李華和Larry正在討論是不是要去聽有關(guān)中國歷史的演講。今天李華會學到兩個常用語:big shot和bent out of shape.
(Ambience sound in the Hallway)
LL: Hey Li Hua! Are you going to the guest lecture this evening? Some big shot Harvard professor is going to speak tonight.
LH: 你說今天晚上來演講的教授是什么?big shot?什么是big shot?
LL: I said he is a big shot. A big shot is an important or influential person.
LH: 噢!Big shot是指一個很重要,很有影響力的人。那不就是我們中文里說的“大人物”嘛!哎!哈佛大學的教授就是大人物,big shot呀?
LL: Actually, this guy is a big shot because he's an American who lived in China for thirty years after the revolution, and got to know some of the leaders of China personally.
LH: 喲,他在中國住了30年,還認識一些中國的領(lǐng)導人。聽起來倒挺象大人物的。那他為什么要到我們學校來呢?
LL: Well, the president of our university and some other big shots from the city government are good friends of his. They invited him to come here and give a lecture.
LH: 原來他和我們校長還有市政府的官員都是好朋友。嗯,我很想去聽聽他的演講。對了,Larry,你聽說Jack找到一份新工作嗎?
LL: Oh yeah, I heard that he's working for a big shot lawyer now. I'm really happy to see him doing so well after graduation.
LH: 我希望那家大律師事務(wù)所能好好待他。有時候,為這些大人物工作,未必是件好差事。
LL: Yeah, I guess so. Still, it's better to work for a big shot lawyer than to be a waiter at a coffee house. A lot of us history majors end up doing jobs like that after graduation.
LH: 話是不錯,給大律師工作總比在咖啡館當服務(wù)員好。可是,歷史專業(yè)的畢業(yè)生也不見得都到餐館去當服務(wù)員。我將來就要爭取成為一個有名的教授, a big shot professor!
LL: That's good to hear. Just be sure you don't forget about me after you become a big shot!
******
LH: 嘿!Larry, 昨晚我去聽演講,怎么沒看見你呢?那位教授講得很有意思!
LL: Well, that's good to hear. I couldn't make it because some idiot crashed his car into mine last night on the way over here. I'm still pretty bent out of shape about it.
LH: 什么!你昨晚出車禍啦?Bent out of shape? 你是不是受傷了?
LL: I'm fine! (chuckles) I said I am bent out of shape. That means I am very angry and upset about the accident last night, even though it wasn't very serious.
LH: 噢!原來你是為了車子被撞而生氣。Bent out of shape就是生氣,發(fā)火的意思。嗨,沒受傷就好,車子壞了有保險公司,別生氣啦?
LL: But I'm bent out of shape because the other guy was really rude. I had the right of way at a stop sign, but he drove through the intersection first and bumped into my car. Then he started yelling at me for not letting him go first!
LH: 哼,他不守交通規(guī)則,搶先過了馬路撞上你的車,還對你大聲嚷嚷?怪不得你要氣壞了呢!
LL: (Angry) That guy is an idiot! Otherwise, I wouldn't get so bent out of shape. Let's talk about something else. What about the lecture?
LH: 對!別談這事了。昨晚那個演講我覺得很有意思,不過,在那位教授講完要離開會場的時候,有一群學生對他大吼大叫,好像是不同意他的某個觀點。
LL: Did the guy get all bent out of shape about it?
LH: 沒有耶,那位教授沒生氣,也沒有理會那些學生。后來大家都離開會場了。
LL: Well, that's good. If someone gets bent out of shape about different opinions, it usually means he's narrow-minded.
LH: 所以,Larry,盡管撞你車的人不講道理,你也不要小心眼,為這事生氣。
今天李華學會兩個常用語,第一個是big shot,是形容很重要,有影響力的大人物。另一個常用語是bent out of shape,意思是很生氣。