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。

3 s3 g& l$ x% [8 j, BL: 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.
) z1 y" d4 O/ ^2 I  L
- e/ I; V) h$ j+ a3 x. N$ XL: 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？
" _( g% @2 k& a5 j
M：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。

1 `' {* c$ R2 Z! |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.
) d. H; \% E8 m" V2 n
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？
0 J% M/ A: J" ~$ z* |) ^4 B8 N
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
; I; H* L+ m- s
L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
6 Q# N8 F. ?. C: g9 ~8 N
& S1 V9 ?' T: _3 t5 H2 ~; W$ z5 ?M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

" }( M: ^0 r3 N! b# n" 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？
; H, g0 H7 L, B7 K. J* g( ^, @
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.

' ]- b$ C7 z3 N) {1 T8 yL: 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？
+ Y1 H* F' I! ~/ D4 Q" ^) N
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
' n! v# H. m5 \0 G+ `- s* A
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
- I. p4 _4 O9 k1 l* u
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。
/ s) t" v3 B  ?3 I, p( d: |
5 |  z' W5 w" xM：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。

M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.

0 c* F! ?( f" [, R; mL: 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 o# y+ X* f4 w% [. g2 t* N
) d- o5 e0 K9 q1 [4 IM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
) M7 Q5 U( ^# g3 l
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。
; ]) s+ N8 n) z. ^
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
( g& F# l4 k7 K- q& i; f* k
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?

M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
3 h/ m& \) @+ W
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.
& Z. r2 |  g& d8 Z( \
% D0 G+ A  F7 c9 mM：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。

M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。

/ U( i! Q# u# Q9 ^7 OM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

- I# X3 B& [' L  }& W% XL: 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。
, I$ _4 _; J4 C6 d, `! a以下为音频：