《大城市小世界》第16期:救救咖啡店

Oi! What are you lot doing? What's that?

哇呀，你们干什么呢？这是啥？

It's a banner¹.

是标语。

A what?

什么？

A banner, look! See what it says.

标语，看！看见上面写什么了吗？

Save our café Oh, I see. Very good.Do you think it'll stop them from closing this place?

拯救我们的的咖啡馆。哦，看见了，很好啊，你们觉得这能阻止他们关闭这地方？

Well, you never know. Every little bit helps.

嗯，不知道啊。总会有些帮助。

Hmm. I'm not sure having that thing stuck to the front of my café will change anything.

嗯，我可没把握把那玩意挂在咖啡馆外头就能改变啥。

Oh yes it will, Tony, be positive! My friend from the local newspaper is coming to take a photograph, and I'm going to write an article!

哎呀，会的，托尼，乐观点！我在本地报纸的朋友要来照张相，我还要写一篇文章。

Hmm Great.

嗯，好吧。

Look Tony, it's the only thing we can do! We can organise4 a campaign here, and at the same time Sarah's doing some work as well.

你看，托尼，这是我们唯一能做的事情啦！我们能在这儿组织一场请愿活动，同时，萨拉也会做一些工作。

Wow! Look at that banner! Very impressive²!

哇，瞧瞧这标语！相当震撼啊！

Hi Magda!

嗨，麦格达！

Hello everyone!

大家好！

So, go on then, have you decided³ to take the job?

说说吧，你决定接受工作了吗？

Yeah.I have to accept the job. I mean, I really want to.it's a good job, and good jobs in architecture are difficult to get and I need the money!

是啊，我不得不接受，我是说，我也想接受，这是个好工作，而且在建筑业是很难找到好工作的，我也需要钱。

Sure, I understand.

是啊，可以理解。

Johnny's old flat, where me and Sarah live.it's great but it's so expensive.

约翰尼过去的房子，就是我和萨拉住的地方，是挺好的，但是太贵了。

But you can help us.

但你可以帮我们啊。

Yeah, if you work for the company who want to knock down Tony's café and Olivia's shop, you can do something!

是啊，如果你为拆掉托尼咖啡馆和奥利维亚鞋店的公司工作，你肯定能做些什么。

Well, I'm not sure.but I'll see.

额，不太确定，但，我看看。

Hello everyone!

大家好啊！

Hi Carlos!

你好，卡洛斯！

Is Sarah here today?

今天萨拉在吧？

Er, not yet... but she said she'd be here soon.

啊，还没来，但她说过一会就过来。

Oh. OK, I'll wait for her. Is it OK if I sit here?

噢，好的，那我等她。我坐在这儿行吗？

Sure.Come and join us!

当然，过来跟我们一起吧！

So, is it true you're a chef?

那么，是真的吗？你是厨师？

Not exactly.I'd like to be a chef, that's what I want to do, but at the moment I'm a caterer⁴.it's different.

不完全是吧，我愿意成为厨师，那是我想做的事，但目前，我只是个包办伙食的人，这不一样。

What's a caterer?

什么叫包办伙食？

A caterer makes food for lots of people.I make all the lunches for the people who work on the building site next door. It's just sandwiches or soup, or other simple things.It's quite boring I like more of a challenge!

包办伙食就是给无数的人做饭，我包揽旁边工地所有人的午饭，不过就是三明治或是汤之类的简单食品，十分无聊，我想有更多的挑战。

Here she is!

她来了！

Hello everyone! Hello Carlos!

大家好，卡洛斯，你好！

Hi Sarah! Good to see you again.

你好，萨拉，很高兴又见到你了。

Carlos was just telling us all about his job.

卡洛斯正要给我们介绍他工作的详细情况。

You're a chef, aren't you?

你是个厨师？不是吗？

No.but I want to be!

不是，可是我希望是！

Where are you from?

你从哪来？

I'm from Brazil! Even if no one believes me.

从巴西来，虽然没人相信。

Why don't people think you're from Brazil?

为什么人们不相信你从巴西来？

I don't like football, and I can't dance.

我不喜欢足球啊，也不会舞蹈。

Listen, though, we've got an important job to do..we have to save this café, and Olivia's shop!

听着，好啦，我们有重要工作要做，我们要挽救这间咖啡馆，还有奥利维亚的商店。

That's right.

对啊。

But how?

怎样挽救？

I've put up the banner.

我挂出了标语。

And I'm writing an article for the local paper.

我给当地报纸写篇文章。

Great.and I've found out something very interesting.

好的，而我发现了些十分有趣的东西。

Oh? What's that?

啊，什么啊？

Well, you know I have a friend who works⁵ at the local museum, I love going to museums and art galleries, Carlos and she told me something that could be important.

啊，你们知道我有个朋友在当地博物馆上班，我喜欢逛博物馆和美术馆，卡洛斯，她告诉我某些可能是十分重要的信息。

Go on.

快说啊。

These buildings, the café and your shop, are actually a lot older than many people think.

这些建筑，包括咖啡馆和你的鞋店，实际上比许多人想象的更古老。

Really?

真的吗？

Yes. They're probably two hundred years old.

是啊，也许有两百年的历史了。

Tony! Did you hear that?

你听说过这回事吗？

What?

什么？

Sarah has found out that the café and my shop are really very old buildings.

发现咖啡馆和我的鞋店都是十分古老的建筑。

That's why I've got a problem with the roof, then.

难怪我的房顶会出问题。

It means they can't possibly knock down these buildings!

这意味着他们有可能拆不了这些建筑。

Right. They have historical value.

对，他们有历史价值。

It won't stop them.

这阻止不了他们。

Oh Tony, you must be more optimistic! Try looking on the positive side!

得了，托尼，你得再乐观点！试着去看积极的一面。

I can't see a "positive side".

我看不见“积极的一面”。

We'll make a great campaign, it'll show how people can stop big corporations⁶ from doing what they want!

我们要发起一个声势浩大的运动，要证明民众可以阻止大型企业为所欲为。

Let's hope so.

但愿如此吧。

1 banner   

n.旗，旗帜，横幅

参考例句：

• The new government came to power under the banner of fighting poverty.新政府是在对贫穷开战的名义下上台的。
• A white banner was hanging out of the window.一面白旗挂在窗子外面。

2 impressive   

adj.给人深刻印象的，感人的

参考例句：

• This cinema is so impressive that we can't help crying.这影片如此感人以至我们禁不住流下泪来。
• The suit made him look especially impressive.他穿上这套衣服真精神。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 caterer   

n. 备办食物者，备办宴席者

参考例句：

• My wife went to a lot of trouble; she called a caterer. 我太太花了很多心血，她找了专办派对的人来。
• The wedding reception has been organized by an outside caterer. 婚宴由外界的饮食公司承办。

5 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

6 corporations   

法人( corporation的名词复数 )； （政治、经济的）组合； 市政委员会

参考例句：

• The bulk of the funds are supplied by some of America's largest and most powerful corporations. 大部分资金是由美国一些最大和最有实力的公司提供的。
• He didn't sympathise with the corporations, but strength was with them. "他并不同情公司，但是力量属于他们。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹