美国之音《流行美语》 349(在线收听

  李华和Larry一起去逛农贸市场。今天我们要学两个常用语:to eat one's words和like night and day。
  LH: Larry, 我特别喜欢逛农贸市场。这些蔬菜水果都是咱们这儿的农民自己种的,又新鲜又营养。
  L: I guess that's true, but they're expensive too. I think we should just wait for our plants at home to produce fruit.
  LH: 咱们种的那些菜?嗯....Larry, 说实话,你第一次种菜,真的能有收获吗?
  L: You just watch Lihua. When we are eating tomatoes from our garden in a few weeks, you're going to have to eat your words.
  LH: 啊?Eat my words? Larry, 怎么能这样,你吃西红柿,却让我吃words?
  L: Actually, when someone eats her words, that means she has to accept that she was wrong about something.
  LH: 哦,to eat my words就是认错。你是说,等你种的西红柿结出又大又甜的果实来,我就不得不承认自己小看了你种菜的本领!
  L: Right! Here is another example. I told my friend Steve that he would never become a famous actor, but I had to eat my words when he won an Oscar.
  LH: 什么?你的朋友Steve赢了奥斯卡奖?! 快把他介绍给我!
  L: Unfortunately that's just an example sentence.
  LH: 啊?是你胡说的啊! 算了,咱们还是买点水果吧,我看也不会特别贵。
  L: Trust me, Lihua, you're going to eat your words when you see how expensive the prices are. Say, do you have cash in your wallet?
  LH: 现金?没有,我就带了张信用卡。
  L: Lihua, I doubt these small farmers brought credit card machines with them.
  LH: 不会吧,现在大家都用信用卡。 你放心吧,这些卖菜的肯定收信用卡。
  L: Well, you're going to eat your words when you try to buy something with a credit card.
  LH: 好啦, Larry,既然今天你这么自信,干脆你来挑苹果吧。如果不甜,唯你是问!
  L: Lihua, I am an expert at picking out the most delicious fruit at the market. And if they're not good, I will eat my words.
  LH: 哈,这你不必担心,如果苹果不甜,你不用承认自己看走眼,you don't have to eat your words. I'll make you eat the apples! 只要你把自己挑的酸苹果都吃掉就行了!
  ******
  LH: Larry, 你快看这个大南瓜! 肯定比超市卖的好吃!
  L: I don't know ... it looks about the same. The only difference is that it costs twice as much.
  LH: Larry,你相信我,晚上你一吃就知道我说得没错了。
  L: Well, for twice as much money, it better be like night and day.
  LH: 吃南瓜要像白天和黑夜?你说什么呢?
  L: When you say that two things are like night and day, that means they are completely different, or that one is far better than the other.
  LH: 哦,like night and day就是“天壤之别”。你是说,这里南瓜比超市的贵那么多,所以它们的味道也必须比超市的南瓜好吃几百倍才对。
  L: Right! Here is another example. I was used to working on my old, slow computer, so when I bought a really fast new computer, it was like night and day.
  LH: 对,你的新电脑特别好用,跟原来那台又旧又慢的电脑相比,真的是天壤之别。
  L: Exactly! So Lihua, should we get some red potatoes, or the yellow potatoes?
  LH: 红土豆还是黄土豆?随便啦,土豆还不都一个味儿么?
  L: They don't taste similar at all! The difference is like night and day.
  LH: 怎么可能有那么大的区别?估计就你一个人能吃出不同来。
  L: You know Lihua, there is one nice thing about the farmer's market.
  LH: 哦?是什么?
  L: The employees at the supermarket aren't very friendly or helpful, but the farmers here are so nice! It's really like night and day.
  LH: 那可不! Larry,你开始喜欢农贸市场了吧?你看,东西贵一点,也是值得的!
  L: Well, I'm not going to eat my words just yet. I'll taste some of the fruit first, and then decide if it's worth the extra money.
  LH: Larry, 在吃上你得向我学习。虽然我平时很节俭,但是,一涉及到吃,我花多少钱都不心疼!
  L: That's true. Your attitude is like night and day.
  今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是to eat one's words, 意思是认错,认输。另一个是like night and day, 意思是天壤之别。

  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/liuxmy/137474.html