Đây là Chương Trình Anh Ngữ Sinh Ðộng New Dynamic English bàì 126. Phạm Văn xin kính chào quí vị thính giả. Mở đầu bài học, quí vị nghe phần Câu đố mẹo –riddles. A riddle is a kind of word game=câu đố mẹo là một trò chơi chữ. Joke=một câu khôi hài. A foot.=chân, một bộ Anh, dài 12 inches; số nhiều của foot là feet.
One inch=2.54 phân tây centimeters. Why isn’t your nose twelve inches long? tại sao mũi bạn không dài 12 phân Anh? Because if it were twelve inches long, it would be a foot! Vì ví thử như mũi bạn dài 12 inches, thì sẽ gọi là Chân! (câu đố mẹo chơi chữ giữa hai nghĩa của foot, FOOT là “chân” và cũng là một “bộ Anh,” 12 inches). Too far to walk=xa quá không đi bộ được.
Cut 1
Question of the Week (answer): Riddles—câu đố mẹo
Larry: Question of the Week!
The Question of the Week is “Riddles.”
· a hint lời gợi ý, nhắc.
UPBEAT MUSIC
Max: It’s Question of the Week time, Kathy!
Are you ready to play?
Kathy: I certainly am!
Max: This week our questions will be riddles.
A riddle is a kind of word game.
It’s a question without an easy answer.
And often the answer is a kind of joke.
Kathy: Well... I think I’m ready.
Max: Okay... first riddle: Why isn’t your nose twelve inches long?
Kathy: Twelve inches long?
Hmm... Let me see....
Max: Do you want a hint?
Kathy: Yes, please.
Max: Twelve inches is one foot.
Kathy: One foot? Twelve inches is one foot.
Oh, oh, oh. I get it!
Your nose can’t be twelve inches long...
Because if it were twelve inches long, it would be a foot!
Max: That’s right, Kathy!
It would be a foot! A foot is twelve inches long!
Kathy: Okay, I’m ready for riddle number two.
Max: All right.
Here we go: Why do birds fly south in the winter?
Kathy: Why do birds fly south in the winter?
Oh, no, I don’t know.
I don’t know the answer.
Max: Yes...this is a hard one.
Birds fly south in the winter, because it is too far to walk.
Kathy: Too far to walk?
Oh, I see. They fly because it’s too far to walk.
That was difficult.
Max: Well, Kathy, don’t feel bad.
Riddles are fun, but almost impossible to answer.
You did very well!
Kathy: Thanks, Max.
MUSIC
NDE Closing
Larry: A Question for You
Max: Now here’s a question for you.
Larry: Listen for the bell, then say your answer.
Max: Do you think riddles are fun?
(ding)
(pause for answer)
Max: Hmmm. OK.
MUSIC
Vietnamese Explanation
Trong phần tới, ta nghe Larry kể cuối tuần vừa qua, anh ta là người hướng dẫn cho gia đình người anh đi thăm thành phố Washington. Tour guide=hưóng viên du lịch. To show people around.=hướng dẫn mọi người đi thăm cảnh. Tiring=mệt. [Phân biệt tiring và tired. Guiding relatives around town was a tiring job for Larry=hướng dẫn họ hàng quanh thành phố là một việc gây mệt nhọc đối với Larry. He was tired after walking all day.=anh ta mệt sau một ngày đi bộ.] Close relatives=họ hàng gần. The Air and Space Museum.=Bảo tàng viện Hàng không và Không gian. Zoo=sở thú. The Capitol=điện Capitol, tức là Quốc hội Hoa Kỳ. Washington Monument=đài kỷ niệm tổng thống Washington, trông như cái tháp bút chì khổng lồ.
Cut 2
Story Interlude: Larry has visitors.
Larry: OK... and we’re off the air.
Max: You look tired, Larry.
What did you do this weekend?
Larry: Oh, some of my relatives were visiting.
Kathy: That’s nice. Close relatives?
Larry: Yes, my brother and his wife.
They came for the weekend.
I showed them the city.
This was their first visit to Washington, D.C., and they wanted to see everything!
Kathy: So you were their tour guide.
Larry: Yes. I love being a tour guide.
It’s fun to show people around Washington, but it’s tiring.
First, my wife and I took them to the Air and Space Museum.
Then we walked all the way from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.
And after that we went to the Washington Zoo to see the animals.
Kathy: That sounds great!
Larry: Yes, it was. They had a great time!
SFX: Elizabeth entering
Eliz: Hi, Max, Kathy. Hello, Larry.
Larry: Alri i i ght. Ready for Functioning in Business. Cue Music...
Vietnamese Explanation
Trong phần Anh Ngữ Thương Mại Trung Cấp, Elizabeth giới thiệu cho ta phần “A New Customer, Part 1, Thân chủ mới, Phần 1.” Ta cũng nghe những câu dùng khi chào đón. This program focuses on Greetings. Ta nghe phần phỏng vấn ông Stewart Chapman, phó Chủ tịch Phụ trách Ðiều hành của hãng chế tạo xe hơi Federal Motors. Trucks.=xe vận tải. Passenger cars=xe du lịch. Responsibility=trách nhiệm. Job responsibilities.=trách vụ công việc. To oversee=trông nom, giám thị, superintend, supervise. To manufacture=To make=Chế tạo. Head office=văn phòng chính của công ty; tương tự, main office, headquarters.
Cut 3
FIB Opening
FIB MUSIC lead in and then background
Eliz: Hello, I’m Elizabeth Moore. Welcome to Functioning in Business!
MUSIC swells and fades
Larry: Functioning in Business is an intermediate level business English course with a focus on American business practices and culture.
Today’s unit is “A New Customer, Part 1.”
This program focuses on Greetings.
MUSIC
Interview: Introducing Mr. Stewart Chapman of Federal Motors
Larry: Interview
Mr. Chapman is an Executive Vice President at Federal Motors.
I’m responsible for overseeing our factories on the East Coast. Tôi chịu trách nhiệm trông coi các xưởng máy ở miền đông (Các tiểu bang ở bờ biển phía đông Mỹ)
We manufacture trucks and passenger cars. Chúng tôi chế tạo xe vận tải và xe du lịch.
Eliz: Today, we are talking to Mr. Stewart Chapman of Federal Motors.
Welcome to Functioning in Business, Mr. Chapman.
Chapman: I’m happy to be here.
Eliz: Could you tell our listeners a little bit about you and your company?
Chapman: Certainly. I’m an Executive Vice President for Federal Motors.
Our head office is in New York City.
Eliz: And could you tell us something about your job responsibilities?
Chapman: Yes. I’m responsible for overseeing our factories on the East Coast.
Eliz: What does your company manufacture?
Chapman: We manufacture trucks and passenger cars.
Eliz: Let’s take a short break.
And then we’ll be back with our guest, Mr. Stewart Chapman.
Vietnamese explanation
Trong phần tới, ta tập nghe diễn tả một ý bằng hai cách. Thí dụ như to make và to manufacture trong bài đều có nghĩa là chế tạo. Chữ responsibility (danh từ) nghĩa là trách nhiệm; còn responsible (adjective) có nghĩa là chịu trách nhiệm I am responsible for…tôi chịu trách nhiệm lo về… hay My responsibility is…trách nhiệm của tôi là... Our head office is in New York, Our company is based in New York=văn phòng chính của công ty của chúng tôi đặt trụ sở tại New York.
Cut 4
Language Focus: Variations
Larry: Variations.
Listen to these variations.
Eliz: Our head office is in New York City.
Larry: Our company is based in New York City.
(pause)
Eliz: I am primarily responsible for overseeing our factories.
Larry: My primary responsibility is overseeing our factories.
(pause)
Eliz: What does your company manufacture?
Larry: What are your main products?
(pause)
Eliz: We manufacture trucks and passenger cars.
Larry: We make trucks and passenger cars.
(pause)
MUSIC
Vietnamese explanation
Trong phần tới, ta nghe tiếp chuyện ông Chapman, Phó Chủ tịch Ðiều hành hãng Federal Motors. Federal Motors has had some problems in the Asian market=hãng Federal Motors đã gặp phải vài khó khăn trong thị trường Á châu. Production=sản xuất. Efficiency=hiệu năng. We have to increase production efficiency so that we can reduce our prices.=chúng tôi phải gia tăng hiệu năng sản xuất để có thể giảm giá. Our cars are too expensive to be competitive in Asia.=xe hơi của hãng chúng tôi đắt (mắc) quá không thể cạnh tranh ở Á châu. Our cars cannot compete against cars made in Asia. Expensive=đắt, mắc. To be competitive=có thể cạnh tranh. Plans for the future=Dự tính, dự trù cho tương lai. To schedule a meeting=chọn ngày giờ họp.
Cut 5
Interview 2: Introducing Mr. Chapman
Larry: Interview
Eliz: We’re back again with Stewart Chapman.
Mr. Chapman, what are Federal Motor’s plans for the future?
Chapman: Well, we’ve got to become more international.
We’ve done well in Europe over the years.
But we’ve had some problems in Asia.
Eliz: What kind of problems?
Chapman: Our cars are too expensive to be competitive in Asia.
We have to increase production efficiency so that we can reduce our prices there.
So that’s why I scheduled a meeting with Mr. Blake last year.
wanted to learn more about his company’s robots.
Eliz: Mr. Chapman, thank you very much for coming to talk with us.
Chapman: It was a great pleasure!
MUSIC
Vietnamese Explanation
Quí vị vừa học xong bài 126 trong Chương Trình Anh Ngữ Sinh Ðộng New Dynamic English. Phạm Văn xin kính chào quí vị thính giả và xin hẹn gặp lại trong bài học kế tiếp.
