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李华是一个中国学生，她在纽约上大学，还在大学的中文系当助教。今天她要去
和系主任谈话，要求增加助教的工资。李华的美国同学Michael 陪她一起去。李
华会学到两个常用语：wimp 和guts。
L: Michael，我很紧张。我不敢去和系主任谈话。。。我看就算了吧，我不要去要求
加工资了。
M: What? Don't be such a wimp, Li Hua! You have to talk to her, if you want to get a
raise.
L: 你刚才说什么？Don't be 什么？
M: I said don't be a wimp. A wimp is a weak person, a coward, or someone who can't
take pain. If you don't talk to your boss, then you are a wimp!
L: 噢，wimp 就是软弱的人，胆小鬼，或者是怕痛的人。所以，你说要是我不和
系主任谈，我就是胆小鬼。哎，你这么说我太不公平了。你才是a wimp。上星期
你去捐血，针还没有碰到你，你就哇哇大 叫，你不是wimp 是什么？
M: I was not! You were a wimp when you crashed your bicycle. You cried because you
hurt your arm!
L: 我那次骑自行车摔倒，受伤可严重了。不管怎么样，女孩子哭并不意味着她是
一个软弱的人。
M: But you are a wimp! Remember yesterday, you couldn't open a bag of potato chips,
because you're so weak!
L: 我昨天打不开一包土豆片，我没有力气，这也算是wimp？我才不是呐！有一
次，我们从学校走回你的家，一共三公里，你至少在当中休息了两次。这才是软
弱的表现呢！
M: All right, all right, stop goofing around. You need to go talk to your boss. If you
don't go in there, you'll be a wimp with no money.
L: 对，我要不进去谈就加不了工资，人家肯定会说我没有骨气。看来，我别无选
择，我就得进去要求系主任给我们加工资。
(李华和系主任谈完话以后)
M: Well, Li Hua, how did it go?
L: 一点问题都没有。系主任同意我们应该增加工资。她说她会去争 取足够的资
金给我们提高工资到每小时十二点五美元。
M: Wow! That's not bad Li Hua. It took a lot of guts to go in there like that.
L: Guts? 进去谈要许多什么？你说我什么嘛？你可别说我坏话。。。
M: No, no, when I say it took a lot of guts, I mean you had to be brave to do that!
L: 噢，guts 就是勇气。Guts 不就是动物的内脏吗？是这个字吗？
M: That's right! You can say someone has a lot of guts. That means he is brave.
L: 嗯，a lot of guts 就是有勇气。你刚才说it took a lot of guts to go in there。所以，
it takes guts to do something 就是要做某件事一定要 有勇气。
M: That's right. For instance: It took a lot of guts for you to come to the U.S. by
yourself.
L: 对，我一个人独自到美国来是要有勇气才行的。你上回在我朋友 家唱卡拉OK，
这也是要有勇气的呀！
M: You are right. Americans usually don't like to sing in public if they can't sing very
well.
L: 好多中国人也不喜欢在大庭广众唱歌呀。这确实是要有勇气的。你那 天是因
为喝了酒才敢唱。否则，你就是个wimp!
M: So are you! You only had enough guts today because I was here to support you.
Usually you are a wimp!
L: 对，你陪我一起来给我壮胆，所以我才有勇气找系主任谈话。不 过呢，我至
少没有在走回家的路上喘不过气来。You are a wimp!
M: I guess we both are!
今天Michael 教李华学会用两个常用语，一个是：wimp，意思是软弱，没骨气；
另一个是：guts，这是指有勇气。这次[流行美语]就学习到这里，我们下次节目再
见。 |