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。

) y. z: C/ k  jL: 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！
" r. P% i8 `2 h# ]7 p8 H
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
. G$ S0 \" S* b0 E. a" j2 i4 D% T$ Y) W
0 `- V/ {7 b# M) aL: 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？

6 X" R/ S4 g3 p8 x$ z7 YM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
& H4 b/ ~, ~1 P3 ?# t
0 K3 w) q& J1 L, D- X; rL: 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。

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.
; x6 M) O. i$ l( K+ y+ z
+ _( k$ l6 t, k3 kL：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?

+ J& r5 |5 u  a7 SL: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
8 Q' Q4 @- B+ R
8 E8 f; }+ {3 h( o9 D  NM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

* f; p" u& u3 W# r& F- [% `% @/ LL：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？

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.
  A! Z: W& D6 X+ I% H
( {- [# |' }+ x# b4 f( \* N7 |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？

$ K4 D* Y; C; m6 _& AM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
) I! ^6 X: S3 Z. c0 U
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
- w$ W' M. i& O/ @( ?) o% H, Q
& E% g3 k4 O7 j# ?(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)
/ |  K& `6 ]2 d0 _1 @% D7 H
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。

2 v2 W& i' n2 \M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.
# ]; l( B* y& s" E. ]9 d' z
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。
+ r7 y5 a/ _6 b5 g8 ]& I
$ r5 j  K0 r7 _, V* X: x; qM：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
" i& h: u" Q+ r$ |; Q
L: 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？

* ~/ `2 j) K; @  z3 sM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

1 Q+ U7 Y) \/ I; I" T2 P; nL: 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。

M：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?
; d  n! {$ \, a. |
7 v3 ^8 r: x) HM：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
, ~  `  _& l# l( o9 R) X6 }
$ H9 @7 q. z. {: i2 [5 yL: 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.

M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?

3 q+ E- z- `2 ?% xL: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
  y# c9 W  e8 m+ O
  x6 s4 q+ F6 {" `3 ]M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!
9 G2 Q: \2 L; E: x
- w" m) C1 P- _0 X8 ^: bL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
" l, R: S+ f. u
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。
. e% f& B8 b0 _" p- {" }% c* C
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：
* L5 G7 v9 G& ?( U6 ~% S