Part 4 An Easter Party 復活節派對
Dialogue Script 1 對話原文 1
Megan: Happy Easter, Jim. Are you ready to go to watch the parade?
Jim: Uh, not yet, I don't know what I should wear at the parade.
Megan: Here, I bought an extra Easter bonnet for you to wear.
Jim: I thought dressing up for Easter meant putting on your Sunday best.
Megan: What's wrong? Don't you like my bunny costume?
Jim: It's very...harey. Hah! But what about this bonnet? Bonnets are for girls.
Megan: C'mon, Jim. Where's your Easter spirit? Didn't you celebrate Easter as a kid?
Jim: Actually, yeah. I'd get an Easter basket full of candy and a big chocolate bunny.
Megan: Did the Easter bunny, I mean your folks, hide your basket?
Jim: Uh-huh, always in a different spot--- the fireplace, the dryer, and the dishwasher...
Megan: And what about Easter egg hunts? They sound like so much fun.
Jim: They are. Our family has one for the young ones every year.
Megan: That's great. Can I go?
Jim: Sure, after the parade. I was going to go anyway. Easter is like family reunion time for my family.
Megan:Oh, I won't be intruding, will I?
講解:
1. 對話中,Megan 和Jim要去參加復活節游行,也就是Easter parade, 為了慶祝復活節的到來,紐約市民每年都要舉行盛大的游行。很多人都會穿上色彩華麗、造型各異的服裝,戴上百合花等鮮花組成的高帽子,象征著春天、再生和希望。
2. 在多數西方國家,復活節一般要舉行盛大的游行。不過,如今的游行宗教色彩已經不濃,倒是喜慶氣氛增加了不少,看來西方人很喜歡節日游行,有什么重大節日一定要用盛裝游行來慶祝,比如感恩節,國慶日等等,好像這樣過節才比較熱鬧。
3. 對話中Megan和Jim就要去參加復活節游行,不過Jim不知道自己應該在游行上穿戴什么,不過不用擔心,Megan那有一頂多余的復活節女帽可以借給Jim戴,復活節女帽就是Easter bonnet,就是那種有帽帶能系起來的女帽。
4. 但是Jim以為復活節那天的打扮應該是最體面的衣服,而不是一些亂七八糟的搞怪服飾。他說,I thought dressing up for Easter meant putting on your Sunday best. dress up for something,表示“為某種場合而盛裝打扮”, 比如說,Don't bother to dress up---come as you are. 用不著穿講究衣服,就穿平常的衣服來就行了。
5. 但是dress sb up in something/ as sb/sth卻表示“化妝,裝扮”,就像化妝舞會上的裝扮,一般都是比較搞怪的,例如,They were dressed up in Victorian clothes. 他們化妝成維多利亞時代的人。關于dress up還有一個在口語當中經常使用的句子,就是be dressed up to kill,意思就是“穿著很考究,引人注目,特別是用來指吸引異性的打扮”。
6 .Jim說的Sunday best是指“最好的衣服”,根據基督教的傳統,大家在周日去教堂做禮拜的時候,會穿上最體面的衣服,所以Sunday best過去也稱為“禮拜服”。Megan以為Jim不喜歡她的兔子裝,也就是bunny costume。就像圣誕老人是小朋友心目中送來圣誕禮物的代表,“復活節兔子” Easter bunny就是帶來復活節彩蛋和糖果的代表。這里的costume是指“道具服裝,戲服”,跟一般的服裝clothes不同。
7. Jim說Megan的服裝真是“兔到最高點了”,也就是說“像極了一只兔子”,他用了harey這個詞,這個詞的原形是hare,“野兔”的意思,但是harey是Jim故意從這個名詞轉來的形容詞,實際上這個單詞并不存在。
8. 看來Jim并不是很喜歡Megan的兔子服裝,他也覺得這頂Easter bonnet是給女孩子戴的,并不適合他。Megan勸他,C'mon, Jim. Where's your Easter spirit? Didn't you celebrate Easter as a kid? 拜托,Jim,你的復活節精神到哪里去了?你小時候沒有慶祝過復活節嗎?Didn't you celebrate Easter as a kid? 是一個反問句。
9. Jim小時候當然慶祝過復活節,而且他還會拿到一個裝滿糖果,還有一個大巧克力兔子的復活節籃子。Megan又問Jim,你的父母會把這個籃子藏起來嗎?在復活節這天呢,父母通常會給孩子們準備一個復活節籃子,然后把這個籃子藏起來,讓孩子們自己來找,這也是復活節的一個傳統習俗。
10. Jim說,他的父母每年都會把復活節籃子藏在不同的地方,比如說壁爐啊,烘干機,洗碗機這些地方,Megan又問找復活節彩蛋的活動也會很好玩吧。Easter egg hunt是指“找復活節彩蛋的活動”,如果是泛指這個活動,就會用復數形式,Easter egg hunts。這找復活節彩蛋的活動也是復活節必有的游戲活動之一。
11. Jim說找復活節彩蛋是很好玩,他說,They are. 這里的they是來代替Easter egg hunts. 補充完整了就是Easter egg hunts are fun. Jim家每年都會為小朋友辦一次找彩蛋活動。Megan一聽就來了興致,想到Jim家一起去玩。Jim說沒有問題,反正他也打算要回家去。對他而言呢,復活節就像是家人團聚的時間。
12. 既然是這樣,Megan問Jim,Oh, I won't be intruding, will I? 我應該不會打擾你吧。intrude 表示“闖入,侵入,打擾”,是一個比較正式的詞,比如說,I don't wish to intrude, but could I talk to you for a moment? 我無意打擾,不過我可以和您談談嗎?
Dialogue Script 2 對話原文 2
Mom: Oh, honey. You came. I'm so glad! Why are you wearing a bonnet?
Jim: Uh, just for fun. Happy Easter, Mom. We got you these Easter lilies.
Mom: They're beautiful! Jim, you're so pale and skinny!
Jim: Of course I'm pale. It's just now the beginning of spring. I don't have my summer tan yet.
Mom: I guess. Are you sure you're taking care of yourself?
Jim: I'm FINE, Mom. Remember Megan?
講解:
1. 對話中,Jim回到了家,見到了媽媽。見Jim回到了家,媽媽很高興,不過她很奇怪為什么Jim戴了一頂女帽。Jim回答,只是戴著好玩,just for fun,這也是一個很有用的詞組,比如說,I'm studying German just for fun. 我的德語就是學著玩的。
2. 他們給Jim的媽媽帶來了一些復活節百合,Easter lily,是在百合花中最受歡迎的品種,我們在上一課當中提到過。Jim的媽媽覺得Jim看起來又蒼白又瘦弱,很擔心他,Jim很不以為然,現在才剛到春天,還沒有機會把皮膚曬成健康的古銅色,看起來當然蒼白了。summer tan 就是指“夏天把皮膚曬黑”。
3. 媽媽很擔心的問Jim,Are you sure you're taking care of yourself? 你真的好好照顧自己了嗎?Jim很不耐煩媽媽的嘮叨,說,I'm FINE, Mom. 不管孩子多大了,做母親的總是會擔心自己的孩子。Jim急著轉移話題,Remember Megan? 還記得Megan嗎?Remember someone? 這也是一個介紹別人的時候能用上的句型。
Dialogue Script 3 對話原文 3
Megan: Boy, it looks like everyone in your family is here, from young to old.
Jim: Easter's a good day for reunions. The family goes to church together. Megan: And after church they come here for lunch?
Jim: Yup, a big potluck buffet. And then----notice there are no children around?
Megan: What's up with that?
Jim: (gives Megan an egg) The kids wait in the house while the grownups hide these. Hide away, Megan!
講解:
1. Jim的一家人在復活節這天都趕了回來,Megan說Boy, it looks like everyone in your family is here, from young to old. 天哪,看來你的一家老小都在這里了。from young to old,從老人到孩子,這里用形容詞young 和old來表示年輕人和老年人這兩個群體。
2. 復活節這天很適合家人團聚,全家人都會一起去教堂。從教堂回來之后,所有人就會回家來吃午餐,就是一個big potluck buffet,各自帶菜的大型自助餐會,potluck是指“聚餐”,也就是每個客人都自帶食物然后大家分著吃,感覺就像別人帶什么你吃什么,能不能吃到好的就看你的運氣了。
3. Jim提醒Megan注意到小孩子們都不見了嗎?這是為什么呢?原來在大人們藏復活節彩蛋的時候,孩子們都會在房子里面等。等大人藏好了,他們就可以出來玩找復活節彩蛋的游戲了。What's up with that? 這在口語中也很常用,表示“…是怎么一回事?”。
4. Jim遞給Megan一個復活節彩蛋,讓Megan把它藏起來。那么結果會怎樣呢?下面就知道了。