《走遍美国》Family Album U.S.A 第02集

走遍美国是我认为最优秀的口语教材之一，由美国新闻总署赞助，美国麦克米伦公司制作。在数十位英语专家和作者通力合作之下，费了8年（1983-1991）的时间，才制作完成这部划时代的巨作。虽然教材有点久远，但是对于练习口语还是非常的有帮助，大家可以通过以下步骤进行学习。

1. 先看视频，了解大致情节。

2. 再听音频，盲听音频3-5遍，大致听懂。

3. 通过文本，学通全部内容。

4. 再听音频，模仿跟读练习语音和口语。

5. 盲听音频，最后盲听音频尽可能多遍，听出画面感。

ACT 2-1 “ 能告诉我怎么去弗代尔镇林肯大街吗？”

【故事梗概】

Alexandra想把Richard 忘下的包还给他。包上挂着Richard的住址牌，Alexandra向一位警察询问该怎样去那里。警察叮嘱Alexandra要坐1路地铁，可是她却仍然坐错了车。

Alexandra: Excuse me, officer. Can you help me?

Policeman: Sure.

Alexandra: Can you tell me how to get to Linden Street, in Riverdale?

Policeman: "Richard Stewart, 46 Linden Street, Riverdale, New York." You should take the number one subway.

Alexandra: Is there a station near here? Policeman: Yes. The station's that way. You should take the number one train to Van Cortlandt Park.

Alexandra: Number one train to Van Cortlandt Park. Thank you.

Policeman: Anytime. Good luck. Remember, the number one train. The uptown platform.

Alexandra: Thank you. 

Policeman: You're welcome.

Riverdale美 [ˈrɪvərˌdeɪl]  n.里弗代尔

【语言点精讲】

1. Excuse me, officer. Can you help me?当我们向别人寻求帮助时，可以说Excuse me. Can you help me?（劳驾，可以帮个忙吗？）本文中的officer，是指police officer，即警官。

2. Can you tell me how to get to Linden Street, in Riverdale?"Can you tell me how to get to ...? "可以用来向别人问路，意思是“您能告诉我怎么才能到达某某地点吗？”

3. 46 Linden Street, Riverdale, New York.这是一般地址的说法。地点由小到大排列。

4. Anytime．在你为别人做了某事后别人向你道谢时回答Anytime，相当于You are welcome anytime.

5. Good luck. 祝你好运。一般用于与人分手时，回答也用Good luck.

6. uptown platform北线月台。在纽约，地铁线有uptown 北线（向北驶）和downtown 南线（向南驶）之分，在每个地铁站口都有标志。 

ACT 2-2 “ 你穿上它好极了。”

【故事梗概】

在一家时装店里，Richard Stewart的妻子Marilyn Stewart正在接待一位女性顾客。请听她们的对话：

Customer: Is this pink too bright for me?

Marilyn: Mmm-hmm. It is a very bright pink. Try this. It's size eight.

Customer: But I wear size ten.Marilyn: How about green? It's size ten.

Customer: Let me try it on. I'm taking too much of your time.

Marilyn: It's six o'clock. Where's my husband? I was expecting him here at five forty-five.

Customer: Don't worry. The traffic is very heavy at this hour.

Marilyn: I know. But we're going to be late for dinner.

Customer: I'll take this green sweater. I like the color on me, don't you?

Marilyn: I think it looks terrific on you.

terrific [təˈrɪfɪk]  adj.极好的;了不起的;绝妙的;很大的;巨大的;异乎寻常的

terr 怕 + i 连字符 + fic 形容词后缀 → 极好的；令人恐怖的

图片来源：钱博士英语

词源：terrific来自于古拉丁文的单词，terrere，表示frighten(惊恐，惊吓)；再往后，这个拉丁文词汇继续演变成了terrificus；而在17世纪的时候，演变成了英文单词terrific。

不难看出，terror（恐惧）这个单词也是源自于这个词，但是在现代，terrific已经被慢慢的演化为“极好的，棒极了”，只有在一些较为正式的书面语言中，terrific仍然还保有“可怕，令人畏惧”的意思。

所以小伙伴们，在日常生活中，我们大可用terrific来描述“感觉棒极了”，但是到了写作上，咱们还是回归字典中的原有意思，恢复其贬义词的含义吧。

另外，还有个小延伸，awesome的书面意思也是“令人害怕、畏惧的”。但是现在的小伙伴们也用它来描述“好极了、棒极了”，和terrific有着一样的演化。

同源词：terrible，terror，terrify，terrorism等。

I feel absolutely terrific today!

我今天的感觉真是好极了！

【语言点精讲】

1. Let me try it on.Let me... 让我...，允许我...。注意在说这两个字时，这位顾客使用的是口语音：Lemme...这里let的t因为连读而失去了爆破。try (it) on 试穿。

2. I was expecting him here at five forty-five.我本来指望他可以5点45分到这里的。Expect是“期望，盼望某事发生”的意思。当我们盼望一个朋友来，等一个电话，等一封信时都可以使用expect.

3. The traffic is very heavy at this hour.这个时间交通很拥挤。heavy在这里形容交通繁忙，拥堵。

4. I think it looks terrific on you.我觉得你穿上它好极了。美国人在赞美别人的时候，喜欢用一些比较夸张的形容词。像在本情境中，女性顾客试穿了一件绿色的毛衣，她对Marilyn说"I like the color on me, don't you?"（我觉得我穿这颜色不错，你说呢？）Myrilyn用了这个"terrific"，来赞美她穿这件衣服看起来“好极了，棒极了，简直没治了”。 

ACT 2-3 “ 我实在太感谢你为我所做的这一切了。”

【故事梗概】

Richard赶到了Marilyn工作的时装店。他告诉妻子自己的包忘在了渡轮上。Marilyn在查号台查询了渡轮失物招领处的电话号码并给失物招领处打了电话。她被告知没有人拾到Richard丢失的包。

Richard: I'm sorry I'm so late. I had a really bad day.

Marilyn: It's ten after six. We're late. Robbie's cooking tonight, and dinner's at six thirty.

Richard: I know. I know. I'm really sorry. I left my bag of film on the ferry. I went back for it, but the ferry was gone. I lost a whole day's work.

Marilyn: I'll call the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office.

Richard: I didn't think of that. Thanks.

Marilyn: Hello. Yes. The number, please, of the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office. Five five five... zero eight zero eight. Thank you.

Richard: I really appreciate it, Marilyn.

Marilyn: Hello. Did anyone find a camera bag this afternoon, a small canvas bag, on the J. F. Kennedy Ferry? No? Maybe someone will find it. The name is Stewart, Richard Stewart. And the telephone number is five five five... three oh nine oh. Thank you. Sorry, Richard. They don't have it.

Richard: Thanks, anyway. There was a girl on the ferry. Now maybe...

Marilyn: Tell me about it on the way home.

lost-and-found [ˌlɔːst ən ˈfaʊnd]  n.失物招领处

At school he telephoned the lost-and-found  office  of  the  station  to ask about the bag. 

他从学校打电话给车站的失物招领处查询袋子的事情。

【语言点精讲】

1. I had a really bad day. 我今天真是糟透了。我今天可不顺了。

2. I'll call the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office.我来给斯塔滕岛渡船失物招领处打个电话。lost-and-found office是指失物招领处。美国的许多公共场所或公园都设有失物招领处，失主可直接与之联系。

3. I didn't think of that.Thanks.美国人即使是在亲人之间，也是谢谢不离口。当Marilyn想到要给失物招领处打电话这个主意后，Richard立即表达了感激之情 -- "I didn't think of that.Thanks."（我就没想到这个,谢谢。） 这里的think of 相当于“记起，想到”。随后，Marilyn给查号台打电话查询斯塔滕岛渡船失物招领处的电话。面对妻子的帮助，Richard又一次致谢--"I really appreciate it, Marilyn."（我实在太感谢你为我所做的这一切了，Marilyn。）

4. The number, please, of the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office.The number, please, of the...请告诉我...的电话号码。用此来向查号台询问电话号码。

5. small canvas bag小的粗帆布包。这里用了两个形容词来修饰bag一词：small指尺寸；canvas（粗帆布）指材料。一般形容词的排列顺序是表示尺寸的放在前，表示材料的放在后。

6. Thanks, anyway. 无论如何，我还是要谢谢你。当有人尽力想帮你但没帮上忙时可用此短语道谢。

来源：Family Album U.S.A

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