口語情景對話：走遍美國精選當仁不讓 ACT 1 - 1
【故事梗概】
市里教育經費拮據，聯合校董會出了空缺，Carter Boswell競選的口號是節約經費，辦法是取消學校的課余文化項目。Ellen對這種短見的作法感到氣憤。
Ellen: [as Philip enters] I don’t believe it!
Philip: What’s wrong?
Ellen: Carter Boswell!
Philip: Who’s Carter Boswell?
Ellen: He’s running for the school board. The election’s next month.
Philip: What’s wrong with wanting to be on the school board?
Ellen: Nothing. But he wants to cut the school budget!
Philip: Maybe it needs cutting.
Ellen: Cutting the budget is fine, but he wants to do it by cutting all the cultural programs. No music, no dance, no concert, no stage presentations.
Philip: Why does he want to do that?
Ellen: He says it’s to save the taxpayers’ money and I think he believes that the taxpayers will vote for him if he spends less on the cultural programs.
Philip: He’s probably right. Lots of people want their taxes used for new books and a new paint job in the schoolrooms.
Ellen: Maybe some of us would like to pay a little bit more and keep the cultural programs for our kids.
Philip: Well, I’m not sure, Ellen. I hear it from my patients. Lots of people are tired of higher taxes.
Ellen: I know, but if Boswell wins he’ll be an important decision-maker on the school board, and he doesn’t know anything about our children’s education.
【語言點精講】
1. He’s running for the school board. The election’s next month.
run for: 競選，角逐。
school board:(地方政府的)聯合校董會;教育委員會。美國各州的公共教育是由州內各學區(school district)負責。各學區由通過選舉產生的聯合校董會(school board)人員組成。聯合校董會的權力有: 聘用學區教育局長。局長負責學區的具體教育工作。聯合校董會在任用教師，選擇教材方面施加影響。還有權批準其它決策。競選聯合校董會委員，常成為美國公民參政的第一步。
election: 選舉。
2. Cutting the budget is fine, but he wants to do it by cutting all the cultural programs. No music, no dance, no concert, no stage presentations.
削減經費也可以，可是他想要通過削減所有文化項目的方法來削減經費。取消音樂課，取消舞蹈課，取消音樂會，取消舞臺演出。
cut the budget: 削減預算。
stage presentation: 表演，演出。
3. He says it’s to save the taxpayers’ money and I think he believes that the taxpayers will vote for him if he spends less on the cultural programs.
他說是為納稅人節約開支，而我認為他相信假如他在文化項目上少花一些錢，納稅人會投他的票。
It’s to save…: 這是為了省(錢，時間等)。
taxpayer: 納稅人。
vote for sb.: 為某人投票。
4. Lots of people are tired of higher taxes.
很多人厭倦交納更多的稅款。
be tired of sth.: 對某事感到厭倦。
5. Lots of people want their taxes used for new books and a new paint job in the schoolrooms.
很多人想讓他們的錢被用于買新的書籍和把教室重新粉刷一次。
a new paint job: 指一次重新粉刷油漆的活兒。
6. I know, but if Boswell wins he’ll be an important decision-maker on the school board, and he doesn’t know anything about our children’s education.
我知道，可是假如Boswell競選獲勝，他將成為聯合校董會上重要的決策者，而他卻對于我們孩子們的教育一無所知。
decision-maker: 決策者。
