你们大家可能都已经认识了Michael和李华这两个大学生了。Michael讲英文,李华是个中国学生,能讲英文,但是她还在不断地跟Michael学。大家可千万不要认为这两个在纽约的大学生老是到外面去玩。其实他们学习都很努力,现在他们就要在李华的宿舍里一起念书,准备考试。李华今天会学到两个常用语,一个是:what's up,这是一个用来打招呼的通俗说法。 另一个是: no brainer,意思是某件事很容易, 不用动脑子就能做成。- ~' c4 I% |+ }- m: c) V
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L: 嗨,Michael,快进来。 * i* c. _* w7 W* D5 b- G6 t" ~; q* g" i, n+ }2 F/ y
M: Hey, Li Hua, what's up? , W# `/ Y$ U" m( F" s" v4 W/ L! W. F9 g
L: 什么? $ w8 V2 w& ?! a9 ] h4 u4 t5 H |0 s' P" A# a+ n& S
M: What's up? What are you doing?& _0 \2 E' x# S6 j" R$ B3 p. C
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L: What's up? 我倒是听人这么说过,可是我还没有弄清楚这句话到 底是什么意思,我应该怎么回答? # @# X7 n4 \8 ]) Q2 L ( e" k' \$ V" T! EM: What's up is really a common greeting.( i7 G$ w9 t' x
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L: 噢,what's up就是一般打招呼,不是指我的头上是什么呐? 0 S" u5 o) b0 z1 r* k ! W* l: y$ J8 d3 R# R9 qM: No. It's like saying, "What is happening in your life?") d6 I9 D1 }! U( r) ?
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L: 我知道了,what's up就是中文里我们说的:怎么样?! J/ _# I7 \; B* T2 O) w
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M: Well, it's really only spoken language. 3 o5 n% x$ [" t/ n4 `. Y! g6 e# ^( B& S5 V
L: 要是我去看一个我已经有两个月没见的朋友,我在见到她的时 候我可以说What's up,对吗? 9 d9 v8 U' v. {8 f/ {0 p- Y3 p% ~' v" q: I
M: Yes, definitely! & h5 w8 }# S N + S' u4 c% N) O( y/ }L: 那别人对我说what's up?, 我又该怎么回答呢? * e6 y! R3 ]4 F8 R! c) d% x: q. g* n# S0 a% W2 w5 Q/ t2 ]! j8 T6 B
M: You can explain what's going on in your life, or you could say something as simple as: Not much.+ H3 ~) l2 l# I7 w% M' I1 U
& V, Z7 @. |* {& `/ `L: 要是你问我,What's up? 我就可以说: Oh, not much, just getting ready for our test. 意思就是:噢,没什么,就是在准备我们的考 试。$ {. `3 p% T5 C2 l; ?0 H9 E+ E
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M: That's good usage. You can really say anything. - o' ?, P o2 @7 N) W0 N, B: P# u& b7 x7 f k1 {# `
L: 对,你怎么回答都行。 好吧,我们该学习了。 r% D3 B4 [; { 8 r6 N2 v- g- p+ b我真是希望这次考试赶快过去。 - `/ B0 i/ c/ X) b6 v t. c/ G$ U 7 n) S% B7 O+ SM: You stress too much, this test will be a no brainer. 7 @3 Q/ z/ J7 m% o# a; Y/ B* ], R1 b3 Q% ?+ `0 h d# Q: D( }
L: 你是说我压力太大,没有脑子? 你知道我脑子很灵的呀! 7 j9 r. ^8 a8 r( d" C, G& ]) `2 X9 x e2 s* k7 x- a
M: Smarter than me, that's for sure. What I mean is that this test will be really easy. No brainer means something that reqires little or no thought. : E& k+ _+ ~, w) ^4 B" T! ?) t, f% ~' B8 Z: `6 r
L: 好,你承认我比你聪明。不过,我还得跟你学英文。你说,no brainer就是某件事很容易,不需要动脑子就行呀? 8 K [8 u2 ^6 G! t / h( X& f1 x% ~M: Yeah. ' V3 p1 a+ G! }' y& G) r9 J5 O! z" q# b: X
L: 我知道了。象我哥哥那天去买车,运气好,碰到一个公司半价出 售。 在这种情况下决定买不买,不就是no brainer吗? 1 _5 C! [+ |+ e7 x* e1 r' _0 H 7 a0 q) u! D# T3 E5 RM: That's right. 0 \" M0 @! o6 l7 C% j8 X1 Z$ n) r8 k- r$ M
L: 那次那个漂亮女孩邀你出去玩,你接受不接受邀请不也是很容易 定的吗? 0 R9 n3 j G* T$ s# ^ 5 N2 f1 j, q; x7 e' aM: Yeah, that was a really easy decision, could be called no brainer. Of course I would go out with her. 2 e0 O5 g& W; U. g/ G ' o& D$ h& Z, B( w1 r. [$ cL: 对,决定是容易做,但是你到头来还是不喜欢她。 " h8 y2 j* Z* K2 u8 Q3 }6 B( s 0 i9 p9 S9 t3 u) K( OM: That's true. When the University gave you a scholarship to come study here in New York, it was a no brainer for you too. 0 \ f% |" `0 w9 J# ]* i% C ! m9 Q4 c: z) y- LL: 当然啦,大学给我奖学金来纽约念书,作这种决定还要动脑筋 啊?更何况我学习成绩那么好。 L2 k* v$ H0 R W3 g 8 ]/ Q# S7 u8 B2 y7 `4 t' m& fM: So then why are you bothering to study? . o- H9 w% S, ?0 i! W+ Q& V, Q$ x+ F" F+ g
L: 这还用问? 再聪明的人也得念书嘛! # D4 @+ m" z! ]$ R' S3 ~% G3 p B2 R, O9 z- a C! x- \
M: On, ok, let's get back to work.9 w, ^% G* T) d, e" w. f