[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。 " T8 k! o/ P C* r 4 H0 l# _9 e6 M& ~# u6 i( |L: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿!$ t( G# y8 J" u+ p0 z
7 K9 h( e$ Q8 X l0 _. |+ fM: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look. # T% Y( [( R, M3 j3 B . e: R, z, `. S# i' u) zL: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧!$ q! q+ Q2 W4 `% Z: r/ ]0 L- t
& q$ K7 k+ w) Z8 }M: 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.* V4 W) h2 ]4 p* a! r
4 j6 x7 t, b7 _9 F3 ]; B$ d* R& J BL: 我知道你有很多功课,但是你在准备考试的时候也总得休息休息嘛。我听说这次考试会很难。你刚才说 all-nighter 是不是开夜车 的意思呀?8 O* P/ j/ C) y
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M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!$ N8 I, ^ \/ Z$ `% G1 l0 k; b
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L: 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 ?' S( g& A* D# ]3 [5 j6 L/ p+ \
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M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time. 2 B# y6 C& H( ~1 [* w' U7 B2 e0 |! L, S5 z" d; s1 p( _
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。6 B L& G# |+ b; W$ l9 s
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M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been. ' U4 V; z: C6 P/ V3 I# o ) E# f- r7 a& s) K7 c f/ dL: 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。 & B* d' _) A8 G- O" R+ X/ c" {) f. ^3 \ G @& O
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am. " s, Q. W* j* H& ^8 s % N9 ~- F5 O4 x( j5 T3 W$ RL: 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! & L( I. B M& v5 _! v+ a3 b 4 N& D( z0 b! \M: I don't want to go study either, but I should. * i$ B3 X" x$ T4 {& E, B( @9 W7 u8 d1 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。 ' W" a0 u! i( D7 g1 B! p; g0 q$ c4 w! M. I" G
M: I perform better on tests when I cram. # N: Z+ c4 S- W, }7 @ S9 q! [( i! @2 l- G& @" k9 W$ `9 p
L: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢? : \% G& n! G9 ^! i' C0 I! Q* A& t: R- {0 u: E
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.$ }5 _% V- @9 J6 M. }) f1 L
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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 q# [2 w; k* k1 X' e2 n 2 ?( a4 v0 F& Y; D# qM: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me.2 @' x3 O# |/ S8 ?8 w
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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。 , N; C- \3 S- a( W1 Y" G" J- H: m7 z6 s w3 X( s5 x& Z. u
M: Stop being my mother, Li Hua! 5 Y# d- m8 ]" z2 c1 U/ U T) z, l X x
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?+ r* e2 p4 d, ~7 I. A. @7 |4 }
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M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level. 7 u4 L1 T: I9 c) A8 X+ H9 s, n, o: o
L: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。 * z X% y' n+ a% R0 u7 P% `/ q/ |& w
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. 7 o: f" C- ^ h9 c& M5 p$ [2 Z+ _2 x9 T6 c, j
L: 好吧,我明天早上给你打电话。 / L- X( T+ o" l% @ " _( S( Z2 x/ H4 J2 l8 q) SM: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.3 i# v1 \9 E1 s
: s3 H* D, e1 M5 T5 K& tL: 哟,你还准备开夜车开到天亮呐? Ok, well, good luck! , H: _ U3 V7 l) X* w9 B' n( h6 _2 o6 u [
今天李华向Michael学了两个常用语,一个是:all-nighter, 意思是开夜车;另一个是:cram, 这是指中学生或大学生在考试前临时抱佛脚。 ! Z+ p4 l3 y9 U" t* c+ mAudio As Following: ! {# i) R+ x" S k! ~/ ]3 R