洋话美眉在纽约

来源：时间：2008-02-14 20:35:06

　　大餐之后来点啥
　　
　　After a big meal, everyone was full, so they finished up and left.
　　Jack:Hey, that food was terrific! My stomach isn't growling at me anymore. Are you sure you don't want another dish?
　　Amber: Nah, I'm stuffed. Thank you all the same.
　　Jack:How about you, Ethabella?
　　Ethabella:No，thanks. I can't eat another bite.
　　Jack:I know what you mean. I'm so full I could burst.Shall we go,then?
　　Amber: I'm all set.
　　Ethabella:Me too. Thanks for the dinner,Jack.
　　一顿大餐后，每个人都吃得很饱，稍做逗留之后他们离开了饭店。
　　Jack:嘿！这顿饭可真棒啊！这下我的肚子不会再叫唤了。你们确实不想再点什么菜了吗？
　　Amber:不用了，我吃饱了。谢谢你。
　　Jack:你呢？Ethabella？
　　Ethabella:不点了，谢谢。我一口都吃不下了。
　　Jack:我也有同感。我都撑死了。那么我们走吧？
　　Amber:我准备好了。
　　Ethabella:我也准备好了。 Jack，谢谢你请我们吃晚餐。
　　
　　告诉妈妈新鲜事
　　
　　Dear Mom,
　　Can you imagine that I'm now in the United States, a country so different from China? Everything is new and interesting! I made some friends on the trip over and they have been very kind and helpful. Still, you know how much I miss you and your cooking? My mouth waters at the mere thought of those delectable Chinese dishes you prepare. Last night, my friends invited me to dinner. They had some strange ways of describing their hunger. For instance, there was "I'm starving to death","I'm famished", and "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse", which has a similar expression in Chinese,I'm sure you know the one. How about "I'm making a pig of myself"! A little confusing, hmm?Anyway,this stuff may be useful to you as an English teacher, so I'm also sending a tape. You can listen to our conversation and hear some real modern American English.
　　Your loving daughter,
　　Amber
　　亲爱的妈妈：
　　您能想象出，我在美国这样一个与中国有着种种不同的国家里是如何生活的吗？这里所有的事情都是那么新鲜有趣。我现在交了许多新朋友，他们人很好，给了我很多帮助。但是，我仍然想念您，想念您做的饭菜。一想到那些饭菜，我就忍不住要流口水。好在我有一些朋友，上星期他们邀请我去学校附近的一家餐馆吃了一顿，我发现他们有很多古怪形容饿的说法。像：“I'm starving to death.”“I'm famished.”等等。最有趣的一句是“I'm so hungry,I could eat a horse.”中文中有一句类似的话，我想您是知道的。还有一句话理解起来可能就有些困难了----“I'm making a pig of myself!”是不是有点糊涂了？不管怎么说，您在中国教英语，这些东西可能会有用。所以随信寄去一盘磁带，好让您听一听我们的交谈，了解一下“真正”的现代美国口语。
　　爱您的女儿
　　Amber
　　
　　温馨房间有学问
　　
　　Ethabella and Amber go to Jack's house for dinner Friday evening. Conversation centers on home decoration and improvement. Jack talks about the common problems every house owner encounters， and then how he'd like to spruce up the house sometime in the near future. Ethabella,who studied Western-style interior decoration as a hobby, offers some suggestions for his home. Is she good at it?
　　Ethabella:You have a lovely house, Jack.
　　Jack:Thank you. Yeah, it's home, but a number of things have been going wrong lately.
　　Amber: That's too bad. What problems are you having?
　　Jack:Oh, the whole house needs re-painting, for starters. The carpet in the living room is worn out, and I'd like to put in new wall-to-wall carpeting. Last week, I had to call the plumber to fix the toilet. Anyway, all par for the course when you own a house, I guess. I think I'm going to hire an interior decorator to look the place over.
　　Ethabella:I've studied Western home decoration as a hobby. Could I make some suggestions?
　　Jack:Go right ahead.
　　Ethabella:Well, I think a crystal chandelier would look great in your living room, and maybe some new drapes for the windows. Also, a grandfather clock would look great in the den. Perhaps you could buy some potted plants for the dining room.
　　Jack:Wow! You really do have a talent for this, Ethabella. Thanks for your suggestions.
　　Ethabella:Your welcome, Jack. Glad to be of help.
　　星期五晚上， Ethabella 和 Amber 一起去Jack的家吃晚饭。他们的话题集中在家庭装饰和布置的改进上。Jack谈了一些房子经常出现的问题，然后又谈了谈自己以后将怎样装修房子。室内装饰是 Ethabella的一个爱好，以前还专门学过,于是她给了Jack一些建议。她是不是很在行呢？
　　Ethabella:Jack，你的房子真不错！
　　Jack:谢谢，是啊，这是一个家。但是最近有很多地方出了问题。
　　Amber:那可太糟了，出什么问题了？
　　Jack:哦，刚刚住进来，整间房子都需要重新粉刷，卧室里的地毯也已经很旧了，我想装一套新的。上星期，我不得不打电话找水管工来修理厕所。不管怎么说，如果你有一间房子，我觉得这都是最寻常不过的事。我看我要请一个室内工程师来看看这个地方。
　　Ethabella:我曾学过室内装饰。我能给你提一些建议吗？
　　Jack:太棒了，请讲。
　　Ethabella:啊，我觉得在卧室里装一盏水晶灯会很漂亮。另外呢，可能需要一些落地窗来装饰窗户。还有, 休息室里放一盏落地灯会很漂亮的。你还可以买一些盆栽装饰饭厅。
　　Jack:哇噻！你在这方面，可真是天才啊，Ethabella。谢谢你的建议。
　　Ethabella:不客气，Jack。很高兴能帮助你。
　　
　　