(单词翻译:单击)
美语故事
作者：阎成席
Mr. Yan is so fond of cooking up stories,sprinkling them with American idioms
阎先生喜欢用美国习语点缀自己编写的小故事。
【Martin's Note】
This title catches my attention, sounding so cool. Here "cook up a story" actually means "weave a story", "make up a story" and "dream up a story". To tell you the truth, Andrew Yan is my dear buddy and of course I am very elated to read through his story. I, more often than not, tease him with jest, "Hi, bro, would you please coin another funny story for me?"
这个标题引起了我的兴趣，听起来非常不错。这里的"cook up a story"就是“精心编写小故事”，类似的短语还有："weave a story"、 "make up a story" 、"dreams up a story"和"coin a story"。说实话，阎先生是我的好兄弟，当然每次读完他写的小故事，我都喜出望外，高兴得不得了。我常常逗他：“喂，兄弟！请给我再编一则好玩的故事吧?”
[1] Andrew is actually a nobody who lives in a small city in Southern Henan, but is fortunate enough to run into Martin, who comes to Xinyang Agriculture College to teach Enlgish, and hits it off with Martin. From day one they get to know each other, Mr. Yan is just like a shadow of Martin, trying to stay together with him, if possible. He tries to have more time to get himself fully exposed to the English atmosphere, forcing himself to speak English all along.
[1] 阎先生是一个没有名气的小人物，现在豫南的一个小城上生活。但他很幸运结识了马丁，一位来信阳农学院教英语的美国人，他俩很投缘，一见如故。从认识马丁的第一天起，阎先生就像个跟屁虫似的，马丁走到哪儿，他就跟到哪儿，简直是形影不离。他就是想有更多的时间融入英语氛围，强迫自己多讲英语。
[2] Mr. Yan is so fond of cooking up stories, sprinkling them with American idioms. However, each time he dashes off a new story, he will rush over to beg Martin for a favor by having it polished up. Martin is really a kind-hearted guy and is readily willing to lend a hand to him by adding the finishing touch to Mr. Yan's stories.
[2]阎先生喜欢编写小故事，里面夹杂一些美国习语，起到点缀作用。不过，每次仓促写完一则故事，他就跑过去，求马丁帮忙对故事进行润色。马丁真是个热心人，也总乐于帮忙，对阎先生的故事进行最后润色。他的修改好给力，起到了画龙点睛的效果。
[3]As a matter of fact, Mr. Yan does have his ulterior motive in cooking up so many stories. He tries to butter up Lee Yeong, who is really Somebody with great influence in the publishing circle, to have his English stories published. Lee Yeong rejected to offer any help, but to Mr. Yan's great surprise, he said this way, "a loser can not bring up anything valuable."
[3] 实际上，阎先生编写这些故事是别有用意的。他想方设法巴结黎洋，一位在出版界很有分量的人物，希望他能帮自己出版这些英语故事。黎洋拒绝提供任何帮助，但令阎先生更为吃惊的是，他居然这样说：“屌丝能写出什么好玩意儿？”
指点迷津
1.cook up a story= weave a story=make up a story=dreams up a story=coin a story 编写故事=编故事
I think you can weave a story around this incident.
我想你可以围绕这一事件编一个故事。
I really think you'd do well to make up a story for the children.
我确实认为你还是为孩子们编一个故事的好。
2.run into= bump into= meet sb. by chance=偶然遇见=巧遇=不期而遇
He ran into Krettner in the corridor a few minutes later.
几分钟之后他在走廊里意外碰到了克雷特纳。
I happened to bump into Mervyn Johns in the hallway.
我在走廊里意外碰见了默文·约翰斯。
3.hit it off =get well along with=be on good terms with sb=合得来=一见如故=投缘
The pair swapped emails and photos for three months and hit it off so well that they arranged a date in London.
三个月来，他们通了信、交换了照片，相当合得来，于是约在伦敦见面。
4.day one=第一天
"It's been a battle from day one," Burrell said.
伯勒尔说：“从第一天起就是一场战斗。”
This has been a bad inquiry from day one.
调查工作从一开始就进行不力。
5.sprinkle= be added/mixed/mingled with something else=点缀=添加=掺杂
Unfortunately, the text is sprinkled with errors.
遗憾的是，文本有零星的错误。
Speaker sprinkled his speech with quotations.
演讲者用引证点缀演讲。
Fruits and vegetables in produce markets are sprinkled with water for a number of reasons.
6.butter up=polish the apple =过分恭维, 谄媚, 巴结, 讨好
