VOA流行美語 Unit 55: ALREADY / ONE TO TALK

今天Michael和李華到了一家中餐館吃飯，二人正在點菜。李華學到了兩個詞兒：already和one to talk。

L: 啊，我的天啊，我餓死了。這菜單上每一個菜我都愛吃。

M: OK, just order something already!

L: Michael, 你說什么？我什么菜都還沒點，連服務生都還沒來呢，你怎么就說"already"呢？

M: No, no, Li Hua, I said, "Order something already!" I meant that you should hurry up.

L: 噢，所以，你在這兒用了"already"，就是叫我快一點啊。可是你把這個字用在句子的最后面，這種用法好奇怪喲！

M: When we say "already" at the end of a sentence, sometimes we are showing that we are impatient, that we want somebody to stop waiting and to do something.

L: 噢，我懂了。你能不能再給我舉個例子啊？

M: OK. Remember when we were stopped at a light earlier today? The car in front of me didn't move when the light turned green, so I yelled -- "Come on, move already!"

L: 嗯，我懂了，我懂了，這個習慣用語很簡單嘛。

M: Yeah? Well, go ahead! Make a sentence already!

L: O.K. 你不是老是說那個叫Cindy的女孩兒有多可愛嗎？ So come on, ask her out already!

M: Um, well, the sentence is correct, but I don't really know Cindy that well. I'm a little shy around girls, you know.

L: 管他呢，你怕什么？ Just talk to her already!

M: Well, actually I've talked to her before, but I was really nervous. I did get her phone number. I told her I might call her if I missed class and needed to borrow her notes.

L: 啊，你已經有她的電話號碼啦！那你還等什么？要是她肯把電話號碼給你，她對你一定有興趣的。 Call her already!

M: All right! All right! Shut up already! I'll call her.

L: 嘿， Michael，我是要幫你的忙啊！你干嘛跟我發脾氣？

M: I'm sorry, Li Hua. I shouldn't have told you to shut up. Hey, the waiter is coming. I'm hungry. Go ahead and choose something already!

L: 嗯，我想我要點宮爆雞丁。

******

L: 嗨，Michael, 你知不知道有的時候你可真無禮啊。

M: I'm rude? You're one to talk, Li Hua!

L: 哎，你說我什么，Michael？你要是還在生氣的話，我現在就走了。

M: Please, calm down Li Hua. I said, "You're one to talk." I meant that you shouldn't say I am rude when you yourself are rude.

L: 好了，我知道有的時候我也很粗魯啦。所以，Michael，你說：You're one to talk，是不是就是說我們倆都半斤八兩，我不用說你，其實我自己也是很粗魯的?

M: That's right. When you told me I can be rude, I thought that that was rude. So I said, "You're one to talk!" That means, you have the same problem, so you shouldn't criticize me.

L: 噢，我懂了，其實我也不是要對你那么粗魯。我只是替你擔心，因為你老是說你很寂寞，可是你又不肯主動去找女孩子，你太害羞了。

M: I'm shy? You're one to talk! What about you? You are always too shy to meet new guys.

L: Well, 在中國，女孩子本來就不會主動去約男孩子的嘛！總是男的要去找女的。

M: That's not a good excuse. I think you're just too picky.

L: 什么？你說我太挑剔？You're one to talk! 你自己不也老是說你碰不到既聰明又有教養的女孩？你這不也自以為是嗎？

M: I'm too proud of myself? You're one to talk! You wouldn't even consider going out with a guy if he didn't have a Master's degree.

L: 好了，好了，Michael, 我們不要再吵了，反正也吵不出什么道理來。

M: Yeah, sorry, let's just forget about it. Hey look, our food is here.

L: So eat already! 咱們早該吃了。

MC: 各位聽眾，李華今天和Michael一起在餐館點菜的時候，學到了兩個美國用語的用法。Already用在命令式句子的后面時，相當于普通話里面常說的："早該如何如何"的意思。You're one to talk!則相當于"你竟然敢說這話，我們倆都半斤八兩"的意思。