流行美语 第 131 课：to be hard up / to pick on someone

Larry和李华准备到银行去，李华要开一个帐户，而Larry需要取一些现金。今天李华会学到两个常用语：to be hard up和to pick on someone.

LH: Larry，我要去银行开个户头，你去银行做什么？

LL: Well, my friend is a little hard up for cash right now, so I'm going to withdraw some money and let him borrow it.

LH: 原来你是要提现金借给朋友啊！你的朋友怎么啦？你说他hard up for cash。Cash是现金。这个我懂，但hard up是什么意思？

LL: To be hard up for something means that you don't have enough of it.

LH: Hard up for something就是什么东西不够，所以你那朋友hard up for cash, 就是钱不够啦！对不对？

LL: Exactly. He's helped me when I was hard up before, so I feel that I should help him out now.

LH: 嗯，你朋友以前也借钱给你，帮过你，所以现在你帮他。这也是应该的。对了，Larry, 这个hard up除了指缺钱，还可以用在什么地方？

LL: Well, one is usually hard up for money. However, you can be hard up for time or for work, too.

LH: 如果我说I am hard up for time, 那就表示我很忙，时间不够，对不对？

LL: Right. I'm usually hard up for time during exams. I have so much studying to do that I hardly even sleep.

LH: 我也是，只要到了期中考，期末考的季节，我就觉得时间不够用，书都念不完。那hard up for work不能说工作不够，只能说找不到工作喽？

LL: I'm hard up for work means that I really need a job, but I'm having a hard time finding one.

LH: 嗯，那种需要工作却找不到工作的滋味一定很不好受。希望我毕业后不会经历hard up for work.

LL: So do I. I don't think anyone enjoys being hard up for time, money, or work.

LH：对，缺钱，缺时间，没工作都不好受。

LL: Did you see those two children in the bank? The little boy was awful; he kept picking on his sister.

LH: 就是，那个小男孩真不听话，吵吵闹闹的。你说他picking on his sister，那是什么意思？

LL: Oh, to pick on someone is to annoy or to be mean to that person. The little boy kept picking on his sister by calling her ugly and pulling her hair.

LH: Pick on someone就是欺负，招惹别人，或者老是批评别人的意思。那个小男孩不断拉他姐姐的头发，还说她丑，真是很让人讨厌。我小时候我哥哥也喜欢捉弄我。他总是踩我的脚，却说是我踩他！

LL: Well, at least your brother stopped doing that when he got older. My parents still pick on each other.

LH: 你说什么，你的爸妈也老是互相指责？

LL: They just criticize each other over stupid things. For example, my dad likes to pick on my mom about her cooking. He thinks she's a terrible cook.

LH: 你妈妈帮全家人做饭已经够辛苦了，你爸爸居然还批评她做饭做得不好。你爸爸也真是的！

LL: I know, but they have been picking on each other for thirty years and old habits are hard to break. To be honest, I think they enjoy it.

LH: 那倒是，30多年都是这样，要改恐怕也难。可是，你说他们喜欢这样做，这不太可能吧！

LL: Sometimes, they are joking. When my mom picks on my dad about the kind of music he listens to, I know she's just joking. Other times, I think they are just being grouchy.

LH: 我想他们有时是开玩笑。你爸听什么音乐，你妈还要管呐？肯定是开玩笑。当然，有的时候互相闹别扭也是可能的。人都有情绪不好的时候嘛！

今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是to be hard up for something, 就是缺乏某样东西，通常用来指缺钱或没时间。另一个常用语是pick on someone, 意思是批评别人，或者是欺负别人。