【本期话题】American Culture

When one gets the chance to travel abroad (在国外) to the US, they’ll hear a very different version of English than they are used to- a version very influenced by American culture. This lesson focuses on cultural cornerstones (基石) such as baseball to learn common expressions and slang terms (俚语) that English speakers from other country might find strange. Let’s take a look at some:【更多故事尽在TalkOnline】

in the ballpark (大致正确)– The ballpark is the baseball field. Something in the ballpark means it is approximately close.
homerun (全垒打)– A homerun is among the most incredible sights in sports. It is when a player hits the ball over the back fence and scores an instant point during a baseball game. If someone hits a homerun, the did something really well.
strike out ( 三击不中出局)– A strike out is the most effective defensive play in baseball. The pitcher throws three strikes, none of which the batter can successfully hit. When someone strikes out, they did something very badly.
big leagues (美国最大一棒球联盟)– The big leagues are the professional leagues. When someone reaches the big leagues, the level of difficulty is much higher, as is the pressure and the attention.
hardball (硬式棒球)– As opposed to softball, a sport often played leisurely, playing hardball means playing seriously and aggressively.
pinch hit (代替)– A batter that fills in for another is pinch hitting. To pinch hit means to take someone else’s place, often in an important situation.
G: They’re doctors.
来TalkOnline听故事，学美语。身在中国，学在美国！立刻加入

Want to learn more about American Culture? Be sure to sign up for Talk Online and log on to iTutor and TalkBox.