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。
1 m, [; e1 e% S7 D; o& C
, E, t! @' ?7 ^9 e+ i3 YL: 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.

' n* B1 c( _) a" ~9 ]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？
, p7 {! s6 x* j/ I+ Z* g
, `$ _6 |. w$ H6 |( s5 ^M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.

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。

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.

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？
3 ^, f* w8 R  S
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

9 m- w& K( k  t% G6 n' tL: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
, K1 {  I2 s( j' t1 N/ x, d, |4 ?
" b; |: u1 s0 WM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
( M0 {, A+ G1 G# |9 A- ^# f0 {( x4 O
" s- D' q3 I. ML：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？

" v- H' u4 c' BM：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.
4 }$ s) u# W$ t
  v) c( U% R# ~2 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？
( h2 Q3 v( Z8 \; N/ W$ c
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
$ R9 }: e, T4 L6 }# V5 x. O
6 l7 j( r, {/ C/ k8 j8 Q/ SL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
9 x* g3 h5 R5 H6 i5 m
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
; Z" M1 [  x* f5 x
6 Y; c& d: p% k% n$ w" GL: 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。
( g0 |+ z" O, v6 K. P" i3 w
M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
) n; R3 s% Z; ]
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.
" }: s1 T7 x- q/ D7 l0 M; K
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？

M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
8 n/ j7 M4 s% b
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。
$ Y9 N0 \2 g3 d4 a* [4 p
: U' x* n/ c9 j. }: Q: O, nM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
0 ~5 k& C  y3 ?( }3 j1 ]2 H
5 U! K: c9 f3 s( xL: 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.

' O; V& `( x4 J- g! iL: 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.
- r2 ?; H' z- J% p7 g6 E
2 X" t: ~% z! T0 oM：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
8 t; R4 I+ ~) f% L6 W: Q& S/ i
+ G# B2 @7 Q. c4 D: r7 xL: 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!
& ^. S/ N1 G' y- v9 ~( p. ^: l
( ]" X# \) [+ k/ o+ [: |  f& tL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
+ `9 f  f) n$ D
M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

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。
/ Y1 b7 U9 b" F+ ^" W% g6 C以下为音频：
8 r. s0 ]! v6 y  P" h( X9 }