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。
+ n7 _7 e9 d7 l2 ?; y$ X
) }- {# f+ G' S' C* K  t6 XL: 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.

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.
7 {$ v, B5 V; J' \! u+ _& r% G
5 r9 D( f; w4 `- ^& S( }3 ]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。
" T1 S' E/ M- v
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.
; n4 ?% `& `+ u" ?+ c3 o
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?
( \5 h' I6 x; W, i
L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
! A* V, N' l# U  N/ m
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？
4 e( e4 `- W- c- N0 s
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.

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？

M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
% G3 [6 `# q) f, c
( \* o& P0 i1 s9 a7 O6 `; |L: 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。
6 i# v( {- s4 E, G
, B' ?, y1 J7 u$ R" C3 lM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
  K6 S% d3 p' I2 E: P
2 D0 \7 `4 f, o, h( rL：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。
2 M9 B: b6 S  G* ]' J9 j
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？
  A5 {8 {" O  @4 d2 p
5 J2 p8 k3 z7 u9 d1 ^M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
# k) D: l1 o( J1 B5 f6 I
% t9 q5 m% M3 `6 f6 s, bL: 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。
2 u& q- K$ I1 v& b# r
) u  t' g! a( V' nM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

9 P  O! D% z$ \- VL: 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?

0 r; G7 f+ m; C0 E! x  IM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
* ?2 c) a4 G2 D8 A3 f8 K
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.
, g; `4 g. g8 ^1 F% ^0 `' \
M：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。

M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
6 C1 V8 o& Q% M
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。
% O* g  ]1 }0 L$ l
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。
( {& v6 p$ _1 Z! h( |, n9 }8 C5 E8 c以下为音频：