How did you know?
By Linda
Picture by Zhu Lijun



Dialogue I
A: I'm sorry. I can't meet you tonight.
B: I know. Well, call me when you're free.
A : 真对不起, 今天晚上不能和你碰面了.
B : 我(早就)知道了. 那么, 有空的时候再打电话给我吧.

A: How did you know I am going to work over time tonight? I just got the OT requirement a moment ago.
B: Didn't you mention that you would not meet me at night just now? I knew because you just told me.
A : 你是怎么知道我今天晚上要加班呢?连我也是才刚刚接到加班通知的.
B : 你刚才不是说了你晚上没法见我嘛. 我知道是因为你刚才告诉我了.
A:I see.
A: 我明白了.

Dialogue II
A: I'm sorry. I can't meet you tonight. I just got the OT requirement a moment ago.
B: I see. Well, call me when you're free then.
A : 真对不起, 今天晚上不能和你碰面了. 我刚刚才接到加班通知.
B : 我知道了(恍然大悟状). 那么, 你有空的时候再打电话给我吧.

In the above dialogues, "I know" is to be conscious of a fact or situation in advance. "I see" is to recognize the meaning, purpose, or importance of something. Logically, "I see" should happen ahead of "I know". In the Dialogue I, actually B did not know A was not able to meet him before A told him so. B wanted to express that he had caught what A had said and he answered "I know". No wonder A will continue to ask him, "How can you know?" In the given situation, the only way that B's "I know" could be possible would be that B is good at forecasting. Sometimes, people always pretend by saying "I know" to show how wise they are even though they are only at "I see" status. I see, then I know.

 

 

教你几句地道美语(续)
By Suky

7. We have a male shortage here.
我们这里很缺男孩.
来自外文学院的人都知道, 我们的男女比例很不均衡, 有一次连外教也不禁感叹道, We have a male shortage here. 这样的说法是不是听来很特别? 其实我看有的工科专业, 根本就不只是 female shortage 而是 female drought. 或是更夸张一点的讲法, The females are extinct here!

8. She is a big gossip.
她这人特别八卦.
Gossip 指的就是八卦新闻, 它也可以用来形容一个人很八卦. 所以 She is a big gossip 就是说她是个八卦夫人, 也就是我们所说的"事儿妈", 你也可以说, She is gossipy. 还有, 要是有人老是气呼呼地抱怨这, 抱怨那的, 我们就称呼她为"Mrs. Gasbag"(气包包).

9. She is vertically challenged.
她向她的身高挑战.
这样的说法就是说人家很矮的意思,是比较委婉 (politically correct)的说法. "Somehow challenged" 就是说有某方面的障碍, 如 mentally challenged 就是说心智障碍, 也就是低能儿的意思.

10. It's getting late. Let's hit the sack.
天晚了,我们睡吧.
不知道的人听到这句话一定会困惑不止, 难道这么晚了还要去打麻袋练拳击?原来 sack 是麻袋, 袋子的意思, 在美国俚语中, 它还可以表示床或睡袋的意思. 这句话还可以说成"let's hit the hay." 或者更简单一点"let's hit the bed".

11. Where can I dump these white elephants?
这些无用的垃圾我要丢到哪里?
White elephant这个说法来自泰国, 在泰国white elephant有神一样的地位,不用干活, 美国人就说:咦, 这么大的东西怎么能吃饱了撑着, 不干活呢. 所以就引申为无用之物了. 有些老美会在自家的庭院前办所谓的 garage sale, 就是把一些家里很少用到的东西拿出来卖. 有些人的告示上会写 White elephant sale. 如果你不知道 white elephant 指的是无用之物的话, 你可能会觉得蛮奇怪的, 为什么有人在卖白大象呢?

 

 

Ask the Chef
By the Cheff

Chef's Profile: This chef is not just any chef, not only does he know everything there is to know about cooking, but also he is an absolute guru in Engish writing. Therefore, if you ever feel hungry or stuck in your English writing, you should go ask the Chef!

Last assignment:
You are working with your colleague on a very important project but you found he hasn't been paying enough attention. Write him a short email and kindly remind him how important this project is and hence, you would like more of his or her enthusiastic input.

Annie wrote:
Dear Jenny:
I am very glad that I can work on this project together with you. Both of us clearly know that this project has significant meanings to our company.(1)Every times (2)when I occurred to this, I feel greatly (3)proudful. Therefore, both of us should (4)pay our whole attention to accomplish it, (5)ok?
Best wishes
Yours sincerely, Annie

Chef commented:
(1) Oops, 请注意名词的单复数形式, 在这儿应该用"Every time".
(2)有点混乱, 我觉你想表达的是:"Whenever I think about this(how important this project is)".
(3) 还是用"proud"吧.
(4)"pay close attention"
(5) 最后这个"OK?" 听起来不是非常礼貌, 而且过于口语化, 希望你在email里尽量少用"OK?", OK?

Chef revised:
Dear Jenny:
It is an honor to work with you on this project which, as we clearly know, has quite a significant meaning to our company. Each time I think about how important this project is to us and the company, I feel greatly motivated. I hope for the same from you so we may pay close attention as well as give more enthusiasm to this project in order to accomplish it satisfactorily.
Thanks!
Yours sincerely,
Annie

This week's assignment:
One of your colleagues has been promoted. Please write him an email (less than 100 words) to congratulate him/her.

 

 

Classic English
经典英语

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb. — Winston Churchill, in Struggle/Progress

 

 

Crossword Puzzle



Across:
1. Something that we always report on page two of our newspaper;
3&&5. The name of our newspaper;
6. Opposed to short;
9. Something else that we always report on page two of our newspaper.

Down:
2. A very common English name;
3. An action; 4. Heed
7. White and nutritious;
8. A healthy and clean form of transportation.
The following people have won free movie tickets:
刘小红,刘海,张琼芬,陈霓曼, 祝捷, 谢秀美, 曾晓芬, 蔡怿, 周小燕, 沈怡冰.
Please go to the Jinying Cinema (世贸金鹰影院) within two weeks.
欲知上期答案, 请登录http:/www.common-talk.com.

 

 

三国演义与经营谋略
By 王鸽鹏



风行数年的三国研究热, 兵法研究热并没有从现代经营管理思想中消失, 相反, 历久弥新, 经过当代谋略家多维度, 多层次, 多样式的发掘, <三国演义>中博大精深的谋略思想愈加彰显其现代管理科学和经营谋略的价值. 在传承古代传统文化的基础上, 新增更加理性而规范的市场经济谋略手段, <三国演义与经营谋略>将崭新的管理原理, 管理思想, 管理智慧融入经典的历史故事和缜密的评论分析, 将枯燥的经营管理理论描述得摇曳多姿, 酣畅淋漓.

古今中外成败兴亡的纵论, 经营管理经的传播, 现代经营理念的渗透, 改革创新思维的启迪, 分别在"战略篇", "较量篇", "伐交篇", "人才篇", "素质篇"恣意穿梭. 如果你想同时成为战略家, 军事家, 外交家, 管理家, 演讲家, 此书将是你最好的选择. 市内新华书店有售.