口语情景对话：走遍美国精选 当仁不让 ACT 1 - 4

【故事梗概】

Ellen向当地报纸的编辑Maxwell解释了自己的竞选计划。Maxwell同意给刊登一条她参加竞选的消息。

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.

【语言点精讲】

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.

我要让咱们的孩子不止学会读、写、算。我想要保持课余的项目——音乐课，音乐会。

reading, writing and arithmetic: 阅读、写作、算术。通称 the three R’s，因为都含有字母r。

2. That’s fair enough.

这倒很合理。

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.

我无法指望你支持我反对Boswell。可是我确实需要一些宣传，好让我们镇上的人民知道我在竞选职务，我关心我们的孩子。

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: 竞选职务。

publicity: 宣传。

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

Stewart夫人，你究竟要我为你做什么呢?

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

我当然可以把这条消息刊登在报上，而你现在正在成为新闻来源。

print: 刊登在报纸上。

make news: 制造新闻。