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11
Michael和李华今天在华盛顿的国家建筑博物馆参加一个建筑会 议。今天，请大家注意他们对话里用的两个常用语：kick back和one track mind 。

L: 期中考试完了有这么一个周末真不错，尽管我们得参加这次大会， 我也觉得挺不错。

M: I'm glad we made it to DC. It's a good time to just kick back and relax.

L: 我也很高兴能到华盛顿来，正好可以休息一下。不过，你刚才说 kick back是什么意思呀？ 肯定不是要踢什么东西吧？

M: No, I don't! I just mean to relax with my friend, you.

L: 噢，跟朋友一起玩， 也就是说跟我玩。你是说，kick back 就是把 腿跷起来，痛痛快快地休息，是这个意思吗？

M: Yes. Last weekend we were in New York and kicked back with your friends, remember?

L: 对，上个周末我们是去纽约跟我的朋友一起玩了。不过，我以前 也听人说过kick back，但那是指贪污受贿。

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: 这么说，kick back可以解释为休息，也可以解释为给某人一些钱， 以换取一个工作职位或其他好处。这两个意思完全不同。

M: When you mean corruption, kickback is one word. When it means to relax, kick back is two words.

L: 在指贿赂的时候，kickback是一个字，在指休息，轻松的时候， kick back 是两个字，就差这么一点点。对，我那天在 报上看到一 个公司总裁把合同给了一个给他回扣的承包商。

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: 你问我下午要不要去参加 小组讨论？ 去那个讨论东方建筑特色的小 组吧！ 尽管我很想到咖啡馆去休息休息。

M: Ok, maybe once we are done with the panel we can go out and do something fun.

L: 好主意， 小组讨论会结束后我们可以出去玩。

L: 好了，Michael，会开完了。我们得计划一下今天上哪儿去。不过， 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还是常用的说法，所以我得记住。你认识我的 朋友王光吧？ 她成天工作，从来不想别的事。你能说她是one track mind 吗？

M: Yeah, you can say that. It's amazing how much she works, never does much of anything else.

L: 对，她就是这样，工作狂。你们男人也都是one track mind。脑子 里总是想着女孩子。

M: Yeah, there's one particular girl I think about.

L: 你老想一个女孩子？ 谁呀？

M: Here's your coffee shop, two coffees please!

Michael和李华今天在对话中用了kick back。当kickback作为一 个词的时候，意思是贪污受贿；当kick back用作kick和back两个字的 时候，意思是休息，和某人一起玩。他们在对话中还用了one track mind，意思是脑子里光想一件事

12
在纽约上大学的Michael和李华今天在华盛顿参观名胜古迹。他们在对话里会用到两个常用语：ticked off ，另一个是close。

L: Michael, 大家都说纽约人开车不守规矩，我看华盛顿的人也好不了多少。刚才那辆车差一点撞到我！

M: Yeah, I saw that. Crossing the streets in New York and Washington is dangerous. But getting ticked off about it won't do you any good.

L: 对，在纽约和华盛顿穿马路是很危险。你说什么对我没好处？ Ticked off?

M: Yes, Ticked off means to get angry or annoyed at something. Getting angry at the drivers will not do you any good.

L: 噢，ticked off的意思是为什么事情生气。 你刚才说的是我对开车的人生气没有什么好处。看来让我ticked off的事还挺多。

M: Yeah, like when your boyfriend broke up with you right before we started classes.

L: 你还提醒我这事！我以前那男朋友刚开学就跟我分手，当时我真的非常生气。不过，Michael，我觉得你也很爱生气。

M: Well, I got pretty ticked off a few days ago when the professor gave me a low score on the exam.

L: 对，和你同班的中国同学王光告诉我你那天非常生气，因为那个教授给你的考试判分判得很低。Ticked off这个说法很好，以前我就知道用angry这个字。

M: Hey, are you hungry? We haven't eaten in a while.

L: 刚才好生气，连肚子饿也忘了。走，去吃点东西吧！

(Michael和李华吃完饭以后)

M: Now that we have eaten, let's walk to the White House. It's not too far from here.

L: 到白宫去？太好了，除了照片外，我还没有看到过真的白宫呢！

M: Watch out Li Hua! Get back!

L: 哟！ 我的天哪！我的天哪！真吓死我了！我以为这下我可完了！

M: Oh, my god! Are you okay? Geez, that was really a close call.

L: Michael, 我都差一点被车撞了， 而你还在说什么close call，这跟打电话根本没有关系！

M: No, that's not what I meant by close call. I meant that the car nearly hit you.

L: 对啊，那车差一点就撞上我了，这就是 close call？

M: Actually, Li Hua, close call means that you narrowly avoided danger. Something bad could have happened to you, but you narrowly avoided a bad situation.

L: 原来close call就是说，差一点发生倒霉的事，我算是逃避了这倒霉事。我可以说，今天我差一点没被汽车撞了。对不对？

M: Yeah, that's right.

L: 那close call是不是一定用在跟生命危险有关的场合呢？

M: Not really. Let me give you another example. The paper you and I turned in this week was almost late. That was also a close call.

L: 对，那个教授让我们在星期二前把学术报告交给他，我们是星期一晚上去交的，差一点就过了限期，这也可以说是close call。 下回我可再也不敢这么做了。

M: Here we are! The White House!

L: 太好了！ 白宫到了, 那我们赶快走把。

今天 Michael 和李华在对话中用的一个常用语是ticked off， 意思是为了什么事情生气； 另一个是close call，意思 是差一点没发生倒霉的事，或是差一点完不成该做的事。