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在中国传统中,除夕的意思是“月穷岁尽”,因此这一天的活动都以“除旧部新,消灾祈福”为中心,家家户户忙得不可开交。这不,Jackson刚下飞机踏上中国这片热土,一刻也没休息,就被李霞拉着加入到“除旧岁”的大军中。Jackson可是第一次在中国过年,对春节的习俗一概不知,理所当然地闹了笑话,这对李霞来说是一个大大的难题噢!
Li Xia: Well, this is my house. Welcome. Please, come in.
Jackson: Oh, it’s very…
Li Xia: Shoes!
Jackson: Huh?
Li Xia: Take off your shoes, please.
Jackson: Oh, sorry.
Li Xia: Now, let’s get to work.
Jackson: Work? I just got off a plane.
Li Xia: No time for relaxing, my friend. Tomorrow is the first day of Chinese New Year. We’ve got cleaning to do. It’s tradition to clean the house before the New Year. Then we’ve got to go shopping for the family dinner tonight.
Jackson: ①No rest for the wicked, huh?
Li Xia: I’m afraid not. You’ve arrived at the busiest time of the year for us. When you kept delaying your trip, I thought you were never going to come. ②But better late than never,
I guess.
Jackson: ③Okay then, let’s get this over with. Where should I start?
Li Xia: You take the bathroom, I’ll get started on the kitchen. Oh, when will Penny arrive?
Jackson: Tomorrow.
Li Xia: Oh, she will miss the cleaning.
Jackson: Oh, poor Penny.
(A few hours later)
Jackson: OK, the house is 2)sparkling. ④That toilet is as clean as a 3)whistle. And I just changed my clothes. So, I’m ready. Can we go now?
Li Xia: Yes, but you have to go and change your clothes first.
Jackson: No. I just changed.
Li Xia: No, no, no. You cannot wear black! This is the colour for 4)mourning. We are not going to a 5)funeral. This is a time for celebration. You will have to change into some red clothes.
Jackson: You’re kidding, right?
Li Xia: ⑤Do I look like I’m kidding?
Jackson: Oh.
Li Xia: Oh, you poor boy. You have so much to learn.
Jackson: ⑥What have I gotten myself into?
Li Xia: ⑦Don’t worry, you will pick it all up in no time. Hurry up, we still have to buy all the food for the family dinner tonight. They are all dying to meet you.
Jackson: What food do you eat?
Li Xia: Everything! Rice, fish, chicken, noodles, soup, duck, turtle…
Jackson: Turtle?
Li Xia: Yeah, you will love it.
Jackson: OK. Anything else I need to know?
Li Xia: Don’t drop your 6)chopsticks.
Jackson: OK. I’ll do my best.
Li Xia: And don’t break anything. You will have all sorts of bad luck if you do that. Come on, it’s going to be great.
Jackson: I can’t wait.
李霞:来,这是我家。欢迎欢迎,进来吧。
杰克逊:噢,这里真是太……
李霞:鞋子!
杰克逊:呃?
李霞:请把鞋子脱了。
杰克逊:哦,抱歉。
李霞:现在我们开始干活吧。
杰克逊:干活?我才刚下飞机呢。
李霞:没时间休息了,我的朋友。明天就是大年初一了,我们得大扫除。在新年到来之前打扫屋子,这是传统。然后我们还得去购物,为今晚的团圆饭作准备。
杰克逊: 就休息一会儿也不行吗?
李霞:恐怕不行。你可是在我们一年之中最忙的时候来的。你不断地推迟你的行程,我还以为你不来了呢。但是我想,迟到总比不到好。
杰克逊:那好吧,只好动手干活了。我应该从哪开始呢?
李霞:你去打扫浴室,我去清理厨房。噢,对了,佩妮什么时候到呢?
杰克逊:明天。
李霞:哦,那她就错过大扫除了。
杰克逊:噢,可怜的佩妮。
(几小时后)
杰克逊:好了,屋子焕然一新了。厕所干净极了。我刚换好了衣服,所以我准备好了。现在可以出发了吗?
李霞:没错,不过你得先去把衣服
换了。
杰克逊:不是吧,我才换的。
李霞:不,不,不。你不能穿黑色的衣服!这是悲伤的颜色,我们又不是去葬礼。这是喜庆的时刻。你必须去换上红色的衣服。
杰克逊:你是在开玩笑,对吧?
李霞:我像是在开玩笑吗?
杰克逊:哦。
李霞:哦,可怜的男孩。你要学的太多了。
杰克逊:我这是在自寻烦恼吗?
李霞:别担心,你很快就会适应的。快点,我们还得去买今晚团圆饭的所有食物。我的家人都迫不及待想要见你了呢。
杰克逊:你们都吃些什么?
李霞:什么都吃!米饭、鱼肉、鸡肉、面条、汤、鸭肉、乌龟……
杰克逊:乌龟?
李霞:是啊,你会喜欢的。
杰克逊:好吧。还有什么我需要了解的吗?
李霞:别弄掉你的筷子。
杰克逊:好的,我尽力吧。
李霞:还有别打破任何东西。那样的话,你就会霉运不断。快走吧,接下来的一切都会很好玩。
杰克逊:我等不及了。
Smart Sentences
① No rest for the wicked, huh? 就休息一会儿也不
行吗?
no rest for the wicked: the bad guys should be punished, a joke used here to make fun of the speaker himself(坏人会被处罚,此处说话者用此来自嘲)。例如:
Hey, sis, you need to help with the party. No rest for the wicked.
喂,姐,你得帮忙搞派对啊,你可不能休息。
② But better late than never, I guess. 但是我想,迟到总比不到好。
better late than never: it is better to do sth. late than not do it at all(迟做总比不做好)。例如:
You are just now writing back to Grandma? Well, I guess better late than never.
你现在才给奶奶回信?也好,迟回总比不回好。
③ Okay then, let’s get this over with. 那好吧,只好动手干活了。
get (sth.) over with: finish an unpleasant or unhappy experience(熬过/结束一件不愉快但必须做的事)。例如:
Let’s get this dinner over with.
我们吃完这餐算了。
④ That toilet is as clean as a whistle. 厕所干净极了。
as clean as a whistle: completely clean(非常干净)。例如:
Look at the kitchen; it’s as clean as a whistle.
看看厨房,太干净了。
⑤ Do I look like I’m kidding? 我像是在开玩笑吗?
Do I look like I’m kidding?: expression used to indicate the speaker is serious about what he/she means(我像是在开玩笑吗?用以表示说话人所说的话的严肃性)。例如:
—Do you really want me to finish this report by three o’clock?
你真的要我在三点前完成这份报告?
—Do I look like I’m kidding?
我像是在开玩笑吗?
⑥ What have I gotten myself into? 我这是在自寻烦恼吗?
get sb. into sth.: cause sb. to be involved in an unpleasant situation(使某人陷入某种不愉快的状态)。例如:
Using the credit card frequently got me deep into debt.
不停地使用信用卡让我债务缠身。
⑦ Don’t worry, you will pick it all up in no time. 别担心,你很快就会适应的。
in no time: very quickly, almost immediately(非常快,几乎不用花时间)。例如:
The article doesn’t look too hard. I can finish the translation in no time.
文章看起来不难,我马上就能翻译完。
Li Xia: Well, this is my house. Welcome. Please, come in.
Jackson: Oh, it’s very…
Li Xia: Shoes!
Jackson: Huh?
Li Xia: Take off your shoes, please.
Jackson: Oh, sorry.
Li Xia: Now, let’s get to work.
Jackson: Work? I just got off a plane.
Li Xia: No time for relaxing, my friend. Tomorrow is the first day of Chinese New Year. We’ve got cleaning to do. It’s tradition to clean the house before the New Year. Then we’ve got to go shopping for the family dinner tonight.
Jackson: ①No rest for the wicked, huh?
Li Xia: I’m afraid not. You’ve arrived at the busiest time of the year for us. When you kept delaying your trip, I thought you were never going to come. ②But better late than never,
I guess.
Jackson: ③Okay then, let’s get this over with. Where should I start?
Li Xia: You take the bathroom, I’ll get started on the kitchen. Oh, when will Penny arrive?
Jackson: Tomorrow.
Li Xia: Oh, she will miss the cleaning.
Jackson: Oh, poor Penny.
(A few hours later)
Jackson: OK, the house is 2)sparkling. ④That toilet is as clean as a 3)whistle. And I just changed my clothes. So, I’m ready. Can we go now?
Li Xia: Yes, but you have to go and change your clothes first.
Jackson: No. I just changed.
Li Xia: No, no, no. You cannot wear black! This is the colour for 4)mourning. We are not going to a 5)funeral. This is a time for celebration. You will have to change into some red clothes.
Jackson: You’re kidding, right?
Li Xia: ⑤Do I look like I’m kidding?
Jackson: Oh.
Li Xia: Oh, you poor boy. You have so much to learn.
Jackson: ⑥What have I gotten myself into?
Li Xia: ⑦Don’t worry, you will pick it all up in no time. Hurry up, we still have to buy all the food for the family dinner tonight. They are all dying to meet you.
Jackson: What food do you eat?
Li Xia: Everything! Rice, fish, chicken, noodles, soup, duck, turtle…
Jackson: Turtle?
Li Xia: Yeah, you will love it.
Jackson: OK. Anything else I need to know?
Li Xia: Don’t drop your 6)chopsticks.
Jackson: OK. I’ll do my best.
Li Xia: And don’t break anything. You will have all sorts of bad luck if you do that. Come on, it’s going to be great.
Jackson: I can’t wait.
李霞:来,这是我家。欢迎欢迎,进来吧。
杰克逊:噢,这里真是太……
李霞:鞋子!
杰克逊:呃?
李霞:请把鞋子脱了。
杰克逊:哦,抱歉。
李霞:现在我们开始干活吧。
杰克逊:干活?我才刚下飞机呢。
李霞:没时间休息了,我的朋友。明天就是大年初一了,我们得大扫除。在新年到来之前打扫屋子,这是传统。然后我们还得去购物,为今晚的团圆饭作准备。
杰克逊: 就休息一会儿也不行吗?
李霞:恐怕不行。你可是在我们一年之中最忙的时候来的。你不断地推迟你的行程,我还以为你不来了呢。但是我想,迟到总比不到好。
杰克逊:那好吧,只好动手干活了。我应该从哪开始呢?
李霞:你去打扫浴室,我去清理厨房。噢,对了,佩妮什么时候到呢?
杰克逊:明天。
李霞:哦,那她就错过大扫除了。
杰克逊:噢,可怜的佩妮。
(几小时后)
杰克逊:好了,屋子焕然一新了。厕所干净极了。我刚换好了衣服,所以我准备好了。现在可以出发了吗?
李霞:没错,不过你得先去把衣服
换了。
杰克逊:不是吧,我才换的。
李霞:不,不,不。你不能穿黑色的衣服!这是悲伤的颜色,我们又不是去葬礼。这是喜庆的时刻。你必须去换上红色的衣服。
杰克逊:你是在开玩笑,对吧?
李霞:我像是在开玩笑吗?
杰克逊:哦。
李霞:哦,可怜的男孩。你要学的太多了。
杰克逊:我这是在自寻烦恼吗?
李霞:别担心,你很快就会适应的。快点,我们还得去买今晚团圆饭的所有食物。我的家人都迫不及待想要见你了呢。
杰克逊:你们都吃些什么?
李霞:什么都吃!米饭、鱼肉、鸡肉、面条、汤、鸭肉、乌龟……
杰克逊:乌龟?
李霞:是啊,你会喜欢的。
杰克逊:好吧。还有什么我需要了解的吗?
李霞:别弄掉你的筷子。
杰克逊:好的,我尽力吧。
李霞:还有别打破任何东西。那样的话,你就会霉运不断。快走吧,接下来的一切都会很好玩。
杰克逊:我等不及了。
Smart Sentences
① No rest for the wicked, huh? 就休息一会儿也不
行吗?
no rest for the wicked: the bad guys should be punished, a joke used here to make fun of the speaker himself(坏人会被处罚,此处说话者用此来自嘲)。例如:
Hey, sis, you need to help with the party. No rest for the wicked.
喂,姐,你得帮忙搞派对啊,你可不能休息。
② But better late than never, I guess. 但是我想,迟到总比不到好。
better late than never: it is better to do sth. late than not do it at all(迟做总比不做好)。例如:
You are just now writing back to Grandma? Well, I guess better late than never.
你现在才给奶奶回信?也好,迟回总比不回好。
③ Okay then, let’s get this over with. 那好吧,只好动手干活了。
get (sth.) over with: finish an unpleasant or unhappy experience(熬过/结束一件不愉快但必须做的事)。例如:
Let’s get this dinner over with.
我们吃完这餐算了。
④ That toilet is as clean as a whistle. 厕所干净极了。
as clean as a whistle: completely clean(非常干净)。例如:
Look at the kitchen; it’s as clean as a whistle.
看看厨房,太干净了。
⑤ Do I look like I’m kidding? 我像是在开玩笑吗?
Do I look like I’m kidding?: expression used to indicate the speaker is serious about what he/she means(我像是在开玩笑吗?用以表示说话人所说的话的严肃性)。例如:
—Do you really want me to finish this report by three o’clock?
你真的要我在三点前完成这份报告?
—Do I look like I’m kidding?
我像是在开玩笑吗?
⑥ What have I gotten myself into? 我这是在自寻烦恼吗?
get sb. into sth.: cause sb. to be involved in an unpleasant situation(使某人陷入某种不愉快的状态)。例如:
Using the credit card frequently got me deep into debt.
不停地使用信用卡让我债务缠身。
⑦ Don’t worry, you will pick it all up in no time. 别担心,你很快就会适应的。
in no time: very quickly, almost immediately(非常快,几乎不用花时间)。例如:
The article doesn’t look too hard. I can finish the translation in no time.
文章看起来不难,我马上就能翻译完。