流行美語-第十一課

流行美語第十一課

Michael和李華今天在華盛頓的國家建築博物館參加一個建築會議。今天，請大家注意他們對話裏用的兩個常用語：kick back和one track mind 。
L: 期中考試完了有這麼一個週末真不錯，儘管我們得參加這次大會，我也覺得挺不錯。
M: I'm glad we made it to DC. It's a good time to just kick back and relax.
L: 我也很高興能到華盛頓來，正好可以休息一下。不過，你剛才說 kick back是什麼意思呀？肯定不是要踢什麼東西吧？
M: No, I don't! I just mean to relax with my friend, you.
L: 噢，跟朋友一起玩，也就是說跟我玩。你是說，kick back 就是把腿蹺起來，痛痛快快地休息，是這個意思嗎？
M: Yes. Last weekend we were in New York and kicked back with your friends, remember?
L: 對，上個週末我們是去紐約跟我的朋友一起玩了。不過，我以前也聽人說過kick back，但那是指貪污受賄。
M: Yeah, it can be used that way as well. When one person pays someone else in return for a job or a contract.
L: 這麼說，kick back可以解釋為休息，也可以解釋為給某人一些錢，以換取一個工作職位或其他好處。這兩個意思完全不同。
M: When you mean corruption, kickback is one word. When it means to relax, kick back is two words.
L: 在指賄賂的時候，kickback是一個字，在指休息，輕鬆的時候， kick back 是兩個字，就差這麼一點點。對，我那天在報上看到一個公司總裁把合同給了一個給他回扣的承包商。
M: Yeah, that company executive got a kickback. Well, enough about kickback. Do you want to go to any of the panels this afternoon?
L: 你問我下午要不要去參加小組討論？去那個討論東方建築特色的小組吧！儘管我很想到咖啡館去休息休息。
M: Ok, maybe once we are done with the panel we can go out and do something fun.
L: 好主意，小組討論會結束後我們可以出去玩。
L: 好了，Michael，會開完了。我們得計劃一下今天上哪兒去。不過，我先得喝杯咖啡。
M: Ok, ok. Geez, you have such a one track mind sometimes. Do you know what a one track mind is?
L: 我不知道，但是我知道你在取笑我。
M: No, I'm not making fun of you. One track mind means you are only thinking about one thing all the time. Today all you have been thinking about is coffee. You should remember this phrase, it's commonly used.
L: 噢，one track mind還是常用的說法，所以我得記住。你認識我的朋友王光吧？她成天工作，從來不想別的事。你能說她是one track mind 嗎？
M: Yeah, you can say that. It's amazing how much she works, never does much of anything else.
L: 對，她就是這樣，工作狂。你們男人也都是one track mind。腦子裏總是想著女孩子。
M: Yeah, there's one particular girl I think about.
L: 你老想一個女孩子？誰呀？
M: Here's your coffee shop, two coffees please!
Michael和李華今天在對話中用了kick back。當kickback作為一個詞的時候，意思是貪污受賄；當kick back用作kick和back兩個字的時候，意思是休息，和某人一起玩。他們在對話中還用了one track mind，意思是腦子裏光想一件事。這次[流行美語]就學習到這裡，我們下次再見。