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。

7 s0 p  \5 F6 ?) K  oL: 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！

* z" E. i& U2 T+ _M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.

! M6 H0 C7 W0 pL: 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.
: b0 M  e7 l% b' k( O& t
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.

" n/ c% k1 C9 y- oL：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! Z5 V3 C5 ~4 |# f
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
% O' Z6 I' s% v2 T1 V  j) Z
' y2 u2 R8 Y/ B* Y& BL: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
8 l, Z8 ~& P  X& {: Z8 o
M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

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？

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.
/ s0 {6 J, G5 m0 U9 O
. S' g" ^+ r7 k+ ?2 R4 y% oL: 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！

L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

' u1 g; S3 Q6 Y1 H& t(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
3 V, R, ?- g7 M) x9 O( g$ V
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。

M：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。

9 _+ A' y; `/ \* `  ~M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.

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？
+ t9 P) Q. d9 g5 }5 Y0 h
M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
- V" k$ c4 P, p! G' ]* V( q
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.

1 M; D# Q; B3 |! |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?
. c( ?2 h% w( D6 Q5 P3 O3 F
M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
, w; j9 ~! c* T+ o2 Q
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.

M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
: v+ y- R" z- u+ A) Z
# Q# v4 s2 d" r( cL: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
8 k. V* h7 Y  S1 a& w5 s" Z
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

* A- ]/ s( i& v* z2 [L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
* _! K4 I# g, q6 z$ ^% ~2 n
- S" \9 V1 t" ?. h# W  `) _M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

. X4 W9 [! z5 @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。
以下为音频：