tres.
托德：听起来真不错。谢谢你，特雷斯。
Tres: Thank you.
特雷斯：谢谢。
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重点讲解
重点讲解：
1. on top of
另外；加之；除…之外（还）；
eg. Mary worked at the store all day and on top of that she had to baby-sit with her brother.
玛丽整天在商店里工作，除些之外她还必须临时照顾她的小弟弟。
eg. On top of that, I've got one extra bit of good news I think you might want to hear.
除此之外，我还有一个你想要听到的好消息。
2. be associated with
（与…）相关的；相联系的；
eg. In children's minds, summers are associated with picnics.
在孩子们看来，夏天总是和郊游连在一起的。
eg. In some culture, a crow is associated with badness.
在某种文化中，乌鸦是不吉祥的象徵。
3. what have you
诸如此类；等等；
eg. So many things are unsafe these days—milk, cranberry sauce, what have you.
现如今很多食品都不安全——牛奶、蓝莓酱等等。
eg. My great-grandfather made horseshoes and nails and what have you.
我曾祖父打制马掌、铁钉等诸如此类的东西。
4. take advantage of
利用；
eg. People concentrate in cities not only to get jobs but to take advantage of cultural facilities.
人们聚集在城市不仅是为就业，而且是为享用文化设施。
eg. We should take advantage of these good conditions.
我们应充分利用这些良好的条件。
5. ever since
自从；打…以后一直；
eg. Dick has been in seventh heaven ever since he fell in love.
迪克自从恋爱以来一直就觉得异常幸福。
eg. He's been a thorn in my side ever since he joined this department.
他自从到了这个部门就总让我不得安生。
