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！

) P/ Z1 x- I6 }M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
, ^' a$ |" X9 ?! K
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？

M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
- N* _/ u8 L% L' M
L: 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。

, s0 L* w6 c( {8 _7 ~8 q% ?# IM：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.
. c8 C9 d. M, n$ I" H
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？
- _# n( y7 w/ Q- D2 ?0 D
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？

: s5 y; X/ i% q* s0 ~0 k5 [M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

: H- C) W* ~: |2 ^# i, LL：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？
" e: S6 I' e# p9 ^* F) A
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.
$ x7 i7 }* o/ l( S+ |
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？
8 S0 @* w) y4 g- h* K" N! \
$ F6 I  b) ]- u, EM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

. h. I3 L, b! s9 B) ^L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
4 N; A( a+ W# V0 w; b
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

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 T5 Q$ A! o  t$ b
M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

6 s6 C# h: b7 Y$ R- ]* XL：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。
* G7 z, ~) I: T( O
M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
3 E+ B9 u* @8 u4 u" {0 O
9 q8 b1 l& l9 j" V2 z2 VL: 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？

& @3 x2 @8 i$ G6 v' SM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
0 i- C" K0 Y; S, i
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。

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.
# \7 n! ?2 z2 s6 q9 w
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.

* T6 Z5 K9 Z# oM：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。
1 z+ r; ?1 x' f
% g! @$ l, m5 o, W/ ?6 o6 ]M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
$ F8 S7 C  J) x
0 {/ w  S- ], ?+ v, dM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
- B+ }4 t4 Y& V
, v( C7 A' N1 l7 ^0 e$ DL: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。
% L$ s2 A* _. t) G7 X3 M' ?
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。
以下为音频：
3 Q! G) }' G. E5 x