英语博客：Analysis time.

 　　Some of my listeners have asked me to examine and explain English phrases and vocabulary in depth. I think that that is a great idea. In order to do this, I have selected a small paragraph from a magazine that is about wasting money. This will be the first in a series of 'Analysis time' that will, hopefully give you deeper understanding of certain, common vocabulary and phrases, so you will find them easier to use.

　　Stop wasting(1) food! With a little creativity(2), you can use commonly(3) trashed(4) items and save yourself some major(5) dough¹(6). Did you know that, on average, Americans throw out 25 percent of the food they bring home, worth(7) an astonishing(8) $2,200 per year. Think of what you could(9) do with that cash(10)!

　　1. Stop wasting...! It's a command. You could add various words at the end, such as, money, time, my time, the milk.

　　2. With a little creativity, a little thought, a little care, a little attention to detail. You're using your brain to think carefully.               Ex: With a little effort, you could finish this project in an hour.

　　3. Commonly: normally, regularly, daily. It is used to describe the items that are 'trashed'. How often are they trashed? Answer is very often, normally, daily, commonly. This action is committed by most people; it is common.

　　4. Trashed, comes from the noun trash which means rubbish or garbage. It has become a verb, 'to trash'. Ex: We trashed the old car. This means that we threw it in the rubbish, or that we smashed² it up first, and then threw it away. It is an Americanism. It essentially³ means the same as 'to waste'. Garbage and rubbish are only found in noun form; they are not verbs.

　　5. Major is also an Americanism. It means 'a lot of'. It implies an important amount, or an important position. Ex: I have major bills to pay. This could mean big bills, or a lot of bills.

　　6. Dough, is taken from bread dough, the uncooked bread. It means money, again slang⁴. * A note about using slang. If you are going to use it, make it consistent⁵. For example, in this paragraph, both 'major' and 'dough' go together well because they are BOTH slang. It sounds like a good fit. If you mix formal language with slang, it doesn't sound so good.

　　Ex: Save yourself quite a lot of dough.   'Quite a lot of' sounds more English, precise, and from England. Whereas⁶ 'dough' is definitely slang, street language, and very informal.

　　7. Worth means 'has the value of'. Ex: This coat is worth a lot more than $100.

　　8. Astonishing here means surprising and shocking. To be astonished. Ex: I am astonished by his progress! Ex: The opulence⁷ of the palace was astonishing.

　　9. Think of what you could..... is a very useful phrase to which you can add a variety of verbs:

　　Think of what you could eat at the buffet⁸. Think of what you could learn if you went to that university. Think of what you could paint if you had the right equipment. Think of what you could achieve if you were President.

　　10. Cash, as you probably know is money. It's not as slang as 'dough', it can be used even in formal situations with more formal language.

　　So, let's hear the paragraph again, first slowly, and then at normal speed.

1 dough   

n.生面团；钱，现款

参考例句：

• She formed the dough into squares.她把生面团捏成四方块。
• The baker is kneading dough.那位面包师在揉面。

2 smashed   

adj.喝醉酒的v.打碎，捣烂( smash的过去式和过去分词 )；捣毁；重击；撞毁（车辆）

参考例句：

• Several windows had been smashed. 几扇窗户劈里啪啦打碎了。
• In time-honoured tradition, a bottle of champagne was smashed on the ship. 依照由来已久的传统，对着船摔了一瓶香槟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

4 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

5 consistent   

adj.坚持的，一贯的，一致的，符合的

参考例句：

• He has been a consistent friend to the Chinese people.他是中国人民始终如一的朋友。
• His action is always consistent with his words.他始终言行一致。

6 whereas   

conj.而，却，反之

参考例句：

• They want a house,whereas we would rather live in a flat.他们想要一座房子，而我们宁愿住在一套房间里。
• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。

7 opulence   

n.财富，富裕

参考例句：

• His eyes had never beheld such opulence.他从未见过这样的财富。
• He owes his opulence to work hard.他的财富乃辛勤工作得来。

8 buffet   

n.自助餐；饮食柜台；餐台

参考例句：

• Are you having a sit-down meal or a buffet at the wedding?你想在婚礼中摆桌宴还是搞自助餐？
• Could you tell me what specialties you have for the buffet?你能告诉我你们的自助餐有什么特色菜吗？