LESSON 59
李華和Michael正坐在咖啡館里喝咖啡。李華在看報(bào)。今天李華會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語: check something out和to call something。
M: What's in the news today, Li Hua? (sound of newspaper rustling)
L: 有些什么新聞???噢,我沒有在看新聞。我在看招聘人的廣告,想找個(gè)臨時(shí)工,賺點(diǎn)錢。
M: Hmm, let me take a look. Hey, check this one out!
L: 等等,讓我看看。(read slowly) 招聘輔導(dǎo)兩個(gè)孩子,要母語是中文的家庭教師。對(duì)了,Michael, 你剛才說什么:check this one out, 你是叫我把這報(bào)紙借出去???這兒又不是圖書館,而且,這報(bào)紙是我自己買的!
M: No, I said "Check this one out!" "To check something out" means "to look at something closely".
L: 噢,check something out就是“仔細(xì)看一看”的意思!那不就是“從圖書館里借書”的意思嗎?
M: Well, that 's the formal meaning of "to check something out." However, the informal meaning is to have a look at something.
L: 原來to check something out可以指從圖書館借書,可是在不正式的場(chǎng)合就是“仔細(xì)看一看”的意思。那,這大概是非??谡Z的說法,對(duì)不對(duì)?
M: Right! Ok, check this advertisement out.
L: 看這個(gè)廣告呀? Hmmm, 不行,不行,他們要找的家庭教師必須住在他們的地下室,還得要帶孩子。算了算了吧!
M: You know, Li Hua, you can also use "check it out" when you want someone to notice something, or pay attention. It pretty much means, "Whoa, look at that!"
L: 噢,所以,你要讓人注意什么事的時(shí)候也可以用check it out。是不是就象我們中文里說的:“你看哪!你看哪”的意思啊?
M: That's right. Whoa, check it out, Li Hua! That building across the street is on fire.
M: 什么?馬路對(duì)面哪棟樓著火啦?哎,對(duì)呀,你看,那兒來了三輛救火車。哎喲,但愿沒有人在那房子里。
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M: Hey, check this out! Oh, I call this one!
L: 讓我看看! (sound of paper rustling) 招聘一位研究生,帶幾個(gè)孩子去參觀紐約的博物館和參加文藝活動(dòng)。報(bào)酬優(yōu)厚!嗨,這個(gè)工作太好了!
M: No way, Li Hua! I already called this job!
L: Michael, 你說什么?你已經(jīng)給他們打過電話啦?
M: No, that's not what I mean. I said, "I call this job." Whoever says "I call something" first has the first claim on whatever they called.
L: 噢,Call something就是誰先說要這樣?xùn)|西,那這樣?xùn)|西就歸誰?你先說你要這份工作,所以這工作就是你的!嗨,Michael, 你可別忘了,你是在幫我找工作!
M: Actually, no one can call this job. We can both apply and see who gets it.
L: 就是嘛,沒有人可以call this job. 誰都能申請(qǐng)這份工作的!
M: I know, I was just teasing you.
L: 哎,好了,Michael, 你再給我舉一個(gè)to call something的例子好不好?
M: Heheh, Ok. When I was little, before my family went somewhere in the car, I would always yell, "I call the front seat!" My brother and I would always fight over who got to sit in the front seat.
L: 啊,你小時(shí)候還和你弟弟搶汽車座位呀! 你呀,要是call the front seat, 你就可以坐在前面。嚇,你還真好意思呢!
今天李華又從Michael那兒學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語。 一個(gè)是to check something out, 在非??谡Z的情況下, to check something out是“仔細(xì)看看”的意思;另一個(gè)是to call something, 意思是:“誰先說,誰就有優(yōu)先權(quán)得到某樣?xùn)|西”。