2013年7月19日 星期五

Getting a "Kick" out of Motherhood 歡度母親節‏

每日 EZ Word 
rise to fame 成名
rise 表示「上升,增加」,fame 表示「聲譽,名望」,而 rise to fame 照字面解釋就是開始走紅的意思。另外,要注意一下 rise 的動詞三態為 rise- rose-risen,而且 rise 也很容易與 raise [rez](舉起,升高)此字混淆,其動詞三態為 raise-raised-raised。
con one’s way詐騙,欺瞞
con 表示「詐欺」,而 con one’s way 則表示以詐騙的手法來達到目的。
pull sth. out of one’s hat 把……變出來
慣用語 pull sth. out of one’s hat 是來自 pull a rabbit out of one’s hat,原是指表演魔術時,魔術師從空空的帽子裡變出一隻兔子。可以憑空變出東西來是讓人驚奇的,因此也就引申為「做令人驚奇的事情」。類似的片語有 pull sth. out of thin air,想從空氣中變出東西來可想而知是幾乎不可能的,因此此片語也有相同意思。
get a kick out of… 從……中得到樂趣
kick 常當作動詞「踢,踹」解釋,但在此當作名詞「樂趣,刺激」也就是 pleasure、excitement。慣用語 get a kick out of sth. 表示「從做某事中獲得樂趣」。另外 give sb. a kick 則是「給某人極大的樂趣」。
catch sb. off guard 讓人措手不及,趁其不備
guard 解釋為「防禦,防備」,off 則是指「沒了……」,所以 off guard 就變成了「失去了防禦」。catch sb. off guard 從字面上是「逮到某人沒有防備的時候」,所以也就是「趁其不備,猝不及防」的意思。
come down to…(關鍵)在於……,歸結於……
慣用語 come down to sth. 表示「體認到最關鍵也就是最重要的事是……」。
Unbelievable! 令人難以置信的(太誇張了)。
形容詞 unbelievable 中文解釋為「難以相信的」,可以用來形容某事情或是某人好的令人難以置信。但是這個字也可以用在負面的情況下,通常是帶有諷刺的意味在,好比某人又遲到了,就可以說Unbelievable! He’s late again.(太誇張了!他又遲到了。)
Ask away. 儘量問(別不好意思)。
ask 原本就是「詢問」的意思,加上了away 是非常口語的用法,表示沒有限度要對方「儘管發問」的意思。相同的俚語有 fire away、shoot。
go with one’s instincts 跟著直覺走(想怎麼做,就怎麼做)。
片語 go with 是「順著……走」的意思,對話中的這句 I say go with your instincts. 就可以只翻譯為「跟著你的直覺走吧」。I say 為發語詞,無意。
今日會話 EZ Talk 

Mother’s Day morning
母親節早晨
Jack: Rise and shine, my 1)glowing mother-to-be.
傑克:太陽曬屁股了,該起床囉,我美麗的準媽媽。
Carol: What’s this? Breakfast in bed? How did you know about that tradition?
卡蘿:這是什麼?床上早餐?你怎麼知道這個傳統?
Jack: Your cousins 2)hinted that I should do this. So I can’t take all the 3)credit.
傑克:妳的表姊妹們暗示我該這麼做,所以不完全是我的功勞。
Carol: You’re a fast learner. You definitely get Brownie points.
卡蘿:你學得真快,給你加分。
Jack: Here you go—eggs Benedict and freshly 1)squeezed OJ.
傑克:來吧—妳的班尼迪克蛋跟新鮮現榨的柳橙汁。
Carol: Wow! My mouth is watering. You’ve really 2)outdone yourself.
卡蘿:哇!我快流口水了,你表現得太好了。
Jack: The Food Network gets credit too. I TiVoed the breakfast show.
傑克:美食頻道也幫了忙,我用 TiVo(數位綠影機品牌) 錄下他們的早餐節目。
Carol: This is 3)divine! I could get used to this 4)pregnancy thing.
卡蘿:這真是太棒了!我可是會習慣懷孕這檔子事。
Jack: Don’t get too comfy. I’m taking you out for a Mother’s Day dinner tonight.
傑克:別窩得太舒服了,我今晚要帶妳出去吃母親節晚餐。
Carol: Dinner too? Where?
卡蘿:還有晚餐?去哪?
Jack: It’s a surprise. So eat up, ’cause I’m taking you shopping for something to wear tonight.
傑克:那是個驚喜。所以快吃吧,因為我要帶妳去買今晚要穿的衣服。
Carol: What else are you going to pull out of your hat today?
卡蘿:你今天還要變出多少驚喜啊?
Jack: That’s about it. I have to go to class now. Enjoy!
傑克:大概就這些了,我現在得上課去了。好好享受!
Carol: I will. Wait! Can you run an 1)errand for me? I need some more 2)prenatal vitamins.
卡蘿:我會的,等一下!你可以幫我跑個腿嗎?我還需要一些孕婦吃的維他命。
Jack: OK. I actually cut out a coupon from the Sunday paper for 3)folic acid. I’ll get that too.
傑克:好的,其實我已經從週日的報紙上剪下了一張葉酸的折價券,那個我會一起買。
That evening, at the Maternity Shop
當天傍晚在孕婦用品專賣店裡
Carol: Wow! I had no idea maternity clothes could be so cute. But I bet they just look good on the rack.
卡蘿:哇!我從來都不知道孕婦裝可以這麼可愛,但是我敢說只有掛在衣架上才會好看
Jack: I’m sure they’ll look good on you too. Here, try this one on.
傑克:我相信穿在妳身上也會很好看。拿去,試穿這件看看。
Carol: Don’t you think it’s a little 1)skimpy for a mom-to-be?
卡蘿:你不覺得這件對準媽媽來說有點暴露嗎?
Jack: Hey, just because we’re having a baby doesn’t mean you can’t be sexy.
傑克:嘿,要生小孩不代表妳就不能性感了。
Carol: Well, I’m not feeling very sexy. But if you insist….
卡蘿:我是不覺得很性感啦,但是如果你堅持……
Jack: [later] Wow! Talk about a hot momma! That’s the one.
傑克:(稍後)哇!這才是辣媽!就這件了。
Carol: Ha-ha. I hate to say it, but you’re right!
卡蘿:哈哈,我實在很不想這麼說,但你說對了!
Carol: I guess it’s starting to 1)sink in…slowly. Oh my God. Look at those parents over there. They’re totally ignoring their kids.
卡蘿:我已經開始慢慢接受成為媽媽這個事實了。喔,天啊,看看那邊的父母,他們根本不管他們的小孩。
Jack: You call those kids? More like animals. They’re out of control!
傑克:妳叫他們「小孩」?比較像是動物吧,他們簡直失控了!
Carol: It all comes down to the parents. Promise me we won’t let our kids 2)run wild like 3)chimpanzees.
卡蘿:這都要怪父母。答應我,我們絕不會讓我們的孩子像猩猩一樣撒野。
Jack: You have my word. But I also don’t want us to become helicopter parents.
傑克:我答應妳,但我也不希望我們成為直昇機父母。
Carol: What do you mean?
卡蘿:什麼意思?
Jack: The kind that 4)hover over their kids and are way too 5)overprotective.
傑克:就是那種一天到晚盯著孩子、過度保護的父母。
Carol: Are you talking about your mom?
卡蘿:你在說你媽嗎?
Jack: Is it that 1)obvious? She 2)suffocated us. I didn’t even do my own 3)laundry till I came to the U.S.
傑克:很明顯嗎?她真是快讓我們窒息了。直到我來到美國之前,我都不用洗自己的衣服。
Carol: My aunt is like that. She practically 4)isolates her kids. Their bodies have never known 5)germs.
卡蘿:我阿姨也是那樣,她幾乎把她的孩子隔離起來,他們的身體從來不知道什麼是細菌。
Jack: That’s just doing the kids a big 6)disservice. They’ll be sickly and weak when they grow up.
傑克:那樣反而害了孩子,他們長大會體弱多病的。
Carol: Yeah. And she practically does their homework for them.
卡蘿:是啊,而且他們的家庭作業幾乎都是她幫忙做。
Carol: Oh, look at that little girl. She and her mom are wearing matching 1)outfits.
卡蘿:喔,你看那個小女孩,她跟她媽媽穿母女裝。
Jack: And she’s playing Nintendo at the table.
傑克:而且她在吃飯時玩起任天堂。
Carol: Unbelievable! And they’re only feeding her mac‘n’cheese.
卡蘿:真是令人不敢相信!他們還只給她吃乾酪醬通心麵。
Jack: Yeah. Where are the vegetables?
傑克:是啊,怎麼沒看到蔬菜?
Carol: Man, we’re pretty 2)critical, aren’t we? I hope we don’t turn into 3)hypocrites!
卡蘿:天啊,我們還真是愛批評,是不是?希望我們不會說一套做一套!
Jack: I won’t let that happen. Hey, don’t you have a doc’s appointment tomorrow?
傑克:我不會讓那發生的。嘿,妳明天不是跟醫生約了產檢?
Carol: It’s at three fifteen. Can you drive me?
卡蘿:三點十五的時候,你能載我去嗎?
Jack: Of course, babe. Oh! Here comes our food!
傑克:當然,寶貝。喔!我們的餐點來了!
The next day, at the doctor’s office
Getting a "Kick" out of Motherhood 歡度母親節-8
The next day, at the doctor’s office
Doctor: The baby is developing just fine. And your tests all came back 1)normal. How are you feeling?
Carol: Really tired all the time. I do have a few questions. They may seem dumb….
Doctor: No question is dumb. Ask away. Don’t be shy.
Carol: Can my baby hear me talking? Does it know it’s me? Should I play Mozart?
Doctor: We do know that a 2)fetus can hear and 3)distinguish the mother’s voice from others. The 4)verdict is still out on classical music. I say go with your instincts.

隔天在診間
隔天在診間
Doctor: The baby is developing just fine. And your tests all came back 1)normal. How are you feeling?
醫師:胎兒的發育正常,妳的各項檢驗也都沒問題。妳身體感覺如何?
Carol: Really tired all the time. I do have a few questions. They may seem dumb….
卡蘿:大部分時間都很累。我有幾個問題想問,問題可能有點蠢……
Doctor: No question is dumb. Ask away. Don’t be shy.
醫師:沒有什麼問題是蠢的,儘量問,別不好意思。
Carol: Can my baby hear me talking? Does it know it’s me? Should I play Mozart?
卡蘿:胎兒可以聽到我說話嗎?它知道是我嗎?我應該播放莫札特給他聽嗎?
Doctor: We do know that a 2)fetus can hear and 3)distinguish the mother’s voice from others. The 4)verdict is still out on classical music. I say go with your instincts.
醫師:我們現在已知胎兒有聽覺,而且聽得出母親的聲音。至於古典音樂,目前還沒有定論。我建議隨著妳的直覺走吧。
Later that night
當天晚上
Jack: How you doin’, babe?
傑克:妳還好嗎,寶貝?
Carol: Good. That was the best Mother’s Day ever. I guess it was my first as a mother too.
卡蘿:很好,那真是我這輩子最棒的母親節了,應該也算是我當媽媽的第一個母親節。
Jack: And it’s only gonna get better, ’cause our baby’ll be here for the next one.
傑克:而且會越來越好,因為下次母親節時我們的寶寶就會跟我們一起了。
Carol: I can’t wait. I’m starting to really get excited about becoming a mom. Hey, baby, can you hear your momma? Ah! Oh! Hey, put your hand on my tummy.
卡蘿:我等不及了。我開始對當媽媽真正感到興奮了。嘿,寶貝,你聽得到媽媽的聲音嗎?啊!喔!嘿,把你的手放在我的肚子上。
Jack: Wow! I felt it. Ha-ha! I think that’s a definite “yes.”
傑克:哇!我感覺到了。哈哈!我想那回答絕對是「聽得到」。
Carol: What a great first Mother’s Day 1)greeting!
卡蘿:這真是第一個母親節的最佳賀詞了!
 
今日EZ單字 
glowing (a.) (肌膚)光亮、紅潤的,容光煥發的(v.) glow [glo] 容光煥發
hint (v./n.) 暗示,指點
credit (n.)功勞,讚揚。take (the) credit 即「居功」
squeeze (v.) 榨,擠,壓
outdo (pp.)超越,勝過
divine (a.)【口】極好的,太棒了
pregnancy (n.) 懷孕,妊娠(a.) pregnant 懷孕的
errand (n.) 雜事,差事(phr.) run an errand / run errands 跑腿打雜
prenatal (a.) 產前的,胎兒期的
folic acid (n.) 葉酸(孕婦補充葉酸有助於降低胎兒神經管缺陷)
skimpy (n.) 小而暴露的
sink in (phr.) 被聽進去,被理解
run wild (phr.),run riot (phr.) 失控,亂跑
chimpanzee (n.) 黑猩猩,又簡稱 chimp
hover (n.) 停懸,盤旋。 hover over即「緊盯著」
overprotective (a.) 過度保護的
obvious (a.) 明顯的,顯著的
suffocate (v.) 使窒息;扼殺(某人的發展、創意等),不給人空間
laundry (n.) 待洗的衣服,洗好的衣服
isolate (v.) 隔離,孤立
germ (n.) 病菌,細菌
disservice (n.) 幫倒忙的行為,危害人的行為
outfit (n.) 全套服裝,裝束
critical (a.) 吹毛求疵的,愛挑剔的
hypocrite (n.) 偽君子,虛偽的人
normal (a.) 正常的,健全的
fetus (n.) 胎,(三個月後的)胎兒
distinguish (v.) 區別,辨別
verdict (n.) 結論,意見,決定;(陪審團的)裁定
greeting (n.) 賀詞,問候

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