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。
5 D  I5 h5 i7 M  Y) V; O  ~
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！
( Z$ m- H7 [& S0 ]7 e
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
. g$ p- J5 ~- |8 h5 t" T4 R
/ C1 P6 n  O! F# O- E! r0 T- TL: 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.
" }$ K) |3 p* x! b5 C
5 W& P# Y( P9 mL: 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。

0 Z4 ]1 _  v% f* m+ ~6 RM：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.
, {* D- V7 I  @' x+ B
- A+ b- @. S6 ~0 j) x- @7 lL：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？

# G% m3 K# l  }M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

- ^0 J- l2 ^: I6 N9 HL: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
8 F5 k- f% @: M$ l
) |# B( S9 i6 P9 U$ D# rM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
$ C) t( b8 z& L% G1 h0 A6 N
; q' g( y% h1 [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.
. S! j- x# ~- p& F4 X8 I* }- O% x
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？
  ]! k& I% k/ }# D3 V
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
) X4 ^- a: [4 R* |+ r( d& j
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
( Z0 \4 |6 \! H
) D% Q7 s0 d, J2 r/ b. J6 [& BL: 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。
1 J* g% w5 Z: w# d3 E+ z' B
6 z0 T" p* Y& V- F3 f& SM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

6 |* u: Z2 r' {2 jL：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 t4 u) P- A9 q
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 [) Z. ]4 V7 D* _* r
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 {$ s/ |* n* \" Q
* Y1 P& Q/ k) `& sM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
. r- t$ C8 T% D
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?
2 G) J2 M/ r$ y& @8 J; F
" Z" R8 x# [  NM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
' V7 i' F4 v% t
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.
) S7 L  a+ V: O# I
8 i/ k+ T8 e) e, }' G- J2 gM：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
' q( F( m4 m. q. \2 [5 V' [: M
L: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
" D" W7 y! s. X; Q' S) e$ l9 O
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

7 U! U! `1 J( u6 {) q' {L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
3 U: o: ?2 {! S5 a" @( W, z4 x
% }' {( x2 k( I* xM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
/ z4 Q2 p! |9 ]9 ^5 t# Q
& V0 j: ?$ {3 N* c3 q* r" HL: 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：