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。

  W, `0 V) C/ R" X# c9 DL: 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, \, D: l; K0 p. i
5 D- [5 @0 @$ f: YM： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.

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？

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。
# a! x3 G2 T) t& f+ M' K
: s$ ]! w  F0 g! T2 DM：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.
4 `0 ]4 G3 A3 J2 X$ ^1 k
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?

L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
$ i. N# {" J# A: y
M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
. F2 ?- S; K: L9 |2 C5 b- u+ r
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？

: N  ]; j! \5 _0 w: O1 b1 r/ bM：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.

6 ], k6 @4 P0 M# |; ]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？

M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

. |: n! ^) D4 Z' t0 xL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

" z, M' u( F4 h; ^1 p9 G(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

5 }- }* j# D1 |) {  t- m# `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。

& }3 C6 ^, i5 p6 n) k3 ?" pM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

. M* J  J3 b7 y. w" TL：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。
1 ^5 e4 z  U' R: w' i
M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
% v: Z1 D; J& b  u  t
; T" f. S) I5 C9 P9 `% ^- zL: 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？

M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

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* `, y- m. h" ]! \# J% n, lM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
0 B  z4 {* i) |/ ]
  z, a: A0 A7 K% g8 X$ s+ O& XL: 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?

$ j& i; R( `% U4 j, YM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

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.
9 ^9 ^8 }8 z8 r- r
( R  V# u# N- c$ d7 t" ?4 P. WM：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?

& T8 ]) l: {! e5 ]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!
" J" h' c+ S1 l, s! n9 c7 ]
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.
1 X$ E$ P) p6 R& D
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。
0 M/ d8 R! r" `0 Q以下为音频：
3 O% I5 x  v! r# U$ }+ j0 @