[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。 * `1 ]. M) h4 J4 { \! e' K1 N6 E/ k( jL: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿! ! x" u7 a# @+ z9 J2 u4 T B4 b5 P( m. s0 [# [
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look. 2 u0 A: }/ |( M, m& L- G* D, R- c2 ~5 b3 v
L: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧! 8 N3 ~8 Z, I/ G, F0 y& l% y 4 [( c# \( U6 }3 i/ uM: 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. 8 _) O( S. k4 l# p8 z" k4 A2 @. z$ p. q v! e! Y6 H
L: 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? $ ^# p5 r% R9 O* N. T& t; k, x0 c+ n! Z
M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!2 R2 t% u# c4 a; ^4 u
. n! e2 C5 r. P" i/ Q, @- hL: 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 ? - f0 _: Z, ~& p) a) |# e- C$ c! U" v * t0 c6 u; v% Q& H& lM: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time. 6 B7 V& e) v5 }6 X+ o7 m8 z2 E& ^( g W8 r& B8 M* |4 e
L: 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。 6 R3 H6 Z, h8 n& Y( k ' R+ M+ l$ R$ @# r8 s( x, ^M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.' o: a4 R: Y' _* r
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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。9 P2 H0 {9 a1 R; W3 g8 F! g7 |
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M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am./ t: [$ V5 g3 E; f0 |
4 q( J m8 g8 c( [L: 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! ( s' \& j" V& T4 b: E% |2 ^" ` f4 C- t% o, a/ P' ?
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should. 5 V7 M: V8 m( h. c( H' l. A7 y3 ?0 q: K9 c6 k
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。" F3 O1 ^( ?. w1 j0 E" n: S
* c1 E7 g3 _% ^& ]6 D6 V/ }M: I perform better on tests when I cram. 5 ?! U) {+ o% I) d9 p0 P) _) H 2 d1 j) O1 Z0 G' y" E9 `L: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢?0 C% I% ^2 v5 H+ w
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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.2 J$ J/ N" }9 i: `7 I9 V5 L5 N9 |
0 J7 V" z$ ]# ^0 l K9 d' o; c; sL: 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? & u3 {# {3 K# E* ^2 `- J2 B0 h 0 ~5 e9 Z" S) @4 X8 P3 n1 k: UM: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me.' [ @) k; A& y# \6 a6 P8 S9 \8 E9 |
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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。! T! h! C6 Z; ~
0 G" I; F, l6 L+ QM: Stop being my mother, Li Hua!5 C* g k; g4 k) }& I8 ]
3 i) c+ q2 Z& ^# U8 {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? ' p( q( Q% A5 c5 g3 y. I! X$ q7 n, @; I& o. @! n
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level. ! x+ g G2 m0 ^ ]. k & V4 `) _- _% F. N. j6 AL: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。# h/ b; T& Z% ^1 j' e
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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$ a3 r& _ W2 ]7 m