流行美語 第241課

Larry和李华正在一起吃午饭。李华今天要学两个常用语a Cuppa Joe和Guilty¹ Pleasure。

LL: I am so sleepy! What I need right now, Li Hua, is a cuppa joe.

LH: A cuppa joe ? 我确实有个朋友叫Joe，他怎么能帮你提神呢？

LL: No, I don't need your friend Joe. "I need a cuppa joe" is a way of saying "I need a cup of coffee."

LH: 我知道了，"cuppa"是"cup of"的缩写，可我还是不明白"Joe"怎么会是咖啡呢？

LL: You wouldn't be alone in that, Li Hua. Most Americans don't know why we call coffee "Joe", but we have for a long time, and we still say it today.

LH: 对呀，只要说起来方便，大家都知道是什么意思就好了。Larry, 你干嘛急着要喝咖啡呀？

LL: I stayed up too late watching a movie on television last night, and today I am so tired. Having a cuppa joe would really help me get through my work day.

LH: 原来是你自己晚上看电视，不好好睡觉，怪不得会那么困，要靠"a cuppa joe"里的咖啡因来提神。

LL: So I am definitely² ordering a cuppa joe with lunch. How about you, Li Hua? Would you like a cuppa joe?

LH: 我才不要"a cuppa joe", 我又不爱喝咖啡。

LL: If you don't want a cuppa joe, then what are you going to order to drink?

LH: 我要一杯茶好了。

LL: I've heard that a cup of tea doesn't have quite as much caffeine as a cuppa joe. Is that true?

LH: 是呀，茶里所含的咖啡因确实不如咖啡多。

LL: Then why would anyone want to drink tea instead of a cuppa joe?

LH: 据我所知，除了咖啡因含量低以外，茶对人体还有其它许多咖啡没有的好处，特别是绿茶。听说绿茶里的抗氧化物质还能防癌呢。

LL: But I still can't live without my cuppa joe.

******

LH: Larry, 你真的那么喜欢喝咖啡吗？

LL: I guess you could say that drinking coffee is one of my guilty pleasures.

LH: 喜欢喝咖啡也算犯罪吗？

LL: A guilty pleasure is something you like to do, but isn't good for you. I'm not guilty of a crime³ when I drink coffee, but I do know there are better things I could be drinking.

LH: 我知道了，A guilty pleasure的意思是一种内疚的快感，就是说你明知道喝咖啡可能不如喝茶和喝水对身体好，但你还是愿意喝咖啡。

LL: That's right. What about you Li Hua, do you have any guilty pleasures?

LH: 我，当然有了，其中之一就是冰激凌。

LL: Ah yes, how could I forget? Eating ice cream is definitely a guilty pleasure for you.

LH: 我知道冰激凌是高糖和高脂肪的食品，我也担心吃多了会胖，可我就是管不住自己。这不能算是最糟糕的guilty pleasure吧。

LL: Some people like to drink alcohol⁴ or to gamble⁵. These are guilty pleasures you have to be really careful about.

LH: 是呀，酗酒和赌博都会让人上瘾，带来各种各样的问题。这些guilty pleasure可不是闹着玩的。不过我想，大多数guilty pleasure都是无害的吧。

LL: Yes, my mother's guilty pleasure was taking a bubble⁶ bath on Sunday afternoons.

LH: 星期天下午洗泡沫浴，这也算guilty pleasure吗？

LL: She felt like she should be taking care of me and my brother and sister, but instead her guilty pleasure was to enjoy the quiet relaxation⁷ of some time alone in the bath tub⁸.

LH: 她内疚是因为觉得应该照顾孩子，不应该自己躲起来享受啊。Larry, 咱们的午饭和你的Cuppa joe来了，快吃吧。

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是a Cuppa joe，意思是一杯咖啡。另外一个是guilty pleasure, 意思是带有内疚的快感。

1 guilty   

adj.犯罪的；有罪的；内疚的

参考例句：

• There wasn't enough evidence to prove him guilty.没有充分的证据证明他有罪。
• Really honest people are ofter made to feel guilty.真正老实的人常被弄得感到犯了罪似的。

2 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

3 crime   

n.犯罪，罪行，罪恶

参考例句：

• You'll have to pay for your crime.你得为你的罪行付出代价。
• Crime in our big cities is on the increase.在我们大城市里犯罪率正在增长。

4 alcohol   

n.酒精，乙醇；含酒精的饮料

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors.法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。
• The alcohol is industrial.这些酒精是供工业用的。

5 gamble   

n.冒险；v.赌博，孤注一掷

参考例句：

• Setting up this business was a bit of a gamble.开办这样的公司有点冒险。
• Drive carefully and don't gamble with your life.小心驾驶，别拿你的生命冒险。

6 bubble   

n.泡，水泡，气泡；泡影，妄想；v.(使)起泡

参考例句：

• The water begins to bubble.水开始起泡了。
• Their hopes of success have burst like a bubble.他们成功的希望已经成了泡影。

7 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。

8 tub   

n.桶，塑料杯，纸杯；盆，洗澡盆，浴缸

参考例句：

• The girl washed clothes in a tub.那女孩把衣服放在木盆里洗。
• The tub needs fixing too.It leaks.浴盆也得修了。它漏。