第358课
Larry和李华一起去看 棒球赛。今天我们要学两个常用语：a drop in the bucket和a flash in the pan.
LH: Larry, 世界杯结束了，咱们该看棒球了吧？我估计，棒球比赛肯定没有世界杯那么紧张。
L: I agree. Baseball games are much slower, and each game isn't very important.
LH: 对。每个队一年要打162场比赛，所以输个一两场的没什么问题。不像世界杯，输一场比赛就被淘汰！
L: You're exactly right. Each game is just a drop in the bucket.
LH: A drop in the bucket? 这是什么意思？
L; You can say that something is just a drop in the bucket if it is only a very small or insignificant part of something else.
LH: 哦，a drop in the bucket就好比一桶水里的一个水滴，指无关紧要。我们中文里把这个叫沧海一粟。
L: Right! Here is another example. Joe donated $20 to help people in Haiti after the earthquake, even though $20 was just a drop in the bucket.
LH: 海地 后，Joe给灾民捐了20美元，尽管这只是很小的一笔钱。
L: Exactly. So Lihua, you're going to support the Nationals, right? They've got a great new pitcher named Stephen Strasburg.
LH: 我听说这个新投手特别棒! 不过 Larry, the Nationals去年打得那么差，换个新投手真能管用么？
L: Yeah, he is probably just a drop in the bucket, but if the Nationals can get some more good players they might be better in a couple years.
LH: 这么说，我们买票的钱就可以被用来聘请优秀的棒球队员喽？
L: I guess that's true, but of course, the price we paid for our tickets is just a drop in the bucket.
LH: 可不是么。The Nationals要想签下身价几 美元的球星，可不能只靠咱俩这gate票钱。哎？为了在经济上支持他们，你给我买 有他们队标的T恤衫吧!
L: Well sure! But you have so many clothes, one more shirt is just going to be a drop in the bucket.
******
比赛结束了，Larry和Lihua从棒球场往外走。
LH: Larry, 这个新的投手可真棒!
L: Yeah, he played really well. If he keeps pitching like that, he is going to have an amazing career. I sure hope he's not just a flash in the pan.
LH: A flash in the pan? 什么意思？
L: A flash in the pan is something that starts out really well, but lasts for only a very short amount of time.
LH: 哦，就是昙花一现！你是说，你希望这个新投手不要在开始的时候表现很出色，但很快就默默无闻了。
L: Right. Here is another example. The new author's first book got a lot of praise from critics, but he turned out to be a flash in the pan because his other books were terrible.
LH: 我明白了。这位作家的第一本书一鸣惊人，可这只是昙花一现，因为他后来写的几本书都很差。
L: That's right.
LH: Larry， 你注意到了么？这片地方自从盖了新棒球场以来，漂亮多了！饭馆、商场什么的都多起来了！
L: Yeah, a lot of people thought it would be a flash in the pan, but there is still a lot of development even a few years later.
LH: 是啊，这个地区的发展可不是昙花一现，而是持续下来的。虽然现在经济不景气，但我还是希望他们能坚持下去。
L: Well, there were some signs that the economy was improving a few months ago. But unfortunately, it looks like they may have just been a flash in the pan.
LH: 是啊，当时那些经济指标似乎都挺鼓舞人心的，谁知没过多久情况又变坏了。
L: Well spending $5 on dinner will only be a drop in the bucket for the economy. But a hamburger does sound great.
LH: 好啊！咱们虽然不能改善全国的经济，但总可以先满足一下自己的胃吧！
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是a drop in the bucket，表示无关紧要，沧海一粟。另一是a flash in the pan，意思是昙花一现。
第532讲
今天要学的几个习惯用语都有一个相当简单而常用的词：up。 Up这个词有好多不同的用处。一种解释是：‘沿着什么运行’。例如在第一个习惯用语里：up one's alley。
Alley这个词最普通的解释是小巷、通道，但是在这个习惯用语里alley有特定意思。它来自棒球 ，特别指棒球场上好球区的中线。
这条存在于人们头脑里的中线从投手板直接穿过本垒的 。 Up one's alley特别指投手投出的球沿着这条中线而且还以适当的速度飞向击球员。可想而知，这样的球能让击球员得心应手地把球击打出去。 Up one's alley作为习惯用语当然是有比喻意义的。
我们听个例子来体会它的意思吧。说话的人听说当地一家报社需要一名商务版 ，于是给朋友Mary出主意，让她去申请这份工作。
例句-1 (
http://www. .com/chinese/soundwi/2011/wi532sa.m3u)：You studied journalism and took a lot of economics. Then you worked for an export firm and know something about business. It's a job that's right up your alley, Mary!
他说：Mary学了 专业，又修了许多经济学的课程，后来还在一家出口公司工作，懂一些商务。
可见Mary不仅具有商务版 的专业知识，又有实际工作经验，所以这份工作如果由她来作，正好可以发挥她的一技之长。
这样看来up one's alley这个习惯用语是用来描述“拿手”或者“得心应手”的。 Up one's alley也时常可以说成 down one's alley, 意思不变，例如： Mary的那位朋友也可以这样对Mary说，表示相同的意思：The job of a business reporter is right down your alley。
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今天要学的第二个习惯用语是： up to speed。 Speed是速度，而这里的up to是提高到某种程度的意思。这个习惯用语来自赛车，驾驶赛车的人必须在引擎加到全速的时候才能把车速加快到最高速度。当然up to speed这个习惯用语是作比喻用的，而且意思往往和速度无关。
我们听个例子来体会up to speed这个习惯用语的含义吧。这是个销售部主任在跟手下的推销员介绍本公司正在研制生产的一种新产品。
例句-2 (
http://www. .com/chinese/soundwi/2011/wi532sb.m3u)： I want to bring you up to speed on a television set we'll have ready for the market in three months. Please take notes so you'll remember all the new features it offers.
这位销售部主任在向推销员介绍即将于三个月后上市的一种电视机，他要求推销员边听边作笔记， 把这种电视机所具备的新型特点全记住。
可见他介绍的就是新产品的特点。这些是即将推销这种产品的人所必须掌握的信息。所以bring you up to speed on a television set意思是告诉你们有关某一个电视机的必要信息。
这里的 习惯说法bring somebody up to speed on something，意思就是“给予某人关于某事的最新信息。” Up to speed这个习惯用语前面常常用bring这个动词。
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今天要学的第三个习惯用语是： up for grabs。 Grabs可以解释为“很快抓一把。” 这个习惯用语如果按照字面意思，就是什么东西正在近边，只要伸出胳膊，就能很快地抓到手。
当然大家都知道习惯用语up for grabs，是取其比喻意义的。我们听个例子来领会它的意思吧。说话的人正在给一个朋友通报信息，告诉朋友他的办公室里有个求职的好机会。
例句-3 (
http://www. .com/chinese/soundwi/2011/wi532sc.m3u)：One of our accountants is retiring and his job is up for grabs. You're certainly qualified; if you call and ask for an interview, I think you've got a darn good chance to get it.
他说：我们的一位会计师即将退休，他的职位成了可争取的空缺；你当然合格，如果你打电话去要求面谈，我想你得到这个职位的机会很大。
显然这里的up for grabs表示“ 了个机会、”或“是可能得到的。” Up for grabs，这个说法常常含有“有待努力争取”的意思。换句话说，是供好多人争夺，而优胜者可以得到的。例如在这句话里：The prize is up for grabs for anyone under 16。这句话说：凡是十六岁以下的人都可以参赛争取这个奖品。
