美国之音《流行美语》 351

　　李华和Larry正在一起看世界杯美国对斯洛文尼亚的比赛。今天我们要学两个常用语：push over和blow it.
LH: Larry, 美国队的第二场比赛就要开始了，我真等不及啦！
L: Yeah, I'm really excited too! Hopefully the U.S. will have good luck again today playing Slovenia.
LH: 对！ 美国队上次和英格兰踢的时候就是因为运气好捞到了一个进球！ 不过，斯洛文尼亚不是什么强队，美国队这次不靠运气，靠实力，踢赢也不成问题吧？
L: I don't know ... Slovenia is playing very well. They're not going to be a push-over.
LH: 啊？什么是a push-over?
L: A push-over is someone who is very easy to take advantage of.
LH: 哦，a push-over就是容易控制、好欺负的人。你的意思是，斯洛文尼亚可不是那么容易对付的，是不是？
L: Exactly! Here's another example. Even though Joe always turned in his homework late, he never got in trouble because his teacher was a real push-over.
LH: 嗯, Joe的老师好欺负，所以他不交作业也没事。
L: Exactly. So Lihua, how did you get out of work today to watch the World Cup?
LH: 因为我老板喜欢我啊，只要我央求一下，她什么都答应我！
L: Hmm ... she sounds like a real push-over. I wish my boss¹ always gave me everything I asked for.
LH: 下次我教你讨上司喜欢的秘诀！对了，看完比赛我还要去公司，你开车送我吧。
L: Well I'm pretty busy this afternoon. Can you take the bus?
LH: 那可不行，大热天的我还得等车，不干不干！
L: Eh ... alright, I'll give you a ride. You know that I'm such a push-over. But why didn't you ride your bike today?
LH: 别提了，我的车坏了！我把它拿到修车厂，结果他们开出的修理费简直是天文数字！我可不上当，扭头就走了！
L: Well, I can see you're definitely² not a push-over, Lihua.
LH: 那可不！如果别人想占你便宜，你就得自我保护！好了，不说了，比赛要开始了！
L: Great, let's watch!
******
比赛结束了，Larry和李华还是回味无穷。
LH: 这比赛真是峰回路转！美国开始的时候0比2落后，结果居然又追回两球，打成平局了！
L: Yeah, but the U.S. should have won!
LH: 就是，最后一个球，美国队明明进了，裁判却吹犯规，误判误判！
L: I know, I can't believe that the referee³ blew that call.
LH: The referee blew the call? 什么意思？
L: Actually, when you make a really big mistake, you can say that you blew it.
LH: 啊，blow something就是说犯大错误，把事情搞砸。所以你是说，裁判把美国队的进球判成无效，是很严重的误判。
L: Right! Here is another example. Joe wanted to impress⁴ Carol⁵ on their first date. But he really blew it because she was a vegetarian⁶ and he took her to a steak⁷ restaurant.
LH: 啊？带吃素的人去牛排店，这不是满错了么！对了，Larry, 美国队下一场踢阿尔及利亚，你说胜算有几成？
L: Well, most people think that the U.S. is a better team. We should win as long as we don't make a big mistake and blow it.
LH: 太好了！比赛星期三，咱们一起看！
L: Well I would really like to ... but I have a big presentation⁸ on Thursday that I will need to prepare for, and I really don't want to blow it.
LH: Larry, 世界杯比做报告重要多了！还是跟我看比赛吧！
L: Well Lihua, my boss isn't a push-over. If I do a bad job, he will get really mad at me.
LH: 你老板不好惹？那就算了吧......要不这样，我看比赛，你在家准备报告，如果比赛有什么精彩内容，我就打电话告诉你！
L: Hmmm ... that's a great idea! But you better not blow it and get so excited that you forget to call me.
LH: 这我可不敢保证！
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是push-over, 表示好欺负，好说话的人。另一是blow it, 意思是犯大错，把事情搞砸。

1 boss   

n.老板，上司；v.指挥，控制

参考例句：

• When the boss gets mad, leave him alone.当老板生气时，不要理他。
• I'm my own boss.我自己当自己的老板。

2 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

3 referee   

n.裁判员．仲裁人，代表人，鉴定人

参考例句：

• The team was left raging at the referee's decision.队员们对裁判员的裁决感到非常气愤。
• The referee blew a whistle at the end of the game.裁判在比赛结束时吹响了哨子。

4 impress   

vt.使感动；使印象深刻；n.印象，特征，印记，压痕，强征

参考例句：

• Time has left its impress upon him.岁月在他身上留下了印记。
• The sights of the city never fail to impress foreign tourists.外国游客无一不对该市留有深刻印象。

5 Carol   

n.赞美诗，圣诞颂歌

参考例句：

• Silent Night is my favourite carol.《平安夜》是我最喜欢的圣诞颂歌。
• The people in the church are singing a christmas carol.教堂里的人们正在唱圣诞颂歌。

6 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

7 steak   

n.牛排，鱼排，肉排

参考例句：

• How would you like your steak?您喜欢牛排怎么做法？
• I'll try a steak sandwich.我想尝尝牛排三明治。

8 presentation   

n.赠与，陈述，介绍；表演，展示

参考例句：

• Last week we went to the presentation of a new play.上星期我们去观看了一场新剧的演出。
• The manner of presentation is highly important.介绍的方式很重要。