友達(dá)英語》美國習(xí)慣用語》be all and end all
我一個(gè)朋友找了份新工作。公司的條件可好了，薪水高，待遇好，辦公樓里就有專為雇員準(zhǔn)備的醫(yī)院、健身房和幼兒園。說心里話，我真有些嫉妒這個(gè)朋友! 不過，我也想到了一個(gè)習(xí)慣用語，那就是：be all and end all。
Be all and end all，意思是“頂尖的，最*好的”。Where my friend is going to be working strikes me as being the be all and end all， 我覺得，我朋友的工作待遇簡(jiǎn)直是好得不能再好了。不過，我朋友自己很謙虛，并沒有把自己的好工作逢人就講。
而下面這段話中的這位媽媽就不一樣了。我們來聽一聽：
例句-1：My sister-in-law is constantly boasting. She doesn't know anyone who has better parenting skills. Supposedly, she's exceptionally devoted and nurturing. If you ask me, she's not the be all and end all. Many moms care just as much about their children. They're also much more humble about themselves.
這段話是說：我嫂子總是吹牛。她覺得自己教育孩子的水平世界第*一，理所當(dāng)然，她自己也就成了特別有獻(xiàn)身精神，特別能付出的媽媽?？扇绻銌栁遥矣X得她并不是個(gè)完美的母親。很多媽媽疼愛孩子的程度都不亞于她，而且人家還比她謙虛很多呢。
要我看，帶孩子就要有耐心，有愛心，尊重孩子，雖然it is not the be all and end all checklist for good parenting, 這不是教育孩子的“必殺技”，但總算也是個(gè)大原則吧。
******
前幾天我在電視上看馬拉松比賽，真的很佩服那些運(yùn)動(dòng)員的毅力和體能。別人跟我說，有一項(xiàng)比賽比馬拉松更考驗(yàn)人的意志力，那就是鐵人三項(xiàng)賽。咱們來聽聽下面這段話：
例句-2：The Ironman Triathlon consists of nearly 4 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of biking and 42 kilometers of running. And it must be raced in that order without a break within 17 hours. Most athletes consider it the be all and end all of sports competitions. They don't know of any event that's tougher.
這段話是說：鐵人三項(xiàng)賽的內(nèi)容包括4公里游泳、180公里騎自行車和42公里長跑。選手們必須在17個(gè)小時(shí)候之內(nèi)按照這個(gè)順序完成比賽，不能休息。很多運(yùn)動(dòng)員把鐵人三項(xiàng)看成所有體育比賽的極限。沒什么比鐵人三項(xiàng)更具挑戰(zhàn)性了。
如果您有興趣，鐵人三項(xiàng)賽每年都在美國的夏威夷舉行，您可以去參加，挑戰(zhàn)自己的體能極限。我就算了，去夏威夷悠閑地度假才對(duì)。那里有自然美景、溫暖氣候和超級(jí)海灘，難怪Hawaii is the be all and end all for many tourists，夏威夷是很多游客最愛的去處。
友達(dá)英語》美國新聞》全美都為奧蘭多槍擊案遇難者降半旗 除了這個(gè)地方......
美國漢字網(wǎng)綜合報(bào)導(dǎo)，當(dāng)?shù)貢r(shí)間星期天凌晨，佛羅里達(dá)州奧蘭多一家同志夜總會(huì)發(fā)生美國歷史*上*最凄慘的大規(guī)模槍擊案，導(dǎo)致49人蒙難，53個(gè)人生命體受損。事情發(fā)生后，全美各地都為這次悲劇的蒙難者下半旗致哀，但阿拉巴馬州的一個(gè)縣卻不接受這么做。
阿拉巴馬州博爾德文（Baldwin）郡政府委員(Commissioner)多瑟（Tucker
Dorsey）在接納NBC尋訪時(shí)表達(dá)，他覺得奧蘭多槍擊案本身不合下半旗的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。
多瑟說：“我對(duì)在槍擊案中的蒙難者和它們的家人表達(dá)追悼，不過依據(jù)美國國旗的有關(guān)條例，這次槍擊事情美國“經(jīng)過”下半旗的測(cè)試。”
多瑟補(bǔ)給說，美國國旗只應(yīng)當(dāng)在政府官員物故還是國殤日當(dāng)天下半旗。
多瑟在給“紐約每天新聞”的一份聲明中說：“總統(tǒng)和州長有可能是做出了下半旗的指示，不過我私人信任，這個(gè)作法和國旗法案不完全一樣?！?/p>
除開這次奧蘭多槍擊案以外，博爾德文郡在今年前一年的巴黎恐襲和加州圣貝納迪諾郡槍擊案時(shí)，都沒有下半旗。
友達(dá)英語》體育英語》籃球 - Losing Streak
P: (Dribbling a basketball) Ok, I'm warmed up and ready. Are you ready to lose at another sport to me, Yang Chen?
Y: I'm totally ready.
P: To lose?
Y: Not to lose.
P: Well, be prepared to get schooled.
Y: School? 我早就畢業(yè)了。 I am smart, and educated.
P: Well, you may be educated, but getting schooled or to get schooled, means to get embarrassed by someone who has superior skill compared to you in head-to-head competition. You can get schooled or you can school someone. So get ready to get schooled, Yang Chen.
Y: Come on, Patrick. 我今天要給你點(diǎn)兒顏色*看看。
P: Don't believe me? Well, you have been on a losing streak lately. I beat you in every game we've played so far.
Y: 什么是losing streak?
P: Losing streak means someone or a team has lost a number of consecutive games without a single win.
Y: 除了體育，還可以用在別的地方嗎?
P: Of course! If you're a lawyer, and you lost three cases in a row, you're on a losing streak!
Y: How about dating, 我記得你連續(xù)被三個(gè)女孩兒拒絕，那我可不可以說: you're on a losing streak?
P: Hey! It's not three. It's...
Y: Oh, my
