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！
8 `& a$ n7 E& n% J
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？
1 z! u& U* C6 e
/ s  k+ T! B. j* c, fM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
6 _2 n* \/ Z' R) q+ z- X" K/ R
1 w3 g4 y( K2 P" }* ]9 nL: 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.
) N+ T* n/ l* p( Q. V$ G  _
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？

M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

" z$ K$ n  E0 A3 W5 b" ?L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
$ |! m, y. ~# w5 U7 W1 i8 c1 R
4 ~! K0 @/ [8 k# P$ w0 x% P" LM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
7 _7 d' d5 e$ K8 H5 h8 w( K; G8 h
+ j7 K4 x  ]& K3 h, U, uL：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？
: d# K: o: `0 x. h4 \
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.
; @, A7 Z" C3 z* g! @
- ?& p9 y# p$ G- \1 C: v) tL: 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 H. l  w$ P2 B, ?0 j% HM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
# C, w: Q: p3 p6 S
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
; P& u8 P9 B' l
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
' z/ j8 a* J- ?: g; ^
8 n! M+ @8 D  Y2 d7 ML: 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。

  f8 z. r1 S- V' o& D( g/ @! a' ~M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
5 D) L  e+ l7 N" x3 x. 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。

M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
4 G) U* w7 d7 T$ r1 a, d
  z3 B% M3 |* d2 x( S2 b2 xL: 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？
* D- h8 G, A3 z* w, G& ?+ _
1 W2 I; S8 a. \$ R6 z$ R+ pM：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。

0 f2 s$ T, ^" D! _$ mM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
6 S3 K3 }9 g6 i5 b4 F" b* w
% l! }9 i* R$ [; D% wL: 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?
$ u( q8 D2 Q2 ?: N8 e2 H/ \0 H, E
- q& X& ?4 J/ o8 C( lM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

. a9 W6 C0 y, l6 }' kL: 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.
8 G1 a6 ], c+ f- c, I" O1 T4 w
M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
- K: r3 I3 e( [6 m) i9 {
0 {' z" H- i: _: C% R% W. v% kL: 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!
' b( [" Z  s- O6 d- c
" ]$ t. _' X2 r6 ^L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。

( }0 `  A" v# i% HM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
. x, G, L$ p$ H5 B' B  P" R9 M# w4 A
L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。
! V8 G7 X5 Q& H0 b
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 ~1 J0 g5 \% S; l2 X  e以下为音频：