VOA流行美語 Unit 103: clunker/Don't sweat it

VOA流行美語 Unit 103: clunker/Don't sweat it

今天Li Hua的電腦壞了， 她正在用Larry 的電腦寫學術報告。Li Hua會學到兩個常用語：clunker和 Don't sweat it!

(Sound of typing)

LH: Larry, 謝謝你讓我用你的電腦。我的電腦最近老出毛病，真氣人！

LL: Heheh, don't mention it. You know, you ought to get a new computer to replace that old clunker of yours.

LH: 你說我應該買一臺新電腦來取代什麼？Clunker? 我在說我的電腦啊，怎麼是"clunker"呢？

LL: No, no... when I said it is a "clunker" - I meant that it's an old, worn-out machine.

LH: 噢，原來clunker是指“又老又舊的機器”，用這個詞來形容我那臺電腦再合適不過了。那Larry, "clunker" 這個詞只能夠用來形容電腦嗎？

LL: Not at all... a clunker can be any kind of worn-out machine that doesn't work very well. "Clunk" is the sound that an old car's engine makes... like this (makes clunking noise)

LH: Larry, 你學得倒挺象的嘛！Clunk這個詞真的聽上去就像一輛破車的引擎發出來的聲音。你知道嗎？ 我那輛舊車就是這種聲音。Larry, 你說clunker可以用來指任何舊的、不中用的機器，是不是啊？

LL: Right! Heheh, Li Hua, no offense, but your car is a real clunker, too.

LH: 我纔不介意呢，你是在說我的車，又不是說我。我那車本來就是又老又破。

LL: Well, some people in America are sensitive about their cars. People might feel a little ashamed if someone says the car they drive is a clunker.

LH: 是呀， 不少美國人對他們開的車很敏感的，要是有人說他們開的車太舊了，他們會覺得不好意思。不過，Larry, 我的車只要能把我帶到我想去的地方就行了。等我畢業後找了份好工作，我再賣掉這個clunker, 換輛好車嘍!

LL: Yeah, me too. I can't wait to replace my old clunker car, clunker bicycle, and this clunker computer.

LH: 哎喲，你可真着急 - 不僅想要換新車，連自行車、電腦你也想換新的呀！可是，跟我的電腦相比，你的電腦算不上是clunker - 你看，至少我還能用它寫文章吶！

******

LH: Oh no! 真對不起，Larry, 我不小心把你的鼠標器掉到地上了，可千萬別摔壞了。

LL: Oh well. Don't sweat it, Li Hua, it was an old mouse. I needed to replace it anyway.

LH: 噢，你連這個鼠標器也想換新的啊！等等，你還說Don't sweat it，你是讓我別出汗?

LL: I'm not talking about sweat! When I say "don't sweat it", that mean's "don't worry about it".

LH: 噢，Don't sweat it意思就是“別擔心”。你是說即使我把你的鼠標器給摔壞了也沒什麼大不了的。Larry, 好像真的給摔壞了，那可怎麼辦啊!

LL: Don't sweat it, Li Hua. The computer store is just a five-minute drive from here. We can go and get a new mouse.

LH: 噢，謝天謝地！我還真忘了你這兒附近就有個電腦商店嘛！Larry, 是我弄壞的，我要賠你，但願不是太貴。

LL: Expensive? Nah, don't sweat it. A cheap mouse like this only costs around ten dollars. Anyway, I'll pay for it... like I said, I needed a new one anyway.

LH: 像這樣的鼠標器大約才10美元一個啊。真是便宜。不過，是我弄壞的，還是我來買吧！那咱們趕緊走吧，我還得趕回來趕報告呢！

LL: Don't sweat it, it's only four thirty. You have plenty of time.

LH: 雖然才四點半，可我還是得抓緊時間吶！Larry, 你等我一下，我把寫好的部分存在這張disk上。我可不想我辛辛苦苦寫好的東西被你那old clunker computer給搞丟了。

今天李華從Larry那兒學到了兩個常用語。一個是clunker, 意思是“由於太舊而不太好用的東西”。李華學到的另一個常用語是 - Don't sweat it, 意思是“別擔心”，“彆着急”。