Part 1 I Don't Want Braces! 我不想戴牙套！

Dialogue Script 1 對話原文 1

Mom: Tim! Are you ready for a big, big surprise?
Tim: I guess so. What is it?
Mom: It's something that you really need!
Tim: A new baseball glove?
Mom: No.
Tim: A cell phone?
Mom: No! You don't need a cell phone---you're too young for that.
Tim: OK, I give up, Mom.
Mom: You’re gonna get...braces!
Tim: Braces? Mom! Have you checked out a calendar lately?
Mom: Why?
Tim: I start high school in two weeks! High school! I can't have braces now!
Mom: Now is a good time for us to pay for them. They're expensive, you know.
Tim: I don't care if they're free! I don't want them.

講解：

1. 對話中，為了慶祝Tim上高中，爸爸媽媽決定送給Tim一份禮物，為Tim準備了一個超大驚喜，會是什么呢？媽媽提示Tim說，是一件Tim現在很需要的東西。難道是棒球手套baseball glove嗎？因為Tim現在正需要一個新的棒球手套。

2. 媽媽說不是，讓他再猜，Tim又猜是不是一部手機呢？媽媽說，不是手機，Tim還太小，用不著手機。Tim實在是猜不到了，讓媽媽快說吧。原來爸媽給他的禮物是牙套，braces，就是牙齒矯正器，因為經常是上下成對的，所以經常用復數。

3. Tim簡直不敢相信自己的耳朵，難道媽媽最近沒有查日歷嗎？Have you checked out a calendar lately? calendar是“日歷”的意思。對話中這句話是用在有人做出就是時間上來說不合理的事情，所以才會這么反問。

4. 媽媽不明白，要查日歷干什么？原來Tim還有兩個禮拜就要上高中了，這可是高中啊，他怎么能現在就帶牙套呢？可是媽媽說現在剛好有錢負擔你的牙套，可要知道現在牙套很貴的。但是Tim才不管是很貴還是免費，反正他現在就是不愿意戴牙套去上學，這樣會影響他的形象的。

Dialogue Script 2 對話原文 2

Mom: Tim, take it easy.
Tim: Mom, I'm going to look like a geek. A total loser!
Mom: You'll only be half-finished with high school by the time the braces come off.
Tim: Can I get them put on next year?
Mom: No. Just think how nice your smile will be in a few years' time.
Tim: A few years might as well be an eternity, Mom. This isn't fair. Why don't I have a say in this?

講解：

1. 媽媽讓Tim別這么激動，take it easy。Tim說戴上牙套會讓他看起來像一個怪胎，一個十足的窩囊廢！I'm going to look like a geek. A total loser! geek是一個很口語化的詞，表示“怪胎，怪物”，在時下的美國青少年中是很流行的一個詞。

2. 媽媽安慰他說，牙套拿下來的時候，你高中才讀完一半，也就是說，還有足夠的時間去建立自己的良好形象。Tim央求說，能不能明年再戴牙套呢？媽媽說不行，讓Tim想想再過幾年后他的笑容會有多美。

3. Tim抱怨說，這幾年簡直就像永遠，太漫長。eternity，表示“永遠”。

4. Tim覺得很不公平，為什么這件事他沒有發言權，沒有討論的余地呢？Why don't I have a say in this? say 在這里作名詞表示“發言權，決定權，參與討論的機會”，這么用的時候沒有復數形式，在這個用法中say 前面加上a是一個固定的用法。當你發現別人沒有征求你的意見，就幫你做了決定的時候，就可以用Why don't I have a say in this?這句話。我們現在來用一個對話做例子，---We decided to cancel the meeting. ---Why don't I have a say in this? ---我們決定取消會議。---為什么我對這件事都沒有發言權？還有，---Tom doesn't want us to go to the party. ---He doesn't have any say in that. Tom不想讓我們參加派對。---這件事輪不到他說話。He doesn't have any say in that. 這句話當中的any say其實就是a say，用any來加強語氣。

Part 2 At the Orthodontist's 在牙醫診所

Dialogue Script 1 對話原文 1

Doc: You have a lot of teeth inside a small mouth, Tim.
Tim: Lucky me.
Doc: We're going to need to pull four teeth. You have want we call "fangs" on the top and bottom.
Tim: I can't sit through a four-teeth-pulling session without passing out, doctor!
Doc: It's the only way you'll have enough room in there.
Tim: Will I feel any pain?
Doc: Not until you wake up. The anesthesia is going to put you fast asleep.
(One week later)
Tim: Aaaaaaow! My teeth!
Doc: Getting the braces tightened always hurts...especially in the beginning stages.
Tim: How often do I need them tightened?
Doc: Once every two weeks to start. Eventually it'll be once a month.
Tim: Aaaaaow! Can I get the braces off after one year?
Doc: Don't count on it. The teeth need time to fill these gaps in your mouth. Expect two years.

講解：

1. 對話中，Tim來到了牙醫診所戴牙套。orthodontist是指“牙齒矯正師”，要注意并不等于“牙醫”，dentist，而是牙科的一個分支，專門給人矯正牙齒。

2. 醫生檢查了一下Tim的牙齒，發現Tim小小的口腔里塞了一堆牙，Tim很不高興地說，Lucky me. 我可真走運啊。這里是反諷的語氣，而不是真的說自己走運。

3. 醫生需要給Tim拔掉四顆牙齒，Tim上排和下排牙齒上都有所謂的“暴牙”。拔牙就用pull這個詞。fang是指“獠牙，暴牙”，比如說，The dog growled and showed its fangs. 那條狗狂吠起來，露出了獠牙。

4. Tim一聽，連忙說，我絕對無法坐著撐到拔完四顆牙而不昏過去。sit through指“坐著撐到結束，挨過去”，跟go through差不多。pass out 這個詞組表示“昏厥，昏過去，失去知覺”。

5. 看來Tim還很怕疼。醫生說沒有辦法，只有這樣才能在口腔內獲得足夠的空間來矯正Tim的牙齒。Tim問拔牙會疼嗎？醫生說他醒來之前就不會疼，麻醉會讓Tim很快睡熟的。anesthesia 指“麻醉，失去知覺”或者“麻醉手術”。

6. fast asleep表示“某人睡得很熟，睡得很香”，She fell fast asleep in just five minutes. 她不到五分鐘就睡得很香了。

7. 一周之后，Tim又去看牙齒矯正醫生，綁緊牙套，tighten the braces。Tim疼的大叫起來，醫生安慰他說，綁緊牙套總是會很疼，尤其是在最開始的階段。

8. Tim問醫生，他要多久來綁一次牙套呢？how often就是問“頻率”的，多久才做某事。醫生回答說一開始的時候是兩周一次，到最后會變成一個月一次。eventually 表示“最后”，跟at last差不多。

9. Tim問醫生他可不可以一年之后就把牙套拿掉呢？醫生說，你就別指望了，Don't count on it. count on 是“指望，依賴”的意思，所以count on something就表示“指望某事能夠發生”。當一個人滿心期望一件事的到來，但你卻覺得發生的機會很低的時候，就可以對那個人說Don't count on it. 別指望了。我們用對話來作例子，---Do you think Tom will eventually marry Lisa? ---Don't count on it. ---你覺得Tom最后會和Lisa結婚嗎？---別指望了。

10. 而count on someone則表示“指望，期望某人能夠幫上忙”，舉個例子，---Let's get Lilly to babysit the baby. ---Don't count on her. She's unreliable. ---我們讓Lilly幫忙照顧寶寶吧。---別指望她了，她不可靠。

11. 醫生告訴Tim牙齒需要時間填滿他嘴里的縫隙。做好兩年的準備吧。