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。
+ z6 b% Q' b- y) k8 e: ?
3 a% ~) \% L+ {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.

+ P. s6 F8 w8 E5 I! z5 n0 V+ e8 cL: 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？
& O% Z  s4 k: [: k4 B
+ c( ^* _$ l  @. i: Q. rM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
; s7 R( W% Y& Y9 r
7 F0 W9 B4 e# I7 S) ]( |6 yL: 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。

8 y* \/ H4 L1 K" RM：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.
  H$ m4 |9 L6 z9 i: T1 q$ g) ~
4 \  M/ F2 p; X: _! sL：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？

5 a; r+ @6 @9 l# fM: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
; m4 {0 K+ l7 t6 r) T
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.
5 l- R8 x1 }% A) _; O
0 v5 Q& H; P1 ]: FL：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？
' Q: n/ r/ n7 P0 @% }
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.
6 Q) `9 D- n$ i( P
! G% K, m/ \, ?' T9 kL: 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？

M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
. I/ W" M& Q) N5 B+ i
8 F0 x- [) U  t$ T6 v- j! Z; [L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
8 ~7 }1 b4 J/ W$ e7 g  H2 z6 b. W
/ O# j  c1 A) ^; _5 ~8 d' d1 a5 Y(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
- P! S4 Q: q+ k
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。
3 ^8 u5 z1 Y# a+ {
M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
0 b& V" f$ X& Z/ [. d
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。

. _2 o8 A7 ?% I) gM：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
; @- M' {! p6 o1 s2 z$ N" X
. d7 B- b/ F; B4 \( DL: 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？

7 P( h( g# U/ V: F9 |5 Q2 |: fM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

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。
4 I( k1 G( f! ?+ M# Y4 T
* M" M+ \7 M6 D5 p' OM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

9 ^6 _9 u; D) x* _4 R6 IL: 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?

) D& L+ Q" U3 nM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
  E3 d, y2 _, s3 l
# U0 J7 W5 {; x) N" h2 PL: 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?
! a* r: Y/ Q* `5 j# {3 R
0 O* y8 s) p3 c2 g0 r" eL: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。

M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
; {3 \2 \9 s) C' T4 n# s+ F
& x7 Y! _2 `  d+ q! p  o: T" IL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。

M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
' ?: B9 x1 V$ z" V1 w
L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

, g7 `4 r7 `7 B1 d4 S( KMichael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。
以下为音频：