VOA流行美語 Unit 146: smack-dab/ring a bell

李華和Larry正在超級市場買菜。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：smack-dab和ring a bell.

(Ambience sound in supermarket)

LH: Larry, 你在笑什么啊？

LL: Didn't you see that lady walk smack-dab into the fruit display? She knocked all of the oranges over. What a mess!

LH: 哎喲，那位太太把那水果攤撞翻了。真是的，你看，地上到處都是桔子。她是怎么回事呀？你說她什么來著？

LL: I said that she walk smack-dab into the fruit display. Smack-dab means exactly or right. That means she walked right into the fruit display.

LH: 噢，smack-dab是很精確，很準確的意思。你剛才是說，她一直對著那個水果攤走過去，結果把水果攤撞倒了。幸好她只是撞翻了一些水果，而不是撞到什么有危險性的東西。

LL: Yeah, luckily the fruit display doesn't have any sharp edges. Once my friend walked smack-dab into a glass door and broke her nose.

LH: 我的天啊！你的朋友撞上一扇玻璃門，還把鼻子都撞傷了？難道他沒看到那扇門嗎？怎么可能撞上去呢？

LL: Well, the door was really clean and it was in the evening, so she just didn't see the glass there.

LH: 那倒是可能的，玻璃門擦得很干凈，而且又是晚上。你那朋友當時一定覺得很尷尬吧？

LL: Oh, she was humiliated.

LH: 要是我的話，我也會很不好意思的。

LL： Hey, Li Hua, what's that on your sweater?

LH：怎么啦？我毛衣上有什么？

LL: Well, I just noticed that you have a brown spot smack-dab in the middle of your sweater.

LH: 什么？我毛衣上有一塊咖啡色的臟東西？哎呀！肯定是我早上吃巧克力時滴在衣服上的。你說的對，這還恰恰在我毛衣的正中間。

LL: Oh, it's not that bad. You can change into another sweater when you get home.

******

LL: Hey, Li Hua, does the name "Laura Wilson" ring any bells for you?

LH：Laura Wilson？不是那個上星期我們在網球場上碰到的那個金發女孩嘛？她為什么要為我打鈴呀？她和打鈴有什么關系？

LL：Oh, no! If someone asks you if something "rings a bell," then he is asking if you remember it. I just got a phone message from Laura Wilson and I can't remember who she is.

LH: Larry， 你年紀輕輕，怎么那么健忘！Laura Wilson上星期在網球場上還跟我們說她準備去當職業網球手。

LL: Oh, now I remember who she is. Once you mentioned her plan to be a professional tennis player, then her name rang a bell with me.

LH: Larry, to ring a bell這個說法很有意思。你剛才問我，Laura的名字有沒有ring a bell，就是在問我記不記得Laura。那也就是說，要是我記得的話，那我腦子里就會個鈴聲。

LL: It's a very vivid expression and easy to remember. Right?

LH: 對，我們和她說好下個周末一起打網球，你還記得嗎？Does that ring a bell?

LL: Yeah, that rings a bell. What time were we supposed to meet her?

LH: 我記得我們約好了下午4點種在網球場碰面的。

LL: That rings a bell, too. I had better write that down so that I don't forget again.

LH: Larry, 這個星期五是2月11號，怎么樣，那是什么日子啊？Does that ring a bell?

LL: It rings a bell, but I'm not sure why. Could you refresh my memory?

LH: Larry! 我真不敢相信你居然忘記了！

LL: I'm just kidding, Li Hua. Of course, I remember that Friday is your birthday.

今天李華學到兩個常用語。一個是smack-dab，意思就是不偏不歪、恰恰正好的意思。另一個常用語是ring a bell，也就是記得的意思。