【美国习语】383 清理个人事务，整顿机构

英语自学网

【节目介绍】:大家只要听写出音频中的例句就可以了，本期一共四段例句。听写不需要打引号，句子间也不用编序号。音频中听到的所有习语，提交后都均可在译文部分找到。
hints:
Uncle BobBefore he died Uncle Bob put his house in order, he paid all his debts, and left his insurance policies, his will, and other important papers in a big envelope on his wife's desk.
We have to put the house in order in two days, I want desks clean, the whole place looking good. And we need our accounts balanced up to date by five o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Folks, send me to Congress and I promise the first thing I'll do is clean house, I'll get rid of all those bureaucrats who sit around all day doing nothing but wait for quitting time.
I want our citizens to know I never tolerate corruption. I'm going to clean house and fire everybody who was involved. And we'll do our best to send the worst ones off to jail.我们今天要学两个习惯用语有共同的关键词：house。大家知道house是房子。我们要学的第一个习惯用语是：put one's house in order。 Put one's house in order从字面来看是整理自己的住房，但是习惯用语put one's house in order意思要广泛得多，不局限于房子。
我们来听个例子。说的是一位相当顾家的叔叔对身后的遗产作出妥善安排，以免却亲人在他去世后理财的烦恼。
例句-1：Before he died Uncle Bob put his house in order, he paid all his debts, and left his insurance policies, his will, and other important papers in a big envelope on his wife's desk.
原来Bob叔叔在去世前付清了所有的欠款，还把他的保险单、遗嘱和其它重要文件都归总放在他太太书桌上的一只大信封里。
这位叔叔所做的显然都是清理个人财务的事情，不直接关系到房子，可见这里的习惯用语put one's house in order泛指清理个人事务。
******
Put one's house in order有时也可以用来说非个人的事务。我们再听个例子，说话的人是纽约一家公司设在芝加哥的办公室的经理。他正在动员手下工作人员积极准备，迎接纽约总部的领导人来访。
例句-2：We have to put the house in order in two days, I want desks clean, the whole place looking good. And we need our accounts balanced up to date by five o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
他要求大家把办公桌整理干净，使整个办公室显得整洁美观。然后还要大家在明天下午五点前把最近的帐目都结清。
显然这一切不是他的私人事务，都是在整顿公司的业务以弥补过去的疏忽之处。这就是put the house in order这个习惯用语的第二种意思。
******
我们再学个意义相近的习惯用语：clean house。 Clean house和put one's house in order一样，通常可以用来指擦地板、吸尘、抹灰等作室内大扫除。但是clean house和put one's house in order在作习惯用语的时候就不再指家务琐事，而有更深的含义了。
我们来听个例子。这段话来自竞选运动。参选者的惯用策略是攻击在华盛顿掌权的官僚们。我们来听听一名参选人的一段竞选演说：
例句-3：Folks,send me to Congress and I promise the first thing I'll do is clean house, I'll get rid of all those bureaucrats who sit around all day doing nothing but wait for quitting time.
他说：他要是被选进国会去的话，他要做的第一件大事就是驱逐国会内所有那些终日无所事事、只等下班的官僚。
所以这里的clean house显然是进行人事大调动，剔除不称职的工作人员，以提高工作效率。
******
有时clean house还可以用来指铲除某些错误更严重的不良分子。我们再听个例子，说话的是一个大城市的市长。他刚发现某市政机构内官员弄虚作假，制造假账，贪污公款和公家设备。
例句-4：I want our citizens to know I never tolerate corruption. I'm going to clean house and fire everybody who was involved. And we'll do our best to send the worst ones off to jail.
他说：我要向市民表明我决不姑息腐败。我将清查这一机构人员，开除所有参与者，而且要竭尽全力把首恶分子送监狱法办。
这里的习惯用语clean house是整顿机构，清除不良分子。