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A: 美语训练班上课啦！我是杨琳！
B: 我是 Kat！杨琳，今天咱们都教些什么呢？
A: 今天，咱们要设计一个不容易被人破解的密码，要聊聊管教孩子的问题，要去看冰球比赛，还要告诉大家怎么用美语说“酒后驾车”。
B: Sounds good!
A: 不过咱们还是先来learn a word！
Learn A Word #1386 up someone's alley
今天我们要学的词是 up someone's alley. Up is spelled u-p, up; and alley, a-l-l-e-y, alley; up someone's alley. Alley是小径的意思，而 up someone's alley 意思是正合某人胃口。今天是美国感恩节后的第一个星期一，店家在网上大打折扣，叫做网络星期一。If you hate walking endlessly on Black Friday, then Cyber Monday may be right up your alley. 如果你不想在黑色星期五那天去实地抢购，那么网络星期一可能正合你的胃口。If you love funny sitcoms, then the new show Modern Family might be right up your alley. 如果你爱看幽默的情景喜剧，那么摩登家庭可能正合你的胃口。 好的，今天我们学习的词是up someone's alley, up someone's alley, up someone's alley.
A: Christmas is just around the corner. 这就意味着，It'shopping season now!
B: I know shopping is right up your alley!
A: 没错，过节了，要给亲朋好友挑选适合每个人的礼物，要让大家喜欢，价格又得是自己承受得起的，其实选礼物也是一门学问啊！
B: Exactly! That's why some Americans start their Christmas shopping way ahead of time.
A: 对，早点开始采购年货，这样就有足够的时间挑选合适的礼物。
B: But there are always those who hit the mall at the last minute to do holiday shopping, right before the mall closes.
A: 啊？商场临关门前才冲进去开始挑选礼物？那得多赶啊！正好，在今天的美国习惯用语里，我们要教 burning question，是十万火急的意思，一起来听吧。
B: Let's listen!
Words and Idioms #949
各位听众，现在播送美国习惯用语第949讲。我是杨琳。
我是Douglas Johnson.
最近我们家决定买房子，但是看了三个月，一直没看到什么让我满意的。恰恰好现在租的房子租约就要满了，需要决定要不要继续租下去，情况可真够紧急的! 这也让我想到一个习惯用语，那就是：
Burning question. Burning is spelled b-u-r-n-i-n-g, and question, q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n. Burning question.
Burning 字面上的意思是正在燃烧的。那么burning question 都烧起来了的问题! 引伸下来就是“十万火急的问题”，通常也指人们热烈讨论的问题。比如我现在就面临着一个这样的问题。It's a burning question for me to decide weather or not to continue the current lease. 决定是否要续租目前的房子对我来说就是一个十万火急的问题。下面的例子里，种植柑橘的农民面临什么棘手问题? 我们来听听看:
"Last year freezing temperatures ruined Florida's citrus industry. Millions of dollars worth of produce were lost. Now weather forecasters are calling for severe cold. Industry analysts and farmers desperately want to know what they should do if another catastrophe occurs. That's the BURNING QUESTION."
[这段话是说：去年严冬低温重创佛罗里达的柑橘业，损失高达数百万美元。现在天气预报又预报可能出现严冬。业内分析人士和农民都迫切地想要知道，如果再次发生气候灾难，他们该怎么做。这是目前人们都在讨论的紧迫问题。]
是啊，农民们可真不容易! 他们得担心像天气这种自己根本无法控制的问题。最近美国龙卷风频繁，像灾后密苏里州乔普林市就遭受了一次这样的袭击，而如何重建也成为十万火急的问题。The reconstruction of the city of Joplin, Missouri has become a burning question. 乔普林市的重建现在是人们热烈讨论的重要话题。好，让我们再来听听刚才那段话。
"Last year freezing temperatures ruined Florida's citrus industry. Millions of dollars worth of produce were lost. Now weather forecasters are calling for severe cold. Industry analysts and farmers desperately want to know what they should do if another catastrophe occurs. That's the BURNING QUESTION."
在美国，高中结束时的prom毕业舞会，是毕业班学生一直盼望的。下面例子里，这名男孩对于毕业舞会有什么心急如焚的问题呢? 我们来听听看:
"Sharon's among the most popular girls in my senior class. So it's no surprise that I'm not the only guy who asked her to go to the prom. She said she'd let me know by the weekend. Will she be my date? It's a BURNING QUESTION. I'm dying for her to give me her answer. "
[这段话是说：莎伦是我们高中最受欢迎的女生之一。所以我知道，我肯定不是唯一一个邀请她去参加毕业舞会的人。她说她会在周末给我答复。她会当我的女伴吗? 这真让我心急如焚，我迫切地希望她把最后决定告诉我。]
在美国，毕业舞会对高中毕业生是非常重要的，能请到自己喜欢的女孩子去参加毕业舞会，才不会留下遗憾。难怪这个男孩子迫不及待地想知道Sharon是否会接受他的邀请。It's a burning question. 好的，我们再来听听刚才那段话:
"Sharon's among the most popular girls in my senior class. So it's no surprise that I'm not the only guy who asked her to go to the prom. She said she'd let me know by the weekend. Will she be my date? It's a BURNING QUESTION. I'm dying for her to give me her answer. "
B: 杨林，Have you noticed there are a lot more cops on the road during holiday season?
A: Yes! 一到节假日，街上的警察就比平时多很多。Can you tell me why?
B: Well, one of the most obvious reasons is that there tend to be more car accidents on holidays because people go to holiday parties and they get DRUNK!
A: 哦！对！过年过节大家聚会，免不了喝酒助兴，这时候，酒后驾车的特别多，路上更容易出事故，所以警察自然也比平时多喽！
B: Exactly. 酒后驾车 is very dangerous.
A: Of course! 在下面的“美语怎么说”里，咱们就来看看就“酒驾”怎么说。
