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！
' ]" S, e5 T4 ~
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
; d% m! ]+ \( H; R
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.
3 k9 I2 Z0 x  o3 k
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？

M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
; g/ A5 @6 E$ J" e* x
6 \: s& G" s0 w4 k& s" r8 ^L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
9 R% ^1 ?* m( y) f! @
# x5 r, }- y$ f: x0 f0 dM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
- T* C% f5 |3 W7 `+ k% Z) A0 f
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？
$ `: V, O" l( d" P( ^
; b6 R5 a- @" {; ~" h+ t2 E2 W- gM：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.

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？

4 @. r: q( I8 m% O3 X# QM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

) w* u& I8 W8 }4 I: O% q1 mL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

(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。

" b7 Y5 \' b/ ~' y' q. M% KM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

+ T3 f3 B3 u, f- _% R/ d6 k# H& mL：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.

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？
  A2 i  H1 c7 i- u# q
/ H9 L- |* ~+ [# |M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

3 r5 y7 [. }8 ]' l; wL: 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。
$ t/ p: I4 a9 P- U
( A6 \4 Q0 B8 }3 _9 VM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
. }: e6 p& ]- \' h4 B" U
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?
' u5 [$ C" n/ G' A& y; r
M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

( X1 e2 @3 T; ZL: 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+ X; D) w& W4 _7 Y! C# [: ~
! k* Z/ R3 y0 b, J$ m" s; ]9 ZL: 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 E' L( J# a: T8 B! t- [/ A- f% g, gL: 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.
8 {" x2 G  F) P# \$ I& a7 F: ]
# n* i0 U" d6 {! L: C- B1 B. \L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。
1 n) c+ o, G" h3 y, w7 E( ^. ?
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。
# S1 ?& s3 `/ i. H$ d) s! j& B以下为音频：