地道英語口語 Whistle blower 告密者

音頻下載[點擊右鍵另存爲]
Helen: Hello, welcome to Real English from BBC Learning English. I’m Helen.

Zoë: 還有我，劉佳。

Helen: Today we’re going to look at words and phrases that have recently become part of the English language.

Zoë: 在今天的地道英語裏，我們來學習一些當代英語中最新出現的詞彙，短語還有習慣表達。那 Helen, 咱們今天要學的新詞是什麼呢？

Helen: Today’s new word is whistle-blower. That’s whistle and blower; whistle-blower.

Zoë: Whistle-blower. Whistle 就是吹口哨兒， blower 就是吹哨兒的人，把他們連在一起，是什麼意思呢， Helen?

Helen: Well, listen carefully. A whistle-blower is someone who tells the government or the public that the company he works for is doing something wrong or illegal. It’s common in newspaper reporting.

Zoë: 不成不成，有點兒暈。是說那種專門把壞事或者見不得人的消息告訴別人的人嗎？

Helen: I’ll give an example. Imagine you were working for a law firm, but you found out that the company was taking money from criminals and not telling the truth in court. What would you do?

Zoë: 嗯，我想我會報警，或者把這個消息告訴給媒體。

Helen: So, you would be a whistle-blower.

Zoë: I see, a whistle-blower. 就是給公衆或者權威機構通風報信兒的人。

Example

A: Why did you have to leave your job, Fred?

B: Well, I became a whistle-blower. The company wasn’t paying its taxes and I told the police. They closed the company as a result, and I lost my job!

Zoë: Would you become a whistle-blower, Helen?

Helen: Hmmm… yes. If the company was doing something illegal, I think I would have to say something. But I would be scared.

Zoë: Why?

Helen: Well, you would probably lose your job for one thing, and if the company was doing something illegal they might do something bad to you, to keep you quiet.

Zoë: In that case, you have to be very careful.

Helen: Exactly. Anyway, let’s recap, whistle-blower is...

Zoë: Whistle-blower. 就是形容對於一些不法行爲給公衆或者權威機構通風報信兒的人。

Helen: You’ve been listening to Real English from BBC Learning English. Join us again soon. Bye-bye.

Zoë: 咱們下次節目再見。