下面我们要给大家介绍的一个习惯用语也很有趣，有时也很有用：to clam up。Clam在中文里就是蛤蜊，当蛤蜊外面的壳关起来的时候，你要想把它打开是不容易的。因此，clam up的意思就是嘴巴闭得紧紧的。当然，在不同场合，它的意思也就有所不同。下面这个例子是一个人听他朋友讲话听得太腻味了，于是他对他的朋友说：

　　例句-3: Hey, clam up, will you! I"ve heard enough already about how hard you work in the office!
　　这个人说：“咳，你别说了，行不行！我已经听够了你在办公室工作多卖力的话了。”
　　下面这个例子的情况可完全不同了。这是要这个人说话，可是他偏不说：
　　例句-4: The cops found a man they know was a witness to the murder. But he has clammed up and won"t talk--he"s afraid the killer"s mob will come after him if he testifies in court.
　　这句话的意思是：“丨警丨察找到了一个人，他们知道他是一起谋杀案的目击者。可是，他嘴巴很紧，什么也不肯说，他怕要是他出庭作证，那个谋杀集团不会放过他。”

日期：2007-8-28　9:45:52

　　流行美语 第65课
　　今天Michael和李华在打台球。从Michael的谈话中，李华学到两个常用语： to fork something over和to get over something.
　　L: (sound of pool balls clicking) 嗨，别进去，别进去呀！ 啊呀，我怎么又输了这关键的球呢！这下好了...
　　M: That"s too bad, Li Hua. Looks like you owe me five dollars. Come on, fork it over!
　　L: 对，我们赌了五块钱，输了就给你，有什么了不起。可什么是fork it over?

　　M: To fork something over means to pay or give something, usually money. You lost a 5 dollar bet, so you need to fork over five dollars!
　　L: 噢，to fork it over原来就是付钱，或者给什么东西。Michael，你再举个例子，好不好？
　　M: Before I left China, I bought a lot of souvenirs. At the train station, a worker told me that my bags were too heavy, and I was made to pay a fine. I had to fork over 80 yuan， 八十块！
　　L: 行李太重就被罚了八十块人民币！可能是坑你是外国人吧！嗨，你本来就不该买那么多礼品。而且你买的都不是什么好东西，瞧那条石头雕的龙，真难看！
　　M: Hey, I forked over 350 yuan for that statue! Don"t make fun of it!

　　L: You forked over 350 yuan for that thing? 出350块买那条龙呀？老天爷，Michael, 那玩意儿恐怕还不值50块人民币呢。
　　M: Well, anyway, you need to fork over my 5 dollars now, please.
　　L: 你那么着急要我给你五块钱干嘛？
　　M: Go over to the bar and get us some beers. My treat!
　　L: 要我拿那五块钱去买啤酒，还算你请客！Macheal, 你真好意思呐！
　　******

　　L: 我刚才怎么会又输给你呢，真是难以相信。真倒霉！
　　M: Please, Li Hua, its a game of pool. Get over it!
　　L: Get what? 你说什么？Get-over-it?
　　M: I said "get over it". To get over something means to stop feeling bad about something, to forget about something bad.
　　L: To get over it就是不要为了某件事老感到难受，要把它忘掉。你的意思是要我忘掉我输给你五块钱？

　　M: Well, you don"t need to completely forget about losing -- but just don"t let the fact that you lost bother you. Get over it!
　　L: 对，完全忘掉恐怕是不行，但是别老放在心里。 Michael, 我是跟你开玩笑的啦。不过，to get over it这个说法好像很有用，再给我举个例子吧。
　　M: My aunt"s husband was killed in the Vietnam war. She never completely got over his death. She sometimes talks about him as if he were still alive.
　　L: 你姨夫在越南战争里被打死已经那么久了，你阿姨到现在有时还以为他还活着。我听了都感到难受，你别举这么伤心的例子好吗？
　　M: Ok, let me see -- when I was eight, I had a puppy. I really loved that dog! But the dog got sick, and never got over the illness.

　　L: 哟，你八岁时候养的小狗后来病死啦！Michael! 我最心痛这种小动物了，我都快要哭了。
　　M: Li Hua, please! Don"t cry . That was years ago! Besides, it wasn"t even your dog.
　　L: 说的也是，那么多年前的事了，而且也不是我的狗。可能我喝酒喝太多了。
　　M: Hey, you"d better finish that! I forked over five dollars for these beers!
　　今天李华学到两个常用语，一个是：to fork it over, 意思是给什么东西，或付钱。另一个是：to get over it, 意思是忘掉不愉快的事情。


日期：2007-8-29　9:57:02

　　「美国习惯用语」第六十六讲
　　baloney
　　kickback
　　有些人很善于说谎，或者是在形容某些事物的时候夸大其词。下面我们给大家介绍一个美国人在这方面常用的俗语：baloney。人们用baloney这个字来形容某些人说的话一钱不值。比如说，有一个叫琼斯的人向老板提出要求加工资。老板说了些好听的话就把他打发走了。回到家里，当琼斯太太问起这件事时，琼斯说：
　　例句-1: Honey, the old man told me what a great job I"m doing and how I am so valuable to the company. But he said the company isn"t making enough money right now to give anybody a raise, he thinks he may be able to do something about it a year from now. But I"m afraid all he gave me was a lot of baloney.

　　琼斯对他太太说：“亲爱的，那老头说我工作做得如何好，我对公司来说又是如何重要。但是，他说，当前公司没有足够的收入来给每个人加工资。他说明年他也许能想办法给我加工资。不过，他说的那些话恐怕多半都是空话。”
　　政客们在竞选的时候经常会遭到对方的攻击，他们也经常用baloney这个字来回击对方。例如，一个参加竞选的议员看到对方在电视和报纸上指责他和一些大企业的关系太密切。然后，他就在记者会上说：
　　例句-2: Baloney! That"s all it is when my opponent keeps saying that my voting record always favors big business over the average citizen. Let me say it again: that"s nothing but baloney!
　　这个议员说：“胡说！我的对立面说我在投票时老是从大企业的利益出发，而不考虑一般老百姓。让我再重复一遍：他们的这些话纯属一派胡言。”
　　******
　　可是，在现实生活中我们也确实看到有的政客老是维护有钱人的利益，有的还甚至接受贿赂。美国人把那些政府官员接受的贿赂称为：kickback。政府官员接受贿赂是违反美国联邦、州和其它地方法律的，可能会受到严厉的惩罚。请听一位电台记者广播的一则新闻：
　　例句-3: John Doe, the former head of the City Public Works Department, went on trial today in the district court. He is charged with taking a 50,000-dollar kickback from the Blank Construction Company after giving them a 3 million dollars contract to repair the city streets.

　　这句话的意思是：“以前市政工程部的头头多伊约翰今天在地区法院受审。他的罪名是接受布兰克建筑公司给他的五万美元贿赂，以换取他给该公司一项价值三百万美元修理街道的合同。”
　　下面是一个选民在讲他们地区的一位议员：
　　例句-4: We thought our congressman was a sure bet to be re-elected. But he"s in real trouble--his opponent charges him with getting kickbacks for voting a certain way and seems to have some evidence to prove it.
　　他说：“大家都以为我们的议员肯定会再次当选的，但是他现在可碰到麻烦事了，他的对手指责他在对某项提案进行投票方面接受贿赂，而且他们好像还有证据。”
　　今天我们讲了两个美国人常用的俗语，它们是：baloney和kickback。Baloney是指胡说八道，kickback是指官员接受贿赂。

日期：2007-8-29　9:57:50

　　PS: 泡美眉很好用的话！！
　　流行美语 第66课
　　今天Michael和李华在学校的书店里买书。李华会学到两个常用语：hot和to have a crush on someone。
　　M: Li Hua, do you see that girl over there?
　　L: 你是说那个穿红毛衣的女孩？她怎么啦？

　　M: She"s so hot! I"ve seen her around campus before and I would really love to meet her.
　　L: 你在校园里见过她，还想认识她。嗯，她是很漂亮。不过，你又没跟她说过话，你怎么知道她很热呢？
　　M: No, silly. To say someone is "hot" means that he or she is really attractive. That girl over there is definitely hot.
　　L: 噢，说一个人hot是说她很漂亮，很有吸引力，而不是感觉很热的意思。
　　M: That"s right, Li Hua. Now, you know who I think is hot. Tell me who do you think is hot?

　　L: 没错，我现在知道你喜欢谁了。至于我喜欢谁嘛，嗯...电影演员汤姆.克鲁斯 - Tom Cruise - 怎么样？I think he"s hot！
　　M: Tom Cruise? No, I mean someone you really have a chance of going out with.
　　L: 噢，要能够一起出去玩的人呐？
　　M: Yes, I mean you are not very likely to meet Tom Cruise. Besides, he"s a little old now.
　　L: 说得也是，要想认识Tom Cruise恐怕是不太可能的。他当然比以前老了，不过，我觉得他还是很有风度的--He"s very hot。

　　M: Now, come on, who do you think is hot?