[流行美语]又和大家见面了。Michael是一个在纽约上大学的美国年轻人,他经常跟中国学生李华一起玩。Michael向李华学中文,李华向 Michael 学英文。Michael 正在准备考试,有很多功课要做,但是李华要他出去休息休息,两人约好下午在动物园见面。他们在对话中会用这两个词:all-nighter和cram。 " Y1 e, `7 N3 O" g( O - F0 ^1 Y) n3 b" j+ q% S5 `- @L: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿! . @8 j, _% [( h9 Q, ~3 l! R5 T$ j4 ~' L
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look. + I, e2 c/ l$ e/ d9 m/ d2 {$ S0 _; c3 ~+ K
L: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧! $ E9 p! B _% O6 N8 g) N ! D9 G. v3 n2 _0 X7 v" @/ m f# fM: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter. # w3 P- W, F- N! p % t( o( H# j9 V# }" Y; O/ ]* YL: 我知道你有很多功课,但是你在准备考试的时候也总得休息休息嘛。我听说这次考试会很难。你刚才说 all-nighter 是不是开夜车 的意思呀?* Y) k6 g2 N) k$ k8 J" `* ~
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M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!* D, S6 v/ t- S" q
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L: 我是猜出来的, all的意思是整个,全部,nighter和 night 很像。我想一个人要整夜学习,那不就是开夜车吗?但是,有一点我不太懂,你说:to pull an all-nighter,什么是pull ?' k2 d. Y2 t1 ]% R! F; E! E
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M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time. & j2 c5 S. H2 f5 j/ W6 t& k 1 w/ P+ M: A3 B$ r8 UL: 噢, pull an all-nighter,就是迫使自己整夜念书,因为要这样做是很辛苦的。 ! E5 o; v- l: [* P ( x c r4 q! K* _M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.9 M# F g, F' w
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L: 这你可说对了。我不需要开夜车,因为我整个一学期都在学习。你要开夜车,因为你平时不学习。 7 h1 v- i; c, A1 R- L8 M6 X1 Q* d2 U2 a
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.# R ~; L) L2 `" ?
% z4 T4 h/ ?: ]( }( I9 T9 kL: Michael, 我真喜欢纽约的秋天,空气很清新。你要是能跟我一起玩,不用回去念书,那该多好啊!' {- [' a1 b( G1 N" J% f: ^
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M: I don't want to go study either, but I should. : P! o- u6 y: O! [! c- l ( ^, R4 @$ T J. r( Y* ?L: 对啊, 你要是上星期多花点时间念书不就好了嘛。现在你得临时抱佛脚了。5 e6 M* Q3 z% Y8 U
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M: I perform better on tests when I cram. " N: \( O' ]; {2 W % ]% `+ d& x7 Q6 `8 oL: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢?, E v; {4 d7 Z/ R8 D/ L/ N
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M: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram., F% P* v. C1 d5 E4 L
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L: 意思差不多?噢,我知道了!Cram就是我们中文里说的填鸭式方法,就是硬把食品塞给鸭子吃,这样鸭子就长得肥。北京烤鸭就是用这种鸭子做的。你说的cram 是临时抱佛脚,在考试前猛记猛背,把知识往脑子里塞。你还认为这是好办法? " O6 x8 a+ z) u V r' b0 j: R' W0 _, o) TM: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me. : u* Q. A3 D3 C$ T* { m# i& u3 m. a
L: 你认为临时抱佛脚对你来说行得通。可是,Michael,想把半学期的内容在一个晚上记住,这样做可真傻。! q* n1 h6 T4 E+ `- M1 I2 {
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M: Stop being my mother, Li Hua!/ q, Z/ G+ l. R
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L: 我才不想当你妈呢,你不听我的话,那就算了。Michael, cram这个词是否还能用在别的场合呢? 1 F) s6 W2 g& B: [% D9 t ; J H3 Q% u- f! v9 _ n1 G; ^- q1 ]M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level. . ?) K$ e1 Z+ C( j- ~5 d 3 p0 [9 b" J5 L: p5 v& m4 aL: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。 + @7 d+ I' V( K% m- L8 `% q+ f0 y6 U6 ~) S
M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter.% t, h' B+ {& R" K1 F" @# n* A
9 ^1 S& v( [' o6 s# i8 a* a) }' bL: 好吧,我明天早上给你打电话。 ) v4 [& A1 E$ v* u+ w% Z4 ^0 D 0 f8 R: x i7 I5 TM: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming. 0 @/ |: N6 U6 T 3 q8 q C, I0 {6 w4 a/ A+ W _L: 哟,你还准备开夜车开到天亮呐? Ok, well, good luck!2 v y/ Z7 [- w
1 i8 t3 W5 T2 P3 B. J今天李华向Michael学了两个常用语,一个是:all-nighter, 意思是开夜车;另一个是:cram, 这是指中学生或大学生在考试前临时抱佛脚。 & }) k3 L- l1 ^* ^3 f- J. L7 B/ nAudio As Following:% L* g; l ~0 i( p9 G