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 h) {* J+ e8 m2 `% U( B8 l; |4 i' ?
) n- D9 c. O+ S9 a3 GL: 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！
. `# L% ?2 v- ]
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.

: b3 @" x- I' L1 SL: 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$ j/ g5 D# r% u8 G& PL: 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.
% U+ ~+ a/ \( z) w
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？
1 [& F0 U/ U/ _' `5 m, W2 t
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？

& ]9 [% \# a6 H: M: \& tM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
4 ]# L! j' k( A
! e. e0 N* R6 S; t7 xL：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.
7 j) @5 D1 J% \8 ^  T: [
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？
2 {7 m8 i  `1 r5 O) P$ z* H
; F' m4 V) J0 E) U4 \) fM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
4 k; i- }( c. G2 n, j/ o  E
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
' V0 R) o5 W$ j; D6 w7 P/ h! k
(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。

M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
5 ~; A! G: `) p. c- [9 G
& {- M! {- V  u+ E) @. AL：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。
& j$ g6 q; L, `/ ?  e6 l
* l4 [; w# ]8 N- I8 cM：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？

. D% v' E# H  d. t" F6 G5 kM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

! Q6 U. w5 R! o/ ]# }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。
  H9 S' B# I2 v
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

) W& H& _7 b; {* BL: 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.
, u, s: W3 n0 C2 u
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.
2 [, g* |7 d; B
1 ?+ G3 f! m$ HM：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
  e' [8 ~3 _% T9 B
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!
- h7 _! F* X& F: l4 }
L: 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.

L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

: T) k' u  W; o6 Z( b6 h5 u* oMichael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。
$ V7 y! j3 T7 c# r: X. r! B以下为音频：