Section 3 Advanced 高级飞跃
万用表达一览
□firm believer in 对……的深信者，坚信……的人
□a first step to 第一步，首先要做的事情
□in this day and age 如今，这个时代
□shouldn't be surprised 不应感到奇怪，这并不奇怪
□thanks to 由于，多亏
□hotly debated 激烈地争论
□If you ask me 如果你想知道我的观点，如果你想听我的观点
□factors have contributed 这些因素导致（促成）了
□That's all I'm saying 这就是我想说的，仅此而已
□in a nutshell 简言之，总而言之
□Not quite． 不全是。/未必见得。
□better off in terms of 在……方面富裕多了（日子好起来了）
□As for... nothing beats 至于……没有什么更胜于
□Come to think of it 经你这么一提醒，我想起来了
□I can tell you first-hand 我可以直接告诉你，我可以凭我自己的经验告诉你
□You can rest assured..． 你可以放心
万用表达详解
1. firm believer in
释 I believe strongly that..．对……的深信者，坚信……的人
例 I'm a firm believer in people standing on their own two feet.我坚信自食其力的人。
2. a first step to
释 a first move第一步，首先要做的事情
例 As a first step, we should always wash our hands thoroughly before sitting down to eat.
首先，在坐下吃饭前，我们要彻底把手洗干净。
3. in this day and age
释 in today's world如今，这个时代
例 In this day and age, we have to learn to be more tolerant of each other.
在如今这个时代，我们必须学会更加宽以待人。
4. shouldn't be surprised
释 should not think of it as unusual/should not come as a surprise不应感到奇怪，这并不奇怪
例 We shouldn't be surprised if he ups and leaves some day/one day.
如果有一天，他一去不复返了，我们也不奇怪。
5. thanks to
释 because of由于，多亏
例 Thanks to my upbringing and education, I have no problems getting ahead in life.
由于我受到的教养和教育，在生活中取得成功是不成问题的。
6. hotly debated
释 controversial激烈地争论
例 Their motives for going to war have been hotly debated for years.
多年来他们发动战争的动机一直备受争议。
7. If you ask me
释 If you want my opinion on the matter如果你想知道我的观点，如果你想听我的观点
例 If you ask me, you were very lucky. You were in the right place at the right time.
依我看，你运气很好，一切都像刻意安排的一样那么巧。
8. factors have contributed
释 the elements that helped (cause sth.) 这些因素导致（促成）了
例 We know all the factors that contributed to the financial crisis.
我们知道引发金融危机的各种因素。
9. That's all I'm saying.
释 I'm just saying this. That's all．这就是我想说的，仅此而已
例 His comment was uncalled for. That's all I'm saying.
他的评论是不公正的，这就是我想说的。
10. in a nutshell
释 briefly speaking简言之，总而言之
例 In a nutshell, we don't have the resources to continue the project.
总而言之，我们没有资源来继续这项工程。
11. Not quite.
释 Not exactly．不全是，未必见得。
例 A: Have you finished running errands yet?
你给别人跑完腿了吗？
B: Not quite. I still have a few more to do.
还没有，我还有一些事情要做。
12. better off in terms of
释 doing better in relation to… 在……方面富裕多了（日子好起来了）
例 A: You can't deny that we're better off in almost every way, compared to our ancestors.
你不能否认，同我们的祖先相比，我们在各方面都好多了。
B: In what way?
哪方面啊？
A: In terms of health, leisure time and the freedom to be what we want to be.
健康、休闲和自由选择自己想做的事情方面。
B: You have a point there.
你说得有道理。
13. As for... nothing beats
释 When it comes to... nothing is better than/In relation to…nothing is better than..．至于……没有什么更胜于
例 As for tennis tournaments, nothing beats Wimbledon.
至于网球大满贯比赛，没有什么比得上温布尔登国际网球锦标赛了。
14. Come to think of it
释 Now that you remind me/Now that I think about it/Now that I'm reminded/Now that you remind me，经你这么一提醒，我想起来了
例 Come to think of it, that's not the first time I've heard that story.
我想起来了，这不是我第一次听到那个故事。
15. I can tell you first-hand
释 I can tell you from my own experience我可以直接告诉你，我可以凭我自己的经验告诉你
例 I can tell you first-hand that the good old days weren't necessarily that great. Mind you, we did have more adventure growing up than kids do nowadays.
我可以凭经验告诉你，以前的日子并不一定就是那么好的。听着，和现在的孩子比起来，我们那会儿所经历的冒险的确要多得多。
16. You can rest assured...
释 You can be certain that..．你可以放心
例 You can rest assured that the neighborhood is very safe at night.你可以放心，这附近晚上非常安全。
实用对话场景
Kate: I'm a firm believer in choosing the right food,as a first step to a healthy diet.
Jack: I agree.I think in this day and age,with so much processed food replacing traditional fresh produce, we shouldn't be surprised that so many young people are developing diseases we used to associate with the elderly.
Kate: Yes. Diabetes, for example, is now more common in teenagers than ever before,thanks to the over-consumption of fast food.
Jack: It's funny, isn't it? On the one hand, we're inundated with competing diet infomercials and the latest exercise machines, but at the same time we are encouraged to take life easy and live life to the full.
Kate: Good point. You know, food and how we grow it, process it and eat it,have been hotly debated for years.
Jack:If you ask me,I think the more rapid urbanization of the world and the higher costs of fresh farm produce, not to mention, smaller household budgets and changing lifestyles, have led to more competition, to feed larger and larger populations with cheaper and more easily prepared foods.
Kate: So you're blaming greater urbanization, higher food costs, smaller household budgets and changing lifestyles for our decline in health?
Jack: That's too simplistic.All these factors have contributed to our changing diets.That's all I'm saying.
Kate: OK.So,in a nutshell,we've leftour traditional diets behind,and have completely embraced micro-wave ready meals.
Jack:Not quite.But in some respects,we were better off in terms of our diets twenty or thirty years ago.
Kate: What about drinking? What should we be drinking?
Jack:As for drinking,nothing beats drinking lots of water.It refreshes, cools, cleans and nourishes our bodies.
Kate: Some say water is the ultimate cure-all.
Jack: I wouldn't go that far, but there is no doubt that we can't do without it.
Kate:Come to think of it,other drinks that are good for you include tea, especially green tea, flower tea and pu'er tea.
Jack: Absolutely correct. Maybe you think it's old-fashioned to drink tea, but I'm a firm believer in the curative and medicinal properties of tea.I can tell you first-hand,how drinking tea every day helped me. Even if you think it doesn't do anything for you,you can rest assured it's certainly not bad for you.
Kate: Wow, this conversation has certainly been very lively and very enlightening.
凯特：我深信选择正确的食物是健康饮食的第一步。
杰克：我同意。我觉得如今很多加工食品取代了传统的新鲜农产品，因此，也难怪现在很多年轻人患上了以前老年人才患的病。
凯特：是的，比如说糖尿病，现在患此病的青少年比以前多了很多，这是由于吃了过多的快餐引起的。
杰克：这很奇怪，不是吗？一方面，我们的生活里充斥着各种令人眼花缭乱的食品信息和最新的健身器材，但另一方面我们又被鼓励去追求休闲、充实的生活。
凯特：说得对。你知道，关于食物以及我们如何栽培、加工和食用的问题，多年来备受争议。
杰克：如果你问我的观点，我认为世界的迅速城市化、新鲜农产品生产成本的提高，还有家庭预算的减少和生活方式的改变，使得为越来越多的人口提供更便宜且更易制作的食物方面的竞争越来越激烈。
凯特：那么，你认为城市化的进程、食品成本的提高、家庭预算的缩减和生活方式的改变就是我们健康变差的罪魁祸首，是吗？
杰克：那样说过于简单化了。所有这些因素都改变了我们的饮食习惯，这就是我想要说的。
凯特：好吧，所以简单地说，我们已经放弃了传统的饮食习惯，完全接受了靠微波炉速成的饭菜。
杰克：也不全是。但是在某些方面，我们的饮食比二三十年前的好多了。
凯特：喝的方面怎么样？我们应该喝些什么？
杰克：至于喝的方面，没有什么比得过喝大量的水了。它能够帮助我们恢复体力，还能冷却、清洁和提供营养的作用。
凯特：有人说，水是万灵药。
杰克：我不会说得那么绝对，但毫无疑问我们不能没有水。
凯特：我想起来了，对身体有益的饮料还包括茶，尤其是绿茶、花茶和普洱茶。
杰克：完全正确！也许有些人认为喝茶不够时尚，但我坚信茶有药用和医用价值。我可以凭经验告诉你，每天喝茶对我有什么好处。即使你认为它不起任何作用，你也可以放心，它对你绝对无害。
凯特：哇，这次谈话确实非常生动，也富有启发意义。
跨文化交际小常识
在喜欢谈论天气的西方国家中，英国人的这一喜好表现得尤为明显。这不仅是因为他们更讲究传统的绅士文化，还因为这与他们国家变幻莫测的天气特点有关。英国地处大西洋彼岸的西风带，是世界上少有的几个天气异常多变的国家之一。在英国，有时上午还是阳光普照，下午就会大雨淋漓，甚至一小时前还是晴空万里，一小时后就会雾气蒙蒙。因此，谈论或预测天气很自然地就成了英国人最经常的话题。但是，从人际交往的角度来看，谈论天气也不是绝对安全的，因为你可能喜欢艳阳高照，但别人可能喜欢的是阴雨连绵。所以，在谈论天气时，一定要注意方式，最好是只客观地描述，而不要加以评论。