Dialogue
Sam: Out of bed, sleepyhead. We need to go get a good spot.
Ann: Wha-what? The sun's not even up yet!
Sam: We're going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! To see all the floats and balloons.
Ann: Can't we just watch it on TV?
Sam: Nope. I promised Jenny we'd go so she can finish cooking.
Ann: OK, I'm coming already! God, this is like getting up for Confucius' Birthday Ceremony!
(During the parade)
Ann: What a prime spot! I've never seen balloons this big!
Sam: This parade is about eighty years old. It's a New York tradition.
Ann: Is that Santa Claus on that float? Isn't Christmas still a month away?
Sam: Hah, yeah, that's true. But, Macy's is a department store, so they want to get you thinking of Christmas early.
Ann: So you'll shop? That's crazy!
Sam: Yeah, and remember Jenny's dad? He's probably already got his Christmas lights up!
Ann: Speaking of Jenny, shouldn't we head back to help?
講解:
1. 對(duì)話中Sam要帶Ann去看梅西百貨感恩節(jié)游行,也就是the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade。梅西百貨是美國(guó)最大的百貨公司,它在感恩節(jié)當(dāng)天舉行的大游行,已經(jīng)成了美國(guó)人過感恩節(jié)的傳統(tǒng)節(jié)目之一,有數(shù)以萬(wàn)計(jì)的人會(huì)一大清早,甚至帶著睡袋徹夜在路旁等候,就是為了搶一個(gè)好位子。get a good spot,就是“占一個(gè)好位子”。
2. 嗯,這也就是為什么Ann覺得像參加祭孔大典了,this is like getting up for Confucius' Birthday Ceremony! Confucius就是孔子。如果感恩節(jié)當(dāng)天沒去現(xiàn)場(chǎng)看梅西百貨游行的人,也會(huì)習(xí)慣一早打開電視,看電視的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)直播。
3. 1927年,當(dāng)時(shí)紐約梅西百貨公司的員工發(fā)起了在感恩節(jié)當(dāng)天以化妝游行的方式來慶祝,多年下來就成了傳統(tǒng),甚至后來還加入了超大型的氣球玩偶,成了梅西百貨感恩節(jié)游行的一大特色。時(shí)至今日,每到感恩節(jié)的早上,從紐約中央公園西側(cè)的77街到梅西百貨所在的34街沿路都擠滿了來自各地的游客,觀看各式各樣有幾層樓高的大型氣球人偶游行。float,這里是指“游行的花車”。
4. Ann還沒有睡醒,想在家收看電視直播,Sam不同意,他說Nope. I promised Jenny we'd go so she can finish cooking. 不行,我答應(yīng)過Jenny我們會(huì)去,好讓她做完感恩節(jié)大餐。Nope.用在口語(yǔ)中,跟no是一樣的,表示“不,否定的答復(fù)”。那么yep就跟yes一樣,用在口語(yǔ)中,表示“是,肯定的答復(fù)”。finish doing something,做完某事。
6. Ann沒有辦法,只好說I'm coming already! 就是“我來了”。如果有人催你快點(diǎn)來,你也正在動(dòng)身了,這個(gè)已經(jīng)從起點(diǎn)出發(fā)而尚未到達(dá)終點(diǎn)的過程,我們就可以說I'm coming already!同時(shí),這句話還帶點(diǎn)不耐煩的感覺。例如: ---What's taking you so long? --- I'm coming already! ---你在干什么?還不來? ---來了來了!
7. 當(dāng)然,如果你正準(zhǔn)備動(dòng)身離開,也可以說成I'm leaving already. 例如:--- I need you to go home right now!--- OK, OK, I'm leaving already. ---你現(xiàn)在就回家。---好了好了,我這就走?,F(xiàn)在Sam和Ann來到了游行的現(xiàn)場(chǎng),Ann很興奮,她說What a prime spot! I've never seen balloons this big! 真是個(gè)好位置!我從來沒見過這么大的氣球!prime表示“極好的;第一流的”。
8. Ann突然發(fā)現(xiàn)了在一架花車上有圣誕老人的人偶,很奇怪,因?yàn)殡x圣誕節(jié)還有一個(gè)月呢。Isn't Christmas still a month away? 這雖然是一個(gè)問句,但是并不要求別人來回答,有強(qiáng)調(diào)的意味,比如說,Isn't it beautiful? 很漂亮,是不是?其實(shí)也就是“太漂亮了”的意思。
9. Sam解釋說,雖然離圣誕節(jié)還有一個(gè)月,但是梅西百貨已經(jīng)開始做廣告了,讓人們?cè)琰c(diǎn)想到圣誕節(jié)。get someone/something doing 讓某人某物開始做某事,例如:Get your imagination going! 開動(dòng)你的想象力!
10. 這樣人們就會(huì)很快開始為圣誕節(jié)購(gòu)物了,這也是商家一種很有效的宣傳方式。這讓Sam想起了Jenny的爸爸,也許他已經(jīng)在掛他的圣誕節(jié)彩燈了。說到Jenny,Ann想起也許他們應(yīng)該趕回去幫Jenny準(zhǔn)備感恩節(jié)大餐了。speaking of,說到,談起。head back,回去,相當(dāng)于go back。