[流行美语]又和大家见面了。Michael是一个在纽约上大学的美国年轻人,他经常跟中国学生李华一起玩。Michael向李华学中文,李华向 Michael 学英文。Michael 正在准备考试,有很多功课要做,但是李华要他出去休息休息,两人约好下午在动物园见面。他们在对话中会用这两个词:all-nighter和cram。5 `9 Z+ x/ x! s a- }, a8 E
* t! q' b' d9 o. _% AL: 嗨,Michael. 我在这儿!; m/ N) X1 S! F3 E5 ?' _! `
) v# f& c ^- p' c7 p* Q) lM: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look. - \' u2 F0 A1 m" h4 _% t6 [6 s' w N+ Y2 V, m# _) J) a
L: 噢,那是大象馆啊? 好,进去看看。 不行,不行,这儿太臭 了。走吧! * ?& g# x- Y5 f( V0 H% c! d0 x/ T' p6 T/ Z, R
M: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter.$ e4 R/ J9 z0 ], S E, p
1 K) J3 f4 U" F) O1 N5 |0 RM: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time. 9 h( ?3 z! z p, U. X/ `4 V [8 j* V a. D# t! _& a) F
L: 噢, pull an all-nighter,就是迫使自己整夜念书,因为要这样做是很辛苦的。 ' Q' m! D! P: |% }* D! e5 S9 K : I3 l, i g+ bM: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.4 {/ X: C) S0 I" p, n' b
, f1 M4 d$ D2 x, E& m0 _+ \L: 这你可说对了。我不需要开夜车,因为我整个一学期都在学习。你要开夜车,因为你平时不学习。 / {) m9 H D. N& T9 c8 z+ o$ P* [" s: R' j
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.5 Z% R8 H# S9 H9 k, H% x
" x0 ]; u: w' Q0 A) f6 m# ?% oL: Michael, 我真喜欢纽约的秋天,空气很清新。你要是能跟我一起玩,不用回去念书,那该多好啊! + X7 B1 f% n8 Y: v. _: ]% s* W2 K7 ~7 Z) I, R0 ], Z" `
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should.& Z! ]! @ K3 z( H
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L: 对啊, 你要是上星期多花点时间念书不就好了嘛。现在你得临时抱佛脚了。) \1 ?5 U( ]( f0 f" }% ?
0 |# n) \5 Q- d. v- K$ sM: I perform better on tests when I cram. ' r4 i: |1 Q4 ?' @7 z/ v8 n! |5 P
L: Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进去的意思,跟学习有什么关系呢?- G8 Q, A6 Y+ J0 e% j" R
, ~; `' g1 B! H% k) _! UM: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram. ^% r4 |3 V% h: v 3 ~: b% ?$ K- z; {* }' hL: 意思差不多?噢,我知道了!Cram就是我们中文里说的填鸭式方法,就是硬把食品塞给鸭子吃,这样鸭子就长得肥。北京烤鸭就是用这种鸭子做的。你说的cram 是临时抱佛脚,在考试前猛记猛背,把知识往脑子里塞。你还认为这是好办法? , K* C, V' e4 Q' M. S0 @ " q5 _# M; V4 k7 _" iM: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me.: K% B4 V3 w6 @. a! _" u3 {
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L: 你认为临时抱佛脚对你来说行得通。可是,Michael,想把半学期的内容在一个晚上记住,这样做可真傻。 & y" r$ t( O( x# l, y4 r & c' q9 K) C& H" gM: Stop being my mother, Li Hua!* I0 M3 Z* V8 F; i# X
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L: 我才不想当你妈呢,你不听我的话,那就算了。Michael, cram这个词是否还能用在别的场合呢?9 z5 T* _* Q! k
3 x* x3 M% h2 _3 f: T# \M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level. $ T1 U! b6 \- t4 X# T8 _, u0 i ! p! i6 D: _, \+ C1 ?L: 噢,只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车,临时抱佛脚。 ' v) J" c! r7 k Y& E8 d* T: @" X- L" e! ]# B6 N1 \ g
M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter.5 A" S1 b- E& s- e! ? q& ?7 O! r
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L: 好吧,我明天早上给你打电话。* V( A2 F1 s z' r
+ ?# Y9 B6 p0 s/ f7 G- F- l w$ xM: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.5 b- ]0 y2 c: d! T