Larry和李華在談論州長競選的問題。 李華會學到兩個常用語toast和wiggle room。
LL: If the Governor doesn't change his education policies, Li Hua, I think he is toast.
LH: 你說什么? 要是州長不改變他的教育政策,他就會怎么吶?Toast不是烤面包嗎?我想這肯定是一種比喻, 不過,He is toast究竟是什么意思呢?
LL: When I said "toast" I meant that he would be finished or done for. Basically, I think he will lose the election.
LH: 噢, He is toast就是他沒有希望了,完了。 Toast這個說法很生動。就像烤面包一樣, 面包烤好了就會被彈出來, 政府官員落選就像面包被彈出來一樣。
LL: That is exactly right.
LH: 我們州的這位州長政績不錯,希望他能當選連任。 I hope he's not toast.
LL: Well, I'll agree with you that the Governor is very effective in many ways. But after he decided to raise taxes, most Americans were pretty dissatisfied. He's toast, I tell you.
LH: 我認為他不會落選。你不是也認為州長在各方面都很有效率嗎?增加稅收也是為了改善教育呀。我倒覺得他的競選對手不行,他既不誠實,也稅收方面也沒有什么好主意。
LL: I can see you and I aren't going to agree on this. Good friends shouldn't talk about politics. We don't want our friendship to be toast!
LH: Larry, 你說的沒錯,再談政治我們兩個非成為仇人不可。 我們換個話題吧。你最近好像很忙, 在忙什么呢?
LL: Well, since you asked, Li Hua, if I don't finish the budget report I am working on by Thursday, then I am toast!
LH: 什么?你要在星期四以前完成預算報告。今天已經星期三了??磥砟闶且炅?。我要是你,今天無論如何不睡覺也要把報告寫出來。
LL: That is the best way to avoid being toast. Say, Li Hua, what about you?Don't you need to turn in a chapter from your dissertation to your advisor?
LH: 沒錯,瓊斯教授說了我非得在月底以前把我論文的第一章交給他,不然就算我這學期不及格。那我就完了。Then I'm toast.
LL: You *will* be toast, Li Hua. You won't be able to look for a job next year, and I know your parents will be very unhappy.
LH: 就是呀,書沒念好,父母不高興,我就真的完了。I will be toast!
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LL: Did you see the candidates' debate last night, Li Hua? The Governor really didn't leave himself any wiggle room on the tax issue.
LH: Wiggle room? Wiggle有搖動,擺動的意思。 Room是房間。你說州長在房間里說話的時候搖來擺去?
LL: No, I meant that on the issue of taxes he left himself very little room to shift his position later.
LH: 你是說他在辯論稅收問題的時候沒有給自己留下回旋的余地。他都說了什么呢?
LL: He promised during the debate that if he was reelected he would not raise taxes.
LH: 他說當選后不會提高稅收?他實在不應當作出這個承諾。 如果遇到自然災害、戰(zhàn)爭或是經濟惡化,政府怎么能不提高稅收呢?
LL: You are exactly right. I can see he didn't leave himself any wiggle room there. Say, Li Hua, how is your dissertation chapter coming?
LH: 我的博士論文寫得怎么樣了?哎,說起來很慚愧,我一直沒有時間寫。 時間表排得滿滿的,沒有一點回旋的余地。
LL: I know how that is, Li Hua. I am going to be working on my budget project right up until the last minute. I haven't left myself much wiggle room, either.
LH: 我看你是得趕緊寫那預算報告,要能在最后一分鐘寫出來就算你運氣。 我這星期一定得寫完論文第一章。下學期我想減少教書的時間,這樣就會有多一點的時間來寫論文了。
LL: While having some wiggle room in your schedule is a good thing, are you worried about losing some of your income?
LH: 是啊,少教些書是會讓我有更多時間,不過我也擔心收入就會減少。
LL: I'm not very good at sticking to a budget. I always like to have some wiggle room in my budget for extra expenses.
LH: 我知道,規(guī)定自己一個月花多少錢是很難遵守的,總有要額外買些東西的時候。所以我總給自己留一些余地,免得到時候沒有沒辦法。
LL: Yeah, I guess we can skip going out for ice cream for a while.
LH: 吃冰淇淋花得了多少錢!We have a lot of wiggle room for ice cream.
今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是toast,意思是失敗,或是俗話說完蛋。另一個是wiggle room,意思是回旋或調整的余地。