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现在Michael 和李华在准备下午的考试。李华会学到两个常用语：to jinx 和come off
it。
L: Michael, 考试准备得怎么样了？可别再像上次那样考砸了！
M: Ahh! Li Hua, don't say that! You'll jinx me!
L: Jinx you? 听不懂，什么是jinx 啊？
M: Jinx. Jinx can be used as a verb or a noun. One way to jinx someone is to say
something unlucky, like you just said.
L: 噢，jinx 这个词可以作动词，也可以作名词。你刚才说：You'll jinx me, 意思是
你认为我说"这次你可别考砸了"，这句话不吉利，会让你倒霉。哎哟，Michael, 你
那么迷信啊！
M: Well, some people believe in jinxes. For instance, a lot of people think that there is
a jinx on the Chicago Cubs baseball team. It hasn't won a World Series for 95 years.
L: 有人说芝加哥棒球队"小熊队"撞上了倒霉运，所以老是进不了世界杯决赛。
Michael, 你刚才说，There is a jinx on the Chicago Cubs. 这个jinx 就是名词了吧？
M: That's right! I don't believe in black magic or anything like that. But I do think that
if someone hears something unlucky, or believes that there is a jinx, it can affect his or
her performance.
L: 我啊，也不相信真的有什么魔术或巫术的。可是，要是你确实相信听到倒霉话
就真的会倒霉，那是会影响你的心理，也会影响你做事的结果。我就不信真的有
jinx！
M: Really? What if I told you that I think you're going to fail this test unless you
apologize to me? I am jinxing you!
L: 什么？你要我对你道歉！我要不跟你道歉，我考试就会不及格！你想咒我啊，
You are trying to jinx me? 我才不怕呢。我又不信jinx 这一套！我只是希望你这次
别考砸了。我是好意啊！
M: Li Hua, you said it again! I'm going to give you five seconds to apologize for
jinxing me.
L: 给我五秒钟对你道歉？我干吗要道歉，我又没有说错话。我看你还是赶快去复
习你的功课吧！别相信什么悔气不悔气的。
* *****
L: 哎呀，Michael, 我这次肯定考砸了。都是你的错，you jinxed me before the test!
M: Oh come off it, Li Hua. You said you don't believe in jinxes.
L: Come off it? 你在说什么呀？
M: I said "come off it!" That means "stop talking nonsense" or "stop pretending that
something is true".
L: 噢，come off it 就表示"不要瞎说"、"别装蒜啦"。嗨，你不是说你相信听了倒霉
的话就真的会倒霉呀？
M: Come off it, Li Hua! You're the one who said that if someone fails, it has nothing to
do with the jinx.
L: 我是不相信所谓的jinx, 可是你在考试前和我争来争去，影响我情绪，所以我
没有考好啊！
M: You want me to feel guilty? Well, I don't!
L: Come off it, Michael! 你要我跟你道歉，还说不然我就会考不好，这当然影响我
情绪啦！
M: Come off it, Li Hua! It's not my fault. It's your fault you didn't come to class on
Friday. You missed about a third of the material covered on the test.
L: 什么？我考试没考好是因为我礼拜五没有来上课？哎，你明明知道那天我生病
了嘛！
M: Oh, come off it! I saw you later that day. You weren't sick!
L: You come off it, Michael! 我是真的生病啦！
M: Unlucky, huh? So you're still blaming me for jinxing you? Come off it, already. You
don't really believe in that jinx nonsense, do you?
L: 对，我考试没考好，不怪你，算我自己倒霉，行了吧？
李华今天在和Michael 谈论考试的时候，学到了两个常用语：to jinx 表示"带来坏
运气"；come off it 表示"不要瞎说"、"别装蒜"。 |