VOA流行美語 Unit 127: big shot/bent out of shape

李華和Larry正在討論是不是要去聽有關中國歷史的演講。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：big shot和bent out of shape.

(Ambience sound in the Hallway)

LL: Hey Li Hua! Are you going to the guest lecture this evening? Some big shot Harvard professor is going to speak tonight.

LH: 你說今天晚上來演講的教授是什么？big shot？什么是big shot?

LL: I said he is a big shot. A big shot is an important or influential person.

LH: 噢！Big shot是指一個很重要，很有影響力的人。那不就是我們中文里說的“大人物”嘛！哎！哈佛大學的教授就是大人物，big shot呀？

LL: Actually, this guy is a big shot because he's an American who lived in China for thirty years after the revolution, and got to know some of the leaders of China personally.

LH: 喲，他在中國住了30年，還認識一些中國的領導人。聽起來倒挺象大人物的。那他為什么要到我們學校來呢？

LL: Well, the president of our university and some other big shots from the city government are good friends of his. They invited him to come here and give a lecture.

LH: 原來他和我們校長還有市政府的官員都是好朋友。嗯，我很想去聽聽他的演講。對了，Larry，你聽說Jack找到一份新工作嗎？

LL: Oh yeah, I heard that he's working for a big shot lawyer now. I'm really happy to see him doing so well after graduation.

LH: 我希望那家大律師事務所能好好待他。有時候，為這些大人物工作，未必是件好差事。

LL: Yeah, I guess so. Still, it's better to work for a big shot lawyer than to be a waiter at a coffee house. A lot of us history majors end up doing jobs like that after graduation.

LH: 話是不錯，給大律師工作總比在咖啡館當服務員好。可是，歷史專業的畢業生也不見得都到餐館去當服務員。我將來就要爭取成為一個有名的教授, a big shot professor!

LL: That's good to hear. Just be sure you don't forget about me after you become a big shot!

******

LH: 嘿！Larry, 昨晚我去聽演講，怎么沒看見你呢？那位教授講得很有意思！

LL: Well, that's good to hear. I couldn't make it because some idiot crashed his car into mine last night on the way over here. I'm still pretty bent out of shape about it.

LH: 什么！你昨晚出車禍啦？Bent out of shape? 你是不是受傷了？

LL: I'm fine! (chuckles) I said I am bent out of shape. That means I am very angry and upset about the accident last night, even though it wasn't very serious.

LH: 噢！原來你是為了車子被撞而生氣。Bent out of shape就是生氣，發火的意思。嗨，沒受傷就好，車子壞了有保險公司，別生氣啦？

LL: But I'm bent out of shape because the other guy was really rude. I had the right of way at a stop sign, but he drove through the intersection first and bumped into my car. Then he started yelling at me for not letting him go first!

LH: 哼，他不守交通規則，搶先過了馬路撞上你的車，還對你大聲嚷嚷？怪不得你要氣壞了呢！

LL: (Angry) That guy is an idiot! Otherwise, I wouldn't get so bent out of shape. Let's talk about something else. What about the lecture?

LH: 對！別談這事了。昨晚那個演講我覺得很有意思，不過，在那位教授講完要離開會場的時候，有一群學生對他大吼大叫，好像是不同意他的某個觀點。

LL: Did the guy get all bent out of shape about it?

LH: 沒有耶，那位教授沒生氣，也沒有理會那些學生。后來大家都離開會場了。

LL: Well, that's good. If someone gets bent out of shape about different opinions, it usually means he's narrow-minded.

LH: 所以，Larry，盡管撞你車的人不講道理，你也不要小心眼，為這事生氣。

今天李華學會兩個常用語，第一個是big shot,是形容很重要，有影響力的大人物。另一個常用語是bent out of shape，意思是很生氣。