Michael和李華今天去看籃球比賽。球賽是在紐約大型室內體育館[麥迪遜廣場花園]舉行，這場比賽是華盛頓的球隊對紐約的球隊。
Michael到中國去學過中文，他讓李華跟他講中文，以便練習聽力。
現在他們倆正在排隊進入體育館。今天他們在對話中會用choke和 money這兩個詞。
L: 嗨，Michael，謝謝你買到這麼好的票！我真高興能到[麥迪遜廣場]來
看球。這可是有名的體育館喲！
M： No problem! I am really happy you
could come. Yeah, I love coming to the Garden to watch basketball
games.
L:
你也喜歡來這裡看籃球比賽啊，那太好了。今天是紐約隊比華盛頓隊，
你看結局會怎樣？
M：Well, Li Hua, I think New York is
going to lose. Knowing them, their going to choke.
L: 你說紐約隊會輸？
你還說什麼 choke? 你是說他們吃飯時會噎著啦？
這跟輸球有什麼關係，我不懂。
M：No, no, no! They're not going to choke
on their food! It's the same word with the same spelling, but it has a
different meaning. Here, choke means to fail under pressure.
L：噢，我懂了。 你說的choke
是指紐約隊會抵擋不住華盛頓球隊的壓力而輸掉，
對嗎？
M: Yes! And choke has many uses. How else
do you think it can be used?
L: Choke
可以用在很多地方。考試考糟了，可以用choke
這個字吧？
M: Yes! In fact, I choked on a test last
week.
L：你上星期考試考糊了？嘿，Michael，
我還知道怎麼用choke這個字。你
不是老想請那個姑娘出去玩嗎？你請她，她連電話都不回，這可真讓你choked了，對不對？
M：It seems like you really understand
this word! Yeah, but it doesn't matter with that girl because I don't
like her anyway.
L:
噢，你說得可真輕鬆，沒關係，因為你不喜歡她。好，那你告訴我你喜歡哪個女孩吶？
M：Oh, that doesn't matter. Let's go to
our seats！
L: 好，好， 去找位置吧！
(Michael和李華找到了自己的座位)
L: Michael，你看，紐約隊看來不會輸，他們贏了兩個球，現在還剩十秒了。只要紐約隊不失去球，他們就不會輸。
M：I think that New York is going to win.
Maybe they won't choke after all.
L：你也認為紐約隊可能不會輸？等等，你看，
紐約隊丟了球！這下他們完
了！華盛頓隊要求暫停，他們還有贏的機會。
M：Washington is going to win. Michael
Jordan will make the last shot. He is money.
L: 你認為華盛頓球隊會贏，Michael
Jordan 會投進最後一個球。你說 "He is money "是說他會賺錢嗎？
M：No, by money, here I mean that he
performs consistently at a high level.
L: 噢，這兒的money不是指錢，是指他打球一直保持在高水準上，一直打得很棒。
M：Yes, you could say Yao Ming is money
too.
L:
姚明當然很棒，所以也可以說：Yao Ming is money。那我們班的
Steven，他考試總是考得很好，也能說，He is money?
M：Yup. He's money. You can also call
things money. For example, this pizza we are eating is money.
L: 原來凡是好的東西都可以說是money。我們正在吃的比薩餅是很好吃，
所以也可以說是money.
M：Do you think the coffee shop we like
to go to is money?
L:
我們常去的咖啡館當然非常好，我一有空就想去。
M: Michael Jordan won the game! I told you
he is money!
L: Michael Jordan贏得了比賽，他就是棒。
M：Let's get going, though. I have to
study for a test. I don't want to choke on the test again.
L:
好吧，你快回去準備考試吧，我知道你要再考糊，就麻煩了。
Michael和李華今天在對話裏用的兩個詞意思是相對的。
To choke是糟糕，失敗的意思；而money是保持高水準，非常棒的意思。最好大家都不要choke，都成為money，那就太棒了。今天的[流行美語]就到此結束，
我們下次再見。
