http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundpa/pa303.m3u

http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundpa/pa303.asx

李华陪Larry去买车。今天我们要学两个常用语： caught dead和deal breaker.

LL: Thanks for helping me shop for a car, Lihua. It's always good to have advice from someone you trust when making a big purchase.

LH: 别客气。你昨天上网给我看了你要买的车，我就知道你需要有人给你出谋划策。

LL: You didn't like the pictures? I think that bright purple pickup truck would have been great!

LH: 那辆皮卡是不错，可你要开亮紫色的车，先得换个女朋友才行。

LL: What do you mean? You wouldn't be caught dead riding in a purple pickup truck?

LH: Caught dead? 我的意思是说那辆车颜色太丑，难道安 全也有问题吗？

LL: Actually, no. When you say you wouldn't be "caught dead" doing something, it means that you would never do it, because it would be really embarrassing if someone saw you.

LH: 没错，我绝不会坐那么难看的车。I wouldn't be caught dead riding in a purple pickup truck. 要是让别人看见，那我可真是没脸见人了。

LL: Oh come on...I do lots of things with you that normally I wouldn't be caught dead doing for you.

LH: Oh yeah? Like what?

LL: Well normally I wouldn't be caught dead singing in public, but last weekend I agreed to go to the karaoke bar with you.

LH: 别装了，我从来没见有人唱Ricky Martin的歌唱得那么投入的。

LL: Alright, maybe I enjoyed it a little bit. But don't tell anyone. I wouldn't be caught dead doing that in front of my male friends.

LH: 言归正传，你不如买辆双人自行车，咱俩可以一起骑？

LL: Are you kidding? Two-person bikes are so lame. I wouldn't be caught dead riding one of those.

LH: 你什么时候变得这么没情趣了！不想唱卡拉OK，不想骑自行车...you know, normally I wouldn't be caught dead with such a boring guy. 我一般情况下是绝不会跟这么乏味的男孩子交往的。

LL: Are you kidding? Nobody who has a purple pickup truck can be considered boring.

******

LH: Larry, 你觉得这辆车怎么样，又省油，又安全。

LL: Yeah, but just look at how boring it is. It's plain white, and it's not a convertible.

LH: 买车可是件大事，你不能光看车的外表，还得考虑实用性。

LL: Yeah, but look. It doesn't even have a sunroof. I would still buy it even though it's not bright purple, but I'm afraid the sunroof is a deal breaker.

LH: 什么是deal breaker?

LL: A deal breaker is a critical condition that must be met in order for you to do something.

LH: 你的意思是，不是敞篷车没关系，不是亮紫色也没关系，这些都可以凑合，但是如果没有天窗，那就绝对没商量喽？

LL: That's right. Or say you were thinking of dating a guy. He might be really nice, good looking and funny, but if he lived with his parents, that would probably be a deal breaker.

LH: 在中国，男朋友跟父母住在一起是很常见的。这我可以接受，但是如果他开的是一辆亮紫色的汽车，那干脆免谈。That would definitely be a deal breaker.

LL: Really? Well in my case, I'm afraid a poor taste in cars would definitely be a deal breaker for me.

LH: 你生气了？我是开玩笑的。虽然我不愿意坐紫颜色的车，但你自己开，我还是没意见的。

LL: Well that's good. I need a car that can fully express my individuality. I wouldn't be caught dead in one of these boring, ordinary cars.

LH: 你如果真的这么喜欢紫色的话，那就买，我支持你。

LL: You know what Lihua, I think you're right.

LH: 不过你可想好了，一定要能负担得起保修费用才行。

LL: If it breaks down, I will just live in the back. That's how much I love that purple truck.

LH: 好，那咱们可得讲清楚，我的男朋友可以住在父母家，但绝不能睡在车里。That is definitely a deal breaker!

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是caught dead意思是打死也不愿意。另一个是deal breaker，意思是不能通融的条件。


　

美國習慣用语第461讲
http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundwi/2009/wi461.m3u
http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundwi/2009/wi461.asx

今天我们要讲常会用在总统大选的竞选活动中的几个习惯用语。在人们从事的各种各样的活动中，体育运 动为我们日常使用的语 言所提供的习惯说法可能最多。比方说，我们今天要学的几个习惯用语都来自体育运动，说得更具体些是出自篮球运动的。

第一个习惯用语是: slam dunk。 Slam是猛击的意思，而dunk这个词可以指“扣篮。”爱看篮球赛的人一定看到过某些篮球运动员的这一手绝招: 手举篮球高高跃起，等球和手的高度超过篮框后，由上而下地猛力把篮球塞进篮框。而短语slam dunk原来的意思就是“大力扣篮。”

Slam dunk是篮球运动员在1975年前后创造的篮球术语，比赛中球员这漂亮的一手会让会让全场轰动，十分扣人心弦，于是人们很快就把slam dunk这个篮球运动术语借用到其它场合去了。例如争取2000年民 主党总统侯选人提名的参议员Bill Bradley曾经是篮球名将，他进行了一次别出心裁的竞选募款活动。在纽约一个知名的体育场举行政 治募款会，遍请昔日的篮球大明星到场助威，结果有七千五百名篮球迷踊跃参加这次活动，慷慨解囊，共捐赠了一 百五十万美元的款项作为参议员Bill Bradley的竞选经费。

《华盛顿邮报》事后一语双关地把Bradley的募款成 功称为slam dunk。意思是“精彩的一手”或者“漂亮的成功，” 就像他当年在球场上精彩的扣蓝一样。Slam dunk用途广泛，可以指争得赢利丰厚的承包合同，也可以用来说在大学考试中成绩优异，等等。总之可以是任何令人惊叹的成功，当然也包括在政坛上打了漂亮的一仗。

我们要听的例子就是在回顾1996年大选中克林顿如何击败多尔参议员，赢得了a slam dunk。 我们听听克林顿当年得到了什么样的辉煌战果。

例句-1 (http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundwi/2009/wi461sa.m3u)：Mr. Clinton scored a slam dunk in his race with Senator Dole. He won in 31 states， including all the biggest states except Texas, and Mr. Dole only took 19.

他说：克林顿在跟多尔参议员的竞选角逐中赢得了辉煌胜利。他在三十一个州的选举中都取胜，包括美国所有的大州，只有德克萨斯州是例外，而多尔却只取得了十9个州的胜利。

这里的slam dunk意思是辉煌胜利，或者惊人的成功。

******

再学个也来自篮球运动的习惯用语: full court press。这里的court是篮球场，所以full court在这里是“整个篮球场”的意思，而press这个词再这里是pressure的简写，意思是压力。篮球比赛时full court press指全场紧逼战术。换句话说是既严密防守，又大力进攻的打法。比方说一方球队投蓝得分后，这个球队的队员一方面紧追猛打。另一方面满场紧钉对方球员，使得对方球员很难运球靠近这一边的篮架。

原本是篮球术语的full court press很快被应用到生活中的各方各面，用来指“全面出击”或者“尽力压制，” Full court press常用在政界。

我们就来听个政坛斗 争的例子吧。说话的是某党在佛罗里达州的干事，由于对立党派的总统侯选人正在当地的呼声日渐高涨，他因而觉得非常担心，所以嘱咐手下的工作人员要更加积极主动，加倍努力。我们听他怎么说。

例句-2 (http://www.freexinwen.com/chinese/soundwi/2009/wi461sb.m3u)：We thought Florida was safe for us but it's not. Starting now I want you to put on a full court press: do everything you can to stop this guy from gaining any more.

他说：我们原来认为自己在佛罗里达州的地位稳若泰山，现在看来并非如此。我要你们从立即全力出击，尽自己的一切努力不让这个家伙再进一步扩展势力。

这里的put on a full court press意思是全面发动进攻，而习惯用语full court press含义就是“全面出击”或者“尽力压制。”

好东西啊！学到了！

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