流行美语 第131课 - to be hard up / to pick on someone
时间：2019-01-04 作者：英语课 分类：美国之音《流行美语》
Larry和李华准备到银行去，李华要开一个帐户，而Larry需要取一些现金。今天李华会学到两个常用语：to be hard up和to pick on someone.
LH: Larry，我要去银行开个户头，你去银行做什么？
LL: Well, my friend is a little hard up for cash 1 right now, so I'm going to withdraw 2 some money and let him borrow it.
LH: 原来你是要提现金借给朋友啊！你的朋友怎么啦？你说他hard up for cash。Cash是现金。这个我懂，但hard up是什么意思？
LL: To be "hard up" for something means 3 that you don't have enough of it.
LH: Hard up for something就是什么东西不够，所以你那朋友hard up for cash, 就是钱不够啦！对不对？
LL: Exactly. He's helped me when I was hard up before, so I feel that I should help him out now.
LH: 嗯，你朋友以前也借钱给你，帮过你，所以现在你帮他。这也是应该的。对了，Larry, 这个hard up除了指缺钱，还可以用在什么地方？
LL: Well, one is usually hard up for money. However, you can be hard up for time or for work, too.
LH: 如果我说I am hard up for time, 那就表示我很忙，时间不够，对不对？
LL: Right. I'm usually hard up for time during exams. I have so much studying to do that I hardly even sleep.
LH: 我也是，只要到了期中考，期末考的季节，我就觉得时间不够用，书都念不完。那hard up for work不能说工作不够，只能说找不到工作喽？
LL: I'm hard up for work means that I really need a job, but I'm having a hard time finding 4 one.
LH: 嗯，那种需要工作却找不到工作的滋味一定很不好受。希望我毕业后不会经历hard up for work.
LL: So do I. I don't think anyone enjoys being 5 hard up for time, money, or work.
LH：对，缺钱，缺时间，没工作都不好受。
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LL: Did you see those two children in the bank? The little boy was awful; he kept picking on his sister.
LH: 就是，那个小男孩真不听话，吵吵闹闹的。你说他picking on his sister，那是什么意思？
LL: Oh, to pick on someone is to annoy or to be mean to that person. The little boy kept picking on his sister by calling her ugly and pulling her hair.
LH: Pick on someone就是欺负，招惹别人，或者老是批评别人的意思。那个小男孩不断拉他姐姐的头发，还说她丑，真是很让人讨厌。我小时候我哥哥也喜欢捉弄我。他总是踩我的脚，却说是我踩他！
LL: Well, at least your brother stopped doing that when he got older. My parents still pick on each other.
LH: 你说什么，你的爸妈也老是互相指责？
LL: They just criticize 6 each other over stupid 7 things. For example, my dad likes to pick on my mom about her cooking. He thinks she's a terrible cook.
LH: 你妈妈帮全家人做饭已经够辛苦了，你爸爸居然还批评她做饭做得不好。你爸爸也真是的！
LL: I know, but they have been picking on each other for thirty years and old habits are hard to break. To be honest, I think they enjoy it.
LH: 那倒是，30多年都是这样，要改恐怕也难。可是，你说他们喜欢这样做，这不太可能吧！
LL: Sometimes, they are joking. When my mom picks on my dad about the kind of music he listens to, I know she's just joking. Other times, I think they are just being grouchy 8.
LH: 我想他们有时是开玩笑。你爸听什么音乐，你妈还要管呐？肯定是开玩笑。当然，有的时候互相闹别扭也是可能的。人都有情绪不好的时候嘛！
今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是to be hard up for something, 就是缺乏某样东西，通常用来指缺钱或没时间。另一个常用语是pick on someone, 意思是批评别人，或者是欺负别人。
- Could you cash these chips?可以兑现这些筹码吗？
- I never carry much cash with me.我从不多带现款。
- I want to withdraw a statement I made earlier.我想收回我早些时候发表的一项声明。
- The general decided to withdraw his soldiers.那位将军决定撤军。
- 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。
- The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
- That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。
- Can you explain to me the purpose of being?你能对我解释一下存在的目的吗？
- What is the purpose of our being?我们生存的目的是什么？
- Whenever you criticize him,he always has an excuse.你批评他，他总有说头儿。
- You are free to criticize my work.你可以随意批评我的工作。