Popular American - #106
流行美語(yǔ)-第一百零六課
racket
That does it!
今天Larry和李華在學(xué)校的書(shū)店里買(mǎi)書(shū)。李華會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):racket和That does it!
(Bookstore SFX)
LH: Hey, Larry, 你不是想買(mǎi)下學(xué)期的課本嗎?那還不趁我們?cè)跁?shū)店趕緊買(mǎi)了?
LL: I want to buy them, but these prices are ridiculous! The textbook business is such a racket!
LH: 你想買(mǎi)書(shū),可是又嫌這些書(shū)太貴呀?你還說(shuō)出版課本的行業(yè)怎么啦?什么是a racket?
LL: That's right. I said the textbook business is a racket. A "racket" is an unfair criminal business that makes lots of money, like gambling or extortion.
LH: Oh, racket這個(gè)詞在這里的意思是“牟取暴利”,就好比賭博和詐騙一樣的非法行為。Larry,你的意思是這些課本定價(jià)過(guò)高,就象是在敲詐勒索,有那么嚴(yán)重嗎?
LL: Absolutely! Look at this! This history book costs $90?! The publishers know we have no choice but to buy the book, so the prices are really high. What a racket!
LH: 哎喲,還真是的。這本歷史書(shū)要賣(mài)九十美元,是夠貴的。那些出版商明明知道我們沒(méi)別的辦法,只能買(mǎi)這些書(shū),所以把價(jià)錢(qián)定這么高。這真是像敲詐勒索。那Larry, 你覺(jué)得還有什么是racket呢?
LL: I think that cable TV is a racket. There's only one company in town; they are always raising prices, and all the channels worth watching cost extra. It's a racket!
LH: 對(duì)呀,我們這兒只有一家提供有線(xiàn)電視的公司。他們老是漲價(jià)??墒荓arry, 看不看電視問(wèn)題不大。你知道嗎 - 有的醫(yī)院還趁人之危,敲詐勒索孕婦呢!
LL: Really? What do you mean exactly?
LH: 比方說(shuō),我聽(tīng)說(shuō)有的醫(yī)院讓孕婦做一些不必要的檢查,收的錢(qián)還非常多,那些孕婦不懂,只能聽(tīng)醫(yī)生的。這真是和詐騙一樣。
LL: Wow, now that's a real racket.
******
LL: Oh man, look at this! $85 for a book of old essays on U.S. Politics? That does it! I'm buying my textbooks online.
LH: 這本美國(guó)政治論文集要賣(mài)85美元?你說(shuō) - "That does it"? 這是什么意思?
LL: Well, when someone says "That does it", he means that he is so upset that he is no longer willing to accept something.
LH: 噢,"That does it"就是一個(gè)人對(duì)某件事非常生氣,以致到了寧可放棄的地步。 哎,那不就相當(dāng)于中文所說(shuō)的“得了,算了吧”?Larry, 你是說(shuō)這些課本要價(jià)太高,所以你干脆不在這兒買(mǎi),到因特網(wǎng)上去買(mǎi)了?
LL: That's right! If a situation gets so bad that you cannot stand it, you can yell "that does it!", and then do something about the problem.
LH: Hmm... 要是你實(shí)在覺(jué)得忍無(wú)可忍,你就可以大聲說(shuō):That does it!哎,Larry, 我好象明白這個(gè)用法了,可是你能不能再給我舉個(gè)例子呢?
LL: Well, for example, if an employee always comes to work late, one day the boss might say "You're late again? That does it! You're fired!"
LH: Ah. 這正是我對(duì)我表妹說(shuō)的話(huà)。她每天上班都遲到。我對(duì)她說(shuō)總有一天他老板會(huì)覺(jué)得忍無(wú)可忍。你的老板會(huì)說(shuō):“得了,你今后別來(lái)上班了。”原來(lái)在英文里就可以說(shuō):"That does it! You're fired!"
LL: Now you know how to use "That does it!" Why don't you give me an example.
LH: 有了,Larry,有一天你會(huì)在照鏡子的時(shí)候?qū)ψ约赫f(shuō), "That does it! 我一定要減肥了!"
LL: (Angry) That does it, Li Hua! I told you to stop making fun of my weight.
LH: Hey! 別生氣,Larry! 我是跟你開(kāi)玩笑呢!而且我發(fā)現(xiàn)你最近好像瘦了。你是不是在吃什么減肥食品???
LL: A special diet? No way! All those diet books and special foods are a racket. I just decided to exercise regularly and eat less junk food.
LH: 這話(huà)我同意,那些減肥書(shū)和減肥食品都很貴,主要是為了騙錢(qián),其實(shí)最重要的是鍛煉身體,少吃零食。Good for you, Larry!
今天李華從Larry那兒學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是racket, 意思是價(jià)格太高,就象敲詐勒索一樣。另一個(gè)常用語(yǔ)是That does it! 中文里可以說(shuō)“得了,不干了!”