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。
$ z! n3 u! W3 d6 R( _, p
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！

M： No problem! I am really happy you could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball games.
* u% D2 e* J4 D* z; ?, p6 |  M
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？
* a( G) P% v) p8 s3 u( c0 m1 r
M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.

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。

# n1 Z. U; z4 r' O# R9 l# \M：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？
; h. A/ ?5 z+ s! U+ \/ I
  I! I1 A; A+ Q: x8 YM: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else do you think it can be used?

L: Choke 可以用在很多地方。考试考糟了，可以用choke 这个字吧？

M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last week.
3 Z1 _" n  A( @
L：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？

! e- B2 y. c& ^M：It seems like you really understand this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't like her anyway.
6 s: S  o: v0 D. \( g( [- v  g
L: 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！
- w$ g  _$ r9 S6 B
$ {# [" e% \. A; b. I5 v. Q! @7 gL: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
! ]: G7 L# a: R! V5 P
  R- b% Y0 |8 i9 \1 {(Michael和李华找到了自己的座位)

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。

. m1 }+ _  [8 n( X" `4 ~M：I think that New York is going to win. Maybe they won't choke after all.

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。
  I+ B" G$ m: ~+ p6 N
M：Washington is going to win. Michael Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.

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？
/ b8 ]9 L1 w7 I4 P
1 M5 K, P0 {9 _5 W  u, Q+ }M：No, by money, here I mean that he performs consistently at a high level.
7 T/ u3 `% I# j; H5 B3 O
% l- {2 F( g1 C1 ~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。
' r+ Z) a% |. u' q6 {
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money too.
2 n; U/ n; {* [* z, h
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?

M：Yup. He's money. You can also call things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
- B. v4 [: U# [: K: T
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.

M：Do you think the coffee shop we like to go to is money?

7 ?: s* |4 L5 s1 `5 Y4 OL: 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!
6 y+ q9 [. U, ?/ {
6 M, W+ _7 ~, }- i1 ]( S) \# H' ^9 @  nL: Michael Jordan赢得了比赛，他就是棒。

M：Let's get going, though. I have to study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.

L: 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。
以下为音频：