美國之音之流行美語361 on the dot…

Larry準備參加馬拉松比賽，李華在幫他進行賽前訓練。他們會用到兩個常用語：on the dot和get a taste of one's own medicine

 

LH: Larry, 加油，就剩500米了！沖刺沖刺! 好..！

 

Larry: (Out of breath) How...did... I do?

 

LH: 成績不錯，但還是沒進15分鐘。

 

Larry: (Still a bit out of breath) Let me see that watch...Hey, this isn't above 15 minutes... this is 15 minutes on the dot!

 

LH: Dot? 點點？這個秒表是新的，上面什么都沒有啊!

 

Larry: No, no. The watch is fine. I'm talking about the time. Look...it says 15:00. Exactly fifteen minutes...Fifteen minutes on the dot.

 

LH: 哦， on the dot就是“正好”的意思。你是說，你剛才的成績是正好15分鐘?？墒荓arry，我的意思是，你還是沒有沖破15分這個關口。這樣你下個月參加比賽時，名次是不會理想的!

 

Larry: I know, I know... wait a minute. Next month? I thought I had way more time to prepare than that!

 

LH: ??？你忘啦？距離比賽還有整整一個月，30 days on the dot!

 

Larry: Well, at least I'm making progress...fifteen minutes is my best time so far. I think I'm done running for today. It's 5pm on the dot.

 

LH: 好吧，那今天就練到這兒吧。天兒也夠熱的，今天是35 degrees on the dot，35度呢!

 

Larry: Well, when you're running, it feels more like 40 degrees on the dot!

 

LH: 不過回家前，你還得做30個仰臥起坐。

 

Larry: You sure are a strict coach...how do you know so much about training?

 

LH: (得意地)我高中是田徑隊的，教練特嚴格，我都是跟他學的!嚴師出高徒嘛!

 

Larry: Oh really?? (pauses for a moment as if hatching a plan) You know, Li Hua, there's a couple's race as well on race day. I think you and I should be a team!

 

LH: 雙人跑？ 我也參加？那可不行，我整整10年沒跑步了!10 years on the dot!

 

Larry: Hey, you've been making me run all over this track for the past week; I think it's only fair that you got to taste of your own medicine.

 

LH: 什么，taste of my own medicine? 我的藥的味道？

 

Larry: Actually, you've been working me so hard, but now it's time for you to go through the same ordeal that you had put me through. In other words, you're getting a taste of your own medicine.

 

LH: 我明白了，get a taste of my own medicine就是自食苦果。你是說，這幾天我逼你練得那么辛苦，現(xiàn)在你也要讓我嘗嘗同樣的滋味。

 

Larry: Right! Let's start early tomorrow...be here at 7 am on the dot. I can't wait to give you a taste of your own medicine!

******

第二天，Larry和李華開始了訓練。

 

Larry: Come on, Lihua, just 500 more meters! Pick up your speed! And...you're done!

 

LH: (Out of breath) 時間怎么樣？

 

Larry: Eighteen minutes.

 

LH: ??？這么慢？ 18 minutes on the dot? 正好18分么？

 

Larry: No, not on the dot. More like 18 minutes and 16 seconds...

 

LH: 我要累死了，不練了不練了!

 

Larry: Now you know how it feels to taste some of your own medicine!

 

LH: 是啊，現(xiàn)在我體會到你的辛苦了。我真不該對你那么嚴格。

 

Larry: Good! Well, I guess I can tell you now...there's no couple's race.

 

LH: 根本就沒有什么雙人跑？!

 

Larry: Yeah, you were pushing me so hard...I just wanted you to get a taste of your own medicine.

 

LH: 為了讓我自食苦果，你就用這招騙我？!哎呀，糟糕，剛才跑得太快，你媽媽送我的那條項鏈不知道什么時候掉了。

 

Larry: My mother's necklace?? That's been in my family for 100 years on the dot! Why did you wear that on a run?

 

LH: 哈! 你著急了吧! 項鏈就在我包里!怎么樣， you just got a taste of your own medicine，你也知道被騙的滋味不好受了吧!

 

Larry: Indeed...

 

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是on the dot，表示“正好，精確地”。另一是get a taste of one's own medicine, 意思是“自食苦果”。