流行美語 第209課

李华和Larry正在商量去野营的事。今天李华会学到两个常用语：cold feet和do a number。

LL: Hey Li Hua, are you ready for that camping trip this weekend?

LH: 这个周末去野营的事呀？ 嗯... 我还没一定是不是能跟你们一起去...

LL: What? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet! You told me last week you wanted to come along!

LH: 是，我上个星期是说要去来啦！可我现在说不好是不是能去。这跟我的脚没有关系。而且冬天还没有来，我的脚怎么会冷呢？

LL: No, no... to get cold feet means¹, to become nervous or anxious and then change your mind about a decision.

LH: 噢，你不是说我因为脚冷而不去。Cold feet是因为太紧张，太担心而改变主意。

LL：I still don't understand why you are afraid to go camping.

LH：我不是害怕野营。下星期二要期中考试，你忘啦？我得学习，还得写一个报告...

LL: Everyone has gotten cold feet at least once. When I was little, my parents sent me to a summer camp. At the camp I began to feel homesick², started getting cold feet, and wanted to come home.

LH: 原来你小时候还有这事！ 你父母送你去夏令营，结果去了以后你就紧张了，要回家，那你父母得提早把你接回去呀？Larry，那时你多大呀？

LL: I was like 7-years old. When I was a teenager, I thought about joining the Army after high school. But as I got closer to graduation, I got cold feet, and changed my mind.

LH: 中学时你又想参军，后来又因为害怕而改变主意了。这我知道，我哥哥也是这样。Larry，你听说了没有？乔治亚州一个女子结婚前几天由於太紧张而逃走了。

LL: Yes, she pretended³ she had been kidnapped. I feel sorry for her fiancé。

LH: 对， 她假装被人绑架了。她那未婚夫可真倒霉。Larry，上星期本来说好去跳舞，后来你改变主意，是真的病了呢，还是get cold feet?

LL: Honestly, I got cold feet. I got nervous at the last minute, and made up an excuse. Sorry!

LH：原来是最后一分钟胆怯了，所以装病。

******

LH: Hi, Larry! 你们去野营，开心吗？

LL: Sure, I guess so... but look at this sunburn I got! The sun really did a number on my face!

LH: 哟，看你的脸给晒的！ 你说太阳怎么啦？Did a number，太阳和数字有什么关系呀？

LL: The sun did a number on my face. Did a number means that the sun did a lot of damage, I got a really bad sunburn!

LH: Did a number 意思是造成很大损坏。对，你晒得可真厉害。你的手臂呢？

LL: Oh, those are mosquito⁴ bites. The mosquitoes⁵ really did a number on my arms... and my legs, and my neck...

LH: 蚊子把你咬成那样呀！瞧你的手臂，还有腿，哟，还有脖子上！不过，你总算去玩了。我呀，才倒霉呢。车子好好停在那里，一个人会开着车撞上去，把我的门给撞坏了。He did a number on the door.

LL: Wow, too bad. At least you were lucky that you weren't in the car when he hit it, he could have done a real number on you, not just your car.

LH: 对，幸好我没在车里，否则我肯定会受伤的。我姐姐以前就在出车祸时手臂骨给撞断了。

LL: That's terrible! A few years ago someone in a car hit me while I was riding my bicycle on the street. I was not hurt, but it really did a number on my bike!

LH: 汽车撞你自行车，结果你居然没有受伤。自行车坏了没事。那个人赔你钱了？

LL: Nothing, because he drove⁶ off. Good for him: I was angry and felt like doing a number on his face with my fists.

LH: 撞了就开走了？那太不象话了。这种人真是该揍他一顿。不过像你这样软棉棉的手，受伤的可能是你的手，而不是他的脸。

LL: Speaking of doing a number, that camping food really made my stomach uncomfortable. I need some coffee.

LL: 野营的饭让你的胃不舒服？不过你空肚子喝咖啡...

LH: Oh, yeah, that'll do a number on me, I'd better eat first.

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是：cold feet，意思是由于紧张和担心而临时改变主意。另一个常用语是：do a number， 这是指伤害什么东西。
 

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• 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。

2 homesick   

adj.想家的；患思乡病的

参考例句：

• She's feeling a little homesick.她有点想家。
• He left his job largely because he was homesick.他辞职不干主要是因为他想家。

3 pretended   

adj.假装的；徒有外表的；传说的；号称的v.假装( pretend的过去式和过去分词 )；伪装；（尤指儿童）（在游戏中）装扮；自诩

参考例句：

• He pretended that resigning was part of his long-term career strategy. 他假装辞职是他长远事业规划的一部分。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He politely pretended not to have heard this remark. 他有礼貌地假装没有听到这句话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mosquito   

n.蚊子

参考例句：

• I slapped at the mosquito but missed.我打蚊子，但没打中。
• I was bitten in the leg by a mosquito.我腿上被蚊子叮了一口。

5 mosquitoes   

n.蚊子( mosquito的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mosquitoes are extremely abundant in this dark wet place. 这个阴暗潮湿的地方蚊子非常多。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In the swamp the army was beset by mosquitoes. 在沼泽地，该军受到蚊子的困扰。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。