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。

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.

L: 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？
+ y( L. a/ `; n' X# e; z
M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
4 a! @4 k- \8 j/ g2 F5 f+ m# u
; W; P$ L, R& G0 R' w2 \( pL: 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。

; o) i% {  ^' }: |) JM：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.
2 ~$ `9 I; `* P% c4 z4 x
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？
" ?0 |0 o# ^/ p1 G
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
& b0 m+ ]2 {4 p
2 e6 r! ?' w6 S% kM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
7 ~. C, Y( ~; k) K2 ^8 g' D
L：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？
* U1 L( \; R8 a% q' T$ K( ]
M：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 W% v# P  G' H! ~; p9 hL: 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？

# W  t$ t0 M& L& i  k. P$ ZM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
' \) M$ q/ q- F9 G
2 z  c6 k/ s" S! `! i; o& [L: 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。

* \9 r: a( \4 g. P/ ZM：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。
$ z; G8 {* b0 ]$ E
& E8 q# u, H7 m4 G9 t: N; H9 q& ~M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.

, j; R$ o: y$ T' NL: 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？

$ L! P% I4 j3 m& O& yM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
, F& |0 E8 O7 L; N2 j
L: 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。

/ {* i. F( p- [* _- J. v8 l. ZM：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?

- C1 w$ f2 m2 U- b( M4 h, {M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

L: 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.
$ Q4 M5 W% K% k" G) y. u
M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
( ^8 k8 c7 h2 l: I2 {6 V1 g- B
7 J5 R# R, @; }. I+ WL: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
2 ?/ r, C' E: w1 \$ B
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
6 L* p/ Z9 J5 e5 Q1 G. `
L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
% o, ]) c8 e# {8 D8 i
% I1 N$ o- U; [; ZM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

, X% t& V: c& }4 }L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

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。
, X: j2 b& u2 R6 H& R以下为音频：