口語情景對話：走遍美國精選 當仁不讓 ACT 1 - 4

【故事梗概】

Ellen向當地報紙的編輯Maxwell解釋了自己的競選計劃。Maxwell同意給刊登一條她參加競選的消息。

Maxwell: But what do you care about?

Ellen: Well, I care about the children of our town. I don’t want them to grow up without cultural programs in our school.

Maxwell: Do you have a plan?

Ellen: I want our children to learn more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. I want to keep the after-school programs -- the music, the concerts.

Maxwell: It’s not a bad plan. But who’s going to pay for all of this?

Ellen: We are. The citizensof Riverdale, of course. I plan to get help from the businessmen and the corporationsof Riverdale.

Maxwell: That’s fair enough. Exactly what do you want from me, Mrs. Stewart?

Ellen: You don’t know me. I can’t expect you to take my side against Boswell. But I do need some publicity so that the people of our town know that I’m running for office and that I care about our children.

Maxwell: Fair enough. I certainly can print the news. And you are now making news.

【語言點精講】

1. I want our children to learn more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. I want to keep the after-school programs -- the music, the concerts.

我要讓咱們的孩子不止學會讀、寫、算。我想要保持課余的項目——音樂課，音樂會。

reading, writing and arithmetic: 閱讀、寫作、算術。通稱 the three R’s，因為都含有字母r。

2. That’s fair enough.

這倒很合理。

3. I can’t expect you to take my side against Boswell. But I do need some publicity so that the people of our town know that I’m running for office and that I care about our children.

我無法指望你支持我反對Boswell。可是我確實需要一些宣傳，好讓我們鎮上的人民知道我在競選職務，我關心我們的孩子。

expect sb. to do sth.: 期望某人做某事，指望某人做某事。

to take my side: 支持我。

run for office: 競選職務。

publicity: 宣傳。

4. Exactly what do you want from me, Mrs. Stewart?

Stewart夫人，你究竟要我為你做什么呢?

5. I certainly can print the news. And you are now making news.

我當然可以把這條消息刊登在報上，而你現在正在成為新聞來源。

print: 刊登在報紙上。

make news: 制造新聞。