流行美语 第 11 课:kick back; one-track mind Michael和李华今天在华盛顿的国家建筑博物馆参加一个建筑会 议。今天,请大家注意他们对话里用的两个常用语:kick back和one track mind 。
L: 期中考试完了有这么一个周末真不错,尽管我们得参加这次大会, 我也觉得挺不错。
M: I'm glad we made it to DC. It's a good time to just kick back and relax.
L: 我也很高兴能到华盛顿来,正好可以休息一下。不过,你刚才说 kick back是什么意思呀? 肯定不是要踢什么东西吧?
M: No, I don't! I just mean to relax with my friend, you.
L: 噢,跟朋友一起玩, 也就是说跟我玩。你是说,kick back 就是把 腿跷起来,痛痛快快地休息,是这个意思吗?
M: Yes. Last weekend we were in New York and kicked back with your friends, remember?
L: 对,上个周末我们是去纽约跟我的朋友一起玩了。不过,我以前 也听人说过kick back,但那是指贪污受贿。
M: Yeah, it can be used that way as well. When one person pays someone else in return for a job or a contract.
L: 这么说,kick back可以解释为休息,也可以解释为给某人一些钱, 以换取一个工作职位或其他好处。这两个意思完全不同。
M: When you mean corruption, kickback is one word. When it means to relax, kick back is two words.
L: 在指贿赂的时候,kickback是一个字,在指休息,轻松的时候, kick back 是两个字,就差这么一点点。对,我那天在 报上看到一 个公司总裁把合同给了一个给他回扣的承包商。
M: Yeah, that company executive got a kickback. Well, enough about kickback. Do you want to go to any of the panels this afternoon?
L: 你问我下午要不要去参加 小组讨论? 去那个讨论东方建筑特色的小 组吧! 尽管我很想到咖啡馆去休息休息。
M: Ok, maybe once we are done with the panel we can go out and do something fun.
L: 好主意, 小组讨论会结束后我们可以出去玩。
L: 好了,Michael,会开完了。我们得计划一下今天上哪儿去。不过, 我先得喝杯咖啡。
M: Ok, ok. Geez, you have such a one track mind sometimes. Do you know what a one track mind is?
L: 我不知道,但是我知道你在取笑我。
M: No, I'm not making fun of you. One track mind means you are only thinking about one thing all the time. Today all you have been thinking about is coffee. You should remember this phrase, it's commonly used.
L: 噢,one track mind还是常用的说法,所以我得记住。你认识我的 朋友王光吧? 她成天工作,从来不想别的事。你能说她是one track mind 吗?
M: Yeah, you can say that. It's amazing how much she works, never does much of anything else.
L: 对,她就是这样,工作狂。你们男人也都是one track mind。脑子里总是想着女孩子。
M: Yeah, there's one particular girl I think about.
L: 你老想一个女孩子? 谁呀?
M: Here's your coffee shop, two coffees please!
Michael和李华今天在对话中用了kick back。当kickback作为一 个词的时候,意思是贪污受贿;当kick back用作kick和back两个字的 时候,意思是休息,和某人一起玩。他们在对话中还用了one track mind,意思是脑子里光想一件事。