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流行美语
第 97 课:to rock ; letdown

今天Larry和Li Hua一起在游乐园坐过山车。Li Hua会学到两个常用语:to rock和letdown.

LH: 哎哟,这一趟过山车坐得我晕头转向的,直想吐!真是活受罪!

LL: You are sick and dizzy? What are you talking about? That rollercoaster rocks! I'm going to ride it again!

LH: 什么,Larry, 你还想再去坐啊?你还说那个过山车rocks. Rock 当作动词不是“摇摇晃晃”的意思吗?

LL: No, no, I didn't say that it rocked back and forth. To rock means to be great. If something or some experience is really fun or exciting, we say It rocks!

LH: 噢,原来在这里,rock不是前后摇晃的意思,而是要是有什么事情有意思、够刺激,我们就说It rocks! 哎,那不就相当于中文里说的“棒极了”的意思吗?

LL: That's right, Li Hua. I'm sure you've heard this expression before.

LH: 还真是,上星期我和同学到学校附近那家湖南餐馆吃饭。吃完饭,我同学说,That meal rocked!. 我当时没听懂,所以没敢答腔,现在我可明白了,她呀是在夸那顿饭好吃呢!

LL: Yeah, she must have liked it. Everyone likes Hunan Garden. That restaurant rocks.

LH: 哎哟,Larry, 我看我们还是别说吃了吧,我的胃到现在还没缓过来呢!这样吧,你再给我举个别的例子,好不好?

LL: Sure... if someone tells you some good news, you might say, That rocks!

LH: 哎,说到“好消息”,我还真有个好消息告诉你,你知道吗,有家私人学校打算等我毕业后要聘用我呢!

LL: Whoa, really? That's great news. That rocks, Li Hua. You haven't even graduated yet, and this private school already offered you a great job!

LH: 哇,总算可以回家了,我真担心你会不会坐过山车坐上了瘾呢!

LL: Well, I liked the two rollercoaster rides, but the park itself was kind of a letdown.

LH: 是啊,我知道你喜欢过山车,要不然也不会连着坐两次啊!可是你又说这个游乐园是什么 - letdown?

LL: I said that the park is a letdown. A letdown is something that disappoints you. The park really wasn't especially bad, but I was expecting it to be better. It was a real letdown.

LH: 等等等等,letdown的意思就是某件事让你失望。你是说,这个游乐园其实还可以,只不过不像你原先想象的好,所以让你失望了。那Larry, 你觉得这个游乐园哪一点儿让你失望呢?

LL: Well, It was too crowded. The lines in front of the rides were too long.

LH: 哎哟,现在就是旅游旺季,这儿当然人多,坐过山车当然要排队等啦!你就是爱发牢骚。那这样,你再给我举个例子吧,看看还有什么事对你是个letdown.

LL: Well, my History Professor is a real letdown. He's a well-known expert in his area, but he's not very good at giving lectures.

LH: 你们历史教授在学术界是挺有名的,可是你说他不太会讲课呀,那确实是挺让学生失望的。哎,Larry, 我记得你第一次到中国,去了长城,回来你也说和原先想象的一点儿都不一样。那the Great Wall 对你来说是不是个letdown呢?

LL: I'm glad you remember that. My first trip to the Great Wall WAS truly a letdown. It was so crowded with tourists and souvenir peddlers.

LH: 你怎么到哪儿都嫌人多啊?长城是有名的旅游景点,当然有各地的游客啦,还有小商贩卖纪念品!哎,不过,你刚才说,你第一次去长城让你失望,那后来你再去是不是就感觉好多了?

LL: Yeah, that second trip rocked!

今天李华从Larry那儿学到两个常用语。一个是rock, 说something rocks,就相当于中文里的“棒极了”。李华学到的另一个常用语是letdown, 意思是“让人失望的事”。