流行美语 第 13 课:keep cool; screw up Michael和李华已经从华盛顿返回纽约。今天是星期六,他们一起到纽约的 Meadowlands去看冰球。Michael和李华这两个大学生,一个讲英文,一个讲中文,旁边的人听起来很奇怪,可是他们自己已经习惯了这种方式。今天他们在谈话中会用两个常用语:keep cool和screw up。
L:Michael,谢谢你带我到Meadowlands来看冰球,Meadowlands可是有名的地方呐! 而且我从来还没有看过冰球呢!
(Starting buzzer)
M:Sometimes these games get really rough!
L:我也听说了,他们说冰球比赛有时很粗暴,经常会打架。
M:Wow, look at them! It's only five minutes into the game and they are already pushing and shoving.
L:是啊,他们已经开始推推攘攘,真的打起来了。人们都说冰球比赛有时会很粗暴,但是才开始五分钟就打架,这可是不多见。
M:Yeah, they really need to keep cool out there.
L: Michael, 这是冰球,在冰上打球,当时是冷的咯,你在说什么呀?
M:Li Hua, that's not what I meant. Keep cool means to calm down。Keep, means to hold and cool, meaning cold.
L: 噢,keep cool就是要冷静一点, 你是说这些球员不要火气那么大,需要保持冷静。对,他们要是老打架,最好的球员就会被禁止打球的。
M:Yeah. Another example, remember last week when you got into an argument with the professor over your mid-term grade?
L:我才不会忘记上星期的事呐。那个教授给我期中考试打那么低的分数,我当然要跟他争嘛。
M:Right now Li Hua, you need to keep cool.
L:是,一说起这件事,我就会生气。得了,得了,不谈这个了吧!
M:I can't believe how poorly they are playing.
L:你说他们打得不好呀? 说实话,我根本看不懂。我只知道当地的球队输了三分,这就输了很多啦!
M:Yeah, they have really managed to screw up this game.
L:"Screw up"? 我不懂,这是什么意思?
M:"Screw up" means not to play well. The home team is certainly messing up.
L:噢,"Screw up" 就是打得不好。
M:"Screw up," it means to mess up.
L:是不是只能说打球时,或参加运动比赛时犯了错误?
M:No, it can be used to describe a lot of things. For example, I screw up on tests all the time.
L:噢,你考试老考糟也能用screw up来表示呀!这么说,"screw up" 可以用的范围很广。 要是说一个人工作没有做好呢?
M:He screwed up at work.
L:你老是和别人的关系搞不好,也能说是screw up吧?
M:Yes, that's why I don't date anymore. Because I screw up all the time.
L:原来是因为老跟别人搞不好关系,所以你就不交女朋友了。 Michael,你也别跟自己太过不去了。
M:I do screw up a lot; I make mistakes all the time.
L:我们都犯错误的,谁能不犯错误啊!我来给你介绍个女朋友吧!
M:Look, they are playing like that! What is wrong with these players.
L:嗨, 这些球员真的很糟糕,你看,他们已经输了四分啦!
M:I hate this! They can't manage not to screw up tonight.
L:Michael, 尽管他们screw up,我们还是要keep cool! 也许还有希望扭转局势。
李华今天从Michael那儿学到了两个常用语, 一个是:keep cool,意思是:冷静一些,别太激动;另一个常用语是:screw up, 意思是把事情弄糟了。