Popular American - #103
流行美語(yǔ)-第一百零三課
clunker
Don't sweat it!
今天Li Hua的電腦壞了, 她正在用Larry 的電腦寫(xiě)學(xué)術(shù)報(bào)告。Li Hua會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):clunker和 Don't sweat it!
(Sound of typing)
LH: Larry, 謝謝你讓我用你的電腦。我的電腦最近老出毛病,真氣人!
LL: Heheh, don't mention it. You know, you ought to get a new computer to replace that old clunker of yours.
LH: 你說(shuō)我應(yīng)該買(mǎi)一臺(tái)新電腦來(lái)取代什么?Clunker? 我在說(shuō)我的電腦啊,怎么是"clunker"呢?
LL: No, no... when I said it is a "clunker" - I meant that it's an old, worn-out machine.
LH: 噢,原來(lái)clunker是指“又老又舊的機(jī)器”,用這個(gè)詞來(lái)形容我那臺(tái)電腦再合適不過(guò)了。那Larry, "clunker" 這個(gè)詞只能夠用來(lái)形容電腦嗎?
LL: Not at all... a clunker can be any kind of worn-out machine that doesn't work very well. "Clunk" is the sound that an old car's engine makes... like this (makes clunking noise)
LH: Larry, 你學(xué)得倒挺象的嘛!Clunk這個(gè)詞真的聽(tīng)上去就像一輛破車(chē)的引擎發(fā)出來(lái)的聲音。你知道嗎? 我那輛舊車(chē)就是這種聲音。Larry, 你說(shuō)clunker可以用來(lái)指任何舊的、不中用的機(jī)器,是不是???
LL: Right! Heheh, Li Hua, no offense, but your car is a real clunker, too.
LH: 我才不介意呢,你是在說(shuō)我的車(chē),又不是說(shuō)我。我那車(chē)本來(lái)就是又老又破。
LL: Well, some people in America are sensitive about their cars. People might feel a little ashamed if someone says the car they drive is a clunker.
LH: 是呀, 不少美國(guó)人對(duì)他們開(kāi)的車(chē)很敏感的,要是有人說(shuō)他們開(kāi)的車(chē)太舊了,他們會(huì)覺(jué)得不好意思。不過(guò),Larry, 我的車(chē)只要能把我?guī)У轿蚁肴サ牡胤骄托辛?。等我畢業(yè)后找了份好工作,我再賣(mài)掉這個(gè)clunker, 換輛好車(chē)嘍!
LL: Yeah, me too. I can't wait to replace my old clunker car, clunker bicycle, and this clunker computer.
LH: 哎喲,你可真著急 - 不僅想要換新車(chē),連自行車(chē)、電腦你也想換新的呀!可是,跟我的電腦相比,你的電腦算不上是clunker - 你看,至少我還能用它寫(xiě)文章吶!
******
LH: Oh no! 真對(duì)不起,Larry, 我不小心把你的鼠標(biāo)器掉到地上了,可千萬(wàn)別摔壞了。
LL: Oh well. Don't sweat it, Li Hua, it was an old mouse. I needed to replace it anyway.
LH: 噢,你連這個(gè)鼠標(biāo)器也想換新的??!等等,你還說(shuō)Don't sweat it,你是讓我別出汗?
LL: I'm not talking about sweat! When I say "don't sweat it", that mean's "don't worry about it".
LH: 噢,Don't sweat it意思就是“別擔(dān)心”。你是說(shuō)即使我把你的鼠標(biāo)器給摔壞了也沒(méi)什么大不了的。Larry, 好像真的給摔壞了,那可怎么辦啊!
LL: Don't sweat it, Li Hua. The computer store is just a five-minute drive from here. We can go and get a new mouse.
LH: 噢,謝天謝地!我還真忘了你這兒附近就有個(gè)電腦商店嘛!Larry, 是我弄壞的,我要賠你,但愿不是太貴。
LL: Expensive? Nah, don't sweat it. A cheap mouse like this only costs around ten dollars. Anyway, I'll pay for it... like I said, I needed a new one anyway.
LH: 像這樣的鼠標(biāo)器大約才10美元一個(gè)啊。真是便宜。不過(guò),是我弄壞的,還是我來(lái)買(mǎi)吧!那咱們趕緊走吧,我還得趕回來(lái)趕報(bào)告呢!
LL: Don't sweat it, it's only four thirty. You have plenty of time.
LH: 雖然才四點(diǎn)半,可我還是得抓緊時(shí)間吶!Larry, 你等我一下,我把寫(xiě)好的部分存在這張disk上。我可不想我辛辛苦苦寫(xiě)好的東西被你那old clunker computer給搞丟了。
今天李華從Larry那兒學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是clunker, 意思是“由于太舊而不太好用的東西”。李華學(xué)到的另一個(gè)常用語(yǔ)是 - Don't sweat it, 意思是“別擔(dān)心”,“別著急”。