[流行美语]又和大家见面了。Michael是一个在纽约上大学的美国年轻人,他经常跟中国学生李华一起玩。Michael向李华学中文,李华向 Michael 学英文。Michael 正在准备考试,有很多功课要做,但是李华要他出去休息休息,两人约好下午在动物园见面。他们在对话中会用这两个词:all-nighter和cram。 ) q: p6 t7 z- Z3 j p" y$ i3 }6 A6 R0 c, a
L: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿! 6 y. {6 l: @8 ?; Z- ]$ m$ t: Z# T0 i1 v2 f* _$ e
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look.% @8 S! [+ R. i# e3 b4 |0 T& o
7 S6 l7 {! b7 r7 OL: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧! , ?2 m$ W& _5 ^ _7 f6 Z2 J ! l. f! X8 j1 n4 Z+ f$ G+ nM: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter.: P9 c( T0 a! E
9 G" u( P$ h: d, RL: 我是猜出来的, all的意思是整个,全部,nighter和 night 很像。我想一个人要整夜学习,那不就是开夜车吗?但是,有一点我不太懂,你说:to pull an all-nighter,什么是pull ? 9 q) ~/ N" M" Z& } b1 |" V/ H, v& k+ `* Q t' r- _# W7 @
M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time. " z& H2 n' o2 T- ^, }1 C9 A7 t% b1 f% y2 c2 d
L: 噢, pull an all-nighter,就是迫使自己整夜念书,因为要这样做是很辛苦的。 - P. q. i8 B+ W% y) q6 F7 q6 y: j% R+ D8 t( v) h
M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.( Z- D- P; S% y' K
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L: 这你可说对了。我不需要开夜车,因为我整个一学期都在学习。你要开夜车,因为你平时不学习。 8 o6 ^' C; k/ V; E4 l3 s) `3 Q6 ~/ p1 z* _
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.0 M3 L7 W3 k& \
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L: Michael, 我真喜欢纽约的秋天,空气很清新。你要是能跟我一起玩,不用回去念书,那该多好啊!% d+ D7 g2 o: d+ f; y1 s7 W
* Y6 @ f. n2 x$ Z$ O3 WM: I don't want to go study either, but I should. & W o5 y; v7 p. ^, C; L [7 n6 @7 ?$ M) ~L: 对啊, 你要是上星期多花点时间念书不就好了嘛。现在你得临时抱佛脚了。$ x; [- _: [# f
9 @! D; Q) ^; ]5 D$ f7 L4 L: t- g0 V+ T; OM: I perform better on tests when I cram. 3 i7 e& O+ @( D+ p8 ?4 P0 `* P1 F% e$ W2 L) K. K6 x6 k9 I
L: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢? # O& [: } L8 O S' ~+ T; o; y, V0 D3 i# `, x3 u) L
M: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram. . D, y# Q2 s) L1 f+ m5 Q9 Y" Z1 b; [0 ~% v0 G( k: t+ d
L: 意思差不多?噢,我知道了!Cram就是我们中文里说的填鸭式方法,就是硬把食品塞给鸭子吃,这样鸭子就长得肥。北京烤鸭就是用这种鸭子做的。你说的cram 是临时抱佛脚,在考试前猛记猛背,把知识往脑子里塞。你还认为这是好办法?5 @/ Y3 n& C/ U( _, K- g0 e
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M: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me. 4 F% g3 f% @9 D" B: `+ A, M% J- \; v# f6 [
L: 你认为临时抱佛脚对你来说行得通。可是,Michael,想把半学期的内容在一个晚上记住,这样做可真傻。 ' F% N" _" T# Z' U; ?6 g5 f8 {" m7 B& e
M: Stop being my mother, Li Hua! ; R3 Q% |; l4 j0 O1 f# k) X8 u; m$ M9 `8 R) `$ e8 o6 W9 D
L: 我才不想当你妈呢,你不听我的话,那就算了。Michael, cram这个词是否还能用在别的场合呢? f8 M7 C0 F/ o0 ]2 `; `' X0 d4 _! h$ M2 V
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level.# M" O1 u/ F2 k$ E: u6 a; [. |4 l
& z0 n% x6 r. }1 a) vL: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。' n& C. E8 L- Q |
, w" ~6 n+ P0 q- \" @M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter. ( W; k1 m% ~1 x: u8 F( `# C7 z8 Y. b, m
L: 好吧,我明天早上给你打电话。6 \, [8 R4 S, R8 K! @- x8 P3 e3 \/ _
7 `) g6 |; U. h, B% N" ]M: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming. % k- L: W9 u' ^ 3 M8 D7 \- `8 s, b H" VL: 哟,你还准备开夜车开到天亮呐? Ok, well, good luck!! O+ `9 D( M. G, q% L. c# N