英语习语趣谈【41】最后一句话 The last word & Make someone tick

本栏目由李福兵原创编写,Eyre绘图。

作为领导,他们讲话总是在别人讲完之后进行。一来可以借鉴别人的意见,二来也是一种总结。所以在英文中the last word就变为了一个片语,意思是“最后一句话,决定性的话,决定性的因素,决定性的定论等”。

 Your interest is very important on choosing careers, but not the last word. Most of the time, you must consider your abilities and skills. 
 (译文:在选择职业时,兴趣很重要,但不是决定性的因素。许多时候,你必须考虑你的能力和技能。)

这个片语现在使用非常广泛,有时也写作the final word. The idiom refers to some power or ingredients which is to decide whether or how to do something, sometimes which is crucial. For another example:

    I don’t appreciate people who always have to have the last word on everything.
   (译文:我不欣赏总是在每件事上都必须下定论的人。)

当然作为领导他们还必须善于激励员工努力工作(make someone tick),为企业创造更大的价值。对了,这里片语make someone tick的意思就是“激励某人去做某事”。如:

When you consider possible careers, you should see what makes you tick to choose it. I mean thinking about your motivation is important too.
(译文:当你在选择可能的职业时,你应该明白是什么激励你选择它。我的意思是思考一下你的动机也是很重要的。)

Tick意思是“划勾号”,从字面意义上来看,make someone tick的意思是“对某人做的事情划勾号”,这就包含有“肯定其工作、从而起到激励作用”的意思。The idiom, to make someone tick, means to prove what a person have done is correct, therefore to encourage him or her to continue. For example:

Her first success made her tick to work even harder.
(译文:她的首次成功鼓舞她更加努力工作。)

结束语:我们的“地道美语表达”每一讲在文末都会有一个结论性的话语(the last word),这样大家才能进一步使新学知识得到巩固。同时,我们还力求精简,既不耗费大家大多时间,又富有知识性趣味性,也才能激励(make them tick to do something)大家继续学习下去。

Lesson 43: Time for Plan B

Speaking

Pronunciation

Conversation

Anna: Hey there! Tonight, I am teaching my ukulele class. It is far away. So, I am going to ride the Metro. Oh, no! I lost my wallet! It has my Metro card, my credit card and my money! Oh, no!
Anna: It’s times like this I remember my father’s important words. He said, “Anna, never … ” No wait, “Always have emergency money.” .” (Anna pulls an envelope out of her bag and looks inside) It’s empty. Time for Plan B. ‘Extra Emergency Money.’ (Anna pulls another envelope out of her bag and looks inside)
Anna: No! It’s empty too! Anna, it’s time for Plan C.
Anna: Hi, Marsha!
Marsha: Hi Anna. What’s up?
Anna: I’m stuck downtown without any money. Would you be able to come downtown? Please?
Marsha: Anna, I can’t. I’m too busy. I have to give a big presentation in one hour. Sorry!
Anna: That’s ok. Good luck with your presentation!
Marsha: Thanks!
Anna: Time for Plan D.
Anna: Hi, Jonathan! How’s it going?
Jonathan: Hey, Anna. Things are great. What’s up?
Anna: Well, I was wondering if you could give me some money.
Jonathan: What?
Anna: See, I lost my wallet and I’m stuck downtown and I —
Jonathan: Anna, I wish I could. I’m at the airport with my mother. Her flight leaves in two hours.
Anna: That’s okay. Tell your Mom to have a nice trip!
Jonathan: I do wish I could help. Thanks.
Anna: ‘Bye.
Anna: This is serious. Time for … Plan E.
Ashley: Hello.
Anna: Hi, Ashley! What are you doing?
Ashley: Oh! Hi Anna!
Anna: (Anna hears a child crying through the phone.) Ashley, I was wondering, uh, would you be able to come downtown? And could you give me $20?
Ashley: Anna, I can’t.
Anna: I’ll pay you back the money. I promise.
Ashley: Anna, I’m not worried about the money. I’m babysitting. (off-camera to niece) That was very, very, bad!
Anna: Well, losing your wallet is bad, but it’s not the end of the world, Ashley.
Ashley: I was talking to my niece, Anna.
Anna: Well, thanks anyway, Ashley!
Ashley: Good luck getting money.
Anna: Good luck babysitting!
Ashley: Thanks.
Anna: Well, Plans A, B, C, D and E did not work. Think, Anna, think. Time for Plan F.
Anna: (singing) Won’t you give, could — Thank you very much, sir! — would you give me money, won’t you give — Thank you very much! — could you give, won’t you give me money — until next time! — won’t you give me money?

Lesson 42: I Was Minding My Own Business

Speaking

Pronunciation

Conversation

Guy: Hello. I’m Guy Newsman with News Channel XYZ. I’m here in Washington, D.C. at the scene of a crime.
Guy: We are talking with this woman.
Guy: She saw the crime during her lunch break. It looks like she hurt herself while she was trying to stop the crime.
Guy: Tell us your name.
Anna: Hi, Guy. I’m Anna.
Guy: Anna, what did you see and what happened to your arm?
Anna: Guy, I was minding my own business. See, I work over there.
Guy: Um-hum
Anna: I left work to get some lunch. Then suddenly, I heard a woman yelling. She was yelling like this … “Help! Help!”
Guy: Um-hum
Anna: Two robbers were grabbing her bag like this. She was hitting them with her umbrella.
Guy: Is that when you hurt your arm?
Anna: No. At that time, I was not fighting the robbers.
Guy: Um-hum.
Anna: See. I was too far away and I didn’t have my own umbrella.
Guy: So, what happened next?
Anna: They grabbed her bag and ran away! So, I grabbed her umbrella and ran after the robbers.
Guy: Then that is the time that you hurt your arm?
Anna: No. I was yelling, “Stop, robbers! Stop!” She was yelling, “Hey, come back with my umbrella!”
Guy: Were you afraid?
Anna: I had no time to be afraid, Guy. Well, I had time while I was resting on a bench. I had a lot of time.
Guy: Then what happened?
Anna: The robbers got on a bus. So, I ran after the bus.
A VO: While I was running, I tripped and fell.
Guy: And that is the time that you hurt your arm?
Anna: No. While I was lying on the ground, someone stepped on my arm!
Guy: Ouch. That’s too bad.
Anna: Yeah. And they didn’t apologize. Well, then the robbers got themselves kicked off the bus.
Guy: Why?
Anna: They didn’t pay. You’ve got to pay when you get on a bus. The police came and took them away.
Guy: And that’s when you hurt your arm!
Anna: No.
Guy: Then, when did you hurt yourself?
Anna: Well, Guy, by this time, I was feeling very hungry. So, I went to my office to get a snack.
C: Anna, I’m calling for help right now.
C: (on the phone) Hello? Yes, please come right away. My co-worker is stuck in a vending machine.
Guy: You hurt your arm in a vending machine buying a bag of chips?
Anna: I was really hungry and the bag was stuck. I had to –
Guy: That’s all from News Channel XYZ. This is Guy Newsman saying goodbye.
Guy: Okay, we have to find ourselves another story, guys.
Anna: Until next time! Hi Mom!