时间:2018-11-30 作者:英语课 分类:美国之音《流行美语》


英语课

  李华要参加课堂辩论,心里很紧张, 找Larry出主意。他们会用到两个常用语:you're toast和the tables have turned.

LH: Larry,我可怎么办?这次辩论的成绩占期末成绩的一半呢!

Larry: OK, OK. Calm down for a minute. What's the topic of the debate?

LH: 辩论的题目是国会最近通过的医疗改革法案!我当时没注意这个新闻,现在什么都不知道啊!

Larry: Oh, my. That is certainly a complicated 1 topic, even for an American. Are you arguing for or against it?

LH: 我是辩论的正方还是反方?哦...我忘了。

Larry: You don't even know what side of the argument you're on? Well. Looks like you're toast.

LH: I'm toast? 你在说什么啊?

Larry: It means 2 you have no chance; you're done for; you're finished. I don't see how you could possibly be prepared for this debate.

LH: "I'm toast" 就是I'm finished? 我完了?没戏了?哎呀,这门课可是必修课,我必须要通过呀! Larry, you have to help me!

Larry: I don't think I can, Lihua...Although I know I'm going to be toast if I just sit there and be negative. Haha...

LH: 没错,要是你只顾坐在那里看我出丑,你就死定了!哼!

Larry: Well, I can tell you about the health care bill, but if you don't know what side you are on for the debate, I don't think that will help you.

LH: 虽然我忘了自己在哪一方,可我的老对头Susie是我的对手,我们不在一队,而且她特别能辩论。 I really AM toast, Larry.

Larry: Unfortunately, I would have to agree with you. You don't have any friends in that class? Give one a call and see if they remember which team you are on.

LH: 对! 我给Jennifer打个电话,看她知不知道我是哪一方的。

******

李华给Jennifer打电话之后,得到了一些好消息。

LH: Larry, 好消息!Susie生病了!

Larry: Huh?

LH: Jennifer说,Susie重感冒,嗓子出不了声,更别提辩论了! I'm not toast anymore! 我有救啦!

Larry: Oh, I see. What about your team? Do you know what side you need to prepare to argue for?

LH: Jennifer说,我和她都是正方的,支持这个法案。她还让我不必担心,说我们这方有几个很牛的人! 这真太棒了!

Larry: That is good news. Looks like the tables have turned in your favor 3.

LH: The tables have turned? 什么桌子?

Larry: I'm not talking about an actual table. The tables have turned means that the person that used to be ahead is now behind, and the person who used to be at a disadvantage now has an advantage.

LH: 我明白了,the tables have turned就是指形势发生了一百八十度大转弯! 我之前处于弱势,可现在忽然处于优势了!

Larry: Exactly. You can say the tables have turned in your favor. It doesn't look like your grade for this class is toast anymore.

LH: The tables have turned in my favor.风水转到我这边来了! 一切都对我有利了! 我本来以为I was toast, 但是现在,对手病了,队友强大,The tables have turned! 我真是幸运!

Larry: It looks like your classmate Susie is the one who is toast now. And since you don't have to prepare for that debate anymore, I was wondering if you could help me out a little...

LH: 怎么了Larry?

Larry: Well, I need to submit 4 a report on the Chinese market to my boss, and I've been putting it off. It's due 5 tomorrow and I could use someone to help me do some research on Chinese websites...

LH: 你明天要交一分关于中国的市场分析报告,现在还没怎么写?你想让我帮忙在网上查资料?哼! 我才不管呢!

Larry: Oh! Lihua, Please! If I don't finish this report in time, well, I'd be...

LH: You'd be toast! 你就完蛋啦! Larry, 几分钟前你还不肯帮我准备辩论呢,现在轮到你求我,我不帮忙了。 哈哈! It seems the tables have turned!

Larry: That situation was a little bit different...I didn't really have any way to help you.

LH: 这倒也是。可是,我也真的帮不了你啊,我又不会写市场调查报告。

Larry: You're not going to help me? But I'll be toast without your help!

LH: Sorry, Larry! 可我真的没法帮你,我要和我们辩论队的人在图书馆开会,对了,你能开车送我去图书馆么?

Larry: Ha, it looks like the tables have turned again...

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是you're toast,意思是“你完蛋了”。另一个是the tables have turned,意思是“局势发生逆转”。



1 complicated
adj.错综复杂的,麻烦的,结构复杂的
  • The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂,我理解不了它的意思。
  • This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。
2 means
n.方法,手段,折中点,物质财富
  • 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 favor
n.好感;赞同;好事;vt.赞同,喜爱;有利于
  • She is out of favor with her employer.她失去了雇主的欢心。
  • The new teacher finds favor in the eyes of the parents.那位新老师很受家长的欢迎。
4 submit
vi.(to)屈服,听从vt.呈送,提交;主张
  • He was losing the fight but he would not submit. 他战败了,但不屈服。
  • I will not submit to such treatment. 我不甘心忍受这样的待遇。
5 due
n.应得物;adj.预定的,应付的,到期的,应有的
  • I received nothing except what was due to me.除了我应得的东西,我并未接受任何东西。
  • The rocket is due to lift off at noon on Friday.火箭定于星期五中午发射。
学英语单词
Actinoscirpus
Actinothecaceae
aerocannon
alness r.
apsidal surface
aqueous caustic
automatic manual station
Bashkirians
Beuerberg
Bine-el-Ouidane
Biograd
Boltongate
Calanthe graciliflora
Caliciviridae
cathode flame
chored
collector area
color pyramid
coloured gold
come in contact with
common pathway
contra arithmetic series
count wheel striking mechanism
crackable
cubic kilometre
Dalwad
desaxe
diskspace
double dictionary
drawstring bag
energy diagram
enripens
Faverges
fimbristylis autumnalis roem et schult
five o'clock
flenoury
French inhaling
fridrich
Graecicize
gravity purity
guide vane assembly
gyroscopic angular deviation detector
hatchety
higher order predicate calculus
if you'll pardon the expression
in order for something to happen
inter-connectednesses
international standard bibliography
iron(ii) azide
jar proof
kletter
lateral-line organ
light radiation sensor
matzahs
messengership
migrating balloon
mogroester
Montanha
Mother's Night
Motier
no delivery attempted
north atlantic treaties
notched underlated preheater
on weekdays
oscillation impulse
outside mix nozzle
overhelm
oxypropionic acid
paper industry
phenolic glycoside
phymatosorum membranifolium
picket-fence
random connection
reabsorbed cost
redeemed
redimere
reversalability
Rioja,rioja
saxo grammaticuss
schnier
servomechanism compensation
shortsheeted
side wall frame
single-sided magnetically linear motor
soap cutting machine
Sotacor
sound title to land
spinnabler
sports lottery
state court
submirrors
summer term
supertwists
teasings
thermal coil
tricalcium silicate
type selection
underteaches
utets
vaporizing combustion chamber
vitriolating
zonograms