Popular American - #97
流行美語(yǔ)-第九十七課
to rock
letdown
今天Larry和Li Hua一起在游樂園坐過山車。Li Hua會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):to rock和letdown.
LH: 哎喲,這一趟過山車坐得我暈頭轉(zhuǎn)向的,直想吐!真是活受罪!
LL: You are sick and dizzy? What are you talking about? That rollercoaster rocks! I'm going to ride it again!
LH: 什么,Larry, 你還想再去坐啊?你還說(shuō)那個(gè)過山車rocks. Rock 當(dāng)作動(dòng)詞不是“搖搖晃晃”的意思嗎?
LL: No, no, I didn't say that it rocked back and forth. "To rock" means "to be great". If something or some experience is really fun or exciting, we say "It rocks!"
LH: 噢,原來(lái)在這里,rock不是前后搖晃的意思,而是要是有什么事情有意思、夠刺激,我們就說(shuō)It rocks! 哎,那不就相當(dāng)于中文里說(shuō)的“棒極了”的意思嗎?
LL: That's right, Li Hua. I'm sure you've heard this expression before.
LH: 還真是,上星期我和同學(xué)到學(xué)校附近那家湖南餐館吃飯。吃完飯,我同學(xué)說(shuō),"That meal rocked!". 我當(dāng)時(shí)沒聽懂,所以沒敢答腔,現(xiàn)在我可明白了,她呀是在夸那頓飯好吃呢!
LL: Yeah, she must have liked it. Everyone likes Hunan Garden. That restaurant rocks.
LH: 哎喲,Larry, 我看我們還是別說(shuō)吃了吧,我的胃到現(xiàn)在還沒緩過來(lái)呢!這樣吧,你再給我舉個(gè)別的例子,好不好?
LL: Sure... if someone tells you some good news, you might say, "That rocks!"
LH: 哎,說(shuō)到“好消息”,我還真有個(gè)好消息告訴你,你知道嗎,有家私人學(xué)校打算等我畢業(yè)后要聘用我呢!
LL: Whoa, really? That's great news. That rocks, Li Hua. You haven't even graduated yet, and this private school already offered you a great job!
******
LH: 哇,總算可以回家了,我真擔(dān)心你會(huì)不會(huì)坐過山車坐上了癮呢!
LL: Well, I liked the two rollercoaster rides, but the park itself was kind of a letdown.
LH: 是啊,我知道你喜歡過山車,要不然也不會(huì)連著坐兩次??!可是你又說(shuō)這個(gè)游樂園是什么 - letdown?
LL: I said that the park is a letdown. A letdown is something that disappoints you. The park really wasn't especially bad, but I was expecting it to be better. It was a real letdown.
LH: 等等等等,letdown的意思就是某件事讓你失望。你是說(shuō),這個(gè)游樂園其實(shí)還可以,只不過不像你原先想象的好,所以讓你失望了。那Larry, 你覺得這個(gè)游樂園哪一點(diǎn)兒讓你失望呢?
LL: Well, It was too crowded. The lines in front of the rides were too long.
LH: 哎喲,現(xiàn)在就是旅游旺季,這兒當(dāng)然人多,坐過山車當(dāng)然要排隊(duì)等啦!你就是愛發(fā)牢騷。那這樣,你再給我舉個(gè)例子吧,看看還有什么事對(duì)你是個(gè)letdown.
LL: Well, my History Professor is a real letdown. He's a well-known expert in his area, but he's not very good at giving lectures.
LH: 你們歷史教授在學(xué)術(shù)界是挺有名的,可是你說(shuō)他不太會(huì)講課呀,那確實(shí)是挺讓學(xué)生失望的。哎,Larry, 我記得你第一次到中國(guó),去了長(zhǎng)城,回來(lái)你也說(shuō)和原先想象的一點(diǎn)兒都不一樣。那the Great Wall 對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)是不是個(gè)letdown呢?
LL: I'm glad you remember that. My first trip to the Great Wall WAS truly a letdown. It was so crowded with tourists and souvenir peddlers.
LH: 你怎么到哪兒都嫌人多啊?長(zhǎng)城是有名的旅游景點(diǎn),當(dāng)然有各地的游客啦,還有小商販賣紀(jì)念品!哎,不過,你剛才說(shuō),你第一次去長(zhǎng)城讓你失望,那后來(lái)你再去是不是就感覺好多了?
LL: Yeah, that second trip rocked!
今天李華從Larry那兒學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是rock, 說(shuō)something rocks,就相當(dāng)于中文里的“棒極了”。李華學(xué)到的另一個(gè)常用語(yǔ)是letdown, 意思是“讓人失望的事”。