流行美語 第205課

Larry的父母最近来大学看望他。Larry一直忙着招待他们，今天好不容易抽空在李华的住处休息一下。李华会学到两个常用语：drive someone bonkers和tightwad。

LL: I can't believe my family has been here only three days. They are really making me bonkers!

LH: Making you bonkers？Larry，这个听起来可不像是什么好话。

LL: No, it isn't. Bonkers means¹ crazy. Even though I love my family, they have all these annoying habits that drive me bonkers.

LH: 噢， make you bonkers就是你都快疯了。这我就不懂了，你很爱你的父母，这是毫无疑问的。可是他们有哪些习惯会让你受不了呢？

LL: Well, there is my mom. She is a great housekeeper², but when she comes to my apartment, she rearranges everything. It drives me bonkers, because I can't find anything!

LH: 这我完全理解。你妈是好意，看你屋里太乱，帮你整理整理。可是东西找不到的时候可真着急， 火气就上来了。我妈来看我的时候总是看电视，吵得我都没法看书。That drove³ me bonkers。

LL: And I bet⁴ your mom is the kind of person that would go bonkers if it was always quiet. She probably likes the noise and activity.

LH: 你说得一点都没错。我妈是个很活跃的人，一静下来她就受不了。

LL: Then there's my little sister. She drives me bonkers because she is always complaining that there is nothing to do. She says she is bored.

LH: 你也别怪你小妹妹，没事干也是很难受的。我回中国探亲的时候，每天不是吃饭就是聊天，真是很枯燥，有时真受不了。 Sometimes, it drove me bonkers, too.

LL: Speaking of talking and eating, my brother is making me bonkers because he talks endlessly and has eaten up everything in my house! I've got to go to the grocery⁵ store again.

LH: 噢，你弟弟也一起来啦？他那么爱说话，跟我妈在一起倒不错！(哈，哈...)不过，年轻人能吃，你当然得去超市给他去买吃的了！

LL: It is okay, Li Hua. Even though I complain about my family, I really do love them. For everything they do that drives me bonkers, there is something wonderful they do, too.

LH: 我知道，抱怨归抱怨，但是家人总是亲人。尽管他们有让我们受不了的地方，但是他们对我们总是出于爱心，为我们作了许多事。

LL：Li Hua, do I drive you bonkers sometimes?

LH: 没有啦！你是个好朋友. You never drive me bonkers.

******

LH: Larry, 你好像没有抱怨过你的父亲，看来你们家里至少有一个人没有drive you bonkers.

LL: Oh, no, my dad is driving me bonkers, too. He is such a tightwad!

LH: 什么？你父亲是什么？

LL: He is a tightwad because he doesn't like to spend money on anything. He is very stingy with his money.

LH: 噢，tightwad就是小气，不肯花钱。其实节省也不是坏事。

LL: Yes, but let me give you an example. My dad knows my apartment is very small, but he is such a tightwad that he didn't want to spend money on a hotel.

LH: 这个例子倒挺能说明问题。你这么一小间屋子，你爸爸妈妈带着弟弟一起来挤在你这儿是不太方便。

LL: That is right. It would have been much more comfortable for them to have a hotel room, but my dad is too much of a tightwad for that!

LH: 对，他们住在旅馆里，大家都舒服多了。这么看，你爸爸是很小气。不过，我父母也一样，他们来美国探亲时总舍不得到餐馆去吃饭， 说在外面吃太贵。

LL: My dad is the same way about eating out, too. I hope that when I have kids I won't be such a tightwad.

LH: 你爸爸也不肯出去吃饭哪！我看你呀，Larry，有了孩子后绝不会像你爸爸那样。 其实，作父母的也不容易，要养家，要供孩子读书，花销很大啊。

LL: That's true. If my dad wasn't such a tightwad about the little things, maybe he wouldn't have been able to send me to college.

LH: 那到是，要是你爸爸不这么精打细算，你现在可能还上不了大学呢。你的弟弟妹妹也要上大学的，所以你父亲节约是有道理的。

LL: You are right, Li Hua. I'll forgive my dad for being a tightwad。But the rest of my family is still driving me bonkers!

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是drive someone bonkers, 意思是令人生气，受不了。另一个常用语是tightwad，意思是小气鬼、吝啬鬼。
 

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

3 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。

4 bet   

v.打赌，以(与)...打赌；n.赌注，赌金；打赌

参考例句：

• I bet you can't do this puzzle.我敢说，你解决不了这个难题。
• I offered to bet with him.我提出与他打赌。

5 grocery   

n.食品，杂货；食品杂货店

参考例句：

• There used to be a grocery store on the corner.以前在这个街角有家杂货店。
• Her mother began operation of a small grocery.她母亲开始经营一家小杂货店。