流行美语 第 201 课：own sb. / goner

李华今天在Larry家玩电子游戏，给Larry打败。李华今天会学到两个常用语：own someone和goner。

[Sound of video games]

LH: 哎，我又输了。这个游戏真不怎么样。

LL: Ha! I own you Li Hua! That's five games to zero! I totally own you!

LH: Larry，你那么激动干什么呀！你说什么？“I own you ”，你又不欠我什么呀！

LL: No, not owe, I said own! To "own" someone means to overwhelmingly defeat that person at a game or contest, or just to be a lot better than someone else at something.

LH: 噢，to own someone就是玩游戏或比赛的时候把某人打败，或者在某个方面比对方强得多。你是说，我们玩电子游戏，你把我打败了。这有什么了不起！ 上次打乒乓球我把你打的落花流水，你记得吗？

LL: Yeah, I know, I know, the last time we played, you beat me 21 to zero. You totally own me at ping-pong. But that's just because in the U.S. we don't think of ping-pong as a real sport.

LH: 什么？你们美国人不把乒乓看作是真正的体育？That's baloney! 好吧，打保龄球在美国是很流行的，是不是！你还记得有一次我得了230分， 你连100分都不到。Larry，这你该怎么说呢？

LL: Right, right, you definitely own me at bowling. That was pretty embarrassing. Of course, I had given blood that day, and...

LH: 嗨，别再找理由了。你自己觉得不好意思就行！ 你呀，除了打电子游戏以外，我看你什么都玩不过我。

LL: Oh yeah? What about Scrabble? I own you at Scrabble any day!

LH: 拼字游戏？当然了，你是土生土长的美国人，英语是你的母语呀，如果连拼字你都比我差，那也太不好意思了吧。

LL: In spite of what you believe, I also own the tennis court. I'm the best player on the tennis court. I can beat anyone else who comes onto the court.

LH: 我承认你的网球的确打得不错，到目前为止，谁也打不过你，不过那是因为你还没有遇到好的对手。

LL: Come on, Li Hua, it's silly to argue like that. Isn't it obvious that everyone can own someone in certain fields, but no one can own everyone in everything.

LH：这话不错。每个人都有比别人强的地方，但是不能什么都比人强。

******

[Sound of video games]

LH: 好了，Larry，电子游戏打得差不多了，我们出去吃点东西吧。

LL: Wait, just let me finish this round [sound of TV popping and shutting off] Whoa, the TV died. Oh well, I guess it's a goner now.

LH: 电视坏了，你说电视是什么？Goner ？

LL: I said, "It's a goner". That means that the TV is "gone". It's dead, it cannot be used again or brought back to life.

LH: 我明白了，你说 "the TV is a goner" 意思是这电视机坏了，没救了。你怎么知道呀？也许还可以修呢！

LL: I'v already fixed it once, I'm pretty sure it's a goner this time.

LH: 原来你已经修过了，那看来是完蛋了。Larry, 你看墙角的那盆花都枯黄了，看来是没救了。It is a goner。

LL: Oh man, I can't believe I let that poor plant die. Yeah, it's definitely a goner. Just like your goldfish Shan-shan.

LH: 你可别提我的金鱼，一提我就难过。Larry，你不觉得用goner来形容心爱得宠物或是人，有点不太合适吗？

LL: I'm sorry. You're right, it is very insensitive to say someone's pet, or loved one is "a goner".

LH: 没错，我也觉得把别人心爱的东西或喜欢的人称为goner似乎不太礼貌，对不对？

LL: You're absolutely right. Li Hua, do you remember my brother Jack?

LH: Jack? 就是那个不想上大学的弟弟吗？

LL: Yes. Since he didn't have a college education, my parents said that he's a goner in the job market for sure.

LH: 你爸爸妈妈认为你弟弟没有大学学历，要找工作是没有希望的。我看不一定吧 。微软的创办人Bill Gates也没念完大学，可他现在是世界上最富有的人士之一。说不定Jack将来会很有出息呢。

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是own Someone, 意思是在游戏和比赛中击败某人，或是在某个方面比别人强。李华学到的另一个常用语是goner意思是完了， 没希望了。