流行美语 第 97 课

今天Larry 和Li Hua 一起在游乐园坐过山车。Li Hua 会学到两个常用语：to rock
和letdown.

LH: 哎哟，这一趟过山车坐得我晕头转向的，直想吐！真是活受罪！
LL: You are sick and dizzy¹? What are you talking about? That rollercoaster rocks! I'm
going to ride it again!
LH: 什么，Larry, 你还想再去坐啊？你还说那个过山车rocks. Rock 当作动词不
是"摇摇晃晃"的意思吗？
LL: No, no, I didn't say that it rocked back and forth². "To rock" means³ "to be great". If
something or some experience is really fun or exciting, we say "It rocks!"
LH: 噢，原来在这里，rock 不是前后摇晃的意思，而是要是有什么事情有意思、
够刺激，我们就说It rocks! 哎，那不就相当于中文里说的"棒极了"的意思吗？
LL: That's right, Li Hua. I'm sure you've heard this expression before.
LH: 还真是，上星期我和同学到学校附近那家湖南餐馆吃饭。吃完饭，我同学说，
"That meal rocked!". 我当时没听懂，所以没敢答腔，现在我可明白了，她呀是在
夸那顿饭好吃呢！
LL: Yeah, she must have liked it. Everyone likes Hunan Garden. That restaurant rocks.
LH: 哎哟，Larry, 我看我们还是别说吃了吧，我的胃到现在还没缓过来呢！这样
吧，你再给我举个别的例子，好不好？
LL: Sure... if someone tells you some good news, you might say, "That rocks!"
LH: 哎，说到"好消息"，我还真有个好消息告诉你，你知道吗，有家私人学校打
算等我毕业后要聘用我呢！
LL: Whoa, really? That's great news. That rocks, Li Hua. You haven't even graduated
yet, and this private school already offered you a great job!
* *****
LH: 哇，总算可以回家了，我真担心你会不会坐过山车坐上了瘾呢！
LL: Well, I liked the two rollercoaster rides, but the park itself was kind of a letdown.
LH: 是啊，我知道你喜欢过山车，要不然也不会连着坐两次啊！可是你又说这个
游乐园是什么 - letdown?
LL: I said that the park is a letdown. A letdown is something that disappoints you. The
park really wasn't especially bad, but I was expecting it to be better. It was a real
letdown.
LH: 等等等等，letdown 的意思就是某件事让你失望。你是说，这个游乐园其实
还可以，只不过不像你原先想象的好，所以让你失望了。那Larry, 你觉得这个游
乐园哪一点儿让你失望呢？
LL: Well, It was too crowded. The lines in front of the rides were too long.
LH: 哎哟，现在就是旅游旺季，这儿当然人多，坐过山车当然要排队等啦！你就
是爱发牢骚。那这样，你再给我举个例子吧，看看还有什么事对你是个letdown.
LL: Well, my History Professor is a real letdown. He's a well-known expert in his area,
but he's not very good at giving lectures.
LH: 你们历史教授在学术界是挺有名的，可是你说他不太会讲课呀，那确实是挺
让学生失望的。哎，Larry, 我记得你第一次到中国，去了长城，回来你也说和原
先想象的一点儿都不一样。那the Great Wall 对你来说是不是个letdown 呢？
LL: I'm glad you remember that. My first trip to the Great Wall WAS truly a letdown.
It was so crowded with tourists and souvenir⁴ peddlers.
LH: 你怎么到哪儿都嫌人多啊？长城是有名的旅游景点，当然有各地的游客啦，
还有小商贩卖纪念品！哎，不过，你刚才说，你第一次去长城让你失望，那后来
你再去是不是就感觉好多了？
LL: Yeah, that second trip rocked!

今天李华从Larry 那儿学到两个常用语。一个是rock, 说something rocks，就相当
于中文里的"棒极了"。李华学到的另一个常用语是letdown, 意思是"让人失望的事
"。

1 dizzy   

adj.晕眩的，眼花缭乱的；vt.使晕眩

参考例句：

• I feel a dizzy spell.我感到一阵头晕。
• Lean on me if you feel dizzy.如果你觉得头晕，就靠在我身上好了。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 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。

4 souvenir   

n.纪念品，纪念物

参考例句：

• Please accept this little gift as a souvenir.请留下这个小小礼物作为纪念。
• I was going to save that as a souvenir.我本来准备把它做为纪念品保存下来的。