Michael和李華今天去看籃球比賽。球賽是在紐約大型室內(nèi)體育館[麥迪遜廣場(chǎng)花園]舉行,這場(chǎng)比賽是華盛頓的球隊(duì)對(duì)紐約的球隊(duì)。 Michael到中國(guó)去學(xué)過(guò)中文,他讓李華跟他講中文,以便練習(xí)聽(tīng)力。 現(xiàn)在他們倆正在排隊(duì)進(jìn)入體育館。今天他們?cè)趯?duì)話中會(huì)用choke和 money這兩個(gè)詞。
L: 嗨,Michael,謝謝你買到這么好的票!我真高興能到[麥迪遜廣場(chǎng)]來(lái) 看球。這可是有名的體育館喲!
M: No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
L: 你也喜歡來(lái)這里看籃球比賽啊,那太好了。今天是紐約隊(duì)比華盛頓隊(duì), 你看結(jié)局會(huì)怎樣?
M:Well, Li Hua, I think
L: 你說(shuō)紐約隊(duì)會(huì)輸? 你還說(shuō)什么 choke? 你是說(shuō)他們吃飯時(shí)會(huì)噎著啦?這跟輸球有什么關(guān)系,我不懂。
M:No, no, no! They're not going to choke on their food! It's the same word with the same spelling, but it has a different meaning. Here, choke means to fail under pressure.
L:噢,我懂了。 你說(shuō)的choke 是指紐約隊(duì)會(huì)抵擋不住華盛頓球隊(duì)的壓力而輸?shù)?,?duì)嗎?
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
L: Choke 可以用在很多地方??荚嚳荚懔?,可以用choke 這個(gè)字吧?
M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
L:你上星期考試考糊了?嘿,Michael,我還知道怎么用choke這個(gè)字。你 不是老想請(qǐng)那個(gè)姑娘出去玩嗎?你請(qǐng)她,她連電話都不回,這可真讓你choked了,對(duì)不對(duì)?
M:It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.
L: 噢,你說(shuō)得可真輕松,沒(méi)關(guān)系,因?yàn)槟悴幌矚g她。好,那你告訴我你喜歡哪個(gè)女孩吶?
M:Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats!
L: 好,好, 去找位置吧!
(Michael和李華找到了自己的座位)
L: Michael,你看,紐約隊(duì)看來(lái)不會(huì)輸,他們贏了兩個(gè)球,現(xiàn)在還剩十秒了。只要紐約隊(duì)不失去球,他們就不會(huì)輸。
M:I think that
L:你也認(rèn)為紐約隊(duì)可能不會(huì)輸?等等,你看, 紐約隊(duì)丟了球!這下他們完 了!華盛頓隊(duì)要求暫停,他們還有贏的機(jī)會(huì)。
M:
L: 你認(rèn)為華盛頓球隊(duì)會(huì)贏,Michael Jordan 會(huì)投進(jìn)最后一個(gè)球。你說(shuō) "He is money "是說(shuō)他會(huì)賺錢嗎?
M:No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
L: 噢,這兒的money不是指錢,是指他打球一直保持在高水平上,一直打得很棒。
M:Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
L: 姚明當(dāng)然很棒,所以也可以說(shuō):Yao Ming is money。那我們班的 Steven,他考試總是考得很好,也能說(shuō),He is money?
M:Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
L: 原來(lái)凡是好的東西都可以說(shuō)是money。我們正在吃的比薩餅是很好吃,所以也可以說(shuō)是money.
M:Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
L: 我們常去的咖啡館當(dāng)然非常好,我一有空就想去。
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
L: Michael Jordan贏得了比賽,他就是棒。
M:Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
L: 好吧,你快回去準(zhǔn)備考試吧,我知道你要再考糊,就麻煩了。
Michael和李華今天在對(duì)話里用的兩個(gè)詞意思是相對(duì)的。 To choke是糟糕,失敗的意思;而money是保持高水平,非常棒的意思。最好大家都不要choke,都成為money,那就太棒了。今天的[流行美語(yǔ)]就到此結(jié)束, 我們下次再見(jiàn)。