(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Susan Clark with the Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States. The woman had visited major businessesand investment companies in New York City and Chicago.
"I studied English before I left home," she said. "But I still was not sure that people were speaking English."
Her problem is easy to understand. Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere. They have a language of their own.
Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work. Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.
One such saying is get your act together.
When things go wrong in a business, an employer may get angry. He may shout, "Stop making mistakes. Get your act together."
Or, if the employer is calmer, he may say, "Let us get our act together."
Either way, the meaning is the same. Getting your act together is getting organized . In business, it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.
It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began. But, it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry.
Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes. The director may have said, " Calm down , now. Get your act together."
Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late nineteen seventies. Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in nineteen seventy-eight. The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.
Now, this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet. One company even called its yearly report, "Getting Our Act Together."
The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people. It is cut to the chase.
She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company. One official was giving a very long report.
It was not very interesting. In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.
Finally, the president of the company said, "Cut to the chase."
Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material. Hurry and get to the good part.
Naturally, this saying was started by people who make movies. Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies . Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars, or in airplanes or on foot.
Cut is the director's word for stop. The director means to stop filming , leave out some material, and get to the chase scene now.
So, if your employer tells you to cut to the chase, be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.
This WORDS AND THEIR STORIES program was written by Jeri Watson. I'm Susan Clark.
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语词语典故节目，我是Susan Clark。
一位来自日本的女性正在给朋友讲述自己的美国之旅。她去纽约和芝加哥走访了大型商业和投资公司。
她说：“离家之前我学了英语，但我还是不确定他们讲的是英语。”
她的迷惑很容易理解，美国商务人士和其他地方的商务人士一样，都自己的一套语言。有的词语和表达方式是专门用在工作领域的，还有一些表达借用自戏剧、电影等别的行业。
其中的一个表达就是get your act together。
当业务上出现问题，雇主很生气，他或许会叫道：“别犯错了！行动起来！”
或许，这个雇主比较平静，他会说：“让我们行动起来吧！”
无论怎么说，两种说法的意思是一样的。Getting your act together是组织起来的意思。在商业中，通常表示制定一个平静有序的行动计划。
很难说这个说法从何时开始的，但或许是在戏剧或电影行业。或许一个演员紧张犯了不少错，导演会说：“平静下，提高下演技。”
词语专家James Rogers说，这个说法在20世纪70年代末很常用。Roger说，曼彻斯特卫报在1978年使用了这个表达。该报称，一项改革政策要求英国政府共同行动起来。
如今，这个用法在公司职员开会时常用到，甚至有家公司给年报取名为“让我们一起努力”。
还有一个同法令这位日本客人感到迷惑，那就是It is cut to the chase。
她是在参加一个公司的重要会议时听到这个说法的，一名职员做了一个很长又无趣的报告，事实上，已经有人昏昏欲睡了。
最后，公司总裁说，“切入正题吧！”
Cut to the chase意思是停止在细节或无关紧要的环节上花费过多时间，赶紧进入正题。
当然，这个说法始创于电影制作人。好莱坞电影导演认为，美国人喜欢看动作片。他们的许多影片都有演员开车、开飞机，或是地面上相互追逐的场面。
Cut是导演叫停的术语，导演的意思是停止拍摄，省掉一些场景，直接进入追逐场面。
所以，如果你的雇主要你cut to the chase，那你一定要马上进入主题啊！
本期的词汇典故作者Jeri Watson，我是Susan Clark。
词汇释义
1.probable adj.可能的；大概的
It is probable that the medication will suppress the symptom without treating the condition...
这种药物有可能治标不治本。
2.require v.需要
If you require further information, you should consult the registrar.
如果需要进一步了解信息，请咨询教务主任。
3.organized a. 安排有序的，有组织的
His life was almost too organized.
他的生活太有规律了。
4.orderly a.整齐的，有秩序的
David was always a quiet orderly boy.
大卫始终是一个文静规矩的孩子。
5.confuse vt.使困惑，把…弄糊涂
They confused me by their conflicting advice.
他们的建议相互矛盾，把我弄糊涂了。
内容解析
1.Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work.
deal with论述;讨论;涉及
...the parts of his book which deal with contemporary Paris.
他的书中涉及当代巴黎的那些部分
2.The director may have said, " Calm down , now. Get your act together."
calm down冷静，平静
Calm down for a minute and listen to me...
你安静一会儿,听我说。
3.In fact, some people at the meeting were falling asleep.
fall asleep入睡，长眠
The man chucked himself down on the hard bench and fell asleep.
这男子躺在硬长凳上睡着了。
VOA译文属可可原创，仅供学习交流使用，未经许可请勿转载。
