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。
, v( [3 R: @1 K1 q. ^' X" V
2 P* k4 [5 y; J# o9 O4 S3 aL: 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.
1 Z8 v+ ]- k; i- U" I+ y* p
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？
- l  G* @- }+ O4 q' ]5 B) ]
5 G* I: I7 o) A$ R& `& X- p) oM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
5 c8 @' {* o- I& `6 i: m0 Z# @" q- D
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。
+ i( ~9 t1 {8 ^9 g( Z/ B1 O, \3 ?
% \  m* O$ N3 I  @2 a1 tM：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.
# H3 F! O/ e: Q. [. y
# S4 w5 @% c! `* g! ]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?
4 |' q9 Y9 S+ |2 C# u
9 E9 j: m. a5 t& X0 |L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？

M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
4 b+ u7 E9 S% i+ z- Y- S0 G
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？

1 o) i1 ]' T# `( `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？
) \% j# _% }, c* \$ Q+ l4 G3 v) H
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
- n5 J& [* D4 S$ M3 {6 H6 i9 }
- M, E, O$ z& ^) `0 @: Z: A' |L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
1 w! u/ _& `* |! u% S; @  b' j$ z& T
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

/ J7 e; u! g  s" k4 f! wL: 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。

& ~. N' t2 x+ U- N" mM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

0 \" m2 z/ T1 pL：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.

  j! {" s- b. h, t4 Q, nL: 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？
7 Z' k4 C  }8 o" T' k4 q8 u
M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

1 X1 Y+ q- K  x; j! yL: 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。
: x- i, M% k  ^7 `
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

" a7 [& y4 C: j; q, J; d5 wL: 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.

# l, [9 l, {6 u! b6 ?: ~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.
, @- f; [2 w7 R+ b9 p- D
  _) j, ?* s" J1 Z0 E& Q9 F2 kM：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?

7 G3 u& j3 g3 [L: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
! T: j' r" h, u, K
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
. ]# F8 U  X% z; L
L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
: w& P; u% a1 i8 d' V. R
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- c; @: O* k2 a* K
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：