流行美语教程 Lesson 7: choke; money

Xbfeng

Michael和李华今天去看篮球比赛。球赛是在纽约大型室内体育馆[麦迪逊广场花园]举行，这场比赛是华盛顿的球队对纽约的球队。 Michael到中国去学过中文，他让李华跟他讲中文，以便练习听力。现在他们俩正在排队进入体育馆。今天他们在对话中会用choke和 money这两个词。
( h- c( @1 N" D
L: 嗨，Michael，谢谢你买到这么好的票！我真高兴能到[麦迪逊广场]来看球。这可是有名的体育馆哟！
) t7 J; T% u: U0 p  z
M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
2 \# f$ h2 ^9 L" ~  `" ^6 ?, k
L: 你也喜欢来这里看篮球比赛啊，那太好了。今天是纽约队比华盛顿队，你看结局会怎样？
; D' \8 n6 E2 ^8 q, U
M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
4 d6 a. X+ ^& m. O
$ |5 Y6 i+ @, I" ?4 f! L# B2 ]L: 你说纽约队会输？你还说什么 choke? 你是说他们吃饭时会噎着啦？这跟输球有什么关系，我不懂。
, ]# Z, G" ~6 ^! a5 }+ X
  r& z+ z- Y  B$ H" U. k! mM：No, no, no! They're not going to choke on their food! It's the same word with the same spelling, but it has a different meaning. Here, choke means to fail under pressure.

L：噢，我懂了。 你说的choke 是指纽约队会抵挡不住华盛顿球队的压力而输掉，对吗？
* d) ^% r: k  f; ^
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

! v; u- a. }- W2 `. V, t0 ML: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？

' v! r, E1 m+ \0 J+ XM: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.

0 r1 j2 S3 q' @- Z& V5 P0 f0 D' J$ zL：你上星期考试考糊了？嘿，Michael，我还知道怎么用choke这个字。你不是老想请那个姑娘出去玩吗？你请她，她连电话都不回，这可真让你choked了，对不对？
, s3 X/ [8 K6 L' M
6 B" ]) x( N7 c; qM：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.
# H( @# k! ?! K$ Y+ b4 i0 m! s# G
, w- o6 w; C* O; N4 J# k' z- QL: 噢，你说得可真轻松，没关系，因为你不喜欢她。好，那你告诉我你喜欢哪个女孩呐？

M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to our seats！
7 j& O+ |) B0 B! L2 t
. H5 W" |2 I2 Y3 G9 kL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
- B/ i+ S9 B* ?! {8 b) _9 G
(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

6 L& i$ N8 s( e# n( `L: Michael，你看，纽约队看来不会输，他们赢了两个球，现在还剩十秒了。只要纽约队不失去球，他们就不会输。

& K( Q( B' X8 t3 M+ D$ FM：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

: g3 m* Q8 c4 n$ l4 i8 \L：你也认为纽约队可能不会输？等等，你看，纽约队丢了球！这下他们完了！华盛顿队要求暂停，他们还有赢的机会。
2 O- k& |, T7 _4 a3 \+ f+ }! I
* V2 K0 P3 k6 N* K# eM：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
- V' R2 V: M6 o6 J' F8 @
L: 你认为华盛顿球队会赢，Michael Jordan 会投进最后一个球。你说 "He is money "是说他会赚钱吗？
: u) Y, ^2 D: m8 J, q4 N
; N% p+ B  S2 F- |' }3 |% rM：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.

L: 噢，这儿的money不是指钱，是指他打球一直保持在高水平上，一直打得很棒。
+ L/ e+ V3 Z& k% G; k
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
; c1 d! _, R" y' L+ v
L: 姚明当然很棒，所以也可以说：Yao Ming is money。那我们班的 Steven，他考试总是考得很好，也能说，He is money?
3 M. e& W* A; O: d+ V; P
M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.

L: 原来凡是好的东西都可以说是money。我们正在吃的比萨饼是很好吃，所以也可以说是money.

( `; u% ^% U# i# M5 V5 ]9 \M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?
1 `" I+ z1 j; O6 s3 A
- G$ t: f  C) c- [( K- NL: 我们常去的咖啡馆当然非常好，我一有空就想去。

M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you he is money!

L: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。
& [) n! Y+ `- U6 G# g
: y7 [3 F$ k; ]- zM：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

6 C% I* @( ]9 H2 u0 S) z& X) aL: 好吧，你快回去准备考试吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻烦了。

Michael和李华今天在对话里用的两个词意思是相对的。 To choke是糟糕，失败的意思；而money是保持高水平，非常棒的意思。最好大家都不要choke，都成为money，那就太棒了。
  g" j4 ~; G; I8 ^" @以下为音频：