实际上，要认真回答这个问题的话，那就是绝大多数会议都打着提供“学习”机会的幌子，实其实不过是让大家补课了解现状。这就是为什么这些会议无聊得让alpha极客们（译注：alpha geek，顾名思义，也就是专玩alpha版走在技术潮流最前沿的人）郁闷到直想做俯卧撑！
The factual, serious answer is that most conferences pretend to provide an opportunity to "learn" by catching up with the status quo, and that's why they bore alpha geeks to tears.
但是我将关注一个我在记录这个播客时所遇到的一个问题：不能够编写干净简洁的代码，这也是程序员们遇到的一个相当普遍的问题。
But I would like to focus on an issue that arose while I was recording the podcast: programmers' all too common inability to write clean, maintainable code.
通用公司说，他们这个月已经开始用信件来通知车主这个问题，并让客客服部门与他们约好召回维修时间。
GM said it would begin notifying owners by letter this month to make appointments with dealership service departments for repairs.
物理学家肖恩·卡罗尔(Sean Carroll)就是其中之一。他因为尝试去回答一个目前还没有科学家能够真正解释的古老问题，已经有了一点极客圈摇滚明星的感觉；这个问题就是：时间是什么？
Physicist Sean Carroll has become a bit of a rock star in geek circles by attempting to answer an age-old question no scientist has been able to fully explain: What is time?
在今天的播客中，我们将来练习解决这个问题的短语，清楚地用礼貌和肯定的方式来处理这样的问题，提出一个解决问题的办法。
In today's podcast, we'll practice phrases for introducing the problem, clearly stating the details in a polite but firm manner, making an offer and proposing a solution.
在今天的播客中，我们将来练习解决这个问题的短语，清楚地用礼貌和肯定的方式来处理这样的问题，提出一个解决问题的办法。
In today's podcast, we'll practice phrases for introducing the problem, clearly stating the details in a polite but firm manner, making an offer and proposing a solution.
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