今天Li Hua的电脑坏了, 她正在用Larry 的电脑写学术报告。Li Hua会学到两个常用语:clunker和 Don’t sweat it!
(Sound of typing)
LH: Larry, 谢谢你让我用你的电脑。我的电脑最近老出毛病,真气人!
LL: Heheh, don’t mention it. You know, you ought to get a new computer to replace that old clunker of yours.
LH: 你说我应该买一台新电脑来取代什么?Clunker? 我在说我的电脑啊,怎么是”clunker”呢?
LL: No, no… when I said it is a “clunker” – I meant that it’s an old, worn-out machine.
LH: 噢,原来clunker是指”又老又旧的机器”,用这个词来形容我那台电脑再合适不过了。那Larry, “clunker” 这个词只能够用来形容电脑吗?
LL: Not at all… a clunker can be any kind of worn-out machine that doesn’t work very well. “Clunk” is the sound that an old car’s engine makes… like this (makes clunking noise)
LH: Larry, 你学得倒挺象的嘛!Clunk这个词真的听上去就像一辆破车的引擎发出来的声音。你知道吗? 我那辆旧车就是这种声音。Larry, 你说clunker可以用来指任何旧的、不中用的机器,是不是啊?
LL: Right! Heheh, Li Hua, no offense, but your car is a real clunker, too.
LH: 我才不介意呢,你是在说我的车,又不是说我。我那车本来就是又老又破。
LL: Well, some people in America are sensitive about their cars. People might feel a little ashamed if someone says the car they drive is a clunker.
LH: 是呀, 不少美国人对他们开的车很敏感的,要是有人说他们开的车太旧了,他们会觉得不好意思。不过,Larry, 我的车只要能把我带到我想去的地方就行了。等我毕业后找了份好工作,我再卖掉这个clunker, 换辆好车喽!
LL: Yeah, me too. I can’t wait to replace my old clunker car, clunker bicycle, and this clunker computer.
LH: 哎哟,你可真着急 – 不仅想要换新车,连自行车、电脑你也想换新的呀!可是,跟我的电脑相比,你的电脑算不上是clunker – 你看,至少我还能用它写文章呐!
******
LH: Oh no! 真对不起,Larry, 我不小心把你的鼠标器掉到地上了,可千万别摔坏了。
LL: Oh well. Don’t sweat it, Li Hua, it was an old mouse. I needed to replace it anyway.
LH: 噢,你连这个鼠标器也想换新的啊!等等,你还说Don’t sweat it,你是让我别出汗?
LL: I’m not talking about sweat! When I say “don’t sweat it”, that mean’s “don’t worry about it”.
LH: 噢,Don’t sweat it意思就是”别担心”。你是说即使我把你的鼠标器给摔坏了也没什么大不了的。Larry, 好像真的给摔坏了,那可怎么办啊!
LL: Don’t sweat it, Li Hua. The computer store is just a five-minute drive from here. We can go and get a new mouse.
LH: 噢,谢天谢地!我还真忘了你这儿附近就有个电脑商店嘛!Larry, 是我弄坏的,我要赔你,但愿不是太贵。
LL: Expensive? Nah, don’t sweat it. A cheap mouse like this only costs around ten dollars. Anyway, I’ll pay for it… like I said, I needed a new one anyway.
LH: 像这样的鼠标器大约才10美元一个啊。真是便宜。不过,是我弄坏的,还是我来买吧!那咱们赶紧走吧,我还得赶回来赶报告呢!
LL: Don’t sweat it, it’s only four thirty. You have plenty of time.
LH: 虽然才四点半,可我还是得抓紧时间呐!Larry, 你等我一下,我把写好的部分存在这张disk上。我可不想我辛辛苦苦写好的东西被你那old clunker computer给搞丢了。
今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语。一个是clunker, 意思是”由于太旧而不太好用的东西”。李华学到的另一个常用语是 – Don’t sweat it, 意思是”别担心”,”别着急”。