VOA美语咖啡屋 Lesson 59：Pfeiffer’s Hardware

 

VOA美语咖啡屋 Lesson 59：Pfeiffer’s Hardware

Y: 各位听众好，欢迎您到美语咖啡屋。我是杨晨 

J: Hello, I'm Jody. Welcome to American Cafe. Hey, Yang Chen, how's it going? 

Y: 很好啊！ 

(Sound of table rocking, coffee cup spilling over) 

Y: Jody，小心点，你不要晃桌子。 看我的咖啡都洒了。 

J: It's not my fault. Look, it's the table. See how crooked¹ it is? 

(Sound of table rocking) 

Y: Oh, 你说的没错，这桌子好奇怪，一个腿长，一个腿短。 得找人修一修才行啊。 

J: No problem! Luckily, I've just come from visiting my favorite hardware store. Here let me... 

(Sound of a saw cutting wood) 

Y: Jody，你在干什么? 

(Sound of a saw cutting wood) 

J: I'm fixing ... (grunt) the (grunt) table leg. 

Y: 不要再锯了，哎呀，你看别人都在看我们呢! 

J: Just ignore (th)'em ... (sawing) just a little bit more (sawing) ... there! 

(Piece of wood falling) 

Y: 哎呀，现在这桌子更是高低不平了。 

J: Oops. 

Y: 你现在知道闯祸了。 中国有句成语“班门弄斧”，我看说的就是你。不过你这把锯子到是挺漂亮的。 从那里弄来的？ 

J: I told you, my favorite hardware store. 

Y: 你最喜欢的hardware store ? 什么意思啊？ 

J: A hardware store. You know, a store that has hardware for fastening things, for fixing things, for... 

Y: 我当然知道什么是五金店， 我是觉得奇怪的是，五金店不就是卖工具吗，还分什么喜欢不喜欢的。 

J: Well, there is no reason to yell². Maybe some of our listeners don't know. I got an idea. Let's go visit Pfeiffer's Hardware, my favorite hardware store. 

Y: 好吧，我们就看看这个五金店有什么特别之处，让你这么激动。 

(Background sounds of the Hardware Store. Cash register rings) 

实录1 Todd Pfeiffer: My name is Todd Pfeiffer and we're standing³ in Pfeiffer's Hardware. A hardware store usually has hardware for fastening things, for helping⁴ build houses, for renovating⁵ houses, for repairing things in the house. And also tools, tools that you use with the hardware to fix things. 

Y: Ha! 说了半天，他这个五金店不也就是卖点什么拧螺丝，修房子， 装修之类的工具。我还是不明白为什么你要说这是你最喜欢的五金店。 

J: Oh, well, that's easy. It's not what he sells. Well, you know, I'll let Todd explain. 

实录2 Todd: It's actually a fascinating place (be)cause it's more than just a place to sell things; it's also a place where people come to talk to get the latest the news. Here it's about conversations about the neighborhood, what's going on in people's lives, what's going on in my life. 

Y: 真的？ 

J: It is a fascinating place. Really. 

Y: 居然有人喜欢到五金店去聊天，去公园不更好吗？ 

J: Well, you can always go to a park. But, like Todd said it's a place where people come to talk and to get the latest news. It's a neighborhood hangout. Here's Todd's wife Adriana. 

实录3 Adriana: But on Saturdays it's a really fun place to be. The day flies by. You know, so many people come in and you get to talk to folks. And it's fun to spend the day with Todd. It is. It's really fun. We laugh a lot,...so.. 

Y: 她说的没错the day just flies by，时间过得好快。 

J: That's right. It's so much fun that time passes quickly. Time just flies by. 

Y: 现在我有点理解人们为什么喜欢到这家店， 因为老板和老板娘态度特别好，人们到这里有一种亲切的感觉。 

J: Exactly. Steve, a retired⁶ man in the neighborhood, is a regular at Pfeiffer's Hardware. 

Y: 你说的"regular" 是什么意思? 

J: Oh, a "regular," it's spelled R-E-G-U-L-A-R, is someone who goes to a business frequently. So, you call them a regular. 

Y: Wow, 居然有人逛五金店也会上瘾。这大概就和我们逛百货商店一样吧，百去不厌。 

J: Here's Steve explaining why he's a regular at Pfeiffer's Hardware. 

实录4 Steve:  Well, the difference here is Todd and Adriana. They make this a wonderful place to visit. I'm glad a place like this exists in the neighborhood. I'm glad that people like Todd and Adriana are available to visit every week, every day. I come and help. I began helping just to be helpful to them but later I found that I enjoyed it. And it's a great pleasure to be productive⁷. 

Y: Steve只是个顾客。他常常来这里帮忙而且还乐在其中，看来他是把自己当成他们的一个家庭成员那样了。 

J: Exactly! But back to our problem - our broken table. Look what I bought at Pfeiffer's Hardware! 

(Enter drill sound) 

J: Now we can fix the table! 

Y: Uh oh! 

J: Trust me! 

Y: Trust you? 我看我还是先走，你自己折腾吧。各位听众朋友，我们下次见了。 

J: Wait! Come back, Yang Chen! It's easier than it looks!! 

(Fade with drill sound)

1 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

2 yell   

vi./n.号叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• This gave them a chance to yell.这给了他们大声喊叫的机会。
• When his schoolmate made the last goal,the boy gave out with an untrammeled yell.那个男孩在他的同学踢进最后一球时不禁纵声欢呼。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 renovating   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The increased production was largely attained by renovating old orchards and vineyards. 通过更新老果园和葡萄园，使生产大大增加。
• Renovating that house will cost you a pretty penny. 为了整修那所房子，你得花很多钱。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。