Helen: Hello, welcome to Real English from BBC Learning¹ English. I’m Helen.

Zoë: 还有我，刘佳。

Helen: Today we’re going to look at words and phrases that have recently become part of the English language.

Zoë: 在今天的地道英语里，我们来学习一些当代英语中最新出现的词汇，短语还有习惯表达。那 Helen, 咱们今天要学的新词是什么呢？

Helen: Today’s new word is whistle-blower. That’s whistle and blower –whistle-blower.

Zoë: Whistle-blower. Whistle 就是吹口哨儿，blower 就是吹哨儿的人，把他们连在一起，是什么意思呢，Helen?

Helen: Well, listen carefully. A whistle-blower is someone who tells the government or the public that the company he works² for is doing something wrong or illegal. It’s common in newspaper reporting.

Zoë: 不成不成，有点儿晕。是说那种专门把坏事或者见不得人的消息告诉别人的人吗？

Helen: I’ll give an example. Imagine you were working for a law firm, but you found out that the company was taking money from criminals and not telling the truth in court. What would you do?

Zoë: 嗯，我想我会报警，或者把这个消息告诉给媒体。

Helen: So, you would be a whistle-blower.

Zoë: I see, a whistle-blower. 就是给公众或者权威机构通风报信儿的人.

Example

A: Why did you have to leave your job, Fred?

B: Well, I became a whistle-blower. The company wasn’t paying its taxes and I told the police. They closed the company as a result, and I lost my job!

Zoë: Would you become a whistle-blower, Helen?

Helen: Hmmm… yes. If the company was doing something illegal, I think I would have to say something. But I would be scared.

Zoë: Why?

Helen: Well, you would probably lose your job for one thing, and if the company was doing something illegal they might do something bad to you, to keep you quiet.

Zoë: In that case, you have to be very careful.

Helen: Exactly. Anyway, let’s recap, whistle-blower is…

Zoë: Whistle-blower. 就是形容对于一些不法行为给公众或者权威机构通风报信儿的人。

Helen: You’ve been listening to Real English from BBC Learning English. Join us again soon. Bye bye.

Zoë: 咱们下次节目再见。