第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

Bob: Sarah. Hi.

Sarah: I was in the trailer-hood. I thought I might stop by.

Bob: Oh, good.

June: Sarah? Is that you? Sarah! Hi!

Sarah: June? I didn't know you were...

Bob: No. No. This is good. We're all here. We can have a parent-teacher conference.

Sarah: Oh, I'll just go home now and go to bed and maybe stay there forever.

Bob: Sarah has a friend who lives practically next door.

June: Wow. That's cool. I love weird, huge coincidences.

Sarah: Yeah.

Bob: You sure you don't want to come in? We just opened a bottle of wine.

Sarah: Oh, I think I'd rather die, but thank you. Yeah.

*************************

Sarah: Oh. Hi.

Michael: Hey. Jennifer kicked us out. Both of us.

Sarah: Oh, Mikey. God, I'm so sorry. She'll come around.

Jake: I told him it's the holidays. People are under a lot of stress, you know.

Michael: I love this guy. I do. I love him. I love him.

Jake: We've been talking. We've been here a while. You all right?

Michael: Yeah.

Sarah: Let's go.

Michael: Come on, Mother Teresa.

Jake: I hope it's okay that I stopped by.

Sarah: Oh, yes. Of course it is. I'm so glad you did.

Jake: Good. 'Cause we were talking on the phone, everything was going well, and then some strange woman said "emergency" and hung up. Then I don’t know, I called and no one answered, so I was a little worried.

Sarah: I think it's very sweet, Jake.

Jake: So it's just a false alarm?

Sarah: Yes. Definitely a false alarm.

Jake: Good.

Sarah: No, my father's friend, she got into a little bit of trouble, and I had to help her out, and so I went over there for a while. And after that I just drove around a while. Alone. I was alone. And...

Jake: Yeah, alone by yourself, sure.

Sarah: Yeah.

Jake: Well, anyway, the reason I stopped by...was I wanted to invite you out on my boat this weekend.

Sarah: I don't think that's such a good idea.

Jake: Yes, it is.

Sarah: No, because I... Boats are still on the water, right?

Jake: I hope so, otherwise I wasted a lot of time designing thehull. Yeah, actually, they're aquatic.

Sarah: Well, I don't even know how to row.

Jake: I'll teach you. I'd love to teach you how to row.

Sarah: Okay. How?

Jake: A challenge. We'll have a lesson right now. Okay?

Sarah: Okay.

Jake: So the thing about rowing is just you gotta relax, first of all. And then it's all about rhythm, balance...

Sarah: Rhythm and balance.

Jake: ...and timing.

Sarah: Watch those oars, pal.

Jake: Okay. And rhythm and timing, see?

Sarah: Balance and rhythm.

Jake: See, it's not that bad, is it?

Sarah: No, I like rowing.

Jake: Then you want to make sure you get, you know, your hair out of the way. (Jake kisses Sarah) (bumping sound) That's gotta hurt.

Sarah: Michael?

Jake: You okay, pal?

Michael: Oh, no. Don't stop what you're doing. I was on my way out.

Sarah: Easy there, Tex. Where are you going?

Michael: Oh, I just spoke to Jennifer. Everything's great. I got the couch, but the dog's gonna stay here.

Sarah: I think you should stay here too. You shouldn't be driving.

Jake: I'll drive him home. Okay?

Michael: Yeah.

Sarah: Oh, I thought we were gonna, you know, row the boat.

Jake: Oh. We will. Just stay exactly here and stay exactly you and I'll be back in about 15 to 20 seconds depending on traffic, all right? Just hold that thought. Where do you live?

Sarah: Of course you realize when Jake gets here, you'll have to excuse yourself. Bob! Bobby. No, Bob.

Bob: You dropped these on my driveway.

Sarah: Oh, thank you.

Bob: I'm really sorry. I'm sure that seemed pretty awkward, huh?

Sarah: Oh, no, no. Routine, really.

Bob: There's nothing going on there with me and June. She and Austin were late coming back from the museum, and I made her stay for dinner.

Sarah: Well, thank you for bringing these... (Bob kisses Sarah) (Jake makes noise) You're back.

Jake: Yeah, he... He passed out. He couldn't tell me where he lived.

Michael: 321 something.

Jake: Yeah, that was all I got.

Bob: I'm Bob, by the way.

Sarah: Oh, my manners have completely left me. I'm so sorry. Jake Anderson.

Jake: How you doing?

Sarah: My brother Michael.

Jake: Oh, sorry. Here you go.

Michael: Pleasure to meet you.

Sarah: This is Bob connor, parent at the school. We were just... what were we?

Bob: Sarah left stuff at my place tonight, thought it'd be better to get it back right away. I'll get out of the way. Talk to you tomorrow, Sarah. Okay?

Sarah: Okay.

Bob: Nice to meet you guys.

Jake: Pleasure. Hey, I better get going. Where do you want me to put him? Maybe I'll put him here.

Sarah: No, you don't...

Jake: We're sitting down now, buddy. Yeah, I... I better get going.

Sarah: You don't have to go. You could stay. Sit.

Jake: No, no, no. Really, I should go.

Sarah: Jake. Jake, please let me explain.

Jake: You don't have to.

Sarah: I want to.

Jake: I don't have any claim on you, Sarah. We've seen each other what, four times now? I realize that.

Sarah: You won't let me explain?

Jake: Let me do it. You were lying to me because you didn't want to hurt my feelings. I get it.

[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

1. trailer-hood: 拖车能到的距离范围内。莎拉的意思是她正好在附近。hood表示“邻里，街坊”。

2. parent-teacher conference: 家长会。

3. practically: 实际上，几乎。例如：It rained practically all night.（几乎整夜下着雨。）

4. come around: 觉悟过来，让步，改变立场。

5. false alarm: 虚惊一场。例如：

Although the concern over the "real-name relationship" proved to be a false alarm, it does reveal some problems.

尽管对“实名恋爱”的担忧被证实是虚惊一场，但它确实暴露出一些问题的存在。

6.help somebody out: 帮助某人摆脱困境/解决困难。

7. hull: 船身。

8. aquatic: 水栖的。

9. excuse oneself: 请求准予离开。请看例句：

The meeting lasted so long that Mr Laurence had to excuse himself to keep an appointment.

会开了好久，因此劳伦斯为了赶另一个约会，不得不请求先行离去。

10. pass out: 失去知觉，不省人事。

11. I'll get out of the way: 我闪人了。

12. I don't have any claim on you: 我没有资格要求你做任何事。

have no claim on/to意思是“无资格得到……，没有对……提出要求的权利”。

[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

1. 我在这方面的知识几乎等于零。

________________________

2. 或许只是一场虚惊罢了。

________________________

3. 我离开一会儿，你不介意吧?

________________________

4. 我知道我没有向她要求的权利。

________________________

[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

美国家长会怎么开

大家都知道美国教育和中国教育存在着一定的区别，其实，在美国校园里开的家长会和中国学校的家长会也是有所不同的。

美国校园的家长会不是以班级为单位的，也就是说，并不是三年级的学生的家长坐一起或者是四年级的家长坐一起去开这个家长会。而是全校的家长都会在某一个特定的时间段里固定地参加家长会。因为家人人数较多，而且又是成年人，通常情况下，美国的学校会把家长会分成两个部分。一部分家长在下午的一点到三点的时间段来参加家长会。而另一组家长会在晚上的六点到九点来开家长会。不同工作时间段的家长可以自行选择自己参加家长会的时间。这个，学校不会做统一安排，也不会强迫家长们去参加。如果你有事，你可以不必来参加家长会的。你这次不来，你可以下次再来参加家长会，学校也不会因此而责备你。

大家可能会觉得奇怪，在中国九点多的时候，大家都快要睡觉了，美国为什么会选择在这个时间段开家长会呢?事实上，这很好理解。美国人是讲人性化的，他们是认真地为家长们考虑后才作出这样的决定的。因为，许多美国家长白天或者是下午的时候，都会有各自的工作，而到了晚上的时候，一般家长都会闲在家里，这个时候开会，正好不耽误他们的工作。当然，选择在这个时间段开家长会，家长也不会有拒绝的理由。

美国家长开会的时候，会在一个很大的场子里举行。通常学校会把家长安排在学校的体育馆。然后体育馆里也会被分成很多个组。这些组更不是按班级来划分的，而是按科目来划分的。因为美国学校不允许学生们去偏科，也就是说，即使是最不考虑成绩的科目，也是需要家长们去参加家长会的。所以，你就可以在体育馆里看到，历史组，数学组，英语组，语言组，体育组，生活组等等。在每一个组里，都会有一个代课老师负责，这个代课老师就是学生们上课时的老师。你不必担心，为什么美国的家长会的时间拉得会如此长，你从这些分的组里就会明白了。因为，家长是要分别去见这些老师的。见完了历史，见地理，见完了地理，见化学，等等如此。

过程是这样的，家长们到了家长会，还是先要和孩子们的家长见面的。班主任也会有一个具体的台子，此时此刻是不允许学生进去的，因为有可能班主任和家长讲到的话，可能比较隐私。当然，其实学生们根本不必害怕或者是担心，许多老师为了显得公平，也会让孩子们进去和家长一起听老师对他的意见或者是建议。通常情况，被叫进去同时听老师说话的学生，一般都是比较优秀的学生，或者是在学校里表现很乖的学生。所以，大家不必担心会被老师骂。

谈话的内容也绝不会很难为情，老师可以和家长自由谈论，家长也可以在这个时候问老师一些学生的情况。

从班主任那里出来，家长就要见每一科的老师，然后针对这一科老师会给家长提意见，或者是家长可以针对这一科孩子的成绩进行交谈。这样子的话，会让家长和老师都做到心中有数，不错过不应错过的事情。

当然，在老师和家长进行交流的时候，老师是会很认真地作笔记的，他们也会针对家长提出来的意见进行有效的改善，也会给家长提一些意见，比如如何让孩子在家里好好学习等一类的经验。

当然，如果家长想偷懒，不想见某个科目的老师是不可能的。否则，你有可能就不能从体育馆里出来哦。

所以，家长就算再累，也要一个一个老师地见过去。