Larry和李華在一個大商場里買東西,那里非常擁擠。李華今天學(xué)會兩個常用語my bad 和back in the day。
LL: My bad! I didn't mean to step on your foot, Li Hua. It's just that there are so many people at the mall today.
LH: My bad? Bad不是壞的意思嗎?這兒人確實很多,你不小心踩到我的腳,為什么說my bad? My bad是什么意思呀?
LL: Oh, That's my bad, too. I should have explained what "my bad" means. It is a very informal way of apologizing without actually saying "I'm sorry."
LH: 原來my bad是表示道歉,但是是很不正式的道歉。 什么時候用my bad,什么時候用I'm sorry呢?
LL: Because you are my friend, and stepping on your foot was a pretty minor thing, I said "my bad." I'd say "I'm sorry" for something more serious - or if you were my boss.
LH: 明白了,my bad是對很熟的朋友說的,而且發(fā)生的事也不是太嚴(yán)重,就像不小心踩了腳這類小事。要我是你的老板,你就不能說my bad!
LL: Yeah, that's right. Say, would you like to get out of the crowd and stop for a cup of coffee in that shop over there?
LH: 你要去那邊那個店里喝咖啡?好呀! 可是My bad我沒有帶現(xiàn)金。
LL: Don't worry, Li Hua. I've got some cash. You can pay me back later.
LH: 謝謝你。 我在這里占著位子,你去買咖啡吧。我要一杯摩卡拿鐵咖啡。
(Sounds of busy restaurant/cash register transaction as Larry gets coffee)
LH: Okay, Li Hua, here is your latte. Oh-My bad! I now remember you wanted a mocha latte. I got the wrong drink.
LH: 沒關(guān)系,不是摩卡拿鐵也沒關(guān)系。 Larry,遞我一張餐巾紙,好不好?
LL: Sure, here's a napkin.
LH: Oops, My bad! 對不起, 我把咖啡撒了!
LL: Here let me help you clean that up.
LH: 謝謝你,幸虧你拿了好多餐巾紙,否則還真沒法收拾。
LL: Agh! Now it's my bad! I've spilled my coffee, too. (laughs)
LH: (Also laughing) 你的咖啡也撒了。Larry, 我們趕快走吧, 不然不知又會出什么事,那樣我們就會沒完沒了地說my bad !
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LL: I can't believe how rude people are at the mall. I know it is crowded, but back in the day people were much more polite.
LH: 沒錯,有的人真是沒有禮貌。Larry,你說back in the day人們都很有禮貌,back in the day是指哪一天呢?
LL: No, no, Li Hua. "Back in the day" is a general expression referring to a time in the past when things were better than they are now.
LH: 噢,back in the day就是指過去,而不是指哪一天。你是說過去美國人都很有禮貌?
LL: Yes, back in the day a man would have taken the time to open a door for a lady, especially if she was carrying packages.
LH: 我遇到過這種情況。上次我去看牙,進(jìn)大樓的時候,前面那個男子看見我也是進(jìn)那大樓,就把門開開,等著讓我先進(jìn)去。Larry,你是說以前都是這樣的嗎?
LL: Yes, and life was much simpler. There were no computers and cell phones back in the day. Now it is rush, rush, rush.
LH: 沒錯,過去生活是比較簡單,別說沒有電腦和手機(jī),我們小時候連彩色電視也很少?,F(xiàn)在每個人都好像匆匆忙忙,不知道怎么回事。
LL: And can you believe it? Before e-mail, back in the day people wrote letters with their own hands!!!
LH: 自從有了電子郵件后,現(xiàn)在拿起筆來寫信的人恐怕是很少了,可是我很喜歡收到別人親筆寫給我的信,因為那讓我感到很親切。
LL: I agree with you. But, then again, I guess not everything back in the day was so great.
LH: 是啊, 過去也不是樣樣都好。 我父親常對我說, 他小時候上學(xué)要走很遠(yuǎn)的路?,F(xiàn)在的孩子們就幸福多了,可以坐校車。
LL: You know, my dad says the same thing. He would tell me I was so lucky, because back in the day he had to walk five miles to school.
LH: 你爸爸上學(xué)要走五里路。我爸爸更苦,他不僅走路還要背著幾十斤重的課本呢。
LL:I agree. Li Hua, let's take the bus and go home. Oh, let me open the door for you.
LH: 謝謝你, Larry, 你真希望有更多像你這樣有禮貌的年輕人。
今天李華學(xué)到了兩個常用語。一個是my bad, 意思是對不起起。還有一個是back in the day, 意思是過去。