流行美語 第185課

李华和Larry正在讨论在报纸上看到的几个犯罪案件。今天李华会学到两个常用语：bottom feeder和bounce。

LH: Larry，你有没有看到报上说的那个被警察逮捕的毒贩？

LL: Yeah, that guy is a real bottom feeder. I hope that he goes to jail for a long time.

LH: 嗯，像这种坏人真应该被抓到牢里关起来。Larry，你刚才还说这家伙是个真正的bottom feeder，bottom是底层，feeder不是饲养员吗？这两个字怎么能合在一起，它们和那些坏人有什么关系？

LL: A bottom feeder is a really low, despicable person. That guy was selling drugs to kids, so he definitely counts as a bottom feeder.

LH: 噢，bottom feeder是形容一个很低下、很卑鄙的人。没错，报上说的那个人专门卖毒品给年轻孩子，简直太可恶了。我认为所有的毒贩都是bottom feeders.

LL: Unfortunately, there are a lot of bottom feeders in the world.

LH: 就是啊，这个世界还是有不少这种卑鄙的坏人。对了，Larry，这个bottom feeder是不是只能用来形容犯罪分子？

LL: It can be used to describe other people, too, but it's a very negative term.

LH: Bottom feeder还能用来形容其他人？那Larry，你给我举个例子。

LL: Well, some people think that lawyers are bottom feeders because they benefit from other peoples' misfortunes.

LH: 对，好多人都不喜欢律师，认为律师很卑鄙。我还听到过好多耻笑律师的笑话呢！可是，Larry，律师不也会保护我们的权利吗？

LL: That's true, but some people are upset by the fact that many lawyers get rich defending criminals.

LH: 噢，我明白了，人们之所以讨厌律师，是因为律师经常帮犯罪分子辩护，靠着打这种官司来赚钱。嗯，可是不管怎么说，我还是认为有的律师不能算bottom feeders。

LL: Some people think that tabloid¹ journalists are bottom feeders because they invade the privacy of celebrities² and they don't always verify stories before they publish them.

LH: 这我绝对同意，那些专门报道名人私生活的狗仔记者，真是够恶劣的。他们经常捏造有关名人的一些很荒谬，不确实的报道。只有卑鄙的人才会写出这样的东西来！ They are real bottom feeders!

******

LL: Hey, Li Hua, it was fun discussing the news with you, but I've got to bounce. I have to be at the doctor's office by 2:00.

LH: 噢，你两点钟还得去看医生啊？那你得赶快走了。你说你要bounce，是那个拍皮球bounce a ball的bounce吗？

LL: "Bounce" can be slang for leave. I've got to bounce means that I have to leave.

LH: 噢，我懂了，to bounce就表示，得走了。你说你得要bounce，是因为你得赶着去那个医生诊所了。

LL: Hey, don't you have to bounce if you're going to make to class on time?

LH: 我的老天，现在都快两点了，谢谢你提醒我，我差点儿忘了得去上一堂课呢！看来我得赶紧bounce，赶快走喽！

LL: Well, I have a little bit of time. If we bounce right now, I can drive you to campus.

LH: 你肯定有时间把我送到学校？那就太好了，要不然，等我走到学校可能就要迟到了。

LL: Okay, are you ready to bounce now?

LH: 嗯，等一会儿，我只要进去把我的书和背包拿出来。

LL: Okay, I'll go start the car. Just come on outside when you're ready to bounce.

LH: 没问题，你先去发动车子，我拿了包就来！

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是bottom feeder，这是形容那种下流卑鄙的人。另一个常用语是bounce，这是指要离开，要走的意思。

1 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

2 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目