美国教育部长把AI念成A1

近近日，美国教育部长琳达·麦克马洪（Linda McMahon）在发言中，把“AI”念成“A1”（A one）……据了解，美国一知名酱料品牌叫A1。

今天你练听力了吗？

🤔️小作业：

1. What is the author's overall attitude toward Linda McMahon’s mix-up during her speech?

A. Condemning and politically critical

B. Objective and reportorial

C. Satirical with a humorous undertone

D. Supportive and protective

无注释原文：

Education Secretary Linda McMahon confuses AI with A1, sauce brand capitalizes on blunder

From: USA TODAY

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon may have had a juicy steak in mind while speaking at a panel earlier this week because she confused artificial intelligence, also known as AI, with A1, the same name as the popular sauce brand.

McMahon, 76, made the mix-up on April 8 while speaking at the ASU+GSV Summit, an event focusing on educational innovation. The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) initially referred to the acronym for artificial intelligence correctly, saying, "You know, AI development – I mean, how can we educate at the speed of light if we don't have the best technology around to do that?"

Things got sticky as McMahon's speech continued: "A school system that's going to start making sure that first graders, or even pre-Ks, have A1 teaching in every year. That's a wonderful thing!"

"Kids are sponges. They just absorb everything," she added. "It wasn't all that long ago that it was, 'We're going to have internet in our schools!' Now let's see A1 and how can that be helpful."

A.1. Sauce capitalized on McMahon's blunder by posting an Instagram post on their verified account saying, "You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1."

"Agree, best to start them early," the picture attached to the post reads.

Other Instagram users loved the response from the Kraft Heinz-owned brand. One user even commented, "I will be buying a bottle or two because of this post."

People online have even joined in on poking fun at McMahon, with one X user saying, "Education Secretary Linda McMahon keeps referring to AI as A1 and talking about how it will help 'students at all levels.' But how can we get those kids to drink it? Linda added, 'The smarter kids can move up to Thousand Island Dressing'"

USA TODAY contacted Kraft Heinz and the U.S. Department of Education on Saturday but has not received a response.

In February, the president told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants McMahon to "put herself out of a job." The White House has been discussing steps in recent weeks to dismantle the Education Department, though only Congress can formally do away with a federal agency.

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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Education Secretary Linda McMahon confuses AI with A1, sauce brand capitalizes on blunder

From: USA TODAY

Secretary of Education Linda McMahon may have had a juicy steak in mind while speaking at a panel earlier this week because she confused artificial intelligence, also known as AI, with A1, the same name as the popular sauce brand.

美国教育部长琳达·麦克马洪（Linda McMahon）在本周早些时候的一场座谈会上发言时，可能脑海中正惦记着多汁的牛排，她把AI（Artificial Intelligence，人工智能）念成了A1，后者是一个知名酱料品牌名。

panel /ˈpæn.əl/ 1）表示“嵌板，镶板”，英文解释为“a flat, usually rectangular part, or piece of wood, metal, cloth, etc., that fits into or onto something larger”如：a beautiful old door with oak panels 一扇嵌有橡木板的漂亮的老式门；

2）表示“（选定的）专家小组；讨论小组”，英文解释为“a small group of people chosen to give advice, make a decision, or publicly discuss their opinions as entertainment”

sauce /sɔːs/作名词，可以指“调味汁；酱”（a thick liquid eaten with food to add flavour），本身也有“讨厌的话（或举动）；无礼的话（或举动）”的含义（talk or behaviour that is annoying or lacking in respect）。

McMahon, 76, made the mix-up on April 8 while speaking at the ASU+GSV Summit, an event focusing on educational innovation. The former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) initially referred to the acronym for artificial intelligence correctly, saying, "You know, AI development – I mean, how can we educate at the speed of light if we don't have the best technology around to do that?"

现年76岁的麦克马洪于4月8日在ASU+GSV峰会上出现了这一口误，该活动聚焦于教育创新。这位世界摔角娱乐公司（World Wrestling Entertainment，WWE）前首席执行官起初还准确说出了“AI”这个缩写，她说道：“大家知道，AI的发展——我是说，如果我们没有最好的技术来支持，我们怎么能实现如光速般高效的教育呢？”

mix-up /ˈmɪks.ʌp/ 表示“（引起混乱的）错误”，英文解释为“a mistake that causes confusion”举个🌰：There was a mix-up at the office and we all received the wrong forms. 办公室搞错了，我们都收到了错误的表格。

wrestling /ˈres.lɪŋ/ 表示“摔跤运动”，英文解释为“a sport in which two people fight and try to throw each other to the ground”

摔跤是一种传统的竞技运动，起源于原始社会，通常采取一对一的搏斗形式，目的是在规则约束下击败对手以获得竞技积分。摔跤包括自由式摔跤、古典式摔跤等，是奥运会的一项比赛项目‌。摔角则是一种将娱乐与运动结合在一起的格斗项目，更注重观赏性和表演性。美国职业摔角（如WWE）起源于18世纪的站立式摔跤，经过多年的发展，逐渐成为一种表演性的娱乐项目‌。

acronym /ˈæk.rə.nɪm/表示“首字母缩拼词，首字母组合词，首字母缩略词”，英文解释为“an abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something, pronounced as a word”举个🌰：AIDS is an acronym for "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome". AIDS （艾滋病）是 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome（获得性免疫缺损综合征）的首字母缩拼词。

📍词根“acro-”意味着“高处，尖端”，而“-nym”意味着“名字”，所以“acronym”指的是由几个词的首字母组成的词。

📍acronym和initialism都是由首字母缩写形成的词，但它们之间有一个主要的区别：Acronym（首字母缩略词）：可以作为一个单词来发音。例如：NASA（National Aeronautics and Space Administration，美国国家航空航天局），它读作 /ˈnæsə/，像一个单词一样。而Initialism（字母缩略词）：同样由一系列单词的首字母组成，但每个字母都单独发音，而不是合成一个单词的发音。例如：FBI（Federal Bureau of Investigation，美国联邦调查局），它读作 /ˌɛfˈbiːˈaɪ/，每个字母分开发音。

📍简而言之，如果你将缩写作为一个单词来发音，那么它是一个acronym；如果你逐个字母发音，那么它是一个initialism。

Things got sticky as McMahon's speech continued: "A school system that's going to start making sure that first graders, or even pre-Ks, have A1 teaching in every year. That's a wonderful thing!"

她的发言随后出现了问题，情况变得有些尴尬。她说：“我们的学校体系要确保每年都为一年级乃至学前班的孩子提供‘A1’教学。这是一件很棒的事！”

sticky /ˈstɪk.i/ 1）表示“黏性的；黏的；涂有黏胶的”，英文解释为“made of or covered with a substance that stays attached to any surface it touches”如：a sticky mess 黏胶带。

2）表示“（天气）湿热的，闷热的”，英文解释为“If the weather is sticky, it is very hot and the air feels wet.”

3）表示“困难的，棘手的”，英文解释为“difficult”举个🌰：There were a few sticky moments during the meeting, but everything turned out all right in the end. 会议过程中有几处卡壳，但最后总算是一切顺利。

区分：

📍tricky /ˈtrɪk.i/ 作形容词，表示“难办的；难对付的；棘手的”，英文解释为“If a piece of work or problem is tricky, it is difficult to deal with and needs careful attention or skill.”举个🌰：I'm in a tricky situation - whatever I do I'll offend someone. 我的处境真有点儿难办——我无论怎么做都会得罪人。

pre-K /ˌpriːˈkeɪ/ pre-kindergarten的缩略语，表示“学前班”，英文解释为“a school or class for children who are younger than five years old. Pre-K is short for pre-kindergarten.”举个🌰：I didn't go to pre-K or kindergarten, but I still did well in school. 我没有去学前班或幼儿园，但我在学校的表现仍然很好。

"Kids are sponges. They just absorb everything," she added. "It wasn't all that long ago that it was, 'We're going to have internet in our schools!' Now let's see A1 and how can that be helpful."

她接着说：“孩子们就像海绵一样，什么知识都能吸收。想当年，我们还在为‘我们要在学校接入互联网’而兴奋，如今轮到‘A1’登场，我们该想想它能带来怎样的帮助了。”

sponge /spʌndʒ/ 作名词，表示“（擦洗用的）海绵（块）”，英文解释为“a piece of a soft natural or artificial substance full of small holes, which can suck up liquid and is used for washing”，也可以作为动词sponge/sponge down，表示“用湿布/湿海绵擦洗/擦拭”，举个🌰：Fill a bowl with water and gently sponge your face and body. 装满一碗水，然后用湿海绵轻轻擦洗你的脸和身子。

sponge作动词还有一个比较有意思的含义“揩油，吃白食”，英文解释为“If you say that someone sponges off other people or sponges on them, you mean that they regularly get money from other people when they should be trying to support themselves.”举个🌰：He should just get an honest job and stop sponging off the rest of us! 他就应该找一份踏实的工作，不要再揩我们其他人的油了！

A.1. Sauce capitalized on McMahon's blunder by posting an Instagram post on their verified account saying, "You heard her. Every school should have access to A.1."

A1酱料品牌借麦克马洪的口误，在其认证的Instagram账号上发布动态称：“你没听错。每所学校都该备点A.1.酱料。”

表示“利用…获益；从…中获利；充分利用；从…中获得更多的好处”，英文解释为“to use a situation to your own advantage”举个🌰：She capitalized on her knowledge and experience to get a better job. 她凭借自己的学识和经验谋求了一份收入更高的新工作。

blunder /ˈblʌn.dər/表示“（通常由于粗心或欠考虑而酿成的）大错；愚蠢错误，疏忽”，英文解释为“a serious mistake, usually caused by not taking care or thinking”举个🌰：I made a blunder by getting his name wrong. 我一疏忽，弄错了他的名字。

表示“核实；查对；核准；证明；证实”，英文解释为“to check that sth is true or accurate；to show or say that sth is true or accurate”举个🌰：We have no way of verifying his story. 我们无法核实他所说的情况。Her version of events was verified by neighbours. 她对这些事件的说法已得到邻居的证实。

"Agree, best to start them early," the picture attached to the post reads.

其动态配图上写道：“同意，酱料要从娃娃抓起。”

Other Instagram users loved the response from the Kraft Heinz-owned brand. One user even commented, "I will be buying a bottle or two because of this post."

Instagram上，网友们纷纷为这波来自卡夫亨氏旗下品牌的神回复点赞。甚至有用户评论道：“冲这条动态，我决定去买一两瓶A1酱料。”

People online have even joined in on poking fun at McMahon, with one X user saying, "Education Secretary Linda McMahon keeps referring to AI as A1 and talking about how it will help 'students at all levels.' But how can we get those kids to drink it? Linda added, 'The smarter kids can move up to Thousand Island Dressing'"

网友们也开始调侃麦克马洪，一位X平台用户发帖说：“教育部长琳达·麦克马洪一直把AI讲成A1，还说这能‘造福所有学生’。可问题是——我们该怎么让孩子们把这玩意儿喝下去？琳达还说：‘聪明点的孩子，可以进阶尝尝千岛酱了。’”

表示“取笑，奚落；打趣”，英文解释为“to make someone/something seem stupid by making jokes about them or laughing unkindly”

Thousand Island Dressing是一种美式调味酱，颜色通常为淡橙或粉红色，常用于汉堡或沙拉中。网友调侃说：既然“AI = A1”，那“聪明一点的孩子可以升级到千岛酱（Thousand Island Dressing）”，是在用沙拉酱来表示“进阶版”AI，把一个严肃的科技话题搞成了调料表，达到讽刺和幽默的效果。这种笑话依赖于美国人熟悉的调料品牌，形成了拟物幽默。

USA TODAY contacted Kraft Heinz and the U.S. Department of Education on Saturday but has not received a response.

《今日美国》（USA TODAY）于周六就此事联系了卡夫亨氏公司和美国教育部，但尚未收到回复。

In February, the president told reporters in the Oval Office that he wants McMahon to "put herself out of a job." The White House has been discussing steps in recent weeks to dismantle the Education Department, though only Congress can formally do away with a federal agency.

今年2月，美国总统在椭圆形办公室对记者表示，他希望麦克马洪“主动让出这个岗位”。白宫近几周正酝酿解散教育部的方案，不过正式废除某个联邦机构仍需国会批准。

oval /ˈoʊ.vəl/ 表示“椭圆形体育场，椭圆形跑道；澳大利亚式橄榄球球场”，英文解释为“a racetrack in the shape of an oval or a rectangle having rounded corners；a ground for Australian Rules football.”

也可以表示“椭圆形的；卵形的”，英文解释为“shaped like a circle that is flattened so that it is like an egg or an ellipse”如：an oval mirror 椭圆形镜子，an oval face 鹅蛋脸。

the Oval Office /ˌəʊ.vəl ˈɒf.ɪs/ 表示“（美国白宫的）椭圆形办公室，（美国）总统办公室”，英文解释为“the office of the US president, in Washington”

dismantle /dɪˈsmæn.təl/ 表示“拆除，逐步废除”，英文解释为“To dismantle an organization or system means to cause it to stop functioning by gradually reducing its power or purpose.”举个🌰：Public services of all kinds are being dismantled. 各种公共服务正被逐步废除。

🎬电影《弯伦》（Machete）中的台词提到：We need to uncover and dismantle this network. 我们必须揭露并且除掉这个网络。

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