Từ và Thành ngữ bài 222: On the firing line, Fizzle out

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Mời quý vị theo dõi bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS số 222 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 giới thiệu cùng quý vị hai thành ngữ mới. Một có từ FIRING nghĩa là bắn súng, và một có động từ TO FIZZLE nghĩa là thất bại. Brandon xin đọc thành ngữ thứ nhất.

BRANDON: The first idiom is ON THE FIRING LINE, ON THE FIRING LINE.

TRANG: ON THE FIRING LINE là tuyến lửa, nơi súng được nhắm vào một mục tiêu. Thành ngữ này còn được dùng để chỉ một tình thế khiến một đối tượng bị chỉ trích hay đả kích.

Một hội đồng thành phố đang gặp khó khăn với cư dân vì những quy luật mà họ mới đưa ra. Một cư dân cho biết:

BRANDON: The council members of the town I live in are under attack. They recently raised fees on everything from construction permits to dog licenses. At a meeting with citizens, they were clearly ON THE FIRING LINE. For three hours, they were grilled about why citizens had to pay more, and the citizenss were not completely happy with their answers.

TRANG: Các ủy viên hội đồng thành phố nơi tôi ở đang bị đả kích. Mới đây, họ tăng lệ phí lên tất cả mọi thứ, từ giấy phép xây dựng cho tới giấy phép nuôi chó. Tại một cuộc họp với cư dân, rõ ràng họ đã bị chỉ trích gay gắt. Trong suốt ba tiếng đồng hồ họ bị hạch hỏi về việc tại sao cư dân phải trả thêm tiền, và cư dân không hài lòng lắm với những câu trả lời của họ.

ATTACK là đả kích, tấn công, TO GRILL là tra hỏi, thẩm vấn. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: The council members of the town I live in are under attack. They recently raised fees on everything from construction permits to dog licenses. At a meeting with citizens, they were clearly ON THE FIRING LINE. For three hours, they were grilled about why citizens had to pay more, and the citizenss were not completely happy with their answers.

TRANG: Trong nhiều gia đình, vấn đề tiền bạc thường do các bà vợ quản lý. Một ông chồng cho biết vợ ông đang tìm cách giảm bớt tiền tiêu. Ông nói:

BRANDON: My wife controls the budget in the house. She says we have to cut down on spending. That means buying new clothing, going out to restaurants and taking a summer vacation are all ON THE FIRING LINE now. She’s against any purchases until there’s enough money to pay for them.

TRANG: Vợ tôi là người quản lý ngân sách gia đình. Bà ấy nói rằng chúng tôi phải giảm chi tiêu. Như thế có nghĩa là việc mua quần áo mới, đi ăn tiệm và đi nghỉ hè là những việc đang bị hạn chế. Vợ tôi chống việc mua bất cứ món gì trừ phi chúng tôi có đủ tiền để mua món đó.

BUDGET là ngân sách, SPENDING là tiêu tiền, và PURCHASE là mua. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: My wife controls the budget in the house. She says we have to cut down on spending. That means buying new clothing, going out to restaurants and taking a summer vacation are all ON THE FIRING LINE now. She’s against any purchases until there’s enough money to pay for them.

MUSIC BRIDGE

TRANG: Tiếp theo đây là thành ngữ thứ hai.

BRANDON: The second idiom is FIZZLE OUT, FIZZLE OUT.

TRANG: FIZZLE OUT có nghĩa là tàn lụi dần hay thất bại sau khi rầm rộ lúc ban đầu.

Nhiều học sinh mơ ước chọn nghề làm luật sư vì cho rằng nghề này mang lại tiền tài và danh vọng. Một cố vấn nghề nghiệp cho biết:

BRANDON: Many students think that lawyers can make a lot of money, live in nice homes and eat at nice restaurants. But many young lawyers have found out that life for those in the profession is quite demanding. When they realize how many hours they have to work in a week, and how many sacrifices they have to make, their enthusiasm seems to FIZZLE OUT.

TRANG: Nhiều sinh viên cho rằng luật sư có thể kiếm nhiều tiền, sống trong những căn nhà đẹp và ăn uống tại các tiệm ăn sang trọng. Tuy nhiên, nhiều luật sư trẻ khám phá ra rằng làm luật sư đòi hỏi rất nhiều chuyện. Khi họ biết rõ họ phải làm bao nhiêu giờ trong một tuần và phải hy sinh bao nhiêu thứ thì sự hăng say của họ tàn lụi dần.

SACRIFICE là sự hy sinh, và ENTHUSIASM là sự hăng say, nhiệt tình. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: Many students think that lawyers can make a lot of money, live in nice homes and eat at nice restaurants. But many young lawyers have found out that life for those in the profession is quite demanding. When they realize how many hours they have to work in a week, and how many sacrifices they have to make, their enthusiasm seems to FIZZLE OUT.

TRANG: Một hội từ thiện đang tổ chức những buổi chạy đua để quyên tiền chống bịnh ung thư phổi. Một phóng viên tường thuật về điều gì đã xảy ra cho hội này:

BRANDON: Hundreds of races take place every year to raise money to fight lung cancer. But one organization has been having trouble getting contributions. That’s because its president was recently caught stealing and then lying about it. No wonder funding is FIZZLING OUT.

TRANG: Hàng trăm cuộc chạy đua được tổ chức hàng năm để quyên tiền chống bịnh ung thư phổi. Tuy nhiên một tổ chức đang gặp khó khăn trong việc xin mọi người đóng góp. Đó là vì bà chủ tịch hội này bị bắt quả tang ăn cắp tiền rồi lại nói dối về hành động đó. Dĩ nhiên là số tiền đóng góp đang chấm dứt.

RACE là cuộc đua, CONTRIBUTION là sự đóng góp, và NO WONDER là tất nhiên, không có gì lạ. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: Hundreds of races take place every year to raise money to fight lung cancer. But one organization has been having trouble getting contributions. That’s because its president was recently caught stealing and then lying about it. No wonder funding is FIZZLING OUT.

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 ON THE FIRING LINE là tình trạng bị chỉ trích gay gắt, và hai là FIZZLE OUT là tàn lụi sau khi rầm rộ lúc ban đầu. Huyền Trang và Brandon Garner xin kính chào quý vị thính giả, và xin hẹn gặp lại quý vị trong bài học kế tiếp.