纽约英语口语网新版
流行美语
第5课:shot; damage

今天Michael和李华要开车去新泽西州看一个朋友,跟他一起过周末。新泽西州紧挨着纽约,开车只要一个小时就到了。请注意他们俩人讲话当中用的两个词: shot 和 damage。现在他们正准备上车。

M: Hey, Li Hua, are you ready to go?

L: 行,我准备好了,可以走了。

M: Ok, let's go!

L: 哟,怎么啦?

M: I think my engine is shot. This is not good.

L: 什么? 有人开枪把你车打坏啦?

M: No! You're right, shot does mean to have used a gun, but here shot means something is broken.

L: 对啊,shot是指开枪,原来这儿的意思不同,这儿是指什么东西坏了。那我的电脑坏了,也能用shot这个字啊?

M: Sure. My computer is shot. You can say almost anything is shot.

L: 什么东西坏了都能这样说?

M: Yes, if you hurt your knee, you can say: My knee is shot, or if you hurt your shoulder, you can say: My shoulder is shot.

L: 噢, 要是你的膝盖受伤了,你就可以说:My knee is shot; 要是你的肩膀受了伤,那你就说:My shoulder is shot.

M: Let's go rent a car. I don't want our whole day to be shot.

L: 对,还是去租一辆车吧。 噢,毁了一整天也能这样说呀!

M: Yep. Let's go!

(Michael和李华租了一辆车,现在他们在开往新泽西的路上)。

L: Michael, 这辆车真不错,挺稳的。再开半小时就到了,太好了!

M: Yeah, I'm glad too, but the damage for renting the car is pretty bad.

L: 什么?这辆租的车也坏了?哟,那怎么办呐!

M: No, the rental car is not damaged! The word damage does mean that, but damage here means the amount of money needed to pay for something.

L: 租的车没有坏,真把我吓一跳。原来又是我的英文有问题。 Damage 这个字很普通,大家都知道是指什么东西坏了。可你指的是为什么东西付的钱。

M: Yes, renting the car is expensive, so the damage is bad. We usually say the damage is bad or not bad.

L: 我知道了,价钱贵就是:the damage is bad。 价钱不高,那就是: the damage is not bad. 再给我举个例子吧。

M: When you pay for dinner at a restaurant, you can ask: What's the damage?

L: 噢,在饭店里吃完晚饭要付钱的时候可以问:“What's the damage?" 所以租车很贵,the damage is bad. Michael, 别担心,我可以帮你付一点。

M: You don't have to, Li Hua. I know the damage for your new computer was pretty bad.

L: 你真好心,知道我买新电脑花了不少钱,所以不要我帮你付。 Michael, 没关系,我能付一点,你还要去修车,也很贵的。

M: Thanks, Li Hua. But I hope the damage for fixing my car won't be too bad.

L: 我也希望你修车不至于太贵。得了,别说钱了,赶快开吧。

M: OK, I'll drive fast so that the rest of our day won't be shot.

L: 对了,别浪费时间了,我也不想把一天的时间全浪费了。

今天Michael 教了李华两个年轻人常用的词,一个是shot。 Shot 是指什么东西坏了,或者人体的某个部位受伤了;另外一个词 是damage。这里的damage不是指损坏,而是指为某样东西,或某个交易付的钱。