[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。, i- H3 ^5 ?+ a' h
5 @4 b/ @- Q# j( x }, oL: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿!6 ^" T* ^' [* R
/ t6 s) K2 y7 W' E `0 `& `M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look. & L6 x4 e- ?' s4 V3 H1 W0 X, _' ^. `' U3 j7 u4 q% e) q
L: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧! $ l/ n1 }; F. f/ s; @3 j$ J. V3 m' _, F: ]6 c7 m
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. ) K* [0 x* p5 C5 h* g! K ) [ v6 {. k. R1 g. X! SL: 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?% J2 K5 y/ p3 \5 _
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M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart! * L" ?2 j9 j, T& K. R: D' O8 @# n# G( a; A; B5 w
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 ?9 n t+ B8 y9 U; M3 J: k7 A
' P3 d! h; H) q" b1 ^# u- S5 jM: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time.) @, s4 c2 _5 ^; ?8 e
' Y! |( Y" O+ J' ]0 H; ~; y1 NL: 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。 ' }& a3 `5 ?" B3 W! ]# m: A# b3 W8 k1 X7 |1 i
M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been. 1 y( L$ ~( Q; A( {. {7 B . R- ~9 k# L$ q! M" J% [7 R: g) 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。 5 @$ u- @& n; Q3 N 8 v) L3 z# z0 N, u' A% iM: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.5 V' ? U( n/ m4 ?
% }" s; J% h6 i0 C7 gM: I don't want to go study either, but I should.' ` a# F2 | x! e
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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。 ) ~9 v0 L) o" Q# T- u$ i( s! S# E0 P F: q6 w8 z* g" v+ X2 W" U
M: I perform better on tests when I cram. ' {( o; ^6 M9 x- t# ^+ h f( Z- ^# {' d l
L: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢?- ^$ N. ` o2 x5 F2 u
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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." D8 d$ s- S" ^* s
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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?# x% k+ M; n8 Z- h J
4 H1 p, a- O% h: q; a- r" XM: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me. ( i& c+ V% N- s- \4 _ X0 u9 } T* }: m! q) I$ |% P( ~
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。 / O% T4 \, d9 \. `+ V' T! k 8 c4 a8 G; d: \8 zM: Stop being my mother, Li Hua! & A! N2 ~0 k( O5 G 0 z$ k# w0 D! Y6 y7 GL: 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?& C$ {* d- f- k2 H9 P$ j9 B) O
/ s; n9 F, }- f/ F" ^% xM: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level. 9 F7 b( G" |' j' y7 o6 E$ I$ m9 G$ a7 R" Q
L: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。 7 x4 [! u2 |8 N, n$ I3 {! Z6 ]8 J8 x
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. , B$ I o6 t$ V! Q# m {6 }2 ^ + a* w" N$ U" S# hL: 好吧,我明天早上给你打电话。" x5 w, `+ l' L) l" V
' M: Z7 z0 r4 _/ j( _! _/ KM: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming./ ^9 R9 a X6 b# u! T, Y# L) E