英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0412 - 美联航赶客事件谁之过？

 Topic 1-Passenger dragged from overbooked United Airlines flight

 

After waiting through the boarding line, you've got your carry-on stowed and your butt¹ firmly planted in seat 27D. At this point, you're basically guaranteed to be on the flight, right? Well, not so fast. By now, we've all seen the video of a passenger being forcibly removed from a United Airlines overbooked flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky.

 

Apologies have been made and remade. But still it's difficult to unseen that video. Let's talk about the fallout from United's first-class public relations nightmare.

 

Topic 2-Internet language and the rising new class in China

 

In the age of Internet, online language has evolved into its own unique form. Internet lingo² has made its way into everyday language usage in spoken and written language.

 

Moreover, internet language may carry a stronger social function than traditional language, through which a rising social class in China can escape from the cruelties of reality.

 

So, how lenient³ are you towards misspellings? Are you okay with using grammatically incorrect online language offline? who's spreading online language?

 

Topic 3-10 tacky Chinese souvenirs that you'll probably end up buying

 

Let's face it – every overseas trip means a suitcase full of questionable⁴ souvenirs to sift⁵ through when you get home.

 

From t-shirts to silk pjs, China is up there for having some of weird⁶ or even tacky souvenirs around. 

What makes a good souvenir?

1 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

2 lingo   

n.语言不知所云，外国话，隐语

参考例句：

• If you live abroad it helps to know the local lingo.住在国外，学一点当地的语言自有好处。
• Don't use all that technical lingo try and explain in plain English.别尽用那种专门术语，用普通的词语解释吧。

3 lenient   

adj.宽大的，仁慈的

参考例句：

• The judge was lenient with him.法官对他很宽大。
• It's a question of finding the means between too lenient treatment and too severe punishment.问题是要找出处理过宽和处罚过严的折中办法。

4 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

5 sift   

v.筛撒，纷落，详察

参考例句：

• Sift out the wheat from the chaff.把小麦的壳筛出来。
• Sift sugar on top of the cake.在蛋糕上面撒上糖。

6 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。