流行美语

chubbycat

流行美语第三十一课

    今天是四月一号愚人节。李华到处去找Michael, 有事商量。今天她会学到两个常用语，sketchy和sucker。

    L：Michael，和我住在一起的小陈今天打电话到我工作的地方。她说警察到家里去找我。他们说我的签证有问题。我该怎么办？我很害怕。

    M：What? I don't believe her. That story sounds sketchy.

    L：你说听起来什么？你不信小陈说的话？

    M：That's right. I said her story is "sketchy" . That means it is suspicious and cannot be trusted.

    L：噢，sketchy就是可疑，不可信。你怎么知道小陈说的话不可信？

    M： Well, for one thing, the police usually don't care about visas. They are too busy looking for serious criminals.

    L：嗯，对呀，警察抓罪犯还忙不过来呢，他们才不管签证呢！移民局的人才是管签证的。这么说来，小陈的话是有点可疑，sketchy。

    M：Also, I don't think the police or immigration officers would go to your house. That sounds very sketchy.

    L： 对，Michael， 你可真行呐！ 要是签证有问题，移民局一般会先给我一封信，他们才不会到家去找我呢。这真是越说越不可信了。

    M：But if you want to know what's really sketchy, you should remember what day it is.

    L：今天是什么日子呀？噢。。。今天是四月一号愚人节！ 哟，我的老天爷呀，我没想到小陈会跟我开这个玩笑。

    M：Heh heh, your roommate is pretty sketchy too, if you ask me.

    L：等等，你也能说一个人sketchy? 你觉得小陈这个人不太可信？对，她的话确实是靠不住。上星期在聚会上见到的那个人，死跟着我不放，楞要送我回家，我能不能说，that guy was very sketchy?

    M：Yes, that guy was very sketchy. You have to be careful around sketchy people like that.

    L：对了，我得打电话告诉小陈我没上她的当， 借你的手机用一用，行吗？

    M：Sure!

    M：What did you say to your roommate just now? You were talking so fast in Chinese that I couldn't understand.

    L：我告诉她我很生气，我不想再跟她住在一起了，我告诉她我要搬出去和她哥哥同居了。嘿，她好象真相信我说的话！

    M：She believed that? She is such a sucker!

    L：她是什么？你是说她sketchy，是吗？

    M：No, no... a sucker is someone who believes people who lie to her, and can be easily tricked .

    L：Sucker这个词我在学校里经常听到，可就不是太清楚究竟是什么意思。原来sucker 是指很容易上当，很轻信别人的人。我一开始相信了小陈的话，那我不就是个sucker咯！

    M：Sure, everyone is a sucker at one time or another...

    L：那倒是的，每个人有时难免会当傻瓜。我记得你在电脑上收到很多电子邮件的广告，说你可以在家工作赚很多钱，当时你还很相信这些广告呢。You were such a sucker!

    M： Hey, my phone is ringing. Li Hua, it's for you. I think it's your roommate.

    L：是小陈？让我跟她说话。 (李华接电话)是呀！我不管你告诉他什么。我们相爱，我们要同居。什么？我不管你说什么，我不要跟骗我的人住在一起。 (关电话)

    M：Your roommate is a real sucker! She still believes your story even after talking to her brother?

    L：对，他跟她哥哥通完了电话，但是还相信我要和她哥哥同居了。我看我还是给她打个电话告诉她我是在开玩笑吧，否则她会把我的东西从窗子里都扔掉的。

    今天Michael 教李华学会了两个常用语，一个是：sketchy，意思是一个人，或者是一个人说的话不可信，值得怀疑；另一个是：sucker， 指一个很轻信，很容易上当的人。这次[流行美语]就学习到这里，我们下次节目再见。

chubbycat

流行美语第三十二课

    Michael在纽约上大学，他父母住在华盛顿，这个周末他请李华到他父母家作客。今天，李华会学到两个常用语：fishy和to luck out。

    L: Michael, 谢谢你请我到你家来过周末。有机会和一个美国家庭一 起过周末对我来说是很有意义的。你的爸爸妈妈人真好，我也很 喜欢你的妹妹。

    M: She's not usually so nice. Normally all she does is complain. I think there's something fishy going on.

    L: 噢，你说她平时没有象这两天讨人喜欢呀？她老是爱抱怨，这我 倒是看不出来。你说，there's something fishy going on, 那是什么 意思呀？Fish不是鱼吗？

    M: Oh, fishy is fish with a "y". It means there is something suspicious going on.

    L: 你的意思是，你妹妹表现得那么好，和平时不一样，你觉得有点 可疑。为什么呢？

    M: Because she always acts this way when she is trying to get our parents to let her do something.

    L: 对，有些孩子是这样的。当他们想问家长要什么的时候就会表现 得出奇的好。要求满足了， 一切又照常了。

    M: I can say something is fishy if I think someone is lying about something.

    L: 这我就清楚了，你要是认为某个人在骗你，你就可以说：It seems fishy.

    M: That's right.

    L: 比方说，我那天接到一个旅行社的电话，说我得了一个奖。他说我可 以到四个地方去旅行一个星期只要二百美元，但是要我马上付这笔 钱。我当时就觉得可疑，I thought something was fishy, 对不对？

    M: You're absolutely right. Let me tell you something, the travel company probably doesn't even exist. After you pay them, you won't be able to find them anymore.

    L: 哟，幸亏我没上当。原来是骗局，等我付了钱，他们就消失了！ 这可太气人了！

    M: You really have to be careful whenever you smell something fishy.

    ( Michael和李华在飞机场)

    L: Michael， 一个周末过得真快。好象刚到，现在又要搭飞机走了。

    M: Look, half of the flights are canceled because of the snow, but ours is still on time. We really lucked out.

    L: 噢，因为下雪，所以一半的航班都被取消了，我们的却还按时飞。 真是运气。你刚才说的lucked out大概就是运气的意思吧？

    M: Yes, it means we were really fortunate.

    L: 那每当我觉得运气好的时候，我都能用to luck out来表示吗？

    M: Yes, for example, I can say I really lucked out on that test last week. I didn't study very much for it, but I still knew all the answers on the test.

    L: 上星期的考试，我可没有考好。你没怎么念书倒是都能答出考题， you really lucked out on that test. 我可没有这种运气。我要不念书就 考不好。

    M: Hold on a second, I think they just called my name. I hope nothing's wrong.

    L: 对，我也听到他们叫你的名字呢，快去看看，有什么问题。

    L: 怎么回事，Michael, 票子没有问题吧？

    M: No, in fact I lucked out again. I dropped my wallet at the ticket counter. They just wanted to return it to me.

    L: 哟，你钱包掉了还不知道，柜台捡到了还主动还给你。你哪 来那么好的运气呐！You really lucked out this time! 钱包里有多少钱 哪？

    M: Not much, only ten bucks! Come on Li Hua, let's board the plane.

    李华今天学到了两个常用语，一个是：fishy，意思是怀疑对方不老实，有花招；另一个是：to luck out，这是指没有料到的运气。 这里[流行美语]就学习到这里。我们下次再见。

chubbycat

流行美语第三十三课

    李华是一个中国学生，她在纽约上大学，还在大学的中文系当助教。今天她要去和系主任谈话，要求增加助教的工资。李华的美国同学Michael陪她一起去。李华会学到两个常用语：wimp和guts。

    L: Michael，我很紧张。我不敢去和系主任谈话。。。 我看就算了吧， 我不要去要求加工资了。

    M: What? Don't be such a wimp, Li Hua! You have to talk to her, if you want to get a raise.

    L: 你刚才说什么？ Don't be什么？

    M: I said don't be a wimp. A wimp is a weak person, a coward, or someone who can't take pain. If you don't talk to your boss, then you are a wimp!

    L: 噢，wimp就是软弱的人，胆小鬼，或者是怕痛的人。所以，你说要是我不和系主任谈，我就是胆小鬼。 哎，你这么说我太不公平了。 你才是a wimp。上星期你去捐血，针还没有碰到你， 你就哇哇大 叫，你不是wimp是什么？

    M: I was not! You were a wimp when you crashed your bicycle. You cried because you hurt your arm!

    L: 我那次骑自行车摔倒，受伤可严重了。不管怎么样，女孩子哭并不意味着她是一个软弱的人。

    M: But you are a wimp! Remember yesterday, you couldn't open a bag of potato chips, because you're so weak!

    L: 我昨天打不开一包土豆片，我没有力气，这也算是wimp？ 我才不是呐！有一次，我们从学校走回你的家，一共三公里， 你至少在当中休息了两次。这才是软弱的表现呢！

    M: All right, all right, stop goofing around. You need to go talk to your boss. If you don't go in there, you'll be a wimp with no money.

    L: 对，我要不进去谈就加不了工资，人家肯定会说我没有骨气。看来，我别无选择，我就得进去要求系主任给我们加工资。

    (李华和系主任谈完话以后)

    M: Well, Li Hua, how did it go?

    L: 一点问题都没有。系主任同意我们应该增加工资。她说她会去争 取足够的资金给我们提高工资到每小时十二点五美元。

    M: Wow! That's not bad Li Hua. It took a lot of guts to go in there like that.

    L: Guts? 进去谈要许多什么？你说我什么嘛？你可别说我坏话。。。

    M: No, no, when I say it took a lot of guts, I mean you had to be brave to do that!

    L: 噢，guts就是勇气。Guts 不就是动物的内脏吗？是这个字吗？

    M: That's right! You can say someone has a lot of guts. That means he is brave.

    L: 嗯， a lot of guts就是有勇气。你刚才说it took a lot of guts to go in there。所以，it takes guts to do something就是要做某件事一定要 有勇气。

    M: That's right. For instance: It took a lot of guts for you to come to the U.S. by yourself.

    L: 对，我一个人独自到美国来是要有勇气才行的。你上回在我朋友 家唱卡拉OK，这也是要有勇气的呀！

    M: You are right. Americans usually don't like to sing in public if they can't sing very well.

    L: 好多中国人也不喜欢在大庭广众唱歌呀。这确实是要有勇气的。你那 天是因为喝了酒才敢唱。否则，你就是个wimp!

    M: So are you! You only had enough guts today because I was here to support you. Usually you are a wimp!

    L: 对，你陪我一起来给我壮胆，所以我才有勇气找系主任谈话。不 过呢，我至少没有在走回家的路上喘不过气来。 You are a wimp!

    M: I guess we both are!

    今天Michael教李华学会用两个常用语，一个是：wimp，意思是软弱，没骨气；另一个是：guts，这是指有勇气。这次[流行美语]就学习到这里，我们下次节目再见。

chubbycat

流行美语第三十四课

Michael和李华白天上了好几门课，晚饭后又做功课。李华决定到Michael 的住处去休息一下，看一会电视。今天Michael 会教李华两个常用语：nerd 和cheesy。

M: Are you okay, Li Hua? What's wrong? Why are you crying?

L: 我没事。这个电视剧让人挺伤心的。我一看这种电视剧就会哭，真是 没办法。

M: You are such a nerd.

L: 你叫我什么？A nerd? 我知道那不是什么好话，可是nerd到底是什 么意思呢？

M: If you call someone a nerd, it means you think he is weird and not cool. It can be used in many different situations.

L: 噢，nerd是指那种跟一般人不一样，有点怪的人。Nerd可以用在 许多不同场合。那象你今天穿了这套衣服，怪怪的，我就可以 说：You're a nerd。 对不对？

M: Me? A nerd? Well, yes, you could call me a nerd.

L: 我肯定好多人都叫你a nerd。

M: As a matter of fact, when I was growing up, a lot of kids called me a nerd because I didn't fit in.

L: 你小的时候不合群，所以许多人都叫你nerd。我看你现在很合 群嘛。看不出你小时候是个nerd。你到底是怎么个不合群呢？

M: Well, as you know I was never very good at sports, and I never knew how to fit in with the cool kids.

L: 对，你好象告诉过我你从小就不太喜欢体育，跟那些很受欢迎的 同学也合不到一起。所以，你就成了一个nerd。

M: A typical nerd is someone who wears glasses and carries a lot of books.

L: 噢，那就是书呆子的形象，戴着眼镜，拿着许多书。

M: That's right. If someone is always studying, or seems to know the answers to everything, you can call him a nerd.

L: 老念书，什么都知道的人，那不就是书呆子吗？Michael，我看你 有的时候穿衣服有点怪，也许人家会叫你nerd，可是你绝对不会 成为书呆子。

M: I guess so! Li Hua, That TV show is so cheesy. I don't know why it's so popular.

L: 这个电视剧好多人都喜欢，包括我在内 。可你又在说什么批评的 话， 我不知道cheesy是什么意思，但是我知道你在说它不好。

M: Cheesy means tacky or dumb. It's usually used to describe a TV show, movie, or something someone says.

L: 噢，cheesy就是很俗气，质量很次，很愚蠢。人们经常用cheesy 这个词来形容电视节目，电影或者某个人说的话。

M: I think the new TV soap opera on Channel 6 is so cheesy. It is fake and the things they say on the shows are so weird. I don't know why these shows are so popular.

L: 对，我也看了六频道那个新的电视连续剧。情节是很虚假，对话 也很怪。可是你想知道为什么那么多人喜欢看吗？我来告诉你。看这 种电视剧总想知道结局嘛。我有的时候还会流泪的呢。

M: How can those cheesy TV shows make you cry? You're such a nerd.

L: 什么？ 你说我是个nerd?

M: Don't be mad, Li Hua. But you are a nerd. No one cries while watching these cheesy TV shows！

L: 我才不信呢。你们这些不流眼泪的人缺乏感情，你们才是nerd。 我不 跟你说了，我要回去了。

M: No, no, Li Hua. Wait, at least you have to finish watching this cheesy TV show so that you know who's going to marry whom.

L: 对了，不看完这个电视剧，不知道结局，我也睡不着。那就看 吧！

看来今天李华真是生气了，因为Michael说她是个nerd, 也就是说她这个人有点怪。后来她同意继续在Michael 家看完那个很cheesy的电视节目。Cheesy 就是很俗气， 没有水平的意思。这次[流行美语]就学习到这里。我们下次再见。

chubbycat

流行美语35课

    昨天晚上Michael 和一个老同学一起出去玩， 两个人都喝得酩酊大醉。现在李华来找他一起去看一个新的艺术展览。李华会学到两个常用语：wasted和 to get a kick out of something。

    L: 嗨， Michael，快走吧，该去看展览了！

    M: Give me a moment, Li Hua. Last night a friend and I went out to a bar and got wasted, so I don't feel very good right now.

    L: Got wasted? 你说你们浪费了好多钱呀？

    M: No, Li Hua, when I say we got wasted I mean we got very very drunk.

    L: 噢，你们到酒吧去了。你说的wasted意思是喝酒喝得酩酊大醉， 不是指浪费。

    M: We were so wasted that we couldn't even stand up straight.

    L: 你们真是要命，喝得站都站不直。干吗要喝那么多呢？这么喝对你身体不好的。

    M: I know. My best friend from high school came to visit, and we usually get wasted when we meet.

    L: 中学时的好朋友来看你，一高兴就喝多了，这我可以理解。在中国，老同学见面的时候，我们总是会开个party， 往往喝好多酒， 可是我们不见得会醉到象你这种程度。

    M: Ugh. It always seems like a lot of fun when I get completely wasted, but the next day, I regret it.

    L: 是啊，喝得大醉的时候觉得很好玩，到第二天你就后悔了。得了，你得换换衣服，吃点东西。我们得早点去，否则人会太多了。

    M: Eat something? Are you kidding? I can't even open my eyes without feeling sick.

    L: 哟，你睁开眼睛就想吐呀？那是不能吃东西。Michael，幸好今天是星期六，否则你整天就不能上课，什么事也做不了。

    M: Yes, I'm in graduate school, and I can't afford to miss too many classes.

    L: 研究生要缺太多课可不是开玩笑的。得了，我看你还是先洗一个澡，再喝点茶，这样可能会好些。

    M: Okay, I'll try.

    L: Michael，你觉得怎么样，好点吗？快，我们走吧！

    M: Li Hua, don't speak so loudly. I still have a headache. I think you get a kick out of watching me suffer.

    L: 你说什么？你想踢我？

    M: No, I said you get a kick out of watching me suffer. That means, you enjoy watching me suffer.

    L: 噢，to get a kick out of something意思就是为了什么事感到很开心。 这个kick跟踢球的kick是同一个字吗？

    M: That's right.

    L: 我干吗看见你难受我就高兴呢？ 你是自作自受！

    M: I know, I know...you're a good friend. You get a kick out of helping people, not watching them suffer.

    L: 这你说得还象样，我才不愿意看见别人难受，我很高兴帮助别人。 帮助象你这样的美国学生学中文我就很高兴。

    M: I'm so useless. I only get a kick out of doing stupid things, like getting wasted or watching old cartoons.

    L: 偶然喝醉一次，看看老的卡通片也不能说自己没有用嘛。你看到你的学生英语有进步，不也让你很高兴吗？

    M: Yes, I guess I do get a kick out of watching my students learn.

    L: Michael, 走吧！ 嗨，看完展览要不要再去喝个酩酊大醉呀？

    M: Arrrgh! Li Hua, you really do get a kick out of tormenting me. I'll never get wasted for the rest of my life. I promise.

    L: 我只是开个玩笑而已。不过，我倒是希望你这辈子再也不要喝那么多酒了！

    别看Michael 昨晚喝醉了，今天还晕乎乎的。可是他教了李华两个很有用的常用语，一个是：wasted，那是指喝得大醉；另一个是：to get a kick out of something，那就是为某件事感到很高兴。这次的[流行美语]就到此结束，下次节目再见。

chubbycat

流行美语第三十六课


    Michael和李华好几天没见了，今天刚好在校园里碰到，两个人就聊起来了。李华会学到两个常用语：to chip in和snail mail。

    L: 嗨，Michael，Bob明天开生日party， 你去吗？

    M: Yes, I'm going with a few friends. We decided to chip in and buy him a leather jacket. He's been talking about buying a jacket for a long time.

    L: 你要和几个朋友一起去参加 party，还要给他买一件皮夹克。可是皮夹克很贵，你们是不是准备大家凑钱给他买？你刚才说chip in是不是就是这个意思呀？

    M: That's right. To chip in, means to each contribute money to buy something.

    L: 那就是我们中国人说的凑钱买东西。

    M: Usually you say "chip in" if each person in a group of people gives some money to buy someone a present.

    L: 要是每个人都出一些钱给谁买个礼物，人们一般就会说to chip in。

    M: To give you another example, my mother said her colleagues always chip in to buy gifts to celebrate someone's birthday or when someone has a new baby.

    L: 你妈妈的同事往往会凑钱买礼物给过生日的同事，或者给刚生孩子的同事。这跟上面你说的几个朋友凑钱给Bob买皮夹克差不多。To chip in还可以用在其它什么场合吗？

    M: You can also use "to chip in" if you are going out with a group of people for dinner or a drink.

    L: 噢，几个朋友一起出去吃饭，喝酒，每个人出一些钱来付帐也可以说是chip in。

    M: Yes, the guys and I usually each chip in a few dollars when we go out for pizza on Friday nights。Last week, I paid 10 dollars, Bob chipped in $4, John gave $2. There is one guy who never chips in. He's cheap. It really makes me mad.

    L: 等等，上星期五你们几个人出去吃比萨饼，你付了十美元，Bob出了四美元，John出了两美元。还有一个小气鬼，从来不出钱。他真好意思！Why don't you ditch him, 甩了他不得了！

    M: Oh, we've been friends for many years, and it's only a few bucks!

    L: 哟，既然朋友多年，也就几块钱的事，你不愿意甩了他，那你就别生气啊！Michael, 你手里拿的是什么？好象是信吧！现在还有人写信呀？

    M: I got two letters today from a couple of old friends! I hardly ever get snail mail anymore.

    L: 你收到两个老朋友给你的来信。你说什么？Snail mail, snail不就是蜗牛吗？mail 就是信。 信和蜗牛又有什么关系呀？

    M: "Snail" is an animal known for its slow movement. "Snail mail" means real letters that you get in your mailbox.

    L: 噢，我知道了。蜗牛走的很慢，所以snail mail就是指通过邮局寄的信。以前怎么没有听说snail mail这个说法呢？

    M: Well, ever since e-mail became popular, people have used "snail mail" to talk about paper mail, because it is slower than e-mail.

    L: 对，邮局寄的信和电子邮件相比真是要慢多了。叫它“蜗牛信”倒也挺形象的。

    M: Yes, everyone is so busy nowadays, no one seems to have time to write snail mail anymore.

    L: 你说得一点不错。大家都很忙，没有多少人还会坐在那儿写信。邮局里送来的邮件不是账单，就是广告。这些也能叫做snail mail 吗？

    M: No, only a letter written to you by a friend or family member can really be called "snail mail".

    L: 噢，人们只有把亲友写的信叫做snail mail。说起写信，我真是应该给我爸爸妈妈写信了。

    M: I'm just too lazy to write snail mail. I think I'll go write some e-mails.

    L: 你的亲友都在美国，都有电脑。我的父母在中国，他们还没有电脑，所以，I have to write snail mails to them。我得走了，下回再聊吧！

    M: Okay, bye!

    李华今天学到两个常用语，一个是：to chip in， 意思是凑钱买什么东西，或者是凑钱付大家一起吃饭的钱。另一个是：snail mai，这是指通过邮局寄的信。今天的[流行美语]就学习到这里，我们下次节目再会。

chubbycat

流行美语37课


    李华到美国来念书还不到一年，纽约有好多地方她还没有去过。今天Michael 带李华到一个夜总会去玩。李华有点紧张，但是她会学到两个常用语：uptight和to get it 。

    M：Hey Li Hua, why are you sitting over here next to the bar? Why don't you go out and dance?

    L：我为什么坐在这里，不去跳舞？我。。。有点累。

    M：Oh come on! Don't be so uptight! Everyone is having a good time except for you.

    L：你说除了我，每个人都很高兴？你叫我不要什么？什么是uptight?

    M：I said, don't be uptight. Uptight means tense, irritable, or unable to relax.

    L：Uptight 就是紧张，显得烦躁，不能放松。Uptight 这个词是怎么拼的？

    M：Uptight, u-p-t-i-g-h-t. You really are uptight! We're at a dance club, and you're still trying to learn English!

    L：在夜总会问你一个英文字就说明我情绪紧张呀？我听不懂问你还不行吗？

    M：Hmph. You're never this uptight when you are with your Chinese friends. You're never afraid to sing karaoke, even it sounds so bad!

    L：跟中国朋友在一起我当然不紧张咯，我跟他们都很熟嘛。我知道我唱卡拉OK 唱得很难听，但是我也不怕。

    M：Hmm. Sometimes if I feel a bit uptight, I have a few beers. That helps me relax.

    L：Michael， 你得小心，不要在感到紧张的时候为了放松而喝酒。这样你会越喝越多的。

    M：I don't always drink when I feel uptight. Just sometimes.

    L：要不是经常的话，那还可以。不过，我现在。。。不想喝酒。

    M：Stop being so uptight, have a drink. Come on, I'll buy you something.

    L：行，行。让我想想。。。我要一个Jack and Coke.

    M：Be right back!

    M：I don't get it, Li Hua. I thought You liked to dance.

    L：你没有什么？Don't get 什么？

    M：I said "I don't get it". Don't - get- it. That means I don't understand.

    L：噢，don't get it 就是不懂。那要是我想学什么，可是又弄不清楚，弄不懂，我就可以说：“I don't get it." 对吗？

    M：That's right! Like my dog, Ralph. I tried to teach him to sit whenever I tell him to. But he still doesn't understand me. He doesn't get it.

    L：等等，你要训练你的狗，叫它坐哪里就坐哪里，它弄不懂你的要求，这也能说：He doesn't get it.

    M：Yes. If I tell you a joke, and you understand it, you can say: "I get it."

    L：要是我懂你说的笑话，我可以说：“I get it." 可是，Michael, 你说的笑话，我大多数都听不懂。

    M：There you go again...you are always so uptight.

    L：听不懂你的笑话也怪我紧张呀？ Michael, you don't get it, 我根本就不紧张。

    M：Wait, I get it! You're being uptight because Zhao Lifeng is dancing over there. Everyone says you like him!

    L：什么！说我喜欢赵立封！他在那儿跟别人跳舞，所以我就很紧张。 Michael, you really don't get it at all. 赵立封是我好朋友的男朋友，我要跟他跳舞，我的好朋友就会生气。何况我也不喜欢他。

    M：Whatever you say, Li Hua. But you still don't have to be so uptight. You can dance with me.

    L：好吧，我跟你跳舞，这样你就不会再说我uptight 了。 (dance music)

    今天李华学到两个常用语：to get it, or don't get it 意思是懂某件事，或弄不懂某件事；另一个是：uptight，也就是一个人显得很紧张。

chubbycat

流行美语38课

    星期天，迈可和李华约在一道到户外市场去买东西。他们很自然地聊起前一天晚上各自做了些什么事。李华问迈可昨晚上干吗？

    M: Man, last night I just vegged out in front of the TV all night.

    L: 你说什么? 你说你在电视机前面vegged out? 是不是说你在电视机前面吃生菜？

    M: No, no, no It doesn't have anything to do with vegetables! To veg out, V-E-G O-U-T, means to sit around and do nothing.

    L: 噢，原来如此。“to veg out”意思是说无所事事，呆坐在那里。那你干吗不出去呢?

    M: I was supposed to go out with some friends, but I was too tired after being at work all day. That's why I ended up vegging out in front of the TV all day.

    L: 啊，原来你是太累了，昨晚你除了呆坐在家里，什么也没干。那么veg out 和英语里面另外一个形容：老是坐在电视机前的人是个couch potato一不一样呢?

    M: Yes, it is similar to being a couch potato. However, if you are vegging out, that does not necessarily mean you are watching TV or eating like a couch potato does.

    L: 那样的话，要是我去了公园，呆坐在那儿，啥事也没干, 那还能不能说我在公园里vegging out呢?

    M: No, if you veg out you usually do so at home. You may be reading, listening to music, watching TV or just sitting there. Basically, your are not thinking of anything very complicated.。

    L: 所以说要是你veg out的话，通常都是赋闲在家呆坐的。如果你累了一天，或者一直辛苦地在做一件事，看来你多半会翘起二郎腿，什么事也不做，休闲休闲了。

    M: Yes, that's true. People often veg out after a long day of working or studying. Sometimes, they veg out when they should be working or studying, but then don't feel like it.

    L: 噢，这样的话，听起来好像是当一个人该做某件事，却投闲置散，拖到以后再去做，那就是veg out了。

    M: Yeah, you can also say“vegged”for short, as in “I totally just vegged last night in front of the TV.”

    L: 迈可，让咱们先停下来歇会儿吧。

    L: 我真难以相信你星期六还得上班，我以为你是星期一到星期五上班呢。

    M: Usually, I do only have to work from Monday through Friday. But my supervisor has really been in my face about getting this project done. I needed to get it done by Monday, so I decided to come in over the weekend.

    L: 我懂得，你是说你的领导一直在逼着你做完你的工作。可是你是怎么说的？ In my face? 那是什么意思啊？

    M: To say that my supervisor was “in my face” means that he has been giving me a lot of pressure about finishing the project. Just imagine someone who is standing close to your face, demanding that you finish something.

    L: 要是你说某人是in your face的话，听起来可不是什么好事。像是他不断地在提醒你该做什么事。看来你的领导是个很难处的人啊。

    M: Actually, he is not that bad. I really like him as a person. He is just very demanding when it comes to finishing work on time. He has an “in your face” personality.

    L:这样说来，你也可以说某人有“in your face”的个性呐。

    M: Yes, that means they have a very aggressive, direct personality. Someone like that usually doesn't care what other people think about their ideas.

    L: 这样形容一个人的个性，听起来不太尊敬。

    M: You’re right, it's not a very nice thing to say about someone. You probably shouldn't tell someone directly that you think they have been in your face about something.

    L: 谈到“in my face”,大太阳正照在我脸上，可真把我晒得够呛，咱们到里边儿去找个阴凉地方吧。

    M: Okay, how about getting some ice cream? There's an ice cream store right over there.

    L: 好主意，咱们走吧。

    今天迈可和李华一块儿去买东西，李华学了两个新词儿："veg out"和“in my face”."veg out"是说什么事也不做，完全轻松一下；“in my face”是一种咄咄逼人的态度或者个性。

chubbycat

流行美语第39课

    星期天，迈可和李华约在一道到户外市场去买东西。他们很自然地聊起前一天晚上各自做了些什么事。李华问迈可昨晚上干吗？

    M: Man, last night I just vegged out in front of the TV all night.

    L: 你说什么? 你说你在电视机前面vegged out? 是不是说你在电视机前面吃生菜？

    M: No, no, no It doesn't have anything to do with vegetables! To veg out, V-E-G O-U-T, means to sit around and do nothing.

    L: 噢，原来如此。“to veg out”意思是说无所事事，呆坐在那里。那你干吗不出去呢?

    M: I was supposed to go out with some friends, but I was too tired after being at work all day. That's why I ended up vegging out in front of the TV all day.

    L: 啊，原来你是太累了，昨晚你除了呆坐在家里，什么也没干。那么veg out 和英语里面另外一个形容：老是坐在电视机前的人是个couch potato一不一样呢?

    M: Yes, it is similar to being a couch potato. However, if you are vegging out, that does not necessarily mean you are watching TV or eating like a couch potato does.

    L: 那样的话，要是我去了公园，呆坐在那儿，啥事也没干, 那还能不能说我在公园里vegging out呢?

    M: No, if you veg out you usually do so at home. You may be reading, listening to music, watching TV or just sitting there. Basically, your are not thinking of anything very complicated.。

    L: 所以说要是你veg out的话，通常都是赋闲在家呆坐的。如果你累了一天，或者一直辛苦地在做一件事，看来你多半会翘起二郎腿，什么事也不做，休闲休闲了。

    M: Yes, that's true. People often veg out after a long day of working or studying. Sometimes, they veg out when they should be working or studying, but then don't feel like it.

    L: 噢，这样的话，听起来好像是当一个人该做某件事，却投闲置散，拖到以后再去做，那就是veg out了。

    M: Yeah, you can also say“vegged”for short, as in “I totally just vegged last night in front of the TV.”

    L: 迈可，让咱们先停下来歇会儿吧。

    L: 我真难以相信你星期六还得上班，我以为你是星期一到星期五上班呢。

    M: Usually, I do only have to work from Monday through Friday. But my supervisor has really been in my face about getting this project done. I needed to get it done by Monday, so I decided to come in over the weekend.

    L: 我懂得，你是说你的领导一直在逼着你做完你的工作。可是你是怎么说的？ In my face? 那是什么意思啊？

    M: To say that my supervisor was “in my face” means that he has been giving me a lot of pressure about finishing the project. Just imagine someone who is standing close to your face, demanding that you finish something.

    L: 要是你说某人是in your face的话，听起来可不是什么好事。像是他不断地在提醒你该做什么事。看来你的领导是个很难处的人啊。

    M: Actually, he is not that bad. I really like him as a person. He is just very demanding when it comes to finishing work on time. He has an “in your face” personality.

    L:这样说来，你也可以说某人有“in your face”的个性呐。

    M: Yes, that means they have a very aggressive, direct personality. Someone like that usually doesn't care what other people think about their ideas.

    L: 这样形容一个人的个性，听起来不太尊敬。

    M: You’re right, it's not a very nice thing to say about someone. You probably shouldn't tell someone directly that you think they have been in your face about something.

    L: 谈到“in my face”,大太阳正照在我脸上，可真把我晒得够呛，咱们到里边儿去找个阴凉地方吧。

    M: Okay, how about getting some ice cream? There's an ice cream store right over there.

    L: 好主意，咱们走吧。

    今天迈可和李华一块儿去买东西，李华学了两个新词儿："veg out"和“in my face”."veg out"是说什么事也不做，完全轻松一下；“in my face”是一种咄咄逼人的态度或者个性。

chubbycat

流行美语第40课

    这一天迈可准备和李华一起温习功课，在他们两人对话的时候，李华学到了两个新词儿:“to be into” 和“geek”.

    L: Hi迈可! 我马上要考试了，你帮我温习一下功课好吗？Hey, 你在看什么书啊？ Hmmph! 是本漫画？

    M: Yes, it is a comic book. I really used to be into comic books when I was a high school student, but now I don’t have much time to read them

    L: “Be into” 漫画书，你是指你总是把头埋进漫画书里边儿？

    M: Well, not exactly. Be. B-E. Into. I-N-T-O. “to be into” means to be very interested in something, and to know a lot about it.

    L: Oh, 你指的是一种嗜好。可是我以为只有儿童才看漫画书的。你未免年纪太大了点儿吧？

    M: Please! Comic books are not only for children. A lot of people my age are into comic books. And in Japan, everyone reads them, young or old.

    L: 我想你对 漫画书很有兴趣也没什么不好。而且你还有其它好些兴趣。

    M: That’s right! I am into dancing. I am also into camping and watching sports。

    L: 我就不喜欢看运动节目。我倒是对连续剧兴趣很浓。I

    M: Why are you still into soap operas? They are soooo boring! At least the people who play sports are real!

    L: 你看你的漫画书，我看我的连续剧。不论如何，我还有些真正的嗜好。举例来说，我就对中国书法就非常有兴趣，只不过，老实说，我的字老写不好。

    M: That’s not true! I think your calligraphy is very good. You have been into calligraphy for a long time, haven’t you?

    L: 不错，我很小的时候，我妈妈就逼着我练字。那时候，我一点也不喜欢，可是现在我真感激她那时逼着我练字。

    M: Also, you are into learning English.

    L: 那倒也是，不过那可不是我的嗜好。在中国，我们从中学就开始学英语了。

    M: Well, at least you are lucky you started young. I have only been into learning Chinese for a couple of years, and my Chinese is terrible!

    L: 不，迈可，那你可说的不对，你的普通话说的挺好的。

    L: 迈可，你是不是该停下来，别再看那漫画书，该开始复习功课了。

    M: Li Hua, you sound like my mother. Anyway, I can’t put this comic book down. I am such a comic book geek.

    L: 你说你是什么？一个“geek”? 那是什么意思？

    M: Well, a "geek" is soomeone who spends all of their time with their special interests or hobbies. They are mor concerned about their hobbies than being "cool" or making friends.

    L: geek是怎么拼？的这个字听起来好怪噢。

    M: Geek. G-E-E-K.

    L: 这样的话，我能不能说篮球名将Michael Jordan 是一个篮球 geek?

    M: Well, not really. Geeks are not usually into playing sports. They like things like comic books, computers, collecting stamps, reading science fiction books。

    L: 这样说来，一个 geek所喜欢的东西别人未必喜欢。他们专心注意的是用脑筋和想象力的东西，但是不需要身体动得太多。

    M: That sounds about right. Geeks often put their hobbies before other things, such as their social life, meeting girls, gaining a useful education.

    L: Aha! 你就是一个地道的 geek! 你就情愿看漫画书而不肯学习。有的时候你宁愿在家玩儿电子游戏而不肯外出跟朋友们混在一起。

    M: Gee, thanks Li Hua. Anyway, I am not completely a geek. I do study hard most of the time. I do like to dance, and I do have a lot of female friends.

    L: 好了，好了算你是半个geek. 对了，我有个表弟就是一个geek。他老是看武打电影和玩电子游戏。他从不穿一件像样的衣服，他也不在乎找不找到工作。

    M: Yes, your cousin sounds like a real geek to me. A lazy geek.

    L: 可是他至少不像你那样是一个漫画书geek!

    M: I am into comic books. So what?

    今天迈可和李华二人本来是要在一起温习功课的，结果聊起了:“to be into” 和“geek”这两个新词儿。李华现在明白了“to be into” 就是一个人对一件事物特别有兴趣，也对那件事物特别懂。“geek”是说一个人只花时间在他发生浓厚兴趣的嗜好上，别的都不管不顾。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十一课

    今天李华和Michael一起吃午饭 的时候，聊起了李华的室友小陈。Michael在谈话中教给李华两个年轻人常用的词：psycho和laid back。

    M: Hey Li Hua. You look upset about something. What's up?

    L: 哎，还不是我的室友，她今天又找我的麻烦，说是以后再也 不让我做中国菜，因为她受不了厨房里的油烟味。

    M: She said what? Your roommate is a psycho! She's crazy!

    L: 你刚才说她是什么？

    M: I called her a psycho.

    L: 我猜想，a psycho 就是中文里常说的“神经病”，对不对？

    M: That' right. Also, psycho was the name of a famous movie about a crazy person who killed people in a hotel.

    L: 嗯，我听说过那部电影叫[惊魂记]。不过，你说我室友是个psycho，你不是真的以为她发疯了吧？

    M: Well, I guess she isn't crazy. Usually we just call someone with strange behavior, and a bad unpredictable temper, a psycho.

    L: Bad, unpredictable temper，无缘无故乱发脾气，哎呀，这简直说的就是我室友嘛。Michael，再给我举几个psycho的例子好吗？

    M: Well, my last boss was a real psycho. One time, I came to work one minute late, and he yelled at me in front of everyone.

    L: 真的？ 他当着很多人的面骂你啊。这种人真是有毛病。哎，你可不可以想想看，还有什么psycho的例子呢？

    M: Well, ask any American, and they'll probably tell you about some famous serial killer, they are psychos.

    L: 噢，psycho也可以真的指一个心理变态的杀人狂。

    M: That's right. We might call someone who kills people for no reason a psycho.

    L: 呣,这样听来,我那个室友倒是没那么严重了，不过我总得想办法和她 好好相处，你说对不对， Michael？

    M: Well, when is your apartment lease going to expire? You can always ditch your psycho roommate and find a new one.

    L: 好主意。我们公寓的租约还有两个月就到期了。到时候我就可以搬出去了。

    ******

    M: Well, let's look at the roommate wanted ads in the paper.

    L: 你说我们来看看“寻找室友”的广告啊。让我来看看，这条广告说Wanted: friendly, laid back female roommate to share a two-bedroom apartment。Michael，这个“laid back”是什么意思啊？

    M: Laid back, describes someone who does not get angry or excited easily. This person doesn't want a psycho roommate.

    L: 噢，laid back是形容一个人个性比较随和，不会轻易发脾气。 Michael，你觉不觉得我脾气很好，很容易相处啊？

    M: Well, I guess so. Usually you are laid back. But, not always...

    L: 你这是什么意思，干吗吞吞吐吐的，有话直说嘛。

    M: Well, remember when you got angry at your roommate for breaking your bicycle and then blaming you?

    L: 我承认那次我很生气，不过那是因为我的室友先对我无理取闹啊。

    M: And you certainly weren't very laid back when she tricked you on April Fool's day.

    L: 就是嘛，那次也是因为她在愚人节捉弄我才惹我发脾气的。

    M: Well and then your roommate.......

    L: 够了，够了，别再提我的室友了，我每次生气都是被她害的。

    M: You're right, Li Hua. She's the problem, not you. You'd better find a new, laid back roommate.

    L: 对，我们赶快看广告吧。 你看这个广告说：Asian girl, seeks female roommate for two bedroom apartment. Call Xiaoli Chen. 我的天哪，这是我室友嘛 。她居然在瞒着我登广告。真把我气死了。

    今天李华学会两个新词，一个是psycho，指的是一个人行为反常，爱发脾气。另一个是laid back，就是个性比较随和的意思。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十二课

    李华前段时间通过了驾驶执照的考试，现在可以自己开车了。迈可也坐在她的车里，从他们二人的对话中，李华学到了两个常用语：take it easy和to chew out。

    L: 考完试了，现在有了驾照真好。我觉得我能够去任何地方，做任何想做的事了。

    M: I know what you mean. American kids feel the same way when they turn 16 and get their licenses. Too bad you don't have a car.

    L: 那有什么关系，我可以跟你借车啊，对不对？哎呀 Hey! What do you think you are doing? Do you want to be killed? Michael，你看那个骑自行车的孩子，我差点儿撞了他！

    M: Hey, hey, take it easy Li Hua! You really scared that kid. He looked really scared.

    L: Michael, 你刚才说什么？什么easy?

    M: I said take it easy! That means you need to calm down, not get too excited.

    L: Take it easy? Take it easy是冷静下来，别太气了的意思？

    M: That boy was almost in a very bad accident, and he was startled. You don't need to make him feel worse.

    L: 你说的不错，看样子他都快哭了。

    M: Hey, Li Hua, you're going to be driving on your own soon. I hope you learn to take it easy and not get angry at everyone.

    L: 你说的对。要是我冷静开车的话，也许我的车会开的更好。

    M: I'm sure you will. You just finished a difficult test. You should take it easy. Let's go get some lunch, my treat.

    L: 你要请客啊？行，我是应该放松放松了。我要好好享受今天剩下的时间。

    ******

    M: Man, Li Hua, you really chewed that kid out.

    L: 你指的是刚才骑车的那个小孩？你说我对他怎么了？

    M: You chewed him out! I mean you yelled and got angry at him.

    L: 你是说我发脾气大骂了那个孩子，是吧？

    M: That's right. If someone gets angry and yells at you, and starts criticizing your behavior, they are chewing you out.

    L: 原来如此，我也不知道为什么我大骂那个小孩，大概是当时我也害怕的缘故。

    M: Are you upset about something else? You seem to have a bad temper today.

    L: 我是真有点气，因为昨天刘教授对我发脾气。因为我该教中文课， 我去晚了五分钟。他就对我大发脾气。

    M: That's too bad. I don't like being chewed out like that either. Especially when I know I was wrong.

    L: 那可不是我的错，我自行车的链子又脱落了。 为什么发生这类事情你总是怪我呢？

    M: Hey, take it easy, Li Hua! Don't chew me out! I was talking about myself, not you.

    L: 我的天，是我不对，不知道我今天是怎么回事。我想跟每个人发脾气似的。

    M: You must be stressed. First, Professor Liu chewed you out, then you almost ran over the kid on the bike.

    L: 你说的对，我真不该对任何人都发脾气。我应该开开心心的。

    M: At least you should be happier than I am. Yesterday, my roommate chewed me out. He said I always make a mess in the living room, and he is tired of cleaning up after me.

    L: 也许你是把房子弄得很乱，可是你室友也不该对你发脾气啊。

    M: He was right, though. I really need to get rid of my bad habits.

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是Take it easy，意思是冷静下来，或者放轻松些。另一个是to chew out，意思是发脾气骂人。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十三课

    今天是周末，Michael和李华去打台球。李华一边玩一边还学了两个年轻人常用的词：to rule和to blow money on something.

    L: 哎呀，我不想玩了。我老是输给你。这样玩还有什么意思啊。

    M: Hey! You don't need to get angry just because I rule at the pool table!

    L: 啊？ 你在台球桌上做了什么？你是不是耍了什么花招，怕我生气啊？

    M: Absolutely not! I said that I rule the pool table. That means that I am the best at playing pool. I can defeat anyone. Rule, R-U-L-E.

    L: 噢，我明白了，rule在这里指的是你玩台球玩得最棒，可以打败任何人。对不对，Michael？

    M: That's right! I am king of the pool table! I rule!

    L: 嘿，你不要那么得意好不好。你忘了,那天打乒乓球，你连连败在我的手下。你呀，对乒乓球这种体育运动简直是一窍不通。

    M: Sport? Ping-pong is not a sport! It's a game! You might rule at that little game. But I rule at pool, a man's game!

    L: 你在瞎说什么啊。我不跟你争了。你还是多给我解释解释rule这个词吧。

    M: Well, I can say "I rule the pool table"; that means that I dominate the game. Or I can say "I rule at" doing something. In either case it means the same thing: I am the best!

    L: 好了，好了，就算你是最棒的吧。那rule还有什么别的用法呢？

    M: Sometimes we just say something or someone rules without adding any other words. For instance, I can say "Chinese food rules!" That means I think it is great.

    L: 那如果我说：Michael Jordan rules!，是不是就表示我认为他是最棒的篮球运动员，对不对？

    M: That's right. When we say a person rules, that means we think they are the best, or at least that they are impressive.

    L: 哎，Michael，你看那边有个人老往我们这边看，没准他是想和你比赛，怎么样，敢不敢跟他比？

    M: Whatever, I rule the pool table, no matter who I play against!

    ******

    L: Michael，你打得怎么样，输了还是赢了？

    M: Not so well. Say, Li Hua, can I borrow five dollars? I just blew my money on playing pool with them, and I need to put gas in the car so we can get home.

    L: 你说你的钱怎么了？你是不是在赌博啊？

    M: No, I said I blew my money on pool. That means I spent all of my money very quickly. Blew is the past tense for blow.

    L: 噢，“blow money on something”就是为了做某件事很快把口袋里的钱花光了。

    M: That's right. Like when we were at the mall the other day, and you blew a whole week's pay on shoes.

    L: 我是花了一星期的工资买鞋，可你不觉得我买的鞋价廉物美，所以不能说我浪费啊。

    M: Well, I guess sometimes it's ok to blow one's money on something useful.

    L: 就是嘛。哎，我倒是想起了一个你乱花钱的例子，记不记得你大 学一年级的时候到赌城拉斯维加斯，blew all of your money on black jack。

    M: Ha ha ha....yeah, what a wonderful memory. but, I'll never blow all of my money like that again. I am older and wiser now.

    L: 得了吧，你年龄的确是越来越大，可脑筋并没有越来越聪明。要不然你今天怎么会玩台球把钱都花光呢？

    M: Those guys are good. They play quickly, and they both beat me several times. Also, we agreed that the loser had to pay for the pool table. So of course I blew all of my money very quickly.

    今天Michael可是够倒霉的，输了球，还花光了钱。不过李华倒是收获不小，她今天学到两个很有用的词。一个是：to rule，是很棒的意思。另一个是：to blow one's money on something，意思是把钱都浪费在了某样东西上。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十四课

    今天李华和 Michael二人一起开车到市中心，他们想要找个停车的空位。在他们二人对话中，李华会学到两个常用语：a big deal和give it a shot。

    M: Man, I hate trying to park my car in this city! There are never any spaces. Hey look! There's one!

    L: 啊！我看到了那个位子。 Um, Michael, 可是我不知道我该不该停那儿。我的停车技术很差，我怕出差错把车给撞了。

    M: Don't worry about it! You have to learn this sooner or later. Give it a shot!

    L: 你说什么？Give what? 我该把车干吗？

    M: I said give it a shot, that means try or give it a try. We say give a shot when we ask someone to try something they are not sure they can do.

    L: 噢，你用的字 shot, 是不是就像开枪射击的那个shot啊

    M: That's right. For instance, when you are taking a test, and you are not sure of the answer to a question, you still have to give it a shot and try to guess the correct answer.

    L: 噢，give it a shot原来指的是尽量试试，即使你没有多大的信心。

    M: That's right. Now you try and use this phrase. Go ahead, give it a shot!

    L: Hmm，如果说你想要申请一个很好的工作，可是又怕自己得不到，你就可以说：Give it a shot! 反正你也不会有什么损失的。

    M: You've got it.

    L: 那还有没有其它场合可以用shot这个字的？

    M: Well, we might also say give it your best shot.

    L: 所以我们也可以说“give it your best shot”， 意思就是全力以赴去试一下。

    M: That's right. Now you'd better move your car into that space. We shouldn't sit here in the middle of the road. Go ahead and park, give it a shot!

    L: 好，我就试试看啰。

    ******

    L: 我的天， Michael，我撞到哪里了？

    M: Don't worry Li Hua, it's not a big deal. The bumper just hit the parking meter.

    L: 你说不大什么？不管撞倒哪儿都不得了啊。

    M: No no, I said its not a big deal. That means it's not very serious.

    L: Oh, 那big deal是哪两个字，怎么拼?

    M: Big, B-I-G; Deal, D-E-A-L. If something is a big deal it is very serious, or very important to someone.

    L: 我明白了，当我撞上停车计时表，你说 its not a big deal，你的意思是说没什么大不了的。我并没有造成多大损害,对不对?

    M: Yeah, at least I don't think you did. Maybe you scratched the bumper or the parking meter. You didn't really damage the car or meter, so it's not a big deal.

    L: 原来如此，但愿你说的对。还有，要是不用not这个字可以？

    M: Sure you can, for instance, it was a big deal for me when I turned 16 and got a driver's license.

    L: 对。对美国青年人来说，拿到驾驶执照可真是一件大事。

    M: Looks like you understand how to use this phrase. Why don't you make another sentence?

    L: 那我就用它造句子： It was a very big deal for Chinese people when Beijing got the chance to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

    M: It sure was! I remember on TV, I saw a lot of people in Beijing partying when that happened.

    L: 哎呀，别多说了。我得赶快把车停好。

    M: Yep, if a cop sees you stopping traffic, he might think it is a big deal. Move out of the space and try to park again. Give it another shot!

    今天李华学到了两个常用语：a big deal和give it a shot。A big deal是指很重大，或者严重的事。Give it a shot指的是尽力去试。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十五课

    　

    今天Michael和李华二人到了纽约一个公园去看烟火。李华学到了两个新词：packed和 hype。

    L: 我老天，这个公园可真挤，但愿我们能够找到个地方坐下。

    M: Yeah, it's really packed today. I've never seen this many people here.

    L: Michael,你刚刚说什么？你是说人好多吗？

    M: Yes, I said the park is packed. That means it is crowded, there are a lot of people here.

    L: 噢，我懂了。你说的packed，就是通常你说打包的pack那个字吧？

    M: That's right. Here we say "be packed" to show that a place is full of people, just like a box packed full of stuff.

    L: 我想我懂了。那中国人口很多，我是不是可以说China is packed？

    M: No, that's not really right: China has a lot of people, but China is also a very big place. We usually use 'packed' to describe a small place full of people.

    L: 嗯，原来是这样一来。那就好像在中国春节期间，每班火车都挤的满满的，那我就可以说：在春节前那个星期the trains are packed，对不对？

    M: That's right. Around Spring Festival, the buses are packed as well. Right?

    L: 没错。事实上，中国的公共汽车永远都是挤得满满的，很难找到个座位，至少在各个大都市都是这样。

    M: So, in China what other kinds of places might be packed with people?

    L: Well，我记得我去看《泰坦尼克号》那部电影时，电影院是挤的好满，好像每个人都要看哪部电影似的。

    M: Ewww. I don't really understand why people liked that movie so much. I thought it was boring.

    L: 管它是啥原因，Michael，反正中国各地的电影院总是很挤就是了。

    M: Hey, the show is starting.

    ******

    L: 哎，Michael，你觉得今天的烟火如何？

    M: Well I guess they were OK, but I was hoping they would be better.

    L: 你觉得还可以更好一些？可是我觉得已经很好了。

    M: But there was so much hype about this show! Every newspaper said it was going to be the greatest fireworks display in New York history!

    L: 你说太多什么？你说这次烟火怎么了？

    M: I said there was a lot of hype, Hype means a lot of excitement or praise about something that you might hear about before you see it.

    L: Oh，所以hype就是指大家总是把一件事说的比实际情况还要好。 对不对？

    M: Yeah, that's right. For instance, there was a lot of hype about Titanic, but I didn't think it was as good as the hype said it would be.

    L: Hmm，你说the hype about Titanic，所以我们就应该说there is hype about something，对不对?

    M: That's right. For example, I remember hearing a lot of hype about the Forbidden City in Beijing, but I didn't think it was very interesting.

    L: 你说什么？你居然说北京故宫不好，那可是中国保存历史古迹的一颗明珠哎。

    M: I didn't say it wasn't important to Chinese history. I just didn't think it was very fun to visit, at least not as fun as all the hype said it would be.

    L: 我才不管你怎么想呢。你说报上对今天的烟火作了很多宣传，到底是怎么说的呢？

    M: Well, the newspapers said it was going to be larger and more exciting than anything ever shown in the city before. But really I think that was just hype. This year wasn't much different from last year.

    L: Michael，要是你总是听人宣传的话，你一定会失望的。

    M: I guess you are right.

    今天Michael和李华到纽约一个公园去看烟火。Michael说这个公园是packed，也就是十分拥挤的意思。另外Michael也不是太喜欢这次的烟火表演，因为他说报纸作了过多的渲染。也就是hype这个词的含义。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十六课

    Michael和李华在复习功课，做完功课后他们准备去看电影。在今天的对话中，李华会学到两个常用语：no way和to bet。

    L: Michael，准备好了吗？我们要去看电影了。Anna正开车来接我们呢。

    M: Yeah I'm ready...let me get this call though. Hello? Sorry, I can't come to work right now. I have to pick up a friend from the airport. Yep. Sorry I can't help out. OK.

    L: 哎呀，Michael，你怎么能骗你同事说你要去机场接人呢？我觉得他们可能真的很需要帮手，你就去吧。我们可以下次再看电影嘛。

    M: What? No way! I'm not going to help him!

    L: 你说什么？no way是什么意思啊？

    M: No way means that there is no way I will do that. It means that I refuse completely.

    L: 噢，我知道了， No way就是绝对不行的意思，好象中文里的门儿都没有。你真的不能帮帮他吗？

    M: No way! That guy is just lazy. He is always trying to escape from work and find other people to do his job for him. Nobody trusts him.

    L: 可是不管怎么说，我还是觉得同事之间还是应该互相帮忙啊。

    M: Really? Well, what if Professor Wang called right now and said he needs you to help him grade Chinese test papers all afternoon?

    L: No way! 我才不干呢，我以前帮过他好几次忙，可他从来都不付给我工资，更气人的是他连声谢谢都不肯说。

    M: Well anyway, Anna and I have been waiting for a long time to see this movie. There is no way I'm changing my plans.

    L: 我明白了，我看你是喜欢Anna，不想错过和她一起看电影的机会吧。

    M: What? No way!

    L: 哎，你怎么又说no way，这回我又没要求你做任何事情啊。

    M: Oh, well sometimes no way also means that's not true or absolutely not. It shows that you disagree with something that somebody said.

    L: 得了，我就是觉得你喜欢Anna。

    M: No way!

    ******

    M: Hmm, Anna still isn't here. I bet the traffic is bad.

    L: 啊？你说什么？

    M: I said "I bet the traffic is bad". That means I think, or I'm pretty sure that the traffic is bad. Bet, as in to bet money.

    L: 噢，bet本来的意思是下赌注，例如赌钱，不过在这里是认为或相信的意思。

    M: That's right. When you bet money, you can't always be 100% sure about your bet.

    L: 对啊，赌钱的人不可能100%地预料到下赌注的结果， 所以说， 如果你说“I bet”，那表示你是在推测。

    M: That's right. Anyway, I'm not worried about Anna, I bet she 'll arrive any minute now.

    L: I bet you are right. Anna从来不迟到。你觉得这部电影会好看吗？

    M: I don't know. It's an action movie, so I bet you won't like it very much.

    L: 谁说的，其实我也很喜欢动作片啊，当然除了那些烂片子。

    M: I bet you'll say it is stupid no matter how good it really is. You always say action movies are stupid.

    L: Whatever. 我听好多人说这部电影好看，我想今天电影院一定满座。

    M: Hey, look, there's a red car down the street. I bet that's Anna.

    L: No way. Anna的车比这辆车小多了。

    M: Looks like I was right. Let's hurry.

    L: I bet Anna她一定很高兴见到你。

    M: No way! Stop joking around like that, ok?

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。No way表示不可能；to bet是确信的意思。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十七课

    现在Michael和李华正在公寓大楼前看热闹。李华会学到两个新词。一个是busted；另一个是creep。

    L: Michael，发生什么事儿啦，为什么有这么多警察在这儿啊？

    M: The police just busted someone for trying to steal my neighbor's car.

    L: 你说警察把那个小偷怎么样了？把他打伤了吗？

    M: No, they busted him. Busted means to catch someone doing something they shouldn't be doing.

    L: 噢，原来 busted someone for doing something就是干坏事的人被抓到了。

    M: That's right. You can say "They busted him for something" or you can just say "they busted him."

    L: Michael，你认识那个小偷吗？

    M: Sure! They busted the man who lives in the apartment above mine!

    L: 他就住你家楼上啊？

    M: Yes, I saw the police put him into a car and drive away.

    L: 哎呀，好可怕。原来你楼上一直住着个小偷。Michael，bust这个词是不是只能指警察抓罪犯呢？

    M: Not at all. Anyone who catches someone doing something wrong is busting them.

    L: 噢，我们普通人抓到别人干坏事也可以说“busted someone doing something wrong”。那我可不可以说“The teacher busted my classmate for cheating on the English test.”

    M: Yes, that's perfect. When you were little, did anyone ever bust you for doing something wrong?

    L: 当然了。有一回我逃课去逛街被阿姨看到告诉了我妈妈，害得我挨了一顿骂。

    M: That's not too bad. Once when I was in school, the teacher busted me for selling candy to my classmates.

    L: 啊？你向同学兜售糖果，幸亏你被抓到了，要不然不知道你还会干什么坏事呢。

    ******

    L: Michael，想想真是奇怪，你楼上住了个罪犯你居然一直都不知道。

    M: Yeah, but I'm not surprised. I always thought that guy was a creep.

    L: A creep? 那是小偷的意思吗？

    M: No, that's not what I said. I said he's a creep. A creep is someone who looks and acts in a way that makes people suspicious and uncomfortable.

    L: 噢，a creep就是指一个人鬼鬼祟祟，令人怀疑。那你为什么觉得那个人是个creep呢？

    M: Well, he was never a friendly neighbor. He was always frowning, and wouldn't say hello to people. That's one reason I thought he was a creep.

    L：可是这也不能说他就是个creep啊。 因为有很多人平常都是皱着眉头，从来不和别人打招呼，可是不一定有什么坏心啊。

    M: Sometimes he would try to sell us things. And even though we refused to buy his stuff, he just wouldn't leave us alone. That's why my neighbors didn't like him. They all thought he was a little weird.

    L: 啊，他还硬向你们推销东西。难怪你们怀疑他有什么不良动机。 所以你才说他是个creep。

    M: You've got it. You give me an example.

    L: 我们班有个男生很讨厌，所有的女生都觉得他是个creep。

    M: Ok. Why is he a creep?

    L: 他看人的眼神不对头，还有啊，他脸上总是一副皮笑肉不笑的表情，喜欢和女生开那种很肉麻的玩笑。

    M: Yes, he definitely sounds like a creep to me.

    L: 哎，Michael，我今天早上看到你和Alice在咖啡厅喝咖啡，你早上不是有上课吗？

    M: Oh, you busted me! Please keep quiet about that, OK? I told my professor I had to visit a sick aunt in the hospital.

    L: 什么？你这个人哪，迟早有一天会被教授抓到你说谎。

    今天李华学会两个新词。一个是busted，就是做坏事被抓到的意思。另一个是creep ，指的是一个人的行为举止鬼鬼祟祟。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十八课

    今天李华从 Michael那儿学到了两个新词 redneck 和 in the sticks。

    M: Come in!

    L: Hi Michael! 真抱歉，我没先告诉你就来了。你的电话一直占线， 所以我没法打电话给你。

    M: That's no big deal. I was on the phone with my friend Bob who lives in Georgia. He is such a redneck!

    L: 原来这样。对了，你把你朋友叫什么来着？你说他是什么啊？

    M: I said he's a redneck, R-E-D-N-E-C-K.

    L: 一个红的脖子？ 这是什么意思啊？

    M: A redneck is someone from the countryside who lives a country lifestyle.

    L: 所以你叫一个人 redneck就是说他是乡下人或很土气。哎，这样 说别人很不礼貌吧。

    M: Well, maybe. If you call someone a redneck, it means you think that they are not very cultured or sophisticated.

    L: 你就因为你朋友住在乡下，你就开他玩笑说他是redneck ，未免 不太好吧。

    M: I'm not really making fun of him. Some people are proud to be rednecks. Bob likes to call himself that.

    L: 你说叫他redneck，Bob他还很得意呀。那我就不懂了。在中国， 大多数住在乡下的人都巴不得往城里跑呢。

    M: Well, the U.S. is different. Being a redneck doesn't mean being poor or uneducated. It is a way of living, I guess.

    L: 那么rednecks到底像什么呢？你来说说。

    M: Let me see, how can I describe them? When we say someone is a redneck we mean they are from the south, and speak with a southern accent。

    L: 现在我懂了， redneck 呢一般是指美国南方人，或者说话有南方 口音的人。不过说真的，那些南方口音我真的听不太懂。

    M: Also, rednecks like life in the countryside. They enjoy sports such as hunting or fishing. They like living in areas with lots of open space.

    L: Hmm, rednecks他们不住在 城市，他们更享受乡下的生活。

    M: Exactly. Also, most rednecks have blue-collar jobs, or work on a farm. By the way, Li Hua, be careful how you use this word. Some people might get angry if you call them a redneck.

    ### ### ###

    L: 哎，对了，Michael，你那个红脖子朋友Bob为什么事打电话给你 啊？

    M: Well, he asked me if I wanted to visit him this summer. I'm not sure if I really want to go though.

    L: 真的吗？ 为什么你不想去呢？

    M: He lives out in the sticks. There's nothing for me to do out there.

    L: 他生活在那儿？The sticks 是什么地方啊?

    M: Oh, when I say in the sticks, that just means in a rural area, far from a big city.

    L: 噢，原来是指乡下啊。哎哟，只不过离开城市几天，这样你也受 不了啊？

    M: Well, I am used to city life. I don't know how to fish or hunt, and I really don't like farm work. I don't think I would like living in the sticks.

    L: 你觉得你不适合乡下的生活啊，不过偶尔去呼吸一下新鲜空气不 是挺好的吗？

    M: I guess. Maybe I should visit him.

    L: 要是有人自称是 redneck 的话，他也许觉得生活在乡下 in the sticks 也是很值得自豪的了？

    M: Actually, the phrase in the sticks is not very polite. You shouldn't tell someone that they live in the sticks unless you are just joking with them.

    L: 奥，说别人 live in the sticks 并不是很好，除非你是在开玩笑啊？

    M: You are right. Usually when you say something is in the sticks you mean it is far from anything civilized.

    L: 其实美国人并不懂得什么是真正的乡下。就算他们住在乡下好了， 只要一开车就到城里了嘛。

    M: That's true. Still, some places out in the sticks are pretty far from a big city, even if you drive a car.

    今天李华学到了两个新词：redneck 和 in the sticks 。Redneck 是指乡下人。 In the sticks 则是指远离城市的农村地区。

chubbycat

流行美语第四十九课

    在今天的对话中Michael会教李华两个常用语：一个是under the weather，另一个是to grab a bite to eat。

    M: Hello?

    L: 喂，Michael，你今天怎么了？我怎么在学校没看到你，打电话到你上班的地方也没人接。你没事儿吧？

    M: Oh, its nothing. I am just a little under the weather today, so I decided to take the rest of the day off and really rest.

    L: 什么？你说天气不好，所以你就请一天假。天气好好的吗，你干吗撒谎呢？

    M: No no, I said "I am under the weather today". Under, U-N-D-E-R; The Weather, W-E-A-T-H-E-R. Under the weather, it means sick.

    L: 噢，under the weather就是生病的意思啊，那你还不赶快看医生啊？

    M: Oh, don't worry. It's not very serious. Usually when someone says that they are under the weather, they mean they feel bad, but are not very sick.

    L: 你的病不严重，那我就放心了。可是你为什么今天觉得under the weather呢？

    M: Last night I went out to eat with a friend. After dinner, it started to rain heavily. We didn't have umbrellas, and I had to walk to a long way back to my car in the rain. I think I caught a cold, so now I feel under the weather.

    L: 难怪了，你吃完饭就淋着雨走了那么长的路。哎呀，你以后可千万小心，万一得了什么大病那该怎么办呢？

    M: It's ok, Li Hua. I can take care of myself. That's why I am resting at home. That reminds me, how is your mother doing? Didn't you say she was under the weather last week?

    L: 噢，我妈妈现在好多了。不过上星期可真把我们吓坏了。上星期一她突然说不舒服，提前下班，第二天就开始咳嗽，浑身发软。

    M: Oh no! You must have been worried she had SARS.

    L: 没错，我家里人都担心她感染了萨斯。所以每个人都嚷着自己 under the weather，不过啊，第二天我妈妈的情况好转，他们每个人也都觉得自己好了。

    M: They were all thinking about SARS, so they also felt under the weather. In fact, they were all ok.

    L: 就是啊，他们觉得自己under the weather，我看纯粹是心理作用。

    M: So why were you trying to call me at work today?

    L: 我打电话想问问你今天晚上要不要一快去吃饭。

    M: Well, I'd like to, but I really think I should stay at home tonight. Maybe this weekend we can grab a bite to eat.

    L: 你说我们这个周末吃什么？

    M: I said we can "grab a bite to eat". Grab, G-R-A-B; a bite, B-I-T-E; to eat, E-A-T. It means we can go out and have a quick meal somewhere this weekend.

    L: 噢，grab a bite to eat就是随便到那个餐馆吃一顿，对不对。

    M: That's about right. To be exact, it means to find some quick and simple food, like fast food.

    L: 啊？尤其指吃快餐啊，我可不想这样随便grab a bite to eat 。我想去个有气氛的好餐馆。再说了，Michael，你也不应该老吃垃圾食物。

    M: I know, I know. It's just that I often don't have a lot of time between classes and work. So at lunchtime, I usually have to go to a fast food place and grab a bite to eat. I don't have time to go anywhere else.

    L: 如果你觉得中午时间很紧，那你就因该在家里把午饭准备好带到学校。你看，你每天到外面grab a bite to eat，那样你的开销多大啊。

    M: I don't always grab a bite to eat at fast food places. Sometimes I make lunch at home. But it takes a lot of time in the evening, and sometimes I am busy then, too.

    L: Michael，你真是太不会照顾自己了，冒着雨乱跑，整天吃垃圾食品，难怪你会under the weather，以后你真的要好好照顾自己呢。

    今天Michael身体有点不舒服，就是under the weather:Michael约李华等他身体好了一起去grab a bite to eat，也就是随便到外面吃点快餐。

chubbycat

流行美语第50课

　


piece of junk

cheap

今天李华到Michael家里借用他的电脑。李华会学到了两个新词儿：piece of junk 和cheap。

M: Ok Li Hua, let me see if I can find that webpage for you.

L: Wow, 你的电脑上网真够慢的, 不知道是哪儿出问题了。

M: Actually, it's not the Internet connection, it is my computer. Its an old piece of junk and it is very very slow.

L: 它是一片什么啊？你的电脑出什么问题啦？

M: I said it's a "piece of junk". Piece, P-I-E-C-E; of junk. J-U-N-K. A piece of junk is something that is old and broken, or just doesn't work well.

L: 噢！我想起来了，junk就是你要丢掉的废物，像是旧的车胎或破烂的自行车。

M: That's right. In fact, I'd say my car is a piece of junk too. It's ten years old, it doesn't start half the time, and pieces are always falling off of it.

L: 你的车可不是一堆破烂呢。你倒是应该好好保养它。我叔叔在中国有辆用了二十多年的旧车，到现在还不是走得挺好的。

M: Well, some older cars are more simple in design, and easier to fix. It is hard to find parts for my car, and it isn't really worth the cost to fix it.

L: 嗯，那倒是。现在好些东西过几年之后就变成废物了，就好像我的‘随身听’一样。

M: Your walkman is a piece of junk? I've had a Sony walkman for ten years, and it still works well!

L: 我的那一台可真的不行了，现在一动也不动；有的时候还把我的录音带给弄坏了。我真是应该买个新的了。

M: Yes, you probably should. If it damages your tapes, it's not worth using.

L: 别管我的了，你的电脑该怎么办？ 为什么不去买个新的来呢？像你这样的学生可得有台好电脑才行啊。

M: I might. Hey, wait a minute! What would I do with my old piece of junk computer? Maybe give it to a certain friend of mine?

L: 嘿，我可没那么说，不过要是还能用的话，我倒乐于拿走，也许我还可以用它来做功课。

******

L: 哎，Michael, 现在你不想换电脑了是不是？

M: Well, I could, but I am also too cheap to spend money to buy a new one.

L: 等等，你说你是便宜的？我以为只能说东西是便宜的，你是不是说你太穷了啊？

M: No no, that's not what I mean, even though that is true. When I say that a person is cheap, that means that they always try to avoid spending money, or always buy the least expensive thing they can find.

L: 噢，原来说一个人cheap就是说他很抠啊。嘿，那我还真得说你是够cheap的了。Michael, 你就是那种在餐馆里为了省一两块钱只叫杯白水当饮料的人。

M: What? You are calling me cheap!

L: 怎么了？ 这句话冒犯你了吗？

M: Oh, sorry. I should have told you: it is not very nice to call a person cheap. It also means that someone is not generous, or doesn't understand quality.

L: 噢，原来cheap还有爱捡便宜的意思。难怪你不喜欢被人说 cheap。

M: Anyway, I could say you are cheap, because you always use old things that other people give you. Like your bicycle, or that watch you have..

L: 可是，单单因为我不肯花钱，并不表示我就cheap啊。我只是个穷学生嘛。

M: Yeah, I shouldn't say you are cheap, that's not very nice. My roommate is really cheap, though. Nobody likes to go out to eat with him.

L: 真的吗？他怎么啦？

M: Well, if three or four of us order a pizza together, he always adds up exactly how much each person owes. He counts every cent!

L: 哇，那他也真够呛的，算那么清楚啊。

M: And he also never gives a full tip to restaurant waiters. He always gives them a little bit less than he should.

L: 他不肯给服务员该给的小费？我想我从这家伙身上了解到cheap的含义了。

今天李华从 Michael那儿学到了两个新词儿。Piece of junk就是指没用的废物；cheap在这里指小气、不肯花钱。

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十一讲

to pull no punches

straight from the horse's mouth

大多数人都认为诚实和坦率是一个很好的品质，尽管我们不见得每时每刻都能够做到，美国人也不例外。在美国的日常用语里有各种说法来形容这种品质。我们在今天的[美国习惯用语]里要给大家介绍四个和这一主题有关的习惯用语。

第一个是：to pull no punches。 To pull no punches，这是指毫不保留地告诉别人你的看法。Punch 这个字的一种解释就是拳击。 To pull no punches 这个俗语使人脑子里顿时出现一个拳击场里两个拳击手扭成一团，互相攻打对方，而对方设法回避的形像。但是 to pull no punches 这个俗语并不是用在拳击方面的。下面的例子说明在日常生活中怎么用这个俗语：

例句-1: When I saw my brother Joe, I didn't pull any punches -- I told him to stop drinking and go out and find a job.

这句话翻成中文的意思是：“当我见到我哥哥乔伊的时候，我毫不保留地对他说，不要再喝酒了，还是出去找个工作吧。”

人们要想毫无保留地对对方讲心里话的时候往往会很犹豫，怕伤害别人。但是，在有的情况下，你绝不会犹豫，就像下面这个例子里的这个人：

例句-2: I pulled no punches when I went to see the auto dealer who sold me such a lousy car. I told him he ought to be ashamed to charge so much for a car that had so many things wrong with it. No, he didn't give me my money back, but I sure felt better afterwards.

这个人说：“那个汽车商卖给我的这辆汽车毛病太多了。我去看他的时候毫不客气地对他说，卖这么次的车给我还收我那么多的钱，你自己应该感到害臊。虽然他并没有把钱还给我，可是，说了这些话我感到痛快多了。”

今天我们要讲的另外一个俗语是：straight from the horse's mouth。 Straight from the horse's mouth，从字面上来解释它的意思是：直接来自马的嘴巴。可是，这个俗语的真正意思是：你听到的消息是真实的，因为这消息来自可靠的来源。马和消息可靠又有什么关系呢？你要知道，远在人们还没有使用汽车的年代，人们是依靠马作为他们主要的交通工具，认为马是十分可靠的。现在，汽车已经早就代替了马，但是这个俗语仍然被广为使用。现在我们再来举个例子：

例句-3: I tell you I know for certain that Lisa will be promoted to manager. The boss told me himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!

这个人说：“告诉你，我知道莉沙肯定会被提升为经理的。这是老板亲口告诉我的，这个消息是绝对可靠的！”

我们再来举个例子：

例句-4: Say, did you hear that Sally and Bob are going to get married. Honest, I'm not joking. I heard it from Bob himself, so it's straight from the horse's mouth!

他说：“喂，你听说了没有，萨利和鲍勃要结婚了。我可不是开玩笑，我说的是实话。我是听鲍勃自己讲的，因此这消息是完全可靠的！”

chubbycat

ct us at Voice of America, Chinese Branch. Thanks.

    「美国习惯用语」第五十二讲

    no holds barred

    to let one's hair down

    对人坦率，无保留地说自己的看法，有的时候是以友好和轻松的态度出发的，但是在某种情况下也可能是语气强硬，情绪对立。我们今天要讲的两个习惯用语就反映了这两种不同的气氛。我们先来讲第一个：no holds barred。 No holds barred 这个说法是来自摔交运动。但是，在人们争论的时候， no holds barred 是指不顾对方的面子和情绪，毫不迟疑地把自己的想法说出来。比如说，一个美国朋友可能会对你说：

    例句-1: My wife and I had a real no holds barred talk last night about all the things wrong with our marriage.

    他说：“我和我的妻子昨晚可真是毫不留情地谈了一谈，把我们婚姻方面的所有问题不管三七二十一都说了出来。”

    No holds barred也可以形容那些政客们之间进行的辩论。下面就是一个例子：

    例句-2: That TV debate between those two guys running for senator was sure a no holds barred affair. They spent more time saying nasty things about each other than they did talking about their plans.

    这句话的意思是：“那两个竞选参议员的人在电视上进行辩论时真是毫不留情。他们花在互相攻击方面的时间比介绍他们方针的时间还多。”

    ******

    下面我们要介绍的一个习惯用语是：to let one's hair down。 To let one's hair down描绘出一幅可爱的画面。过去，西方女子很多都留长头发，出去应酬时把头发盘在头上梳出各种式样来。晚上回家后，她们就把发卡一个个地从头发里拿出来，让头发很自然地披在肩上。 To let one's hair down的实质意思也就是解除表面的装饰，使一切显得很自然、真实和放松。 To let one's hair down不一定用于女子，也可以用在男性。下面的例子就可以说明问题：

    例句-3: The president has to make so many official appearances that he seldom gets a chance to let his hair down and enjoy life like ordinary people.

    这句话是说：“总统要出席许多公开场合，因此他很少有机会像普通老百姓那样轻松地享受生活。”

    To let one's hair down 也可以用在朋友之间，就像下面这个例子一样：

    例句-4: Sally, we've been good friends for a long time. But lately I get the idea you are very much upset with me. I wish you'd let your hair down and tell me what's wrong to make you feel this way.

    这个人对他的朋友说：“萨莉，我们多年来一直是好朋友，可是最近我感到你对我非常不高兴。我希望你能够坦率地告诉我，到底是哪些事让你这么不高兴。”

    今天我们讲了两个表示坦率的习惯用语，虽然它们都具有坦率的意思，可以在含义方面有所不同。我们讲的第一个俗语是：no holds barred，这是指在争论或其他场合毫不客气地对别人说自己的想法。今天我们讲的第二个俗语是：to let one's hair down。 To let one's hair down是指轻松、自然，或把心里的话说出来。

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十三讲

loose cannon

blockbuster

战争往往给语言留下深刻的痕迹。当战火停息，一切恢复正常以后，一些带火药味的字和词汇经常会变成人们日常的用语来形容那些和战争没有太大关系的人或事物。

有的俗语甚至还反映了两百年前打仗的形式，例如，美国人经常会说某个人是一个:loose cannon。大家都知道， loose是松散的意思，而cannon是指大炮。 Loose cannon的来历是几百年前当人们在海上作战时，他们往往在船上放好些大炮，每一座大炮放在一个带四个轮子的平台上。在战争间隙的时候，船员们用很粗的绳子把这些大炮栓住，不让它们随便移动。可是，当风暴来临，这些绳子在风暴的冲击下断了以后，大炮就会在船甲板上到处滚动，会把那些不幸就在大炮旁边的船员轧死，这比真正的敌人还要危险。

现在， loose cannon的意思和打仗并没有什么关系。人们把loose cannon用来指一个失去控制、无视权威、打破常轨的人，这种人往往会伤害和他自己站在一边的人。例如，有些美国政府官员在重大问题上擅自采取行动，也不向总统汇报。国会议员就把这些人称为loose cannon。下面的例子是一个政治家在谈论一个要为他竞选连任参加工作的人：

例句-1: I know this guy is a smart political worker. But he's hard to control. In fact, he's a loose cannon who might do more damage to our side than the man I'm running against.

这句话的意思是：“我知道这家伙在政治工作方面很聪明。但是，这个人很难控制。实际上，他就像一个没有约束的大炮，给我们造成的危害可能会比我竞选对手造成的危害更大。”

******

我们今天要给大家介绍的第二个和战争有关的俗语是：blockbuster。 Blockbuster原来是第二次世界大战期间联军在和纳粹德国进行空战中用的武器，这种武器的力量十分强大，它可以把城市中两条街之间的所有楼房夷为平地。而现在，blockbuster是指某件事取得很大的成功，特别是指文艺界一些成功的电影、歌曲、剧本等。例如：

例句-2: A story from Hollywood said that the new James Bond film is the blockbuster film of the season.

这是说：“好莱坞的一篇文章说，詹姆斯.邦德新拍的那个电影是这一季度最成功的片子。”

你可能很熟悉下面这个例子中提到的那个电影：

例句-3: The biggest Hollywood blockbuster of all time still remains "Gone With the Wind", the classic picture about the civil war. And the amazing thing is it was made back in 1939.

这句话的意思是：“好莱坞历来最成功的片子仍然是关于美国南北战争的经典作品「飘」。令人惊奇的是这部片子还是早在1939年拍摄的。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十四讲

bomb

To drop a bombshell

语言往往是难以捉摸，也是没有道理可讲的。我们刚才给大家介绍了Blockbuster。Blockbuster是指某件事，特别是文艺作品，取得很大成功。可是，你要是用另外一种武器的名字，它的意思可以完全相反。例如：bomb。 Bomb就是炸弹，也一样是一种武器。但是，在电影和音乐方面，你要是用bomb这个字，它的意思就是不成功，不受欢迎，卖座率很低。要是有一则新闻报导说最近一位著名歌星录制的歌曲是一个bomb的话，那就是告诉你，这张唱片或磁带没有像想象中销路那么好。要是你听到别人说：

例句-1: A newspaper says that a picture that had cost 34 million dollars to make has bombed at the box office.

你大概可以知道这句话的意思是：“一份报纸说，一部花了三千四百万美元摄制的影片卖座率很低。”也就是说，这部电影的本钱都收不回来。

我们再来听听一位在好莱坞采访的记者讲的话吧：

例句-2: This young producer made money on his first three films, so the studio invested forty million in his fourth film. But it turned out to be a real bomb -- it didn't make enough to get back the investment.

这位记者说：“这位年轻的电影制片人开始拍摄的三部影片卖座率很高，赚了不少钱，所以电影公司就投资四千万美元让他拍第四部电影。可是，这部电影的卖座率实在很低，因此连本钱都没赚回来。”

下面我们要给大家介绍的一个俗语也和 bomb 有关，但是它的意思和 bomb 又很不相同。这个习惯用语就是：to drop a bombshell。 To drop a bombshell 的意思是：宣布令人震惊的消息，就像一枚炸弹在你身旁突然爆炸一样让你吃惊。下面这个祖父宣布的消息确实会让人感到很惊讶：

例句-3: Grandfather dropped a bombshell last night when he told the family he is marrying a woman 40 years younger than he is.

这句话的意思是：“祖父昨晚上对家里的人说，他要和一个比他年轻四十岁的女子结婚，这可真叫大家吃了一惊。”

你知道美国历史上最令人吃惊的事之一是什么吗？下面这个例子就会告诉你：

例句-4: In March 1968 President Lyndon Johnson dropped one of the biggest bombshells ever dropped in American politics when he announced that he would not run for re-election because of the Vietnam War.

这是说：“1968年3月美国总统约翰逊宣布，因为越南战争，他决定不竞选连任。这可是美国政治史上最令人震惊的消息之一了。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十五讲

oddball

odds and ends

你们大概都知道，英文里有许多单字可以有好几种解释，有时使得学英语的人感到很糊涂，到底这个字是什么意思。就拿odd这个字来说吧， odd这个字仅仅只有三个字母组成，可是它却有好几个意思。它可以形容某个很奇怪的人或者行为，也可以指一、三、五这样的单数。Odd这个字还可以和别的字合在一起用，当然和不同的字合在一起它的意思也就不同。例如：Oddball。要是你说某人是个oddball，那就是说这个人表现的很奇怪，和一般人不一样。我们来举个例子吧：

例句-1: My friend Joe is certainly an oddball. In the summer he puts his shoes in the refrigerator at night so his feet will be cool when he goes to work in the morning.

这是说：“我的朋友乔伊真怪。在夏天，他晚上把鞋子放在冰箱里，说是第二天早上去上班去的时候，脚可以凉快一点。”

世界上的怪人还是很多的。下面这个例子说的那个人也是怪得出奇：

例句-2: And another oddball is Bill, especially when it comes to food. Can you believe it, he even puts catchup on his ice cream. Talk about oddballs!

这句话的意思是：“另外一个很怪的人是比尔，特别是在吃东西方面。你信不信，他吃冰淇淋的时候竟然还要加蕃茄酱。真是什么怪人都有！”

******

我们下面再来讲一个 odd和其它字合在一起的习惯用语：Odds and ends。 Odds and ends 的意思是：零碎东西。比如，一个人要到外地去旅行，他可能会说：

例句-3: Okay, I'm all packed now, except for a few odds and ends I'll put in a handbag and carry on the plane with me.

这人说：“行了，我的行李都准备好了，还有一些零星小东西，我准备把它们放在手提包里，随身带上飞机去。”

你要是到美国的公司或其他机构去参观的话，你可以看到很多人的办公桌上很乱，纸张文件堆得很高。下面这个人就是一个例子：

例句-4: One good thing I got done at the office today was clean up my desk. I'd let so many odds and ends pile up that you could scarcely see the desk itself. But I got busy and took care of everything.

这个人说：“今天我在办公室里做的一件好事是把我的桌子整理乾净了。那些零零碎碎的东西越堆越多，简直连桌面都看不见了。可是，我今天抓紧时间，把所有的东西都整理好了。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十六讲

peaches and cream

sour grapes

下面我们来谈谈和水果有关习惯用语。英文里“水果”这个字，也就是fruit,是来自很早以前的一个拉丁文里的动词。意思是“享受”。而事实上也确实如此，香蕉、苹果、橘子、樱桃、桃子或葡萄等水果放在果盘里看起来都十分吸引人。因此、有关水果的俗语往往是具有一种肯定和完善的含义，例如：peaches and cream。

大家知道peaches就是桃子， cream是指奶油。 Peaches and cream的意思是：一切都很美好。有人可能会问：桃子和奶油有什么关系呢？这是因为美国人在吃水果时往往喜欢把水果切成块，然后加一点奶油一起吃。实际上，美国人吃很多东西都喜欢和奶油一起吃。所以，peaches and cream就意味着完美无缺。请听下面这个例子：

例句-1: Sally and Joe had a big fight last week, but they've made up and now everything is peaches and cream again.

这句话的意思是：“沙莉和乔伊上星期大吵了一场。可是，后来他们互相谈开了，现在他们又很要好了。”

Peaches and cream还可以形容一个年轻少女容光焕发的面孔：

例句-2: Peter's sister is a lovely girl. She has a real peaches and cream complexion, soft and white as milk and a touch of pink like a fresh ripe peach.

这人说：“比德的妹妹是一个可爱的女孩。她的皮肤真是完美无缺，柔软洁白得像牛奶，还透露出一点像成熟了的新鲜桃子的粉色。”

可是，水果在美国成语里也并不千篇一律地含有褒意，有的时候也反映了反面的意思。下面我们要讲的一个俗语就是一个例子：sour grapes。 Sour是酸的意思，grapes就是葡萄。中文里也有酸葡萄的说法，而且中英文的意思也完全相同。举个例子就能说明这一点：

例句-3: Bill was sure he'd be elected class president. But when Mary beat him in the voting, he told us he was glad he didn't get the job because it was too much work. That's nothing but sour grapes！

这句话翻成中文是说：“比尔开始认为他肯定能当选为班主席。但是，当玛丽在选举中击败他以后，他对我们说，他很高兴他没有得到这个职位，因为当了班主席工作太多了。他这么说纯属是吃酸葡萄！”

下面是另一个关于 sour grapes 的例子：

例句-4: Talk about a clear case of sour grapes! When Bob's girl friend left him to marry another man, he went around telling anybody who would listen that he left her because she wasn't good enough for him.

这人说：“要说吃酸葡萄吧，这件事可是很明显的了。当鲍勃的女朋友和另外一个人结婚后，鲍勃到处去对那些愿意听他诉苦的人说，是他不要他的女朋友的，因为他的女朋友配不上他。”

今天我们讲了两个和水果fruit这个字有联系的俗语。第一个是peaches and cream。Peaches and cream是指一切都很完美。我们讲的第二个俗语是sour grapes。 Sour grapes跟中文里的说法“酸葡萄”的意思一样。

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十七讲

lemon and going bananas

going bananas

大多数人都很喜欢吃水果。水果颜色鲜艳，形状多样，看起来也怪可爱的。一些和水果有关的美国成语和俗语也都具有肯定的含义。但是，这倒也并不是千篇一律，也有一些由水果组成的习惯用语表达的是反面的意思。我们首先要给大家介绍的一个俗语是：lemon。Lemon就是柠檬。柠檬是非常酸的一种水果，大概没有其它东西比它更酸的了。但是，lemon 作为一个俗语它的意思就成了那种质量很坏的东西，不能起它应有的作用。美国人经常把一辆经常出问题的汽车称为lemon。下面就是一个例子：

例句-1: Mr. Lee paid $15,000 for his new car. But he got a real lemon: it's never run right and it spends more time in the garage getting fixed than it does on the road.

这个人说：“李先生花了一万五千块美金买了这辆新车。可是，这辆车却是毛病百出。这车从来也没有好好地跑过，它在车行里修的时间比它在马路上跑的时间还多。”

Lemon 这个俗语也不局限于坏的汽车，它还可以指其它那些不理想的东西，下面这个人的经验就是一例：

例句-2: Mister Green usually gives me good advice. But the computer company stock he told me to buy was a lemon. I had to sell it at the price I paid for it.

这是说：“一般来说，格林先生给我提供的建议都是很好的。可是这次他让我买那个电脑公司的股票却是个馊主意。我不得不按原价抛出。”

******

下面我们要讲的一个俗语是：going banana。对我们大多数人来说，香蕉是很好吃的，又香又甜，营养很丰富。可是，going banana的意思是：快要发疯了。究竟为什么要把香蕉说的这么糟糕，这实在很难解释。然而，这个俗语在美国那些家里有青少年的家长当中是十分普遍的。你听听下面这位父亲，他在说他那十四岁的女儿：

例句-3: Mary spends all her time listening to loud music, talking on the phone, or looking at herself in the mirror instead of studying or helping us around the house. I tell you, that kid is driving us all bananas!

这位父亲说：“玛丽把她所有的时间都用在听音乐，还得把音量放得大大的，或者是打电话，或者照镜子，而不是把时间用在学习上或帮助我们做点家务。我告诉你，那个孩子真是快要把我们逼疯了。”

家里有十几岁孩子的听众恐怕在这方面也有同感，即便情况有所差别。下面我们要举的例子也是很普遍的：

例句-4: I'm going bananas over the noise in the apartment next door. They play their television loud enough for the whole building to hear. And they never turn it off until one o'clock in the morning!

这个人抱怨说：“隔壁人家的闹声真快把我逼疯了。他们把电视机开得那么响，整个楼都听见了。而且，不到半夜一点他们从来不关电视机。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十八讲

to shoot the breeze

through the grapevine

人们坐在一起闲聊，天南地北，说长道短的，传播流言菲语，这是很普遍的一种活动。美国有好多成语和俗语是形容这一方面的。例如to shoot the breeze。To shoot就是发射、开枪、发炮等，breeze就是阵阵微风。To shoot the breeze这个习惯用语使人脑子里出现了一幅画面，也就是：一些好朋友没事聚在一起闲聊天，毫无顾忌地想说什么就说什么。下面我们来听听一个大学生说他昨晚在干什么：

例句-1: On Friday nights I usually go to a movie. But it was raining so hard last night I just stayed in the dorm to sit around and shoot the breeze with a couple of friends.

这个大学生说：“一般来说,星期五晚上我总是去看电影的。可是,昨晚上雨下得好大呀，所以我就呆在宿舍里和两个朋友一起聊天。”

下面这个人说出了为什么他喜欢shooting the breeze。他的话恐怕也说出了一般人心里的想法：

例句-2: One thing I enjoy about shooting the breeze -- you can relax and say anything you want to. You're among friends and nobody takes things seriously.

这个人说：“我很喜欢聊天，因为你可以很放松，想说什么都行。你是和朋友在一起，没有人会很认真的。”

******

要是你问一个人，你说的那个消息是从那儿听来的，他可能会说：through the grapevine。Grape是葡萄，grapevine就是葡萄藤。Through the grapevine的意思实际上就和中文里说的：通过小道消息来的一样。也就是说，这个消息是经过人们口头传播传到他这儿来的，他也不知道到底是从谁那儿开始的。

早在一百多年前，当美国南北战争正在进行的时刻，士兵们把那些非官方渠道来的消息，也就是秘密地在他们中间传播的消息称为grapevine。下面这个例子就是一个士兵正在把一个消息告诉他的要好朋友：

例句-3: What do you think of the news that our regiment is being transferred to California. It's not announced officially yet, but this morning I got it through the grapevine.

这个兵对他的朋友说：“你对我们部队调到加利福尼亚州去的消息是怎么想的。这个消息还没有正式宣布，我是今天早上通过小道消息听来的。”

人们对于小道消息的看法倒是各不相同。有的人确信不误。可是，下面说话的人则不然：

例句-4: I don't always believe what I get through the grapevine, but it's true at least half the time and and it's a lot faster than whatever the army tells you about what we're doing.

这个人说：“我不完全相信小道消息。但是，小道消息至少有一半是确实的，而且比部队领导告诉我们的要快多了。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第五十九讲

a fish out of water

to teach a fish how to swim

在今天的节目里，我们要给大家介绍几个和鱼有关的习惯用语。中国人常常用「如鱼得水」来形容一个一切都很顺当的环境。美国人常用的一个俗语却刚好和「如鱼得水」相反，他们说：a fish out of water。从字面上解释就是：没有水的鱼。你肯定经历过一种场合，当时你觉得很不自然，和周围的人或环境格格不入。A fish out of water作为一个俗语，就是指这种感觉的。它的意思是某人和他所处的环境不融恰，使他感到很别扭、很难堪。

比如说，我的一个朋友最近从一个国际会议回来后他对我说：

例句-1: At the conference I was a fish out of water. All the speeches were in French, a language I never studied.

他说：“参加那个会议真叫我感到别扭。所有人发表讲话的时候都用法语，可是我从来也没有学过法文。”

每个人都会有感到别扭的时候，下面这个人碰到的场合又是一个例子：

例句-2: Everybody else at the party ended up in the swimming pool. But I was a fish out of water because I can't swim.

这人说：“参加聚会的每个人最后都到游泳池去游泳了，我真感到别扭，因为我不会游泳。”

******

要是谁想教鱼怎么游泳的话，那简直是班门弄斧，多余的了。下面我们要讲解的一个习惯用语就是这个意思：to teach a fish how to swim。To teach a fish how to swim作为俗语的意思是指班门弄斧：给别人提出完全没有必要的建议或劝告。你听了下面这位父亲的讲话就会知道他的儿子有多可笑了：

例句-3: My son, fresh out of college， keeps telling me how to run my business. But I've been making good money for 30 years so he's teaching a fish how to swim.

这位父亲说：“我的儿子大学刚毕业,可是他却不断地来告诉我应该怎么做生意。我三十年来生意做得很好，赚了不少钱。所以，他来告诉我怎么做生意简直是多余的。”

这个儿子可能还不知道自己在做傻事。可是，有的人在事后发现自己做了类似的傻事会感到很难堪。请听下面这个例子：

例句-4: The day after I got my private pilot's license, I told this man at the party all about how to fly an airplane. Later I learned he was an airline pilot who flew jumbo jets -- I'd been teaching a fish how to swim.

这个人说：“我在得到飞行员执照后的一天，在一次聚会上告诉一个人怎么驾驶飞机。后来，我听说那个人是开大型喷气机的飞行员。我去告诉他怎么驾驶飞机真是多余，简直是班门弄斧。”

chubbycat

「美国习惯用语」第六十讲

fish or cut bait

cold fish

有些人在处理问题的时候很果断，但是也有不少人前怕狼后怕虎，在处理问题的时候左顾右盼，迟迟不能做出决策。比如说，几个朋友一块儿去钓鱼。可是，其中一个人心不在焉，根本没有好好钓鱼。这时，他的朋友就会对他说：“Fish or cut bait。” Fish or cut bait在这个情况下的意思就是：“得了，你要不想钓鱼就乾脆去干别的。”

Fish or cut bait从字面上来解释就是：你要就钓鱼，否则就切断你的鱼饵。换句话说，也就是你要不做这个，那就做那个，总得有所决定。Fish or cut bait作为俗语的意思就是：不要举棋不定，而要当机立断。

比如说，有一个孩子刚从中学毕业，可是他什么也不想干，天天在家游荡。他的父亲就对他说：

例句-1: Son, either go on to college or go out and find yourself a job. It's time to fish or cut bait!

他说：“儿子呀，你要就去上大学，否则就出去给自己找个工作。是作出决定的时候啦！”

下面的例子是一个经营汽车的人在对一位顾客说话：

例句-2: Mister Wilson, you asked me to hold that red convertible until you made up your mind whether to buy it. Well, I've got another customer who wants it, so it's time for you to fish or cut bait.

这个汽车商人说：“威尔逊先生，你要我把那辆红色敞篷车先留一下，等你作出决定究竟买不买。现在，另一位顾客想要买那辆车，所以，我得请你作出最后决定了。”

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下面我们要给大家介绍的习惯用语是：cold fish。Cold fish是指那些对人很冷淡，很不友好，根本没有意思和别人友好相处的人。这些人往往不受人欢迎。

下面这个例子就能说明cold fish的意思。这是一些朋友在准备举行一个聚会，他们正在讨论请哪些人来参加这次聚会，其中一个人说：

例句-3: Let's not invite Joe to the party: he's such a cold fish he'll spoil it for everybody else.

这个人说：“别请乔伊来参加这次聚会。他这人对人太冷淡，太不友好。他来了会使其他所有人都扫兴的。”

要是因为对人冷淡，不合群而不受人欢迎，不被人邀请去参加社交活动，那倒是小事。一个人能不能和别人友好相处往往还会影响到他的事业前途。下面这个例子就是最好的说明：

例句-4: I'm not going to vote for that man for senator -- he's too much of a cold fish. I shook hands with him once and it was like shaking hands with a dead mackerel.

说话的人很明显是一个选民。他说：“我才不投那个候选人的票呐。他实在是个很不友好的人。我有一次和他握手，那冷冰冰的样子简直是像和一条死鱼握手一样。”

今天我们讲了两个和fish，也就是鱼有关的习惯用语。第一个是fish or cut bait。Fish or cut bait的意思就是：作出决定，不是干这个，就是去干那个。我们今天给大家介绍的第二个习惯用语是cold fish。Cold fish就是指那些对人很冷淡，性情怪僻，很不合群的人。