流行美语 (Popular American) 250

Larry和李华开车到游乐园去坐过山车。她今天要学两个常用语，Oh boy和scaredy-cat。

LL: Oh, Boy! Isn't this amusement park great, Li Hua! I can't wait to take a ride on the roller coaster.

LH: Oh, Boy？我知道你早就盼着来这儿坐过山车。可你说oh boy是什么意思啊？

LL: "Oh, Boy!" is a common American expression that really has nothing to do with boys at all.

LH: 那你刚才说Oh boy是什么意思呢？

LL: When I said "Oh, Boy!" I was expressing that I was excited about coming to the park and that I was looking forward to the fun we are going to have today.

LH: 所以你说Oh boy是表示高兴和兴奋。

LL: That's right. Oh, Boy! Li Hua, look at that. There is someone selling cotton candy. I love cotton candy.

LH: 我从没吃过棉花糖，好吃吗？

LL: Oh, boy, is it ever! It is so light and sweet. I am sure you will love it.

LH: Oh boy! Larry, 你看，那边有旋转木马。

LL: Well, let's take a ride on the carousel 1. It will be a lot of fun. But did you see the roller coaster, Li Hua? Oh, boy... (Nervous tone 2)

LH: 怎么了？刚才你说oh boy, 好象不太高兴。

LL: I just saw that the roller coaster flips 4 you upside down, and I really don't like roller coasters that flip 3 you upside down. Oh, boy...

LH: 可你刚才不是说oh boy是高兴的意思吗？

LL: Well, it all depends on your tone, Li Hua. If you say "Oh, Boy!" like this, it means you are happy. If you say "Oh, boy" like this, it means you are concerned or dismayed 5 about something.

LH: 噢，我明白了。 Oh boy既可以指让人高兴的事，也可以指让人担心的事，完全取决于语气。

LL: That's right, Li Hua. It all depends on how you say it.

******

LL: I can't believe I am so worried about riding this roller coaster. I am usually not this much of a scaredy-cat.

LH: 什么是scaredy-cat? 听起来好象是胆小鬼的意思。

LL: You are absolutely right, Li Hua. And right now, I am feeling like a big scaredy-cat about the roller coaster.

LH: 你现在什么感觉？

LL: Well, right now, I have this tight feeling in my stomach, and I am shaking a little. See, look at how my hand is shaking.

LH: 我害怕的时候手也会抖，心里还会砰砰地跳。

LL: What about you, Li Hua? I thought you told me once you didn't like riding roller coasters. Why aren't you acting 6 like a scaredy-cat now?

LH: 我以前也不敢做过山车，后来咬着牙试了一次，发现根本不可怕，而且头冲下的时候特别刺激。

LL: Okay. I'll try to be brave and ride the roller coaster with you. So, is there anything that makes you feel like a scaredy-cat, Li Hua?

LH: 说起来有点儿丢人。我最怕的是游泳。

LL: You are a scaredy-cat about swimming? Why is that, Li Hua?

LH: 因为我小时候没机会学游泳，所以长大后，不仅不敢下水游泳，连坐船都会害怕。

LL: You know, my mother is a big scaredy-cat about flying on planes. She doesn't like the feeling of going up into the air.

LH: 我听说很多人都害怕坐飞机，去什么地方，宁可开车或是坐火车 去。

LL: My mom is like that. If she can she'd rather drive or take a train when she travels.

LH: 每个人都有自己害怕的事情。

LL: Well, I think people are scaredy-cats about things they think are dangerous.

LH: 你说得没错。不过如果什么都怕，什么都不敢尝试，不是也很无聊吗？

LL: Maybe so, but I am still feeling like a scaredy-cat about that roller coaster. Do I really have to go, Li Hua?

LH: Larry, 我保证你不会掉下来。So stop being a scaredy-cat, and let's go.

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是oh boy, 用来表达高兴或是担心的情绪。另一个是scaredy-cat, 是胆小鬼的意思。