Big tire lady
By Erin Zheng

Some 10% of the population of Singapore are from India. That day when I visited Sentosa Park in Singapore, a squab (矮胖) Indian lady caught my eyes.

She was in her thirties and dressed in a typical Indian bare-navel costume(露脐装). She was so fat that her tubby waist, with bagged flesh fastened tightly by her skirt, looked like a big tire. Her hip was so big that you could not help thinking that she was a walking bucket.

She seemed to be quite proud of her shape and dress because I caught a glimpse of satisfaction and confidence on her face.

I was rather confused: how can a fat woman dress like that? Shouldn't she feel self-conscious of her figure? I looked around and to my great surprise and what puzzled me so much was that this was quite popular among Indian women. "Hey, let me tell you why, " my guide smiled at me as if he had read my mind. "In India, big waists and huge hips were associated with women's fertility(生育力). When choosing a wife or a daughter-in-law, people select fleshy girls rather than slender(苗条) ones because they believe that fat girls can give birth to more kids." Wow, no wonder those women were so proud of their big tires and huge hips!

Coming back to China, I shared this interesting phenomenon with one of my friends who had been bothered by obesity(肥胖) for a long time. "God, how much I wish I were an Indian girl!" she said enviously.

 

 

英语成语拾趣
By Suky

英语中的成语何止成千上万,可是真正到用时却找不到可用的成语,成了纸上谈兵.今天我们就来谈谈常用的英语成语.

1. That's the best thing since sliced bread.
那是有史以来最好的事情.

像这句话要避免说成,the best thing in history,听来就不那么地道.老美都是用 the best thing since sliced bread 来表示. 典故是这样的,在1928 年前,在美国所贩卖的面包都是整条没有切过的.所以买回家后还要自己切面包.后来有一个密西根人 Otto Rohwedder 发明了切面包的机器,美国人一时之间觉得这种机器实在是太神奇了,所以往后要是有什么很棒的事情发生,他们就会说那是自切面包机器发明以来最好的事情.

2. Speak of the devil.
说曹操,曹操就到.

有些中文成语直接用英文翻老美还可以接受,但是 "说曹操,曹操就到"这句话要翻可就没那么容易了.何况你还要先解释曹操是谁,那难度就更高了.谈到某人而那人又正好出现,你就可以说 Speak of the devil. 或是Talk of the devil.

3. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
情人眼里出西施.

这句话大家都不陌生吧! 要是看到某个美男和丑女走在一起,你就可以深表惋惜,Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 总之这是个人喜好,也不便多说什么.至于速配的话,可以试试Every Jack has its Jill. (破锅自有烂盖配.)

4. If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bullshit.
如果你无法用才能说服别人,就用废话迷惑别人吧!

这也许是个不争的事实,老美在数理的基础上可能不如东方人,但在数据收集、上台报告方面却是强上一大截.这或许也是外国人无法进入美国主流社会的原因之一吧! 所以各位要记得, baffle others with your bullshit. 三分的结果加上七分的 bullshit就能拿到十分的成绩.或许很讽刺,但现实生活不也是如此吗?

5. God is shining on you.
你真是幸运.

God is shining on you 是指一个人非常幸运,也就等于 You are very lucky. 例如大家修理一台机器,都修不好,结果你一下子就把问题找出来,别人就会对你说 God is shining on you.

 

 

Asking for a raise

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!

Dear Chef,
I have been working as a sales assistant for a large service company for more than four years. Each year I receive a standard raise. As you may know, a standard raise is based on the cost of living increase, but I know that most of my colleagues have received additional increases besides the usual annual raise. And according to my performance, I think I should receive a real raise rather than just the standard increase each year. So I am thinking about having a talk with my boss, but I don't know how. Do you have any suggestions on how I should do that﹖ Thanks very much.
Yours,
Dying for a Raise

Dear Dying for a Raise,
To begin with, most of the human resource managers agree that there's no single best approach to this type of problem. Different situations and different bosses dictate that an evaluation process must take place before approaching your boss. Anyway, here are a couple of points you might want to consider before your confrontation. "The employer's personnel culture-what is acceptable and what is not?" "Your relationship with your boss-are you personal friends or do you rarely talk?" "Your boss's reaction to your request -will he be defensive, open to discussion or will he avoid the subject?""The normal compensation for your job -are you underpaid, and if not how can you justify an increase? Can you be easily replaced?" "What others are making at your company or agency-how do they compare to you in salary?" "The company's current status-has your employer given others raises recently or are they in a cutback mode?""Your skills- have you made any significant contributions to your employer? How recent are your accomplishments? Did your boss and others recognize them?"

Once you have completed the evaluation, plan an approach that you feel comfortable with pursuing. Take note of information that will help your case and use it in discussion.

Timing is important. If the time is right, set up an appointment, or if appropriate, go on and meet with your boss informally.

If things don't go well, or if you are not comfortable asking for a raise at this time, develop a long-term strategy. Asking for a raise should not be a one-time affair. It should be a concerted effort on your part to show your employer what you are capable of doing all the time.

The Chef

Vocabulary
performance: 表现
dictate: 决定
evaluation: 评价
compensation: 报酬
contribution: 贡献
strategy: 策略

 

 

Crossword Puzzle



Across
6. Approximately 8760 hours.
8. An enclosed box-like motor vehicle.
9. Helpful with an available supply or resource.

Down
1. Information about recent events or happenings.
2. An outline of the plot of a dramatic or literary work.
3. To manifest or disclose; reveal.
4. A very beautiful southern Chinese city.
5. Recurring, done, or performed every year; yearly.
7. An organ of vision or of light sensitivity.

The following people have won free movie tickets:林菊丽,申小梅,陈霜,陈华,郑朝阳,吴巧慧,翁睿玲,王炜,康明建,陈慧. Please go to the Jinying Cinema (世贸金鹰影院) in two weeks. 欲知上期答案,请登录www.common-talk.com.