第48課:Redneck; In The Sticks

字號(hào):

今天李華從Michael那兒學(xué)到了兩個(gè)新詞redneck 和in the sticks。
    M: Come in!
    L:Hi Michael! 真抱歉,我沒(méi)先告訴你就來(lái)了。你的電話(huà)一直占線,所以我沒(méi)法打電話(huà)給你。
    M: That's no big deal. I was on the phone with my friend Bob who lives in Georgia. He is such a redneck!
    L:原來(lái)這樣。對(duì)了,你把你朋友叫什么來(lái)著?你說(shuō)他是什么???
    M: I said he's a redneck, R-E-D-N-E-C-K.
    L:一個(gè)紅的脖子?這是什么意思???
    M: A redneck is someone from the countryside who lives a country lifestyle.
    L:所以你叫一個(gè)人redneck就是說(shuō)他是鄉(xiāng)下人或很土氣。哎,這樣說(shuō)別人很不禮貌吧。
    M: Well, maybe. If you call someone a redneck, it means you think that they are not very cultured or sophisticated.
    L:你就因?yàn)槟闩笥炎≡卩l(xiāng)下,你就開(kāi)他玩笑說(shuō)他是redneck,未免不太好吧。
    M: I'm not really making fun of him. Some people are proud to be rednecks. Bob likes to call himself that.
    L:你說(shuō)叫他redneck,Bob他還很得意呀。那我就不懂了。在中國(guó),大多數(shù)住在鄉(xiāng)下的人都巴不得往城里跑呢。
    M: Well, the U.S. is different. Being a redneck doesn't mean being poor or uneducated. It is a way of living, I guess.
    L:那么rednecks到底像什么呢?你來(lái)說(shuō)說(shuō)。
    M: Let me see, how can I describe them? When we say someone is a redneck we mean they are from the south, and speak with a southern accent。
    L:現(xiàn)在我懂了,redneck 呢一般是指美國(guó)南方人,或者說(shuō)話(huà)有南方口音的人。不過(guò)說(shuō)真的,那些南方口音我真的聽(tīng)不太懂。
    M: Also, rednecks like life in the countryside. They enjoy sports such as hunting or fishing. They like living in areas with lots of open space.
    L:Hmm,rednecks他們不住在城市,他們更享受鄉(xiāng)下的生活。
    M: Exactly. Also, most rednecks have blue-collar jobs, or work on a farm. By the way, Li Hua, be careful how you use this word. Some people might get angry if you call them a redneck.
    L:哎,對(duì)了,Michael,你那個(gè)紅脖子朋友Bob為什么事打電話(huà)給你?。?BR>    M: Well, he asked me if I wanted to visit him this summer. I'm not sure if I really want to go though.
    L:真的嗎?為什么你不想去呢?
    M: He lives out in the sticks. There's nothing for me to do out there.
    L:他生活在那兒?The sticks是什么地方啊?
    M: Oh, when I say in the sticks, that just means in a rural area, far from a big city.
    L:噢,原來(lái)是指鄉(xiāng)下啊。哎喲,只不過(guò)離開(kāi)城市幾天,這樣你也受不了?。?BR>    M: Well, I am used to city life. I don't know how to fish or hunt, and I really don't like farm work. I don't think I would like living in the sticks.
    L:你覺(jué)得你不適合鄉(xiāng)下的生活啊,不過(guò)偶爾去呼吸一下新鮮空氣不是挺好的嗎?
    M: I guess. Maybe I should visit him.
    L:要是有人自稱(chēng)是redneck 的話(huà),他也許覺(jué)得生活在鄉(xiāng)下in the sticks也是很值得自豪的了?
    M: Actually, the phrase in the sticks is not very polite. You shouldn't tell someone that they live in the sticks unless you are just joking with them.
    L:奧,說(shuō)別人live in the sticks并不是很好,除非你是在開(kāi)玩笑啊?
    M: You are right. Usually when you say something is in the sticks you mean it is far from anything civilized.
    L:其實(shí)美國(guó)人并不懂得什么是真正的鄉(xiāng)下。就算他們住在鄉(xiāng)下好了,只要一開(kāi)車(chē)就到城里了嘛。
    M: That's true. Still, some places out in the sticks are pretty far from a big city, even if you drive a car.
    今天李華學(xué)到了兩個(gè)新詞:redneck和in the sticks。Redneck是指鄉(xiāng)下人。In the sticks則是指遠(yuǎn)離城市的農(nóng)村地區(qū)。