Từ và Thành ngữ 213: Crack down on, Cross that bridge

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Từ và Thành ngữ: Crack down on, Cross that bridge

Mời quý vị theo dõi bài học thành ngữ WORDS AND IDIOMS số 213 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 CRACK nghĩa là làm vỡ, làm gãy, và một có động từ TO CROSS nghĩa là bước ngang qua. Brandon xin đọc thành ngữ thứ nhất.

BRANDON: The first idiom is CRACK DOWN ON..., CRACK DOWN ON...

TRANG: CRACK DOWN có nghĩa là áp dụng kỷ luật nghiêm khắc, hay đàn áp thẳng tay.

Khi vấn đề xe cộ lưu thông gây ra nhiều khó khăn, ông cảnh sát trưởng trong thị trấn của chúng tôi đã phải hành động. Ông nói:

BRANDON: For months, motorists had been speeding down Main Avenue. They caused a number of accidents including citizens being hit. That’s when more police officers were assigned to enforce the law. It’s worked. Since we CRACKED DOWN, there have been fewer problems.

TRANG: Từ nhiều tháng qua, những người lái xe đã đi quá nhanh trên con đường Main trong thị trấn. Họ gây ra một số tai nạn, kể cả việc đụng phải nhiều cư dân. Đó là lúc có thêm nhiều cảnh sát được bố trí để thi hành luật lệ. Điều này đã mang lại kết quả. Kể từ khi chúng tôi thẳng tay trừng phạt, các vấn nạn đã bớt dần.

TO SPEED là đi nhanh, và TO ENFORCE là bắt tuân lịnh, thi hành luật pháp. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: For months, motorists had been speeding down Main Avenue. They caused a number of accidents including citizens being hit. That’s when more police officers were assigned to enforce the law. It’s worked. Since we CRACKED DOWN, there have been fewer problems.

TRANG: Xin quý vị lưu ý, động từ CRACK DOWN đi kèm với giới từ ON khi theo sau là một object ( một người hay một vật ). Trong thí dụ sau đây, một nhân viên văn phòng than phiền về cách xử sự gắt gao của ông xếp:

BRANDON: I know the employee manual says that we only have an hour for lunch. But once in a while I have an errand to run and I get back a few minutes late to the office. My new boss is so strict about the rules. He’s taking notes on anyone who is not at his desk on time. He’s really CRACKING DOWN ON us.

TRANG: Tôi biết rằng theo sách điều lệ cho nhân viên thì chúng tôi chỉ có một tiếng đồng hồ để ăn trưa. Tuy nhiên, đôi khi tôi cần phải chạy việc vặt và tôi trở lại sở trễ vài phút. Ông xếp mới của tôi rất nghiêm ngặt về luật lệ. Ông ấy ghi tên những người nào không ngồi ở bàn giấy đúng giờ. Ông ấy triệt để áp dụng luật lệ đối với chúng tôi.

MANUAL là sách điều lệ, RUN ERRAND là chạy việc vặt, và STRICT là nghiêm ngặt. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: I know the employee manual says that we only have an hour for lunch. But once in a while I have an errand to run and I get back a few minutes late to the office. My new boss is so strict about the rules. He’s taking notes on anyone who is not at his desk on time. He’s really CRACKING DOWN ON us.

MUSIC BRIDGE

TRANG: Tiếp theo đây là thành ngữ thứ hai.

BRANDON: The second idiom is CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT, CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT.

TRANG: CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT có một từ mới là BRIDGE nghĩa là cây cầu. Nghĩa đen là khi tới cầu thì sẽ qua cầu. Vì thế, nghĩa bóng là giải quyết một vấn đề khi nó xảy ra, chứ không tính trước.

Cô Mary chuẩn bị dọn nhà tới thành phố New York. Làm sao cô có đủ điều kiện để sống tại thành phố đắt đỏ này? Bạn cô cho biết:

BRANDON: Mary’s determined to move to New York next fall. At the moment, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do for a job when she gets there. Still, she’s not worried. She says that she will CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN SHE COMES TO IT. The way she figures it, she’ll be able to find work after she gets settled.

TRANG: Cô Mary nhất quyết dọn đi New York vào mùa thu tới. Vào lúc này, cô không biết cô sẽ làm việc gì khi đến đó. Tuy vậy cô vẫn không lo lắng. Cô nói rằng cô đến đó sẽ hay. Cô tính rằng cô sẽ có thể tìm được việc làm sau khi cô ổn định được cuộc sống.

TO BE DETERMINED là kiên quyết, nhất định, và TO SETTLE là định cư, ổn định cuộc sống. Bây giờ xin mời quý vị nghe lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: Mary’s determined to move to New York next fall. At the moment, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do for a job when she gets there. Still, she’s not worried. She says that she will CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN SHE COMES TO IT. The way she figures it, she’ll be able to find work after she gets settled.

TRANG: Một ông bố tỏ ý ngạc nhiên khi con gái ông quyết định muốn học làm bác sĩ. Ông nói:

BRANDON: I knew that my daughter liked to help people and was good in science. But I had no idea about her ambition. For now, my wife and I don’t have any plans to start thinking about how to finance such an expensive investment since she might change her mind. We prefer to CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT.

TRANG: Tôi biết rằng con gái tôi thích giúp đỡ mọi người và giỏi khoa học. Nhưng tôi không hề biết về ước vọng của con. Vào lúc này, hai vợ chồng tôi không có ý định suy tính về việc làm thế nào để trả tiền học đắt đỏ như vậy bởi vì con tôi có thể thay đổi ý kiến. Chúng tôi muốn đến đó sẽ hay, không cần lo trước.

AMBITION là tham vọng, ước vọng, và TO FINANCE là cấp tiền cho, tài trợ. Bây giờ Brandon xin đọc lại thí dụ này.

BRANDON: I knew that my daughter liked to help people and was good in science. But I had no idea about her ambition. For now, my wife and I don’t have any plans to start thinking about how to finance such an expensive investment since she might change her mind. We prefer to CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE COME TO IT.

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 CRACK DOWN nghĩa là áp dụng kỷ luật nghêm khắc, đàn áp thẳng tay, và hai là CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN ONE COMES TO IT nghĩa là tới đó sẽ hay. Huyền Trang và Brandon Garner xin kính chào quý vị thính giả, và xin hẹn gặp lại trong bài học kế tiếp.