英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0107 - 主持人禁说方言

 Topic1 Ambulance Refuses to Transport BabyTime is money. We use this saying to describe the importance of time. However, some first-aiders in Hunan misplace their focus on "money" instead of "time".

Last month, a 13-month-old toddler dies following an ambulance delay over a payment dispute.

Should it have happened?

Topic2 Is BRT really necessary?

Guangzhou Municipal Audit¹ Bureau has released a specific audit of the city's BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lane in plan. Data shows building a BRT lane is exceedingly more expensive than building a bus lane, while the running speed of the two lanes are about the same.

In Beijing, there are four BRT lines. The first one was put into use in 2004. Later on, more and more cities are planning to build BRT lanes to develop public transfer system.

What does the audit report say?

Topic3 New Year Eve Dinner CheaperThe Chinese lunar New Year is coming in less than a month, and usually at this time of the year restaurants are almost fully² reserved for the most important dinner in a year, the New Year Eve dinner.

However, this year, many restaurants still have plenty of vacancies³ and even offering discounts and customized services to attract customers.

What is going on now?

Topic4 Anchors Should Avoid Using Dialect/SlangState Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television recently urges radio and TV hosts to speak mandarin⁴ in shows unless for special occasions; hosts should not imitate pronunciation or expression from dialects with strong characteristics; hosts should not use slang and vulgarism that hurts standard language.

Is such a rule necessary?

Topic5 Celebrity⁵ Weibo posts with advertisements in disguiseProduct placements have made their way to China's social networking websites.

Celebrities⁶ trying out new products and recommending them on their personal weibo, or micro-blog might have been paid to do so to help sell a product of certain brand.

How widespread is the practice?

Topic6 Ban Boys and Girls from Eating Together in CanteenBesides washing hands before meal and putting the trays in the right place after meal, there is a new rule for some high school students who eat in school canteen, which is do not sit together with classmates of the opposite sex.

1 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 vacancies   

n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺

参考例句：

• job vacancies 职位空缺
• The sign outside the motel said \"No Vacancies\". 汽车旅馆外的招牌显示“客满”。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

5 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

6 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目