李华到美国来念书还不到一年,纽约有好多地方她还没有去过。今天Michael 带李华到一个夜总会去玩。李华有点紧张,但是她会学到两个常用语:uptight和to get it 。
M:Hey Li Hua, why are you sitting over here next to the bar? Why don’t you go out and dance?
L:我为什么坐在这里,不去跳舞?我。。。有点累。
M:Oh come on! Don’t be so uptight! Everyone is having a good time except for you.
L:你说除了我,每个人都很高兴?你叫我不要什么?什么是uptight?
M:I said, don’t be uptight. Uptight means tense, irritable, or unable to relax.
L:Uptight 就是紧张,显得烦躁,不能放松。Uptight 这个词是怎么拼的?
M:Uptight, u-p-t-i-g-h-t. You really are uptight! We’re at a dance club, and you’re still trying to learn English!
L:在夜总会问你一个英文字就说明我情绪紧张呀?我听不懂问你还不行吗?
M:Hmph. You’re never this uptight when you are with your Chinese friends. You’re never afraid to sing karaoke, even it sounds so bad!
L:跟中国朋友在一起我当然不紧张咯,我跟他们都很熟嘛。我知道我唱卡拉OK 唱得很难听,但是我也不怕。
M:Hmm. Sometimes if I feel a bit uptight, I have a few beers. That helps me relax.
L:Michael, 你得小心,不要在感到紧张的时候为了放松而喝酒。这样你会越喝越多的。
M:I don’t always drink when I feel uptight. Just sometimes.
L:要不是经常的话,那还可以。不过,我现在。。。不想喝酒。
M:Stop being so uptight, have a drink. Come on, I’ll buy you something.
L:行,行。让我想想。。。我要一个Jack and Coke.
M:Be right back!
M:I don’t get it, Li Hua. I thought You liked to dance.
L:你没有什么?Don’t get 什么?
M:I said “I don’t get it”. Don’t – get- it. That means I don’t understand.
L:噢,don’t get it 就是不懂。那要是我想学什么,可是又弄不清楚,弄不懂,我就可以说:“I don’t get it.” 对吗?
M:That’s right! Like my dog, Ralph. I tried to teach him to sit whenever I tell him to. But he still doesn’t understand me. He doesn’t get it.
L:等等,你要训练你的狗,叫它坐哪里就坐哪里,它弄不懂你的要求,这也能说:He doesn’t get it.
M:Yes. If I tell you a joke, and you understand it, you can say: “I get it.”
L:要是我懂你说的笑话,我可以说:“I get it.” 可是,Michael, 你说的笑话,我大多数都听不懂。
M:There you go again…you are always so uptight.
L:听不懂你的笑话也怪我紧张呀? Michael, you don’t get it, 我根本就不紧张。
M:Wait, I get it! You’re being uptight because Zhao Lifeng is dancing over there. Everyone says you like him!
L:什么!说我喜欢赵立封!他在那儿跟别人跳舞,所以我就很紧张。 Michael, you really don’t get it at all. 赵立封是我好朋友的男朋友,我要跟他跳舞,我的好朋友就会生气。何况我也不喜欢他。
M:Whatever you say, Li Hua. But you still don’t have to be so uptight. You can dance with me.
L:好吧,我跟你跳舞,这样你就不会再说我uptight 了。 (dance music)
今天李华学到两个常用语:to get it, or don’t get it 意思是懂某件事,或弄不懂某件事;另一个是:uptight,也就是一个人显得很紧张。