(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
I'm Phil Dierking in the Learning English studio with reporter Anne Ball.
So, last week Learning English had a show about some new words in the Merriam Webster online dictionary. We talked about binge-watch and Seussian and other interesting terms. Anne, did you hear the show?
I did! It was fun. And our fans thought so too. They posted lots of comments on our website.
So, why not doing it again, right? Anne, I know you've been looking this week for some interesting vocabulary. And, I suspect something kept appearing in the news, over and over.
Yep.
What word have you got for us to talk about, Anne?
Well, so, here, let's listen now to what White House spokesman Sean Spicer said to reporters. I think you'll probably guess the words we're looking for, Phil.
"And I think that what he wants them to do is to look into wiretapping, other surveillance, and again as I mentioned before, the other leaks that are threatening our national security."
Of course, the wiretap story. President Trump tweeted that Barack Obama tapped his phones. So, can you our audience what that means?
So, wiretapping is a way to listen secretly to a person's phone calls. It's kind of like a method of spying. Sometimes police do it to catch criminals, for example. Or a government might wiretap individuals to find terrorists.
They use a small device inside a phone that lets them listen to what people are saying on the phone. Wiretaps can also connect directly to phone lines, which is where the expression originates. But on cop shows I have also heard characters talk about being wired. Is that the same?
Oh I love those cop shows! It is similar. Sometimes, an undercover police officer, or intelligence agent, will attach listening devices to their bodies. This lets people in other locations hear whatever the agent or officer hears. They can listen to a conversation.
The information might help them solve a crime, but it can also protect them from danger. Like if an officer or agent is threatened his colleagues will know. They can then send help.
That's right. The immediate surveillance can keep that officer safe.
Surveillance is another great word to explain, Anne. I'm not sure our listeners know exactly what it means. Actually, I'm not even sure I know exactly what it means.
Well, of course! And it's been in the news a lot. Surveillance is originally a French word, meaning "to watch or supervise." In American English it's used mostly in connection with police and intelligence actions. You often hear it paired with the word "under," like this: "The police have a suspect under surveillance," meaning they're watching that person.
So you could say also that you kind of placed news reports "under surveillance" this week to find words to talk about, right!
Yeah, Phil, that is right!
I'm sorry. Did that "bug" you?
Oh... Bug. Okay, I get it! Do you want to tell our audience about another form of electronic surveillance?
So, you can secretly listen to activity in a car, a room, even a whole building by bugging it. Bugs are another word for little listening devices.
So this is something that top-secret intelligence and police agents also use. I wonder if that use of "bug" came from the fact that the devices are like a small bug, or that they might annoy the person being listened to.
Well, maybe a little of both. But I hope our fans enjoyed listening in on us today.
I had fun! And if you, our audience, like listening in on my conversation with Phil, let us know! Please let us know if there are some English words you want to talk about!
I'm Anne Ball.
And I'm Phil Dierking.
重点解析
1.under surveillance 在监视下
Officials said no arrests had yet been made, and that several individuals were still under surveillance.
官方说目前还没有相关人员遭到逮捕，但是有数人已在监视中。
2.cop shows 警匪片
What I've seen with a lot of procedurals, cop shows, etc, you have a copwho kind of says “Gosh darnit” because they can't truly explore what someonemight say in an “angry” or “intense” situation.
我看过一些疑案或警匪题材的剧集，你经常会看到一些警察扭扭捏捏，因为它们没有深入挖掘人在生气或紧张的时候会有什么表现。
3.intelligence agent 情报员；间谍
Being an intelligence agent , his chief job is to gather the secret intelligence of the enemy .
作为一名情报员，他的主要工作就是收集敌方的秘密情报。
参考译文
我是菲尔·迪尔金，我和记者安妮·鲍尔一起在学英语演播室。
上周学英语有一期节目是关于韦氏词典网站收录的一些新词。我们聊到了“binge-watch（追剧/狂看）”，“Seussian（苏斯）”和其他一些有趣的词。安妮，你听了那期节目吗？
我听啦！很有趣。我们的忠实听众也觉得有趣。他们在我们的网站上留了很多评论。
那我们为什么不再做一期呢？安妮，我知道你这周一直在找一些有趣的词汇。而且，我觉得会是反复出现在新闻里的一些词汇。
是的。
安妮，你有什么词要讨论呢？
现在让我们来听听白宫发言人肖恩·斯派塞对记者说的话。我想菲尔你很有可能会猜出我们要寻找的单词。
“我想他想让他们做的是去调查窃听行为、其他监视行为，还有我之前提到的其他威胁国家安全的泄密行为。”
当然，窃听故事。特朗普总统推特上说奥巴马监听他的电话。所以，听众们知道那是什么意思吗？
窃听（wiretapping）是一种偷听别人电话的行为。这有点像间谍活动。例如，有时候警察为了抓犯人窃听电话。或者政府也许会窃听个人电话寻找恐怖分子。
他们在电话里安装了一个小设备以使他们能听到人们在电话里讲的内容。窃听装置也可以直接和电话线相连，这也是这个词的来历。但在警匪剧里，我也听人物说被监听了。那是一个意思吗？
哦，我喜欢那些警匪剧！警匪剧都是雷同的。有时候，一个便衣警察，或者一个特工，会在身上装上监听设备。这可以让在其他地方的特工或者警察听到。他们可以听到对话内容。
这些信息也许会帮助他们破案，但是也可以保护他们的安全问题。比如，如果一个警察或者特工有危险，他的同事们会知道。他们可以请求支援。
是的。及时的监视（surveillance）能够确保警察安全。
安妮，监视是另一个适合解释的词。我不太确定我们的听众是否知道它的准确含义。实际上，我自己都不确定它的准确意思。
好吧，当然！这个词经常出现在新闻里。监视原本是一个法国词，意思是“监视或者监督”。在美语里，它主要用于警察和特工行动。你会经常听见它和单词“under”搭档，像这样：“警察正监视（under surveillance）一名嫌犯，”意思是他们正在监视那个人。
所以你也可以说你这周多少有点儿“监视”新闻报道，好找到要讲的单词，对吧？
耶，菲尔，你说得对！
对不起。那让你感觉很苦恼（bug）吗？
哦，苦恼。好吧，我知道了！你是想告诉听众电子监控的另一种形式吗？
所以，你可以通过窃听器窃听车里，市内，甚至整栋楼。“Bugs”是表示小型窃听设备的另一个单词。
所以这是绝密（top-secret）情报人员和警察也会用到的东西。我猜“bug”的那种用法源自这个事实：窃听器像一个小昆虫或者它们会让被监听的人很反感。
好吧，也许两者都有点。但我希望我们的粉丝今天收听我们的节目都很享受。
我很开心！如果你，我们的听众朋友，喜欢收听我和菲尔的谈话，让我们知道哦！如果你有想探讨的单词，也让我们知道哦！
我是安妮·鲍尔
我是菲尔·迪尔金。
