CRI实用英语课堂 Unit 67 Wearing Braces I 戴牙套（上）

Part 1 I Don't Want Braces¹! 我不想戴牙套！ 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Mom: Tim! Are you ready for a big, big surprise?
Tim: I guess so. What is it?
Mom: It's something that you really need!
Tim: A new baseball glove?
Mom: No.
Tim: A cell phone?
Mom: No! You don't need a cell phone---you're too young for that.
Tim: OK, I give up, Mom.
Mom: You’re gonna get...braces!
Tim: Braces? Mom! Have you checked out a calendar lately?
Mom: Why?
Tim: I start high school in two weeks! High school! I can't have braces now!
Mom: Now is a good time for us to pay for them. They're expensive, you know.
Tim: I don't care if they're free! I don't want them.

讲解：

1. 对话中，为了庆祝Tim上高中，爸爸妈妈决定送给Tim一份礼物，为Tim准备了一个超大惊喜，会是什么呢？妈妈提示Tim说，是一件Tim现在很需要的东西。难道是棒球手套baseball glove吗？因为Tim现在正需要一个新的棒球手套。

2. 妈妈说不是，让他再猜，Tim又猜是不是一部手机呢？妈妈说，不是手机，Tim还太小，用不着手机。Tim实在是猜不到了，让妈妈快说吧。原来爸妈给他的礼物是牙套，braces，就是牙齿矫正器，因为经常是上下成对的，所以经常用复数。

3. Tim简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，难道妈妈最近没有查日历吗？Have you checked out a calendar lately? calendar是“日历”的意思。对话中这句话是用在有人做出就是时间上来说不合理的事情，所以才会这么反问。

4. 妈妈不明白，要查日历干什么？原来Tim还有两个礼拜就要上高中了，这可是高中啊，他怎么能现在就带牙套呢？可是妈妈说现在刚好有钱负担你的牙套，可要知道现在牙套很贵的。但是Tim才不管是很贵还是免费，反正他现在就是不愿意戴牙套去上学，这样会影响他的形象的。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Mom: Tim, take it easy.
Tim: Mom, I'm going to look like a geek. A total loser!
Mom: You'll only be half-finished with high school by the time the braces come off.
Tim: Can I get them put on next year?
Mom: No. Just think how nice your smile will be in a few years' time.
Tim: A few years might as well be an eternity², Mom. This isn't fair. Why don't I have a say in this?

讲解：

1. 妈妈让Tim别这么激动，take it easy。Tim说戴上牙套会让他看起来像一个怪胎，一个十足的窝囊废！I'm going to look like a geek. A total loser! geek是一个很口语化的词，表示“怪胎，怪物”，在时下的美国青少年中是很流行的一个词。

2. 妈妈安慰他说，牙套拿下来的时候，你高中才读完一半，也就是说，还有足够的时间去建立自己的良好形象。Tim央求说，能不能明年再戴牙套呢？妈妈说不行，让Tim想想再过几年后他的笑容会有多美。

3. Tim抱怨说，这几年简直就像永远，太漫长。eternity，表示“永远”。

4. Tim觉得很不公平，为什么这件事他没有发言权，没有讨论的余地呢？Why don't I have a say in this? say 在这里作名词表示“发言权，决定权，参与讨论的机会”，这么用的时候没有复数形式，在这个用法中say 前面加上a是一个固定的用法。当你发现别人没有征求你的意见，就帮你做了决定的时候，就可以用Why don't I have a say in this?这句话。我们现在来用一个对话做例子，---We decided³ to cancel the meeting. ---Why don't I have a say in this? ---我们决定取消会议。---为什么我对这件事都没有发言权？还有，---Tom doesn't want us to go to the party. ---He doesn't have any say in that. Tom不想让我们参加派对。---这件事轮不到他说话。He doesn't have any say in that. 这句话当中的any say其实就是a say，用any来加强语气。

Part 2 At the Orthodontist's 在牙医诊所 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Doc: You have a lot of teeth inside a small mouth, Tim.
Tim: Lucky me.
Doc: We're going to need to pull four teeth. You have want we call "fangs⁴" on the top and bottom.
Tim: I can't sit through a four-teeth-pulling session without passing out, doctor!
Doc: It's the only way you'll have enough room in there.
Tim: Will I feel any pain?
Doc: Not until you wake up. The anesthesia is going to put you fast asleep.
(One week later)
Tim: Aaaaaaow! My teeth!
Doc: Getting the braces tightened⁵ always hurts...especially in the beginning stages.
Tim: How often do I need them tightened?
Doc: Once every two weeks to start. Eventually it'll be once a month.
Tim: Aaaaaow! Can I get the braces off after one year?
Doc: Don't count on it. The teeth need time to fill these gaps in your mouth. Expect two years.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tim来到了牙医诊所戴牙套。orthodontist是指“牙齿矫正师”，要注意并不等于“牙医”，dentist，而是牙科的一个分支，专门给人矫正牙齿。

2. 医生检查了一下Tim的牙齿，发现Tim小小的口腔里塞了一堆牙，Tim很不高兴地说，Lucky me. 我可真走运啊。这里是反讽的语气，而不是真的说自己走运。

3. 医生需要给Tim拔掉四颗牙齿，Tim上排和下排牙齿上都有所谓的“暴牙”。拔牙就用pull这个词。fang是指“獠牙，暴牙”，比如说，The dog growled⁶ and showed its fangs. 那条狗狂吠起来，露出了獠牙。

4. Tim一听，连忙说，我绝对无法坐着撑到拔完四颗牙而不昏过去。sit through指“坐着撑到结束，挨过去”，跟go through差不多。pass out 这个词组表示“昏厥，昏过去，失去知觉”。

5. 看来Tim还很怕疼。医生说没有办法，只有这样才能在口腔内获得足够的空间来矫正Tim的牙齿。Tim问拔牙会疼吗？医生说他醒来之前就不会疼，麻醉会让Tim很快睡熟的。anesthesia 指“麻醉，失去知觉”或者“麻醉手术”。

6. fast asleep表示“某人睡得很熟，睡得很香”，She fell fast asleep in just five minutes. 她不到五分钟就睡得很香了。

7. 一周之后，Tim又去看牙齿矫正医生，绑紧牙套，tighten the braces。Tim疼的大叫起来，医生安慰他说，绑紧牙套总是会很疼，尤其是在最开始的阶段。

8. Tim问医生，他要多久来绑一次牙套呢？how often就是问“频率”的，多久才做某事。医生回答说一开始的时候是两周一次，到最后会变成一个月一次。eventually 表示“最后”，跟at last差不多。

9. Tim问医生他可不可以一年之后就把牙套拿掉呢？医生说，你就别指望了，Don't count on it. count on 是“指望，依赖”的意思，所以count on something就表示“指望某事能够发生”。当一个人满心期望一件事的到来，但你却觉得发生的机会很低的时候，就可以对那个人说Don't count on it. 别指望了。我们用对话来作例子，---Do you think Tom will eventually marry Lisa? ---Don't count on it. ---你觉得Tom最后会和Lisa结婚吗？---别指望了。

10. 而count on someone则表示“指望，期望某人能够帮上忙”，举个例子，---Let's get Lilly to babysit the baby. ---Don't count on her. She's unreliable. ---我们让Lilly帮忙照顾宝宝吧。---别指望她了，她不可靠。

11. 医生告诉Tim牙齿需要时间填满他嘴里的缝隙。做好两年的准备吧。

 

1 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

2 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

6 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》