VOA流行美語 Unit 37: UPTIGHT / TO GET IT

李華到美國來念書還不到一年，紐約有好多地方她還沒有去過。今天Michael 帶李華到一個夜總會去玩。李華有點緊張，但是她會學到兩個常用語：uptight和to get it 。

M：Hey Li Hua, why are you sitting over here next to the bar? Why don't you go out and dance?

L：我為什么坐在這里，不去跳舞？我。。。有點累。

M：Oh come on! Don't be so uptight! Everyone is having a good time except for you.

L：你說除了我，每個人都很高興？你叫我不要什么？什么是uptight?

M：I said, don't be uptight. Uptight means tense, irritable, or unable to relax.

L：Uptight 就是緊張，顯得煩躁，不能放松。Uptight 這個詞是怎么拼的？

M：Uptight, u-p-t-i-g-h-t. You really are uptight! We're at a dance club, and you're still trying to learn English!

L：在夜總會問你一個英文字就說明我情緒緊張呀？我聽不懂問你還不行嗎？

M：Hmph. You're never this uptight when you are with your Chinese friends. You're never afraid to sing karaoke, even it sounds so bad!

L：跟中國朋友在一起我當然不緊張咯，我跟他們都很熟嘛。我知道我唱卡拉OK 唱得很難聽，但是我也不怕。

M：Hmm. Sometimes if I feel a bit uptight, I have a few beers. That helps me relax.

L：Michael，你得小心，不要在感到緊張的時候為了放松而喝酒。這樣你會越喝越多的。

M：I don't always drink when I feel uptight. Just sometimes.

L：要不是經常的話，那還可以。不過，我現在。。。不想喝酒。

M：Stop being so uptight, have a drink. Come on, I'll buy you something.

L：行，行。讓我想想。。。我要一個Jack and Coke.

M：Be right back!

M：I don't get it, Li Hua. I thought You liked to dance.

L：你沒有什么？Don't get 什么？

M：I said "I don't get it". Don't - get- it. That means I don't understand.

L：噢，don't get it 就是不懂。那要是我想學什么，可是又弄不清楚，弄不懂，我就可以說："I don't get it." 對嗎？

M：That's right! Like my dog, Ralph. I tried to teach him to sit whenever I tell him to. But he still doesn't understand me. He doesn't get it.

L：等等，你要訓練你的狗，叫它坐哪里就坐哪里，它弄不懂你的要求，這也能說：He doesn't get it.

M：Yes. If I tell you a joke, and you understand it, you can say: "I get it."

L：要是我懂你說的笑話，我可以說："I get it." 可是，Michael, 你說的笑話，我大多數都聽不懂。

M：There you go again...you are always so uptight.

L：聽不懂你的笑話也怪我緊張呀？ Michael, you don't get it, 我根本就不緊張。

M：Wait, I get it! You're being uptight because Zhao Lifeng is dancing over there. Everyone says you like him!

L：什么！說我喜歡趙立封！他在那兒跟別人跳舞，所以我就很緊張。 Michael, you really don't get it at all. 趙立封是我好朋友的男朋友，我要跟他跳舞，我的好朋友就會生氣。何況我也不喜歡他。

M：Whatever you say, Li Hua. But you still don't have to be so uptight. You can dance with me.

L：好吧，我跟你跳舞，這樣你就不會再說我uptight 了。 (dance music)

今天李華學到兩個常用語：to get it, or don't get it 意思是懂某件事，或弄不懂某件事；另一個是：uptight，也就是一個人顯得很緊張。