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。
! p+ R+ k! P7 s3 v- ~2 B% U; h4 ~
/ C9 s5 F* _! V* [- d8 rL: 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！
5 P1 h: W8 h& C2 ]. k6 A
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
! d  s' m/ Y# Y' z9 g0 q
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？
, u) n: W# `- I( S# \
/ T$ q* N! F- r6 Z/ x4 ^% V5 SM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.

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？
9 O& n4 l! |  d4 G( I; u
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
) ?6 H: K( P2 i( J9 w( L' \
2 F3 j1 Z* O5 H2 a; O$ J( `L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
, O. Q- O$ I  X8 z
) Q0 O) G6 f% X( M6 YM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
1 d  U- |2 [# w, U( A
' a9 t5 D+ k& b( f& q7 P4 I0 EL：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.

8 \. P8 x2 J' Q: }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？
  `3 f* a. X/ B% F6 T, ]( ]
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
  ^; i: Z2 X/ F/ R* F
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
3 M+ `6 w9 }/ r" Z$ B4 I
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。
- b- C5 d' I8 o- k8 V6 G/ J
) d* }# v8 g* k2 k7 }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。
( J7 C1 e: Y( F
( E% u! n% \$ j" A; @8 W: X% HM：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
# m1 Y6 C4 R- \* i( Q
( P4 z) C* G6 i, \- yL: 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？

" n' i  s7 B/ C0 N. \: }M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

6 ~3 F. W( R+ h9 V4 b8 q4 gL: 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。
+ I1 k7 G3 s) Z2 m9 E
  u. r: a1 @7 ~M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
( p) ?: ^3 d. P7 W
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?
' G, D9 f& h+ `- |" @( D4 G# ?
* t' ~/ f4 }0 h. s0 ]M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
+ X! A( ], t- {/ v0 N
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.
! F4 a1 i7 \" U
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。
# u+ K, g. V( h: T
& i+ \8 c% N5 y3 y; h- c) VM: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
" f: i! q6 q# o- R
M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
* K$ s. ~+ z$ t7 L
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：