M:The train is just about to leave. Good thing you got here in time.
L:我当然会准时到,我什么时候迟到过?嗨,火车就要开啦?要多少时间才能到华盛顿呐?
M:Only about four hours. I'm probably going to sleep the entire way.
L:(train leaving station, announcer in background) 你想在火车上睡觉? 不行,你睡觉我跟谁说话呐?
M:Li Hua, you are full of energy. But I'm drained, I'm going to sleep.
L:我是精力充沛。可你说你是什么? Drained?
M:Yeah. Drained, it means exhausted.
L:Drained就是累的意思。那drained这个词还能用在其他什么场合呢?
M:The word can be used in two ways. To be physically drained and emotionally drained. For example, if a couple fight all the time, they would be emotionally tired, which you can also call drained.
M:Yeah, you were emotionally drained. Well, if you don't want me to sleep on the train, we'd better go get more coffee. Let's go to the Cafe Car.
L: 那好呀,走,去食品车厢买咖啡!
M:This coffee is going to keep me awake the entire trip.
L:这杯咖啡就能让你一路上不困啦? 我可不行,到华盛顿之前,我至少还要喝两杯。
M:Geez, Li Hua, I don't think I will be nearly as wired as you are.
L:Wired? 我猜这是说我精力旺盛, 是不是?
M:You are right. This word has a couple of meanings. One means to be energetic and the other means to have nervous energy.
L:这么说,wired可以指对某件事很兴奋,也可以说对某件事感到紧张而努 力去做。 要是我精力充沛,可以说:I am wired; 要是在大考前我感到很紧张而抓紧时间复习功课,也可以说:I'm wired。 是这个意思吗?
M:Yeah, that's right. But it has one other meaning as well. Wired means to be connected to something, such as being wired into the Internet, or being wired into a discussion.
L:噢,跟什么东西联系在一起也可以说是wired, 例如和因特网连接。你最后说的 wired into a discussion 我不太懂,那是什么意思啊?
M:You have been participating in the meetings to make decisions about our college, right?
L:对啊!我是参加一些会议,讨论有关学校的某些决定。
M:Ok, your participation in the college's meetings and being involved in those decisions means you are wired into the discussion.
L:噢,我参加这些会议,参预决策的讨论,这就可以说:I'm wired into the discussion.
M:Yep. After all this coffee I have had, I don't feel so drained. In fact, after the next cup, I think I'm going to be pretty wired.