Larry和李華在公園里散步,今天我們要學(xué)兩個常用語: on the bright side和no-brainer.
LH: Larry, 周末在公園里走走,真舒服啊!
L: Normally I would agree with you Lihua, but when it's 100 degrees out like it is today, I might prefer my air-conditioned apartment.
LH: 天是夠熱的。不過你知足吧,起碼今天公園里人不多,難得這么清靜!
L: That's true. It may be hot, but if we look on the bright side, the park isn't crowded at all.
LH: Look on the bright side? 這是什么意思?
L: Lihua, when you look on the bright side, you try to see something good in a bad situation.
LH: 哦,on the bright side就是從好的方面講。你是說,雖然今天天氣很熱,但是從好的方面看,正因為天熱,人們都不愿意出來,所以公園里才會這么清靜。
L: Right! Here is another example. There is supposed to be a big rain storm later today, but looking on the bright side, that will help cool down the weather.
LH:哦,今天晚上可能會下大雨,可是從好的方面看,這可以讓氣溫降下來,天氣能涼快些!
L: You got it!
LH: 對了,Larry,天這么熱,你干嘛穿長衣長褲???
L: Yeah, I am pretty hot in these clothes. But on the bright side, I won't get a sunburn.
LH: 老土! 你不知道世界上有種東西叫防曬霜么?
L: Very funny. Yes I do, but on the bright side, I can save a little money by wearing long clothes instead.
LH: 可是Larry, 你們美國人不是喜歡把皮膚曬得黑黑的么?你干嘛要把自己捂起來呢?
L: Yes, lots of Americans like to get a tan in the summer, but there is a really big downside: skin cancer.
LH: A downside?
L: That's right. If you want to point out something bad about a situation, you can tell people to consider the downside.
LH: 明白了,downside就是“缺點”,不好的方面。和the bright side正好相反。Larry,你看那只小狗,正在和主人玩兒接飛盤的游戲,真好玩兒!我真希望自己也有條小狗!
L: Yeah, dogs are a lot of fun, but there is a big downside: you have to spend lots of time and money taking care of them.
LH: 那倒是,那養(yǎng)只貓咪怎么樣?
L: Well, I don't think cats are as much fun to play with as dogs. But on the bright side, they are much more independent.
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LH: Larry, 我們今天除了散步還要干點什么呢?玩兒扔飛盤怎么樣?
L: Lihua, if I do any running around in the sun today, you're going to have to take me to the hospital with heat stroke.
LH: 這倒也是。這么大熱的天,我們還是不要跑跑跳跳的了。
L: Yeah, that's a no-brainer.
LH: A no-brainer? 什么意思?。?/p>
L: When you think something is really obvious, you can say that it's a no-brainer.
LH: 哦,no-brainer就是不用動腦子就知道的事,也就是明擺著的事情。你是說,天氣這么熱,明擺著,咱們不能跑跑跳跳。
L: Exactly! Here is another example. Some people don't like to buckle their seatbelt in the car, but to me, that's a no brainer.
LH: 是啊,坐車系安全帶,這是一定要的啊。就跟在戶外要防曬一樣。沒什么可說的。
L: Yeah, you would have to be really stupid to risk getting skin cancer.
LH: 哎, Larry, 看樣子馬上就會下雨了,咱們趕快走吧,省得挨澆。
L: Of course, Lihua, that's a no-brainer. We definitely wouldn't want to stay outside in a thunderstorm!
今天李華學(xué)了兩個常用語。一個是on the bright side 表示“從好的方面講”。另一是no-brainer, 意思是“明擺著的事情”。