流行美语: keep cool; screw up

Michael和李华已经从华盛顿返回纽约。今天是星期六，他们一起到纽约的 Meadowlands去看冰球。Michael和李华这两个大学生，一个讲英文，一个讲中文，旁边的人听起来很奇怪，可是他们自己已经习惯了这种方式。今天他们在谈话中会用两个常用语：keep cool和screw up。


L：Michael，谢谢你带我到Meadowlands来看冰球，Meadowlands可是有名的地方呐！ 而且我从来还没有看过冰球呢！

(Starting buzzer)

M：Sometimes these games get really rough!

L：我也听说了，他们说冰球比赛有时很粗暴，经常会打架。

M：Wow, look at them! It's only five minutes into the game and they are already pushing and shoving.

L：是啊，他们已经开始推推攘攘，真的打起来了。人们都说冰球比赛有时会很粗暴，但是才开始五分钟就打架，这可是不多见。

M：Yeah, they really need to keep cool out there.

L： Michael, 这是冰球，在冰上打球，当时是冷的咯，你在说什么呀？

M：Li Hua, that's not what I meant. Keep cool means to calm down。Keep, means to hold and cool, meaning cold.

L： 噢，keep cool就是要冷静一点, 你是说这些球员不要火气那么大，需要保持冷静。对，他们要是老打架，最好的球员就会被禁止打球的。

M：Yeah. Another example, remember last week when you got into an argument with the professor over your mid-term grade?

L：我才不会忘记上星期的事呐。那个教授给我期中考试打那么低的分数，我当然要跟他争嘛。

M：Right now Li Hua, you need to keep cool.

L：是，一说起这件事，我就会生气。得了，得了，不谈这个了吧！

M：I can't believe how poorly they are playing.

L：你说他们打得不好呀？ 说实话，我根本看不懂。我只知道当地的球队输了三分，这就输了很多啦！

M：Yeah, they have really managed to screw up this game.

L："Screw up"? 我不懂，这是什么意思？

M："Screw up" means not to play well. The home team is certainly messing up.

L：噢，"Screw up" 就是打得不好。

M："Screw up," it means to mess up.

L：是不是只能说打球时，或参加运动比赛时犯了错误？

M：No, it can be used to describe a lot of things. For example, I screw up on tests all the time.

L：噢，你考试老考糟也能用screw up来表示呀！这么说，"screw up" 可以用的范围很广。 要是说一个人工作没有做好呢？

M：He screwed up at work.

L：你老是和别人的关系搞不好，也能说是screw up吧？

M：Yes, that's why I don't date anymore. Because I screw up all the time.

L：原来是因为老跟别人搞不好关系，所以你就不交女朋友了。 Michael，你也别跟自己太过不去了。

M：I do screw up a lot; I make mistakes all the time.

L：我们都犯错误的，谁能不犯错误啊！我来给你介绍个女朋友吧！

M：Look, they are playing like that! What is wrong with these players.

L：嗨， 这些球员真的很糟糕，你看，他们已经输了四分啦！

M：I hate this! They can't manage not to screw up tonight.

L：Michael, 尽管他们screw up，我们还是要keep cool! 也许还有希望扭转局势。

李华今天从Michael那儿学到了两个常用语， 一个是：keep cool，意思是：冷静一些，别太激动；另一个常用语是：screw up， 意思是把事情弄糟了。今天的[流行美语]就学习到这里，我们下次再会。

(ZT)