李華和Larry在看世界杯足球賽,美國(guó)隊(duì)和阿爾及利亞隊(duì)。我們要學(xué)兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):on the edge of your seat和down to the wire.
LH: Larry,今天這場(chǎng)比賽可很重要!美國(guó)要是贏了,就進(jìn)16強(qiáng),要是輸了就得回家了。
L: I know! Who do you think will win? The U.S. or Algeria?
LH: 這可說(shuō)不好。
L: I agree, it's hard to predict who will win. All I know is that I'm going to be on the edge of my seat the whole game.
LH: 什么?你要坐在椅子邊兒上看比賽?這樣坐著你一會(huì)兒就得累。
L: Actually, when you are really excited or nervous about something, you can say that you are on the edge of your seat.
LH: 哦,on the edge of your seat不是真的坐在椅子的邊兒上,而是形容緊張的樣子。你是說(shuō),這場(chǎng)比賽讓你感到特別緊張、興奮,簡(jiǎn)直坐也不是站也不是。
L: Right! Or for another example, my friend Eddie loved the new Jack Nicholson suspense movie. He said it kept him on the edge of his seat for two hours.
LH: 對(duì)!懸疑電影總是讓人的心提在嗓子眼,緊張得不行!哎,Larry, 你不是說(shuō)你在網(wǎng)上買(mǎi)了一件美國(guó)隊(duì)的球衣么?寄來(lái)了沒(méi)有?
L: I've been waiting on the edge of my seat all week for it to come, but it hasn't arrived yet. I hope it didn't get lost in the mail.
LH: 別急,沒(méi)準(zhǔn)今天球衣就到了。你看別的世界杯比賽了嗎?
L: Yeah a few, but for me, none can keep me on the edge of my seat like a U.S. match does.
LH: 這倒是!不過(guò),足球比賽太緊張了!要不我們還是看“美國(guó)偶像”吧,輕松一下。
L: No way! I'm always sitting on the edge of my seat whenever they announce the winner of American Idol.
LH: 你怎么看什么都這么激動(dòng)!對(duì)了,我還真沒(méi)看出來(lái),你也是美國(guó)偶像的粉絲??!
L: Well you never know when you might learn something surprising about me, Lihua.
LH: 哈哈,那以后和你說(shuō)話(huà)時(shí)我該緊張了,I'll be on the edge of my seat when I talk to you!
******
美國(guó)對(duì)阿爾及利亞的比賽結(jié)束了,Larry和李華在談?wù)撨@場(chǎng)比賽。
LH: 真夠懸的!雙方一直是0比0,我還以為美國(guó)隊(duì)要被淘汰了呢!誰(shuí)知美國(guó)隊(duì)居然在最后三分種里進(jìn)了個(gè)球,這下就挺進(jìn)16強(qiáng)啦!
L: I know! That was so amazing! If I watch a few more games like that, I'm going to have a heart attack!
LH: 心臟?。坎恢劣诎?!不過(guò),這場(chǎng)比賽最后幾分鐘確實(shí)挺刺激的。
L: You're right. That game really came down to the wire.
LH: Down to the wire? 這是什么意思?
L: When something comes down to the wire, that means there isn't much time left.
LH: 哦,down to the wire就是指到了最后關(guān)頭。 你是說(shuō)這場(chǎng)比賽在快結(jié)束的時(shí)候居然難分勝負(fù)。
L: Right. Here's another example. My big report for work is due tomorrow and I still have a lot of work to do, so it's really coming down to the wire today.
LH: 你是說(shuō),明天有報(bào)告要交,可你還沒(méi)怎么寫(xiě)呢,所以今天是你完成報(bào)告的最后關(guān)頭了!哎?既然要寫(xiě)報(bào)告,干嘛還看世界杯?
L: I'll just say that I know what's important in life. Say, how is your summer job search going?
LH: 還在找呢。我已經(jīng)快沒(méi)錢(qián)了,如果再找不到工作,我連房租也交不出來(lái)了。
L: Gosh, it sounds like it's really coming down to the wire. Have you had any success?
LH: 倒是有一份工作,我已經(jīng)進(jìn)入最后一輪面試了,公司說(shuō)今天下午打電話(huà)通知我結(jié)果。
L: Wow, it sounds like it's coming down to the wire. You must really be on the edge of your seat.
LH: 是啊,已經(jīng)快5點(diǎn)了,還沒(méi)來(lái)電話(huà),我都要急死了!
今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是on the edge of your seat, 表示緊張興奮。另一是down to the wire, 意思是到最后關(guān)頭。