流行美语教程 Lesson 7: choke; money

Xbfeng

Michael和李华今天去看篮球比赛。球赛是在纽约大型室内体育馆[麦迪逊广场花园]举行，这场比赛是华盛顿的球队对纽约的球队。 Michael到中国去学过中文，他让李华跟他讲中文，以便练习听力。现在他们俩正在排队进入体育馆。今天他们在对话中会用choke和 money这两个词。
8 B6 w' H' r8 z& c
L: 嗨，Michael，谢谢你买到这么好的票！我真高兴能到[麦迪逊广场]来看球。这可是有名的体育馆哟！

M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
2 }1 E" q0 e4 V% K8 }% O. M
) }6 s+ i0 @2 f' X$ U/ gL: 你也喜欢来这里看篮球比赛啊，那太好了。今天是纽约队比华盛顿队，你看结局会怎样？

M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
( s' |0 g, n! L8 Q" y& n/ H
) Y. y+ ~& c* S( R+ ]4 h' bL: 你说纽约队会输？你还说什么 choke? 你是说他们吃饭时会噎着啦？这跟输球有什么关系，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.
; d4 T7 x' i4 o; |1 I
L：噢，我懂了。 你说的choke 是指纽约队会抵挡不住华盛顿球队的压力而输掉，对吗？

( T7 \# T) g5 dM: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
5 x" l+ r% M& Y  _( k5 v, V1 f* V) ^
L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？

M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
1 Q' f3 P# d% n! X
% |+ s* Y7 V9 @1 \* a1 Z+ u5 zL：你上星期考试考糊了？嘿，Michael，我还知道怎么用choke这个字。你不是老想请那个姑娘出去玩吗？你请她，她连电话都不回，这可真让你choked了，对不对？

4 Q9 w6 Z+ z7 W  {& xM：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.
1 I( v$ K" A. l6 D
L: 噢，你说得可真轻松，没关系，因为你不喜欢她。好，那你告诉我你喜欢哪个女孩呐？

! f/ q& `! Y& G2 \" I. zM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

, i( m2 b. \* W; f7 S0 aL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
0 B& V7 N- }$ j; n& b) B! [
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
; k* \! s( g. {* h5 W1 t
+ Q) O% c. v) W: a9 c! aL: Michael，你看，纽约队看来不会输，他们赢了两个球，现在还剩十秒了。只要纽约队不失去球，他们就不会输。
: g  ?2 f. ?" U3 k9 }  ?3 v) S
: F' ]3 H" O/ n& c+ q0 P/ wM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

L：你也认为纽约队可能不会输？等等，你看，纽约队丢了球！这下他们完了！华盛顿队要求暂停，他们还有赢的机会。

M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.

L: 你认为华盛顿球队会赢，Michael Jordan 会投进最后一个球。你说 "He is money "是说他会赚钱吗？

! v  K5 K( T  e7 z5 vM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

/ @0 Q1 w. K. s1 Z; A. g; lL: 噢，这儿的money不是指钱，是指他打球一直保持在高水平上，一直打得很棒。
- H& k* N4 B+ n6 T% _, `0 Z
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

L: 姚明当然很棒，所以也可以说：Yao Ming is money。那我们班的 Steven，他考试总是考得很好，也能说，He is money?

M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

2 q% R9 E( D2 o4 hL: 原来凡是好的东西都可以说是money。我们正在吃的比萨饼是很好吃，所以也可以说是money.

M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?

L: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
! r/ {& F# N! k! Z) F7 A
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
7 \8 j, H$ r& U% h2 `- H  C
L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。

) E  }5 I/ H6 j) S! K3 n4 VM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
, C* k, D$ u! ?$ F3 ?2 X
3 E; l- V; y9 [L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

! a5 K$ e+ s0 _% e! d  ^% [! ]Michael和李华今天在对话里用的两个词意思是相对的。 To choke是糟糕，失败的意思；而money是保持高水平，非常棒的意思。最好大家都不要choke，都成为money，那就太棒了。
3 a6 u$ q! ?4 q3 E8 k7 T以下为音频：