Vern: I really think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew. I like do-it- yourself projects, but installing a new window and a new door isn’t as easy as it looks.
Genevive: What we don’t know, we’ll learn as we go. Okay, we’ve removed the old window. This new double-paned one is going to be great and it’ll slide open and close easily, unlike the old one. We just need to put in a new frame first, and then we can move it into place.
Vern: You make it sound so easy. Is the screen going to fit? It looks too big.
Genevive: Oh sure, it’ll fit.
Vern: This latch doesn’t seem to be working.
Genevive: It’ll work once it’s installed. Come on, give me a hand. Hmm...the new window doesn’t seem to fit exactly. I’m not sure what the problem is. Let me think about it. Let’s move on to the door and come back to it later.
Vern: Are you sure?
Genevive: Sure, I’m sure. Installing the new door will be easier and we can get it out of the way.
Vern: Maybe we should wait until the window is installed. If we can’t finish installing the window and the door before nightfall, it’ll be a very cold night in the house.
Genevive: Don’t worry. Let’s see, first we have to remove the old door without damaging the jamb. The hinges are rusted; it seems to be stuck. Oh, I think it’s finally coming off.
Vern: See? Replacing the door isn’t going to be as easy as you thought, is it?
Genevive: I got it off in the end, didn’t I?
Vern: Yes, but will you be able to put in the new one before I die of frostbite?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
bite off 咬掉
learn as we go 走到哪學到哪
double-paned 雙窗格
pane（一片）窗玻璃
latch 門閂；插銷
nightfall 黃昏；傍晚
jamb /dʒæm/ 門窗邊框
hinge 樞紐,關鍵,中心
rusted (生)鏽的
frostbite 凍傷；凍瘡
2011年2月27日 星期日
ESL Podcast 641 – Sharing With Others
Benny: Mom says we’re supposed to share.
Julia: I know. I’m divvying up the candy right now. Just hold your horses.
Benny: I want to do it. I want to make sure I get my fair share.
Julia: I called dibs on dividing up the candy, remember? You snooze you lose.
Benny: That’s not fair! I wasn’t here when Mom came home.
Julia: Bummer for you. Okay, I’m done. Here’s your share and here’s mine.
Benny: Hey, the two piles aren’t equal. You definitely got the lion’s share. You do that to me every time. That’s not fair!
Julia: What are you going to do about it?
Benny: I’m going to tell!
Julia: You’re such a baby. Okay, if you don’t run to Mom, I’ll let you call shotgun the next time we go anywhere in the car.
Benny: You will? You promise?
Julia: I cross my heart and hope to die. Okay?
Benny: All right, but I still want my fair share of the candy.
Julia: Okay, I’ve evened out the piles. Satisfied?
Benny: Yeah. And can I do the divvying up next time?
Julia: Don’t push your luck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
divvy something↔up 分，分攤，分享（尤指金錢）
hold your horses 且慢
dibs on… 是我的；我要求…
Bummer 失望（或不愉快）的局面
pile 堆；成堆的東西
lion's share 最大份額,最佳份額
shotgun 獵槍；火槍 ;(這邊意思為副駕駛座)
cross my heart and hope to die 我發誓（否則不得好死）
evened out 扯平
push your luck （由於過去的成功過關）再冒一次險，繼續碰運氣
Julia: I know. I’m divvying up the candy right now. Just hold your horses.
Benny: I want to do it. I want to make sure I get my fair share.
Julia: I called dibs on dividing up the candy, remember? You snooze you lose.
Benny: That’s not fair! I wasn’t here when Mom came home.
Julia: Bummer for you. Okay, I’m done. Here’s your share and here’s mine.
Benny: Hey, the two piles aren’t equal. You definitely got the lion’s share. You do that to me every time. That’s not fair!
Julia: What are you going to do about it?
Benny: I’m going to tell!
Julia: You’re such a baby. Okay, if you don’t run to Mom, I’ll let you call shotgun the next time we go anywhere in the car.
Benny: You will? You promise?
Julia: I cross my heart and hope to die. Okay?
Benny: All right, but I still want my fair share of the candy.
Julia: Okay, I’ve evened out the piles. Satisfied?
Benny: Yeah. And can I do the divvying up next time?
Julia: Don’t push your luck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
divvy something↔up 分，分攤，分享（尤指金錢）
hold your horses 且慢
dibs on… 是我的；我要求…
Bummer 失望（或不愉快）的局面
pile 堆；成堆的東西
lion's share 最大份額,最佳份額
shotgun 獵槍；火槍 ;(這邊意思為副駕駛座)
cross my heart and hope to die 我發誓（否則不得好死）
evened out 扯平
push your luck （由於過去的成功過關）再冒一次險，繼續碰運氣
ESL Podcast 640 – Being Genuine and False
Javier: I saw Terry cozying up to you this morning. What was that about?
Floriane: He was just offering me some advice on my first proposal.
Javier: Sure, he was. What were his true intentions?
Floriane: I think he was being upfront about wanting to help a new employee. I don’t think he had an ulterior motive.
Javier: I wouldn’t take Terry at face value. He has a reputation around the office of being two- faced. He’ll try to get to know you under false pretenses and then stab you in the back.
Floriane: I don’t get that feeling from Terry. He seemed genuine and open. By the way, was there something you needed?
Javier: Me? No. I was just trying to watch out for you.
Floriane: In that case, I’d better get back to work, and I’ll keep your warning in mind. I’ll beware of anyone giving me advice who may have an ulterior motive.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
cozying up to 博取歡心
true intentions 真實意圖
upfront 坦率的；誠實的；直爽的
ulterior /ʌl'tɪrɪɚ/ 隱秘的；不可告人的；秘密的；矢口否認的
motive 動機；原因；目的
face value 相信表面;（郵票、錢幣、票等的）票面價值，面值
two- faced 兩面派的；言行不一的
pretense [prɪˈtɛns] 藉口,託詞 ; 假裝;矯飾;虛偽;做作
false pretenses 假託詐取
watch out for you 留意你
beware of 小心...;謹防...
Floriane: He was just offering me some advice on my first proposal.
Javier: Sure, he was. What were his true intentions?
Floriane: I think he was being upfront about wanting to help a new employee. I don’t think he had an ulterior motive.
Javier: I wouldn’t take Terry at face value. He has a reputation around the office of being two- faced. He’ll try to get to know you under false pretenses and then stab you in the back.
Floriane: I don’t get that feeling from Terry. He seemed genuine and open. By the way, was there something you needed?
Javier: Me? No. I was just trying to watch out for you.
Floriane: In that case, I’d better get back to work, and I’ll keep your warning in mind. I’ll beware of anyone giving me advice who may have an ulterior motive.
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
cozying up to 博取歡心
true intentions 真實意圖
upfront 坦率的；誠實的；直爽的
ulterior /ʌl'tɪrɪɚ/ 隱秘的；不可告人的；秘密的；矢口否認的
motive 動機；原因；目的
face value 相信表面;（郵票、錢幣、票等的）票面價值，面值
two- faced 兩面派的；言行不一的
pretense [prɪˈtɛns] 藉口,託詞 ; 假裝;矯飾;虛偽;做作
false pretenses 假託詐取
stab somebody in the back 在某人背後捅刀子；陷害（或中傷）信任你的人
genuine 真誠的；誠實的；可信賴的watch out for you 留意你
beware of 小心...;謹防...
2011年2月10日 星期四
ESL Podcast 639 – Ordering Soups and Salads
After a long tiring day at work, I stopped at a restaurant nearby for a quick meal.
Server: Hi, I’m Ursula. Can I get you something to drink?
Paulo: Yes, I’d like an iced tea and I’m also ready to order. I’ll just have a bowl of soup and a salad.
Server: Sure, no problem. What kind of soup would you like? We have chicken noodle, minestrone, and cream of mushroom.
Paulo: Do you have something that’s hearty?
Server: If you want something hearty, I would suggest our clam chowder or beef stew.
Paulo: I’ll take a bowl of beef stew.
Server: Great! What kind of salad would you like: a chef salad, Caesar salad, or Cobb salad?
Paulo: I’ll just have a garden salad.
Server: Okay, what kind of dressing would you like?
Paulo: What kind do you have?
Server: We have French, Italian, ranch, Thousand Island, and vinaigrette.
Paulo: Do you have blue cheese?
Server: Oh yes, I forgot to mention blue cheese. Okay, that’s a bowl of beef stew and a garden salad with blue cheese dressing. Will that be all?
Paulo: Yes, that’s all.
...
By the time I had finished placing my order, I was even more tired. Do you sometimes feel that life gives you too many choices?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
minestrone（含蔬菜和意大利麵的）意大利濃菜湯
hearty 飯菜或胃口 large; making you feel full 大的；豐盛的
clam 蛤；蛤蜊；蚌
chowder /'tʃaudɚ/ 雜燴羹湯（用魚加蔬菜烹製）
stew /stu/ 燉的菜，煨的菜（有肉和蔬菜）
ranch 牧場，大農場（尤指北美或澳大利亞的）
vinaigrette 色拉調味汁（用油、醋和各種香草等混合而成）
blue cheese 藍紋奶酪（有霉菌引起的斑紋
Server: Hi, I’m Ursula. Can I get you something to drink?
Paulo: Yes, I’d like an iced tea and I’m also ready to order. I’ll just have a bowl of soup and a salad.
Server: Sure, no problem. What kind of soup would you like? We have chicken noodle, minestrone, and cream of mushroom.
Paulo: Do you have something that’s hearty?
Server: If you want something hearty, I would suggest our clam chowder or beef stew.
Paulo: I’ll take a bowl of beef stew.
Server: Great! What kind of salad would you like: a chef salad, Caesar salad, or Cobb salad?
Paulo: I’ll just have a garden salad.
Server: Okay, what kind of dressing would you like?
Paulo: What kind do you have?
Server: We have French, Italian, ranch, Thousand Island, and vinaigrette.
Paulo: Do you have blue cheese?
Server: Oh yes, I forgot to mention blue cheese. Okay, that’s a bowl of beef stew and a garden salad with blue cheese dressing. Will that be all?
Paulo: Yes, that’s all.
...
By the time I had finished placing my order, I was even more tired. Do you sometimes feel that life gives you too many choices?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
minestrone（含蔬菜和意大利麵的）意大利濃菜湯
hearty 飯菜或胃口 large; making you feel full 大的；豐盛的
clam 蛤；蛤蜊；蚌
chowder /'tʃaudɚ/ 雜燴羹湯（用魚加蔬菜烹製）
stew /stu/ 燉的菜，煨的菜（有肉和蔬菜）
ranch 牧場，大農場（尤指北美或澳大利亞的）
vinaigrette 色拉調味汁（用油、醋和各種香草等混合而成）
blue cheese 藍紋奶酪（有霉菌引起的斑紋
2010年12月28日 星期二
ESL Podcast 638 – Fire and Firefighters
Rebecca: Look, there’s smoke coming from six stories up.
Hugh: Yes, I know. Didn’t you hear the fire alarm go off upstairs a few minutes ago?
Rebecca: No, but I’m really glad there’s a fire station only a few blocks away. Hey look, there’s the fire engine. Here come the firefighters!
Hugh: Yeah, let’s get back to work. I’m sure they’ll have the blaze under control pretty quickly.
Rebecca: How can you work with all of this excitement? Maybe I should get the fire extinguisher from the hallway and go upstairs to help.
Hugh: I think that’s a really bad idea. You can see for yourself that the firefighters are getting ready to fight the fire. They’re getting the ladder out and attaching the fire hose to the hydrant. Anyway, it’s probably just a false alarm.
Rebecca: If the smoke detector went off then I’m sure there’s a fire. We’ll know if we start to see something burning near a window or ashes coming down.
Hugh: I’ve never seen you like this before. Why are you so excited?
Rebecca: I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up. I’ve always had a fascination with fire.
Hugh: Ah, that explains it. Would it make you feel better if I lit up a cigarette?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
storey 樓層
go off （警報器等）突然發出巨響
blaze 烈火；火災
excitement 激動；興奮；刺激
fire extinguisher 滅火器
hallway（大樓內的）走廊
ladder 梯子
hydrant /'haɪdrənt/ 消防栓
false alarm 假警報；虛驚
ash 灰；灰燼
fascination /ˈfæsə'neʃən/ 魅力；極大的吸引力
had a fascination with 對...有一種迷戀
lit up 亮了起來
Hugh: Yes, I know. Didn’t you hear the fire alarm go off upstairs a few minutes ago?
Rebecca: No, but I’m really glad there’s a fire station only a few blocks away. Hey look, there’s the fire engine. Here come the firefighters!
Hugh: Yeah, let’s get back to work. I’m sure they’ll have the blaze under control pretty quickly.
Rebecca: How can you work with all of this excitement? Maybe I should get the fire extinguisher from the hallway and go upstairs to help.
Hugh: I think that’s a really bad idea. You can see for yourself that the firefighters are getting ready to fight the fire. They’re getting the ladder out and attaching the fire hose to the hydrant. Anyway, it’s probably just a false alarm.
Rebecca: If the smoke detector went off then I’m sure there’s a fire. We’ll know if we start to see something burning near a window or ashes coming down.
Hugh: I’ve never seen you like this before. Why are you so excited?
Rebecca: I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up. I’ve always had a fascination with fire.
Hugh: Ah, that explains it. Would it make you feel better if I lit up a cigarette?
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
==============================================================
storey 樓層
go off （警報器等）突然發出巨響
blaze 烈火；火災
excitement 激動；興奮；刺激
fire extinguisher 滅火器
hallway（大樓內的）走廊
ladder 梯子
hydrant /'haɪdrənt/ 消防栓
false alarm 假警報；虛驚
ash 灰；灰燼
fascination /ˈfæsə'neʃən/ 魅力；極大的吸引力
had a fascination with 對...有一種迷戀
lit up 亮了起來
2010年12月21日 星期二
ESL Podcast 637 – Planting Flowers and Trees
Zuly: Hurry up! Mom will be home any minute and we’re not done planting.
Eric: Whose idea was it anyway to plant a garden for Mom for her birthday? We’ve been working under this hot sun all day and the smell of the fertilizer is really getting to me.
Zuly: It was our idea, remember? We both wanted to give Mom something special this year. Look, we’re almost done. We’ve already picked the weeds, prepared the soil, and dug the holes for the new seeds and flowers. I’m taking the flowers out of their pots now and I’ll have them in the ground in a minute. After that, all we have left to do is to plant the new tree. Keep digging!
Eric: Are you sure the hole needs to be this deep?
Zuly: Yes, the book says that the roots need to have room to grow. That’s the perfect place for it, too. It’ll get a lot of direct sunlight.
Eric: Great, but my arms are so tired, they’re about to fall off.
Zuly: Move over. I’ll dig for a while. Why don’t you water the new flowers?
Eric: Sure, right after I take a little break. In the meantime, I’ll supervise. Come on. Keep digging. You’re almost there...
Zuly: I think you’d better keep your mouth shut, or I’ll think of some new uses for that fertilizer!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
planting 種植；栽種；栽種物
getting to me 讓某人心煩
weed 雜草，野草（尤指莊稼或花園中的）
soil 土壤
dig => dug
pot 陶盆；陶罐；碗
supervise 監督；管理；指導；主管
Eric: Whose idea was it anyway to plant a garden for Mom for her birthday? We’ve been working under this hot sun all day and the smell of the fertilizer is really getting to me.
Zuly: It was our idea, remember? We both wanted to give Mom something special this year. Look, we’re almost done. We’ve already picked the weeds, prepared the soil, and dug the holes for the new seeds and flowers. I’m taking the flowers out of their pots now and I’ll have them in the ground in a minute. After that, all we have left to do is to plant the new tree. Keep digging!
Eric: Are you sure the hole needs to be this deep?
Zuly: Yes, the book says that the roots need to have room to grow. That’s the perfect place for it, too. It’ll get a lot of direct sunlight.
Eric: Great, but my arms are so tired, they’re about to fall off.
Zuly: Move over. I’ll dig for a while. Why don’t you water the new flowers?
Eric: Sure, right after I take a little break. In the meantime, I’ll supervise. Come on. Keep digging. You’re almost there...
Zuly: I think you’d better keep your mouth shut, or I’ll think of some new uses for that fertilizer!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=============================================================
planting 種植；栽種；栽種物
getting to me 讓某人心煩
weed 雜草，野草（尤指莊稼或花園中的）
soil 土壤
dig => dug
pot 陶盆；陶罐；碗
supervise 監督；管理；指導；主管
2010年12月20日 星期一
ESL Podcast 636 – Being Lazy and Energetic
Carmen: Wake up! You’re supposed to be working.
Elias: Shhh, I’m trying to sleep. The boss is out of the office today, so I consider it a holiday. Today, I can be a little out of it if I want to be.
Carmen: Out of it? You’re sleeping on the job – literally!
Elias: So what? Aren’t you feeling a little tired on a Monday morning?
Carmen: I admit I’m a little sluggish, but that’s no reason to fall down on the job. We both have work to get done and I’m doing it.
Elias: What’s wrong with you? Why are you so hyper? I’m as hard working as the next guy, but I’m not going to jump through hoops when the boss is away.
Carmen: You, hard working? Don’t make me laugh! You’d better get back to work or when the boss gets back, he’ll call you a slacker again.
Elias: Okay, I’m learning by your example. I’m now as energetic and productive as you are.
Carmen: Yeah? Doing what?
Elias: Telling my co-worker she’s a pain in the neck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
Elias: Shhh, I’m trying to sleep. The boss is out of the office today, so I consider it a holiday. Today, I can be a little out of it if I want to be.
Carmen: Out of it? You’re sleeping on the job – literally!
Elias: So what? Aren’t you feeling a little tired on a Monday morning?
Carmen: I admit I’m a little sluggish, but that’s no reason to fall down on the job. We both have work to get done and I’m doing it.
Elias: What’s wrong with you? Why are you so hyper? I’m as hard working as the next guy, but I’m not going to jump through hoops when the boss is away.
Carmen: You, hard working? Don’t make me laugh! You’d better get back to work or when the boss gets back, he’ll call you a slacker again.
Elias: Okay, I’m learning by your example. I’m now as energetic and productive as you are.
Carmen: Yeah? Doing what?
Elias: Telling my co-worker she’s a pain in the neck!
Script by Dr. Lucy Tse
=========================================================================
out of it （因酒或藥物作用而對周圍事情）茫然不覺，昏昏然
literally（強調事實可能令人驚訝）真正地，確實地
sluggish 緩慢的；遲緩的；懶洋洋的
fall down on the job 沒把工作做好
hyper 既興奮又緊張的；精力過旺的
to jump through hoops（為達到目的而）經受磨難
Don’t make me laugh（認為不可能或愚蠢）別讓我笑掉大牙了，別開玩笑了
slacker 偷懶的人；怠惰的人
energetic 精力充沛的；充滿活力的；需要能量的；積極的
productive 生產的；（尤指）多產的
a pain in the neck 極討厭的人（或事物）
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