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。

) ^& m* k2 U4 h/ zL: 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.

$ H- }; s, |& r; n- FL: 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？

, a3 B9 b: L0 a/ i) y  e* tM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
& E# \+ Q, O! S) m5 _
) ~0 Y% Q) \4 o/ }( nL: 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。
! l! ^& K% d3 y4 I5 p9 M
. m: z; p4 L' o3 N( JM：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.
- ?0 n5 y) e. s% R2 e
- p. E  ?5 e6 |) b& [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？
. Z1 m* }/ m0 h
+ p( r- b+ L( U( r' `% fM: 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？
: k7 Z# [$ F- U% Q5 H
( K" E$ w9 ~9 EM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

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？
" d. K8 q$ L' G' P
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.
  z( O/ W" M! r6 v2 ^0 P
! k4 O; v1 H" 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？
; l- X( m8 a' c4 a$ n/ a& T
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

$ X7 o; b# Q$ {5 e0 a& b' e. WL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！

(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

- g: G- g) q6 ~; G: S2 R7 o  LL: 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。
9 a: h' k0 b+ P" O* ^
M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
$ r$ }7 Y3 ~7 l$ U+ |
, ~# L3 a% r  Q$ h% ^: fL：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。

) R  ]; F3 Z% _2 r9 vM：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
' L: Z" L- H% {9 F
9 ?' Q3 j) C# J- t8 N, DL: 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？
4 _9 y6 F; o+ u* ?6 O9 _
. l; I' H4 ~% A5 }: Z  ?: f$ qM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
/ w5 L4 }6 X( l& B& f
: D0 b- `0 o0 D& K+ e* UL: 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。

* a5 k- `) V, L, eM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

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.
7 e( ^, P9 a3 j3 s4 z* _
. u, k: L7 ~) x! K7 H1 E; PL: 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 n9 _0 H0 T# 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。

M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
$ K9 N; K; Y) @2 |( k. }4 @  q
9 L3 \% o! U( A3 ?% FL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
. ?8 k# f3 {$ K9 O. D
M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
" q* K# v) S! @# E3 b( t8 p* A; ^
L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。
3 D" |3 S( B! w! K, v( b# w. s
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。
) k5 a; c2 N8 E/ o0 H& Q! T! A以下为音频：
+ ?$ J; g+ M/ v% [  Z& r2 P" V2 z