Michael和李華已經(jīng)從華盛頓返回紐約。今天是星期六,他們一起到紐約的 Meadowlands去看冰球。Michael和李華這兩個(gè)大學(xué)生,一個(gè)講英文,一個(gè)講中文,旁邊的人聽起來很奇怪,可是他們自己已經(jīng)習(xí)慣了這種方式。今天他們?cè)谡勗捴袝?huì)用兩個(gè)常用語:keep cool和screw up。 L:Michael,謝謝你帶我到Meadowlands來看冰球,Meadowlands可是有名的地方吶! 而且我從來還沒有看過冰球呢! (Starting buzzer) M:Sometimes these games get really rough! L:我也聽說了,他們說冰球比賽有時(shí)很粗暴,經(jīng)常會(huì)打架。 M:Wow, look at them! It's only five minutes into the game and they are already pushing and shoving. L:是啊,他們已經(jīng)開始推推攘攘,真的打起來了。人們都說冰球比賽有時(shí)會(huì)很粗暴,但是才開始五分鐘就打架,這可是不多見。 M:Yeah, they really need to keep cool out there. L: Michael, 這是冰球,在冰上打球,當(dāng)時(shí)是冷的咯,你在說什么呀? M:Li Hua, that's not what I meant. Keep cool means to calm down。Keep, means to hold and cool, meaning cold. L: 噢,keep cool就是要冷靜一點(diǎn), 你是說這些球員不要火氣那么大,需要保持冷靜。對(duì),他們要是老打架,最好的球員就會(huì)被禁止打球的。 M:Yeah. Another example, remember last week when you got into an argument with the professor over your mid-term grade? L:我才不會(huì)忘記上星期的事吶。那個(gè)教授給我期中考試打那么低的分?jǐn)?shù),我當(dāng)然要跟他爭(zhēng)嘛。 M:Right now Li Hua, you need to keep cool. L:是,一說起這件事,我就會(huì)生氣。得了,得了,不談這個(gè)了吧! M:I can't believe how poorly they are playing. L:你說他們打得不好呀? 說實(shí)話,我根本看不懂。我只知道當(dāng)?shù)氐那蜿?duì)輸了三分,這就輸了很多啦! M:Yeah, they have really managed to screw up this game. L:"Screw up"? 我不懂,這是什么意思? M:"Screw up" means not to play well. The home team is certainly messing up. L:噢,"Screw up" 就是打得不好。 M:"Screw up," it means to mess up. L:是不是只能說打球時(shí),或參加運(yùn)動(dòng)比賽時(shí)犯了錯(cuò)誤? M:No, it can be used to describe a lot of things. For example, I screw up on tests all the time. L:噢,你考試?yán)峡荚阋材苡?span lang="EN-US">screw up來表示呀!這么說,"screw up" 可以用的范圍很廣。 要是說一個(gè)人工作沒有做好呢?
M:He screwed up at work.
L:你老是和別人的關(guān)系搞不好,也能說是screw up吧?
M:Yes, that's why I don't date anymore. Because I screw up all the time.
L:原來是因?yàn)槔细鷦e人搞不好關(guān)系,所以你就不交女朋友了。 Michael,你也別跟自己太過不去了。
M:I do screw up a lot; I make mistakes all the time.
L:我們都犯錯(cuò)誤的,誰能不犯錯(cuò)誤啊!我來給你介紹個(gè)女朋友吧!
M:Look, they are playing like that! What is wrong with these players.
L:嗨, 這些球員真的很糟糕,你看,他們已經(jīng)輸了四分啦!
M:I hate this! They can't manage not to screw up tonight.
L:Michael, 盡管他們screw up,我們還是要keep cool! 也許還有希望扭轉(zhuǎn)局勢(shì)。
李華今天從Michael那兒學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語, 一個(gè)是:keep cool,意思是:冷靜一些,別太激動(dòng);另一個(gè)常用語是:screw up, 意思是把事情弄糟了。今天的[流行美語]就學(xué)習(xí)到這里,我們下次再會(huì)。