Từ và Thành Ngữ bài 237: Jump through hoops, Keep one’s head

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Mời quý vị theo dõi bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS số 237 của đài Tiếng Nói Hoa kỳ, do Huyền Trang và Brandon Garner phụ trách.

TRANG: Huyền Trang và Brandon Garner xin kính chào quý vị thính giả. Trong bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS hôm nay, chúng tôi xin đem đến quý vị hai thành ngữ mới. Một có động từ TO JUMP nghĩa là nhảy, và một có động từ TO KEEP nghĩa là giữ. Brandon xin đọc thành ngữ thứ nhất.

BRANDON: The first idiom is JUMP THROUGH HOOPS, JUMP THROUGH HOOPS.

TRANG: JUMP THROUGH HOOPS có một từ mới là HOOP, nghĩa là cái vòng. Thành ngữ này nghĩa đen là nhảy qua nhiều vòng, giống như các con thú trong gánh xiếc, và nghĩa bóng là chịu đựng những cuộc thử thách gay go để hoàn tất một việc gì, hay để làm vừa lòng người khác.

Anh Paul rất vui khi được phép lái xe, nhưng anh đã phải làm nhiều chuyện trước khi đạt được kết quả này.

BRANDON: Dad said he'd buy me a car. What he didn't explain was all of his conditions. First, I had to find a part-time job. Then I had to save up enough money to help pay for insurance. And finally, he made me sign a contract he'd written with a bunch of driving rules. None of my friends JUMPED THROUGH HOOPS like I did to get their cars.

TRANG: Cha tôi nói sẽ mua cho tôi một chiếc xe. Điều ông không nói rõ là những điều kiện của ông. Trước hết, tôi phải tìm một việc bán thời gian. Sau đó, tôi phải để dành đủ tiền để giúp trả tiền bảo hiểm. Và sau cùng, ông bắt tôi ký một giao ước với những luật lệ lái xe mà ông viết. Các bạn tôi, không ai phải làm những chuyện vất vả như tôi để được mua xe.

CONDITION là điều kiện, và INSURANCE là bảo hiểm. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: Dad said he'd buy me a car. What he didn't explain was all of his conditions. First, I had to find a part-time job. Then I had to save up enough money to help pay for insurance. And finally, he made me sign a contract he'd written with a bunch of driving rules. None of my friends JUMPED THROUGH HOOPS like I did to get their cars.

TRANG: Các công ty Mỹ hiện nay đang tìm mọi cách để làm hài lòng giới nhân viên trẻ để khuyến khích giới này làm việc cho họ. Một phóng viên về kinh doanh giải thích lý do tại sao:

BRANDON: "Many companies will do just about anything to please their young employees. That's because these employees are valuable. They know technology and are racially diverse, socially interconnected and collaborative. And that's why businesses are JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS for them to stay."

TRANG: Nhiều công ty sẽ làm bất cứ điều gì để làm hài lòng các nhân viên trẻ của họ. Đó là vì các nhân viên này rất đáng giá. Họ có kiến thức kỹ thuật, thuộc nhiều chủng tộc khác nhau, liên hệ mật thiết với nhau và cộng tác với nhau. Đó là lý do tại sao các công ty đang làm mọi điều để giữ họ lại làm việc cho mình.

TO INTERCONNECT là liên hệ, và TO COLLABORATE là cộng tác. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: "Many companies will do just about anything to please their young employees. That's because these employees are valuable. They know technology and are racially diverse, socially interconnected and collaborative. And that's why businesses are JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS for them to stay."

MUSIC BRIDGE

TRANG: Tiếp theo đây là thành ngữ thứ hai.

BRANDON: The second idiom is KEEP ONE'S HEAD, KEEP ONE'S HEAD.

TRANG: KEEP ONE'S HEAD là giữ bình tĩnh, nhất là trong những trường hợp khó khăn, nguy hiểm. Người Mỹ cũng nói KEEP A COOL HEAD, có cùng một nghĩa.

Một thanh niên đã thấy tầm quan trọng của việc giữ bình tĩnh trong một trường hợp khẩn cấp. Anh nói:

BRANDON: "My dad was a pretty tough guy. I remember when I was a kid; he was cutting down some trees in the yard. The chain-saw slipped and badly cut his leg. I started screaming at the sight of all the blood. But my dad KEPT HIS HEAD. By staying calm, he managed to save his life."

TRANG: Cha tôi là một người khá mạnh mẽ. Tôi nhớ hồi tôi còn nhỏ, cha tôi đang cắt vài cây trong sân nhà. Cái cưa máy bị tuột khỏi tay ông và cắt sâu vào chân ông. Tôi hét lên khi tôi trông thấy máu chảy. Nhưng cha tôi đã giữ bình tĩnh. Nhờ đó ông đã thoát chết.

TOUGH là mạnh mẽ, cứng rắn, CHAIN-SAW là cái cưa máy, cưa xích, và TO SCREAM là la hét. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: "My dad was a pretty tough guy. I remember when I was a kid; he was cutting down some trees in the yard. The chain-saw slipped and badly cut his leg. I started screaming at the sight of all the blood. But my dad KEPT HIS HEAD. By staying calm, he managed to save his life."

TRANG: Đôi khi, chúng ta không tránh được những khó khăn làm ảnh hưởng xấu đến đời sống của chúng ta. Tuy nhiên, chúng ta có khả năng tìm cách đáp ứng hữu hiệu. Một thanh niên nói về kinh nghiệm của anh như sau:

BRANDON: Once I had to speak in front of a large audience at a conference. For a while I avoided practicing my speech because I felt overwhelmed. But a colleague helped me rehearse and showed me some techniques to relax. He's a good help because he always KEEPS HIS HEAD. And, thanks to him, I learned how to feel more in control.

TRANG: Có một lần tôi phải nói chuyện trước một cử tọa đông đảo tại một hội nghị. Từ ít lâu, tôi đã tránh tập đọc bài diễn văn của tôi vì tôi cảm thấy hết sức bối rối.Tuy nhiên, một đồng nghiệp đã giúp tôi tập đọc và chỉ cho tôi cách thư giãn. Anh giúp rất giỏi vì anh luôn luôn giữ bình tĩnh. Và nhờ anh, tôi đã học làm thế nào để làm chủ tình hình hơn trước.

AUDIENCE là cử tọa, người nghe, TO OVERWHELM là áp đảo, và TO RELAX là thư giãn. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: Once I had to speak in front of a large audience at a conference. For a while I avoided practicing my speech because I felt overwhelmed. But a colleague helped me rehearse and showed me some techniques to relax. He's a good help because he always KEEPS HIS HEAD. And, thanks to him, I learned how to feel more in control.

TRANG: Thí dụ vừa rồi đã kết thúc bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS hôm nay của đài Tiếng Nói Hoa kỳ. Như vậy là chúng ta vừa học được hai thành ngữ mới. Một là JUMP THROUGH HOOPS nghĩa là làm mọi điều khó khăn để hoàn tất một việc, hay để làm vừa lòng người khác, và hai là KEEP ONE'S HEAD nghĩa là giữ bình tĩnh trong trường hợp khó khăn, nguy hiểm. Huyền Trang và Brandon xin kính chào quý vị thính giả, và xin hẹn gặp lại quý vị trong bài học kế tiếp.