VOA流行美語 Unit 42: TAKE IT EASY / TO CHEW OUT

李華前段時間通過了駕駛執照的考試， 現在可以自己開車了。邁可也坐在她的車里，從他們二人的對話中，李華學到了兩個常用語： take it easy和to chew out。

L: 考完試了，現在有了駕照真好。我覺得我能夠去任何地方，做 任何想做的事了。

M: I know what you mean. American kids feel the same way when they turn 16 and get their licenses. Too bad you don't have a car.

L: 那有什么關系，我可以跟你借啊，對不對？哎呀 Hey! What do you think you are doing? Do you want to be killed? Michael，你看那個 騎自行車的孩子，我差點兒撞了他！

M: Hey, hey, take it easy Li Hua! You really scared that kid. He looked really scared.

L: Michael, 你剛才說什么？什么easy?

M: I said take it easy! That means you need to calm down, not get too excited.

L: Take it easy? Take it easy是冷靜下來，別太氣了的意思？ Take是T- A-K-E. It是I-T. Easy是E-A-S-Y，對吧?

M: Yes, you've got it. That boy was almost in a very bad accident, and he was startled. You don't need to make him feel worse.

L: 你說的不錯，看樣子他都快哭了。

M: Hey, Li Hua, you're going to be driving on your own soon. I hope you learn to take it easy and not get angry at everyone.

L: 你說的對。要是我冷靜開車的話，也許我的車會開的更好。

M: I'm sure you will. You just finished a difficult test. You should take it easy. Let's go get some lunch, my treat.

L: 你要請客啊？行，我是應該放松放松了。 我要好好享受今天剩 下的時間。

M: Man, Li Hua, you really chewed that kid out.

L: 你指的是剛才騎車的那個小孩？你說我對他怎么了？

M: You chewed him out! I mean you yelled and got angry at him. Chewed, C-H-E-W-E-D; Out, O-U-T.

L: 噢，你是說我發脾氣大罵了那個孩子，是吧？

M: That's right. If someone gets angry and yells at you, and starts criticizing your behavior, they are chewing you out.

L: 原來如此，我也不知道為什么我大罵那個小孩，大概是當時我也 害怕的緣故。

M: Are you upset about something else? You seem to have a bad temper today.

L: 我是有點氣，因為昨天劉教授對我生氣。因為我該教中文的課， 我去晚了五分鐘。劉教授就對我大發脾氣。

M: That's too bad. I don't like being chewed out like that either. Especially when I know I was wrong.

L: Hey, 那可不是我的錯，我自行車的鏈子又脫落了。 為什么發生 這類事情你總是怪我？

M: Hey, take it easy, Li Hua! Don't chew me out! I was talking about myself, not you.

L: 我的天，是我不對，不知道我今天是怎么回事。我想跟每個人 發脾氣。

M: You must be stressed. First, Professor Liu chewed you out, then you almost ran over the kid on the bike.

L: 你說的對，我真不該對任何人都發脾氣。我應該開開心心的。

M: At least you should be happier than I am. Yesterday, my roommate chewed me out. He said I always make a mess in the living room, and he is tired of cleaning up after me.

L: 也許你是把房子弄得很亂，可是你室友也不該對你發脾氣啊。

M: He was right, though. I really need to get rid of my bad habits.

今天李華學到了兩個常用語，一個是Take it easy，意思是冷靜下來，或者放輕松些。另一個是to chew out，意思是發脾氣罵人。