周二 英语角,地点苏荷时代!Free talk and training !见末帖

The road is rougher
U.S. faces a more daunting challenge out of Group E
Posted: Friday June 9, 2006 9:54AM; Updated: Friday June 9, 2006 11:57AM

  
The Americans will be well-prepared heading into their opening match against the Czech Republic on Monday.
Simon Bruty/SI
  MAILBAG

Grant Wahl will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailba






   
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HAMBURG, Germany -- Four points. A win, a tie and a loss. It was enough to get the U.S. through the first round of the 2002 World Cup. But would it do the trick here? After doping out the first round, game by game, I don't think so. (More on that later.)

An equally intriguing question as the U.S. nears its Monday opener is: How should the U.S. define success at the World Cup?

It's a tricky question, not least because the Americans face a giant task if they want to match their quarterfinal run in '02. The Yanks would merely have to:

1. Beat out the Czech Republic (Monday's opening-game opponent) or Italy -- two legitimate title contenders -- in their first-round group, and then ...

2. Take out likely second-round foe Brazil -- the runaway Cup favorite -- in the Round of 16. (To avoid Brazil, the U.S. would almost surely have to win Group E.)

"To me, great success would be advancing out of our group," U.S. coach Bruce Arena argued to me earlier this year, not long after the World Cup draw. "It's a tremendous challenge, but I don't think it's any more challenging than 2002 was. [That group also] didn't look real good on paper. And thank God we're not playing these games on paper, or else we'd have no chance."

I don't buy all of that. This is a tougher draw than in '02, and you can be sure Arena isn't singing the "no chance on paper" tune to his players behind closed doors. From what I know of the way Arena's staff prepares its scouting reports, there is almost zero possibility that the Americans will be caught unprepared heading into these games.

So what are the U.S.' chances of advancing out of the first round? If you checked out Sports Illustrated's World Cup preview, you saw that I picked the Yanks to finish third in their group behind the Czechs and Italy. What you didn't see, unfortunately (due to limited space), was my prediction that the U.S. would play some good soccer, gain four points -- from a tie against the Czechs, a respectable loss to Italy and a win against Ghana -- and still finish behind the two European teams.

First off, let me issue the usual caveats. My predictions are often wildly wrong. The World Cup is especially difficult to forecast, and I'm due for a lifetime of karmic payback after correctly tabbing France to win it all in SI's World Cup '98 preview issue. Nor am I a big fan of predictions in general.

But the problem is that the U.S. could find itself in this situation heading into Game 3 against Ghana:

Team Points
Czech Republic 4 (after a tie against the U.S. and a win against Ghana)
Italy 4 (after a tie against Ghana and a win against the U.S.)
U.S. 1 (after a tie against the Czechs and a loss against Italy)
Ghana 1 (after a tie against slow-starting Italy and a loss against the Czechs)



Because the Czechs and Italy meet in the final group game, they could both play for the tie and ace out the U.S., even if the Americans beat Ghana to finish with four points.

Four years ago, South Korea and Portugal could have gone for a tie in Game 3 and eliminated the U.S. in an almost identical situation, but fortunately for the Americans, the Koreans didn't play along and pushed forward for the late winning goal to keep the U.S. alive.

Team Points
Czech Republic 5
Italy 5
U.S. 4
Ghana 1


I envision the Czechs and Italy being a lot more calculating if the same situation arises, which could create this final standing in the group (right).

Would I be upset if I'm wrong? Nope. Could the Yanks play reasonably well and go three and out? Yes. Could the main lesson of 2006 be how remarkable the quarterfinal run in '02 really was? You bet. This is what happens when you draw an excruciatingly hard group in a tournament where fortune is so fickle. (It's also fodder for another debate on why FIFA should seed every team in the draw instead of just the top eight teams, the better to ensure a fairer distribution of good teams.)

Of course, there could be a wild card in such a scenario: None of the Group E teams want to face Brazil in the Round of 16, which could force all four nations to push as hard as possible to win the group.

But even that may not be the case. "If you ask me right now, 'Are you willing to play in the Round of 16 against Brazil?' I'd take that," Arena told me in January. "After playing the Czech Republic and Italy and Ghana, do you think Brazil is going to be that awesome? Stand 'em up and knock 'em down, I guess."

Fair enough. While we're on the topic of wild speculation, here's one man's last stab of a guess at the U.S. lineup for the Czech game:

GK: Kasey Keller
D: Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Pope, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Lewis
M: DaMarcus Beasley, Pablo Mastroeni, Claudio Reyna, Bobby Convey
F: Landon Donovan, Brian McBride

If his health and stamina weren't still in question, John O'Brien would have been my pick to start instead of Mastroeni or Convey, but O'Brien's inability to go 90 minutes was enough reason in my mind to keep him out of the starting XI. After a lot of thought, I've also reasoned that Donovan will get the call up top instead of Eddie Johnson, which allows the U.S.' best finisher to play at forward and opens up a spot for the in-form Convey on the left wing (as Beasley switches to the right).

Can this lineup get a result against the Czechs? I think it's enough to maximize the U.S.' speed against a somewhat slow Czech back line and come away with, say, a 1-1 tie. What do you think? Send in your (suitably civil) comments to the World Cup mailbag, and we'll go from there.

Enjoy the start of the World Cup!

How Do You Think the U.S. Will Do?
T-minus however many hours and counting until the U.S.' opening match in Germany. Up first are the imposing Czechs, ranked No. 2 in the world and perhaps the best team in a tough Group E. Four years ago, the Yanks faced similarly long odds in their opener against another tough opponent in Portugal. The U.S. pulled off one of the first shocks of the tournament, downing the group favorites 3-2 and going on to the knockout rounds. Can Bruce Arena get his men ready for another upset? The coach is famous for his preparation and his willingness to juggle lineups to better match up with the opposition. Who would you start, and how do you think the U.S. will do? Here's how SI.com's Grant Wahl would line them up. GK: Kasey Keller. D: Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Pope, Oguchi Onyewu, Eddie Lewis. M: DaMarcus Beasley, Pablo Mastroeni, Claudio Reyna, Bobby Convey. F: Landon Donovan, Brian McBride.
0 comments | Add a comment   
6/10/2006 03:30:00 PM
Day 2 Reaction
Posted by Bobby Clay

Looking on the bright side of things, England struggled against the potential upset team in Group B and still came away with a win. And with Trinidad and Tobago up next, there's still time for David Beckham & Co. to get back in a groove. But did anyone expect them to not score a goal against Paraguay?

And who would have predicted that the smallest country in the tournament would play Sweden to a 0-0 draw? And by playing nearly the entire second half a man down. How do you rank that one in World Cup lore?

What were your impressions of Day 2 and what match are you looking forward to most on Day 3?
57 comments | Add a comment   
6/09/2006 11:30:00 PM
Day 1 Reaction
Posted by Bobby Clay

The first day of the World Cup is in the books and not with the results that most expected. Only four of SI.com's 10 soccer experts have Ecuador advancing out of Group A, and suddenly the South Americans are perhaps a victory away from moving on.

But were they as impressive as that 2-0 win would tend to indicate, or was Poland just flat. And despite Germany’s 4-2 victory over Costa Rica, does the host country really have the defense to go deep into this month-long tournament?

What did you learn from Day 1? Who had the most impressive goal? Which player impressed you the most? What was the worst call? How do you see Group A playing out?

24 comments | Add a comment   
6/09/2006 12:07:00 PM
Brazil vs. Brazil
  
In an intersquad showdown, Ronaldinho looked every bit the best player in the world.
Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Posted by Mark Bechtel

There's an oft-told story about how in 1992, the best action the U.S. men's basketball team -- aka, the original "Dream Team" -- saw came in a closed scrimmage, when coach Chuck Daly decided to let them go at it in what amounted to something like an All-Star game that the players took seriously. It was with that in mind that I hopped on a train Thursday afternoon for Offenbach, a suburb of Frankfurt, to watch Brazil's training session, which was open to the public.

All the talk about how the Czech Republic doesn't deserve to be ranked second in the world (and how the U.S. shouldn't be in the top five) is interesting in that it shows that debating the Brazilians' status as the top team is a waste of time. You want to argue? Fine. Bicker about who is second best. The Brazilian first XI is head and shoulders above the rest of the world, and the Brazilian second XI ain't half-bad either. So the thought of them going head-to-head -- even if it was only a scrimmage -- was too good to pass up.

Since the session was open to the public, it was held at the Kickers Offenbach Stadium, an 85-year-old structure that seats about 24,000. I'm still getting acclimated here in Frankfurt, but it seemed like an easy trip: take a train to Offenbach and hoof it the rest of the way. When I detrained, I had no idea where I was going, so I decided to follow the folks wearing yellow-and-green jerseys because they seemed to know what they were doing. We headed down a long road, occasionally encountering a sign that read "Fussganger" and had a soccer ball and an arrow on them. Seemed to make sense: This way to the football. About 20 minutes later, though, I couldn't help but wonder if "Fussganger" meant something more sinister. After maybe 3/4 of a mile on the road, the Fussganger signs told us to head into the woods, which were pretty thick. Think Brothers Grimm (or, since there's a word for everything in German, something that's probably called "Blairwitchprojektfreude"). At one point I'm reasonably certain I saw a lass in a red hood asking if anyone had seen her grandmother.

After 1/2 a mile or so, we finally got where we were going: the home of a second division German side that enjoys playing in the middle of the forest. Needless to say, it was packed. As good as the Yankees are, I can't imagine them drawing 24,000 for a BP session held in a campground in the Adirondacks. But here were a slew of Brazilians -- most notably the makeshift samba outfit featuring a couple drummers, some saucy dancers and a guy with a horn. Never mind that the horn only played one note; this guy was making it funky. There was some serious shaking going on, too, especially by the aforementioned saucy gal and the guys who broke out a six-headed parka that read BRASIL on one side and HEXA (a reference to Brazil's quest for a sixth Cup) on the other.

Then a bus pulled up onto the pitch and the crowd went nuts. The lads got off, strolled to the dressing room, and after 30 minutes, came back out. A few passing drills killed the time, and then the fun started. Eleven-on-eleven. It wasn't the most enlightening scrimmage I've ever seen. What did we learn? That Ronaldinho is amazing (he trapped a long ball using his nape). So is Robinho, who scored the first goal off a great pass from Ronaldinho. Robert Carlos is still a ridiculously dangerous attacker with a cannon for a left leg; he stood over a ball about 35 yards out, deciding what to do, before he left-footed a heat-seeker that was headed for the top-right corner before being tipped over the bar by Rogerio Ceni at the last second. In other words, the kind of stuff we've known for ages.

You can't get an adequate feel of how a team's form by watching them in a public scrimmage, but you can gauge their spirit. Last week in SI we did a chart of the 32 countries and the level of angst their fans feel. The tense end of the spectrum was composed of all of the world's top teams, save one: Brazil. The fans simply know that their team is the best in the world -- a cue they take from the coaching staff and the players themselves. And today in Offenbach, you couldn't watch the Brazilians' kickabout without thinking to yourself, There's the best team in the world.

Of course, like I said, we've known that for a while. But it sure was fun being reminded of it.

TOPIC FOR NEXT WEEK

周二晚8点英语讨论会"HOW TO DEAL WITH CRITICISMS

[ 本帖最后由 辣豆豆 于 06-6-19 20:14 编辑 ]

so, how many people will go there?

原帖由 辣豆豆 于 06-6-11 21:56 发表
TOPIC FOR NEXT WEEK

周二晚8点英语讨论会"HOW TO DEAL WITH CRITISISMS"

maybe the word of the topic-- ''CRITISISMS''  could be replaced with''CRITICISMS'',

yes?

[ 本帖最后由 wint 于 06-6-12 13:32 编辑 ]

Right,fault here.

地点：苏荷雅居甲16号楼   电话:86003545

座位安排： round table ( circle round)

参加人员： 10人（少于10 人），可以分成3-5组，视具体情况而定。



前5 分钟：老师简单自我介绍



Topic choices:

1, 猜想32强的口号

l         所用时间： 40分钟

l         用 5分钟，老师解释游戏规则，首先用英语，看同学的反应，用最少的中文解释。

l         把 32强的口号全部列出，每 2人一组，根据对入选国家过往认识，讨论哪一句应该是哪个国家的，并把他们翻译出来，并解释为什么这样认为。

l         有些国家的口号已经在口号里体现，可以很容易知道。 由此得出从口号对该国简单的一句 /一两个词语的评价：例如：意大利：pride and confidence ，etc…,

l         没有列出国家的，如：日本的口号，涉及武士道精神一词，由此可以看出是日本的口号，并简单提及该词的发音。

中间休息 10分钟

2 ，职场压力（分组竞赛）

l         所用时间： 40分钟

l         用 5分钟，老师解释游戏规则，首先用英语，看同学的反应，用最少的中文解释。

l         每人从幽默的角度，说出怎样化解职场压力，没有对错之分，不考虑是否可行等外在因素，只以幽默，异想天开，有效化解压力为评判标准。

l         由同学给与该化解方法的评语，学员一律用英语给评价并互相打分。

晚上还有谁参加啊?嘿嘿,世界杯的讨论,应该是GG会比较多吧.晚上瞧瞧去.

圆桌会议开始了

原帖由 芙 于 06-6-13 10:34 发表
晚上还有谁参加啊?嘿嘿,世界杯的讨论,应该是GG会比较多吧.晚上瞧瞧去.

you r welcome new friend!!:victory::victory:

Good topic, I will go, Ok?

原帖由 Hawk_BJ 于 06-6-13 12:32 发表
Good topic, I will go, Ok?

:kx:kx

1. It’s not like that.不是那样的。
这句话是用来辟谣的。当别人误会了一件事的来龙去脉，你就可以跟他说It’s not like that.「不是那样的。」当然随着语气及情境的不同，It’s not like that.这句话也有可能是你用来硬拗的藉口。

2. There is nothing good playing. 没好电影可看
这里的There’s nothing good playing.是接着问句而来的，指的是「没有好电影可看。」同样的，若是电视上没有好节目可看，你就可以说There’s nothing good on TV.

3. I’ve gotten carried away. 我扯太远了。
get carried away字面上的意思是「被带走了」，那么被带走的是什么呢？就是心思。当你或是他人说话的时候离了题，偏离主旨扯远了。你就可以用上这个表达法I’ve / You’ve gotten carried away.

4. Good thing... 还好，幸好…
在美语当中若要表达中文里「还好，幸好…」的语气，你就可以用Good thing...做开头。这个句型非常简单又好用，你只要在Good thing后面加上完整的句子就可以。

5. I don’t believe you’re bringing this up.
你现在提这件事真是岂有此理。bring something up是指「提到（某件事）」。当然情况会有正反两面。你若没想到对方会提起这件事讨骂，你可以说I don’t believe you’re bringing this up.。而反过来说，若你很高兴对方主动提起了一件事，你也可以用这个片语，自然说出I am glad you are bringing this up.

6. spy on... 跟监（某人）
spy这个字就是「间谍」。当动词用的意思自然就是「做间谍做的事」，也就是「监视，跟踪」之意。当你要去监视跟踪某人，美语中就说成spy on someone。

7. There’s no other way of saying it.没有别种说法
有时候不管你再怎么转、再怎么拗，也没有办法更婉转或是避开一些绝对会出现的字，这时候你就可以用上There’s no other way of saying it.这句话，来表达自己避无可避的为难，因为「没有别种说法。」

8. That will not always be the case.
情况不会永远是这样。case这个字有「情况」的意思，That will be the case.就是指「情况就会是这样了。」但是你若觉得现在的情况只会是暂时，不会长久，你就可以反过来说That will not always be the case.「情况不会永远是这样。」

9. She is coming on to you. 她对你有意思
She is coming on to you.这句话是用在两性的关系上，意思是「她对你投怀送抱。」也就是形容某人对某人有意思的情况，这个句型男女两性都适用；同样的情况，你也可以说She is making a pass at you.「她对你眉来眼去的。」这两种说法都很生动，而且最棒的是没有新单字，赞！

10. I was being polite.我这是在说客气话
polite这个字，我们在学校学的意思是「有礼貌的。」当然你若要说一个人有礼貌，你可以说He is polite.或是He has good manners.不过I was being polite.这句话是指「我这是在说客气话。」使用的情境比较趋近于客套而不伤和气的出发点，与「做作」artificial (a.)又不一样了。

11. stand someone up 放（某人）鸽子
stand someone up这个词组，大家若是第一次看到，想必多半是满头雾水，怎么单字全都认识，意思却完全猜不出来。其实stand someone up的意思就是「放（某人）鸽子」，这么简单又实用的句子，可得赶快记起来。

12. So that explains it. 原来如此
有时候事情的来龙去脉浑沌不清，让人摸不着头脑，若是突然曙光一现，让你豁然开朗，这会儿你就可以用上这句话So that explains it / everything.「这就都说得通了。」

13. I feel the same way. 我有同感。
当他人说出了你的感觉，你再同意也不过的时候，你就可以用上这句话I feel the same way.「我有同感。」这句话不但可以让你避免把同样的话再讲一次，帮你省了不少口水，还可以让对方觉得自己的意见被尊重呢。I feel the　same way.赶快记起来。

14. Is there someone else? 你是不是有了新欢？
Is there someone else?这句话字面上是指「有其它人吗？」不过Is there someone
else? 这句话在使用上，问的那个「其它人」一定是感情上的「新欢，新对象」，所以若是情侣或是夫妻之间有人说了这句Is there someone else?「你是不是有了新欢？」这可就不太妙了。

15. I can’t help myself. 我情不自禁
我无法控制自己。 I can’t help myself.这句话可不是「我帮不了自己。」（赶快消除记忆），其实 I can’t help myself. 这句话的意思是「我情不自禁。」指的是对自己的无能为力。I can’t help... 这个句型很好用，若是你遇到一个情况，想要说「我不禁纳闷了起来。」在美语中你就可以直接说: I can’t help but wonder.

16. come hell or high water
这个短语的使用时机是当你要去执行一项任务或是做一件事之际，只许成功不许失败的决心。 就犹如中文的「就算天崩地裂…」，比喻不论发生什么状况都要去完成使命。可以用在句首当作一句话的开头，或是放在句尾补述。

17. have something in common
have something in common是指「彼此有着共通点」，可能是嗜好，也可能是观念。若你和某人完全不对盘，丝毫没有共通点，你就可以说We have nothing in common.

18. What have you got to lose?
What have you got to lose?这句话当中的lose是指「失去」的意思，当有人犹豫不决，始终做不了决定，你就可以用这句话What have you got to lose? 「你有啥好损失的？」，来增强对方破釜沈舟的决心。

19. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.
这句话是用来安慰他人的，当有人对于自己太过苛责，给与自己让人喘不过气来的压力，你就可以跟对方说这句话You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.「你不该这么苛责自己的」。让对方好过一些。

20. Don’t get me started on it.
这句话是指「别让我打开话匣子」，意思是你对于某一件事或是一个主题，有很多的意见，要是让你开了话头，可能就要听你连说个七天七夜，没完没了。Don’t get me started on it.这句话是用来表达你对一件事情牢骚满腹的心情。

21. When you get down to it
get down to...是指「追究出最根柢的原因」，也就是把层层的原因摊开，在抽丝剥茧之后所得到最精确最原本的那个答案。

22. let someone off
let someone off是指「放某人一马」，也就是let someone off the hook，就如同你在钓鱼，鱼儿上了「钩」hook，而你把它放掉let it off the hook「放它一马」。

23. I don’t know what came over me.
这句话的使用时机是，当你觉得自己方才或是回想当时的举动反应，跟平常的自己判若两人，等自己回过味来，才觉得有所不妥，犹如中文里的「我不知道自己是哪根筋不对」。

24. I think you’re thinking of somone else.
这句话的使用时机是若谁认错人，或是记错人的时候，你就可以跟对方说I think you’re thinking of someone else.「我觉得你是想到别人去了」。

25. This is not how it looks.
这句话是用来辟谣的，当有些事情看起来让人误会，而实情却不是表面那般，你就可以用上这句话This is not how it looks.「事情不是表面看来的这样」，以说服他人不要指凭他们所看到的片面，骤下结论。

26.Wisdom turns the corners of your mouth up.
智慧－－－－她使你的嘴巴线条朝上

27.You’re going to love it here.
要表达喜欢一个地方，你可以说I like / love this place.，或是说成更道地的I like /love it here.。这里的it是指「气氛」atmosphere而言，若是你要跟别人挂保证，担保他一定会喜欢上某个地方，你就可以对他说You’re going to (You’ll) like / love it here.。

28.I don’t seem to fit.
fit是指「合适」之意，这句话的意思就是「我跟这里格格不入。」之意。通常也会说成I don’t seem to fit in.当你觉得某个地方或场合，和你犯冲，待在那里就是让你浑身不对劲时，你就可以说：I don’t seem to fit in.

29.You’re well on the way.
如果说way是指一段路途的话，那么be well on the way就是指在这段路途上很顺遂，有着好的开始。用be well on the way这个句型用来形容一个人学习的路途，就是指他「有慧根，悟性高」。

30.You’re out of your mind.
mind是指「心智状态，神智」，be out of...是指「没有了…?，用完了……」，be out of one’s mind的意思就是「（某人）丧失神智」，也就是「（某人）发疯」的意思。当你觉得有人做了非一般正常人会做的事，你就可以对他说You’re out of your mind.。当然这可以指暂时丧失神智，也可能是真的发了疯。

Free talk ......and JOKES                 
   this time  we ask for more jokes ,numberous jokes ....or funny stories ...
       If you have ,do you want to share ?
       If you do not ,at least you can receive the happiness others bring ,,,
    同一时间,同一地点...欢迎你和你的 笑话(S)

[ 本帖最后由 辣豆豆 于 06-6-19 20:26 编辑 ]

Yellowstone tourist dies in 500-foot fall

Monday, June 19, 2006; Posted: 1:29 a.m. EDT (05:29 GMT)


A newspaper identified the victim as Deb Chamberlin, 52, of Rockford, Michigan.  

   
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyoming (AP) -- A woman lost her footing after stepping over a retaining wall to take a photograph and went over a cliff, falling 500 feet to her death in a canyon, Yellowstone National Park officials said.

The 52-year-old woman was visiting the park with her husband and two children.

Her husband flagged down a passing motorist, who called 911 after the Saturday morning accident at an overlook along the Yellowstone River, park officials said.

A ranger rappelled down the canyon wall to reach the woman, but she was dead at the scene.

In Michigan, The Grand Rapids Press on Sunday identified the woman as Deb Chamberlin, 52, of Rockford, vice president of the school board in the west Michigan community.

"It's hard for me to articulate right now because I'm still in shock," said Rockford Superintendent Mike Shibler, who said he spoke to Chamberlin's husband, Gary.

It was the second fatal accident in Yellowstone this year. In February, a woman was killed in a snowmobile accident.

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The great outdoors
Make your summer living more special with this outdoor furniture.
By Kate Bonamici, FORTUNE
June 9, 2006: 11:27 AM EDT


NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - Memorial Day is already a distant memory, and - calendar be damned! - summer is here.

The biggest trend this year: Outdoor spaces that feel like your living room with a better breeze. Think candles and chandeliers hanging from trees, couch-style seating, and dining sets that encourage lingering meals on long summer nights.


Pottery Barn's oversized lounger with Canopy


Richard Schultz's Topiary collection


Now you can get a special line of Smith and Hawken at Target.  

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If you want to escape the traditional confines of your deck, move your party away from the house and into the shade -- drape fabric over a few branches for an instant canopy.

Here, our favorite sources for easy outdoor living spaces. (Lemonade not included.)

Henry Hall Designs
For a modern, luxe take on classic wicker, skip those sticky woven plastic models and head straight for Henry Hall Designs' Coast collection.

Available in dark or light brown, the furniture is made from a fiber called CoaXXS, which feels like rope but stands up to inclement conditions and hard use. (Don't worry about stains; it wipes clean.) Underneath it all is a sturdy aluminum frame.

Also check out the other lines from the company, including graceful wave-shaped lounge chairs and mod teak furniture.

(Chair, $1400; ottoman, $800 henryhalldesigns.com for dealers)

Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn has delved deep into full-on living rooms for the porch or yard recently. Choose from traditional dining sets in cast iron or hardwood, or assemble a cushy sectional, complete with weather-resistant cushions.

The Chesapeake collection is especially extensive - standouts, aside from the afore-mentioned sectional, include picnic tables, double-wide chaise lounges, cabinets that turn your grill into an outdoor kitchen, and an "oversized lounger with canopy" - a four-poster platform bed similar to those featured on beaches at hotels like the Mandarin Oriental in Miami.

Drape it with sheer material for a shady retreat.

(Sectional pieces, from $199; Lounger with canopy, $1,599, potterybarn.com)

Richard Schultz
His 1966 collection is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, and its impact on outdoor furniture is still clear.

But for a more organic, artistic effect, trade in the tubular frame and mesh seats for laser-cut sheet-aluminum. The Topiary collection includes chairs, a table and a stool, all in natural colors that almost blend into the greenery.

Schultz says of the collection, "I wanted to design a chair that looks like a shrub pruned to look like a chair," and he succeeded.

We love the full-sized table and armchairs, but if you're filling a smaller space (think balcony instead of deck), consider the caf?collection, which pairs a scaled down chair with the Topiary cutouts and a dainty flower-shaped table, all in easy-care stainless steel and aluminum.

Smith and Hawken
Smith and Hawken, the quintessential purveyor of gardening tools, has long made some of the best mass-market outdoor furniture around, and you can't go wrong with their Avignon collection.

The chairs have gracefully (and comfortably) curved backs, the tables are available in a variety of sizes to seat a crowd or an intimate gathering, and everything pairs beautifully with the company's classic market umbrellas. (Also a nice pick: the more modern Hampton chairs and table, which fold down quickly for easy moving and storage.)

The solid teak will last a lifetime with proper care, and the prices show it.

Luckily for penny pinchers, Smith and Hawken recently went into partnership with Target, which now sells a line of everything from fountains and decorative ducks to, you guessed it, lawn furniture.

The Glensheer collection craftsman-style hardwood, and checks in at a very reasonable $299 for two armchairs. (Avignon dining armchairs run $495 each.) Besides, you can't beat stocking up on charcoal and seating at the same store

原帖由 阿木木 于 06-6-20 17:58 发表
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