粘在凳子上等于集中精力

 　　今天Larry和Li Hua一起去听讲座。上课前聊起了彼此的兴趣。 Li Hua要学习两个常用语：glued to one’s seat和at the end of one’s rope。

　　LH: Larry, 老师上次布置的作业你做了吗?第五题怎么写呀?

　　LL: Number 5...number 5...I didn’t do that one either.

　　LH: 第五题你也不会啊，那怎么交差啊...

　　(Larry looks around the room and sees Amy)

　　LL: Hey! We can ask Amy. She probably knows how to do this problem.

　　LH: Amy? 可你怎么知道她肯定会做呢? 搞不好她也跟我们一样。

　　LL: But she’s always glued to her seat during the lectures. I’m sure she gets good grades because she pays so much attention.

　　LH: 你说她每次讲座都粘在椅子上?有人恶作剧吗?

　　LL: No, not literally¹ glued to her seat. To be glued to one’s seat means² to be so interested and involved with something that one doesn’t move at all.

　　LH: 哦，我明白了，你的意思是说Amy is always glued to her seat, 她上课听得特别专心，一动不动，所以学得一定不错，那我们真地可以去问她!

　　LL: That’s right. That’s exactly what I was trying to say, Li Hua.

　　LH: 那我可不可以说，如果我看到白马王子, I will be glued to my seat? 我一定会深深地被他吸引，无法动弹的...

　　LL: Mmm...you really dream about meeting Prince Charming³ all day long, don’t you? Usually, the term "to be glued to one’s seat" is only used to describe an activity. For example, you can be glued to your seat when you’re playing your favorite video game, or watching a suspenseful⁴ movie etc.

　　LH: 是吗..所以这句话通常是用在形容对某件事情的热情，比如说，Larry is always glued to his seat when he reads children’s books! 这样造句对吗?

　　LL: Yeah that’s right. Except did you really have to mention children’s books? I just like them because my mom used to read to me all the time.

　　LH: 哈哈，当然要提到你有多么爱读儿童故事书啊。这是我能想到的Larry唯一的嗜好，要不然你说说看，自己有更热爱的事情吗?

　　LL: Okay, let me think! There’s got to be something that better represents⁵ my intellectual⁶ interests...

　　(Long pause)

　　LH: 想不出来吧?你还是放弃吧。

　　LL: Fine. I guess I’m at the end of my rope.

　　LH: 什么?你说"I’m at the end of my rope"是什么意思啊怎么连绳子都跑出来了?你可别想不开啊。

　　LL: To be at the end of your rope means to be out of options⁷. It means you’re stuck in a bad situation.

　　LH: 原来是指你无路可退的意思。你看，我比你自己还要了解你，儿童故事书是你的最爱，还是承认吧。

　　LL: OK, quit laughing. It’s just a little hobby of mine that I read children’s books. I doubt your interests are any better. Hmmm let me think...you like to dance, you like to go shopping, you like to...

　　LH: 哎，不用想了! 不管你怎么想，一定想不到一个跟读儿童故事书一样奇怪的兴趣。You’re at the end of your rope Larry!

　　LL: You’re right, I am at the end of my rope. But once again, reading children’s books is just a good memory I have from childhood.

　　LH: 奇怪, 班上好安静喔.

　　(Larry looks at watch)

　　LL: Class already started! Hey, what about that question on the homework? We have to turn it in today!

　　LH: 什么??已经开始上课了? 那我们的功课怎么办呢?

　　LL: I guess we’re at the end of our ropes...

　　今天李华从Larry那儿学到两个常用语。一个是glued to one’s seat, 是指一个人非常专注于某件事情，集中精力，一动不动。另一个at the end of one’s rope意思是走投无路，没有其它的选择。

1 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 charming   

adj.迷人的，可爱的

参考例句：

• She looked small and gentle and altogether charming.她看起来小巧文雅,十分迷人。
• She has charming manners.她具有媚人的风姿。

4 suspenseful   

adj.悬疑的，令人紧张的

参考例句：

• If his experiences then had been carefully recorded, it would undoubtedly have made a suspenseful and moving book. 若是把他所经历的事实记录下来，那就是一部充满着大智大勇，惊心动魄的小说。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Lily is an atmospheric and suspenseful tale of love, loss and obsession. 这是一个关于爱情、失落与迷恋的故事，充满情调与悬疑色彩。 来自互联网

5 Represents   

v.表现( represent的第三人称单数 )；代表；体现；作为…的代表

参考例句：

• This represents a volte-face in government thinking. 这代表着政府观点的彻底转变。
• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history. 俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 intellectual   

n.知识分子；adj.智力的，理智的，有理解力的

参考例句：

• Thinking is an intellectual process.思维是一个智力活动过程。
• Chess is a highly intellectual game.象棋是需用高度智力的运动项目。

7 options   

n.选择(option的名词复数 )；选项；选择权，选择能力；[经济]买卖的特权

参考例句：

• She considered her options. 她仔细考虑了自己的各种选择。
• We are considering the options available to us in this no-win situation. 在这种取胜无望的情形下，我们在考虑有什么选择。