4. A.S.P.C.A.

指的是American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

5. Fucking-A

Fucking-A 的意思是“good，excellent”，有時候也表示“Yes, you are right”（例如 Fucking-A man）。 它通常是表示一種強烈的感情，比如熱情，感興趣或者激動，而沒有太多的實際意義。

6. Cut down on

這個片語的意思是“Reduce, decrease減少”，例如：I want to cut down my caffeine intake.

文化面面觀

快餐文化=美國的符號？

Despite the relentless attacks, hundreds of millions of hungry customers eat fast food daily. The media constantly remind American consumers about its supposed evils. Most are conscious of the health risks from fatty, greasy meals; most realize that they are being served by a poorly paid young worker; and if they choose to ponder it, most are aware that the excessive packaging causes millions of tons of trash each year. But they continue to purchase and eat fast food on a regular basis. Fast food remains central to the American diet because it is inexpensive, quick, convenient, and predictable, and because it tastes good. Even more important, Americans eat fast food because it is now a cultural norm. As American culture homogenized and became distinctively "American" in the second half of the twentieth century, fast food, and especially the hamburger, emerged as the primary American ethnic food. Just as the Chinese eat rice and Mexicans eat tamales, Americans eat burgers.

And fast food has grown even beyond being just a distinctive ethnic food. Since the 1960s, the concept has extended far beyond the food itself, with the term becoming a common descriptor for other quick-service operations, even a metaphor for many of the negative aspects of mainstream American life. Theorists and pundits sometimes use the term "fast food" to denigrate American habits, institutions, and values, referring to them as elements of a "fast-food society." In fact, "fast-food" has become a frequently used adjective, implying not only ready availability but also superficiality, mass-produced standardization, lack of authenticity, or just poor quality.

In the last two decades of the twentieth century, fast food gained additional economic and cultural significance, becoming a popular American export to nations around the world. Some detractors claim that it is even deliberately used by the United States, as a tool of cultural imperialism. The appearance of a McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on the streets of a foreign city signals to many the demise of indigenous culture, replacing another country's traditional practices and values with American materialism. In fact, the rapid spread of American fast food is probably not an organized conspiracy, rather more the result of aggressive corporate marketing strategies. Consumers in other countries are willing and able to buy fast-food products, so chains are quick to accommodate demand. Thought of around the world as "American food," fast food continues its rapid international growth. (answers.com)

考考你

用今日所學將下面的句子譯成英語。

1. 他的笑聲真是讓我冒火。

2. 那種音樂總能打動我。

3. 我們得減少支出了。

Fast food nation《快餐帝國》（精講之四）考考你 參考答案

1. 吉姆擔心他做的實驗會把實驗室給炸了。

Jim was afraid his experiment would blow up the lab.

2. 別那么大喊大叫——你嚇死我了！

Don't shout like that - you scared the shit out of me!

3. 我真不敢相信你能忍受這群淘氣的孩子。

I can’t believe that you can stand for these naughty children.

 

影片對白  Mom said it was a big deal when the first Mickey’s opened here.

 

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(英語點津Annabel編輯)