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。
: K7 R- n8 k9 q2 d6 a
L: 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！
! _, o7 F/ o' T  n. L, W2 f
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.

& C5 v4 q. j2 p9 ZL: 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？
" q* d( A5 p8 R# @4 r! r: E; t5 P
4 y- L3 c; i6 g! l& ?( DM：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
! e! @$ L+ V, E) E/ U( h' s
: G1 {. M! \- sL: 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。

! `' F. T% `# u* X2 t2 Z3 ?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.

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？
; I; T/ J& s' p+ t
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?
* _! i. J* d; A' y, F' _0 X) N
L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？
4 V% _2 Q6 v7 N4 ?' O
M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
+ f) L6 d) T% P' o2 m
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？

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.

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？
! [6 D+ y0 G5 u2 ]  u
) D, I, T, y+ F% ^5 HM：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！

L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
* n* g( K( h0 b: P
9 {" y6 E+ r3 A& v(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

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。

M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

7 k3 ^6 b0 S3 [; _: U* ?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.
2 z; L) D& X0 G% t" f' ]' C  {( n
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？
; y4 R2 y9 ?) A, [3 R( Z8 J
M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

0 b' R0 t3 `4 s- L8 f, x5 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。
) w& i6 {# u* M* _
' `# y4 N: w$ p! XM：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.

9 S7 ^) p- l! o. {0 S/ PL: 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?

2 B, Z5 F4 e( S" ~% I( d6 \M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

" q5 Z: v' d# F$ c9 VL: 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.

; S. I8 i5 x5 M! G2 A  q  L4 W' t+ [M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
; G: H. s2 @# j( T
L: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。
# ^$ U6 z3 ?5 s! ~; q8 K2 X3 e4 t! C) P
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

' g/ u! S3 }4 ~4 ?# L3 k5 _2 FL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
5 q  F8 i& H/ \+ G+ `
M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
6 {6 I  D' q2 _/ s
L: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

( d5 a( U5 e7 W2 n- A7 ?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：
; H0 R) h  @% }