流行美语 (Popular American) 281

小燕下班后，跟Larry到一家爱尔兰酒吧去喝酒。今天我们要学两个常用语，一个是tough call, 一个是tone¹ it down.

(Sound of a bar and Irish music in the background)

LL: Wow, Xiaoyan, you must be exhausted². Did you work a full shift³?

XY: 我今天连着当了两班，double Shift, 快累瘫了。好在这是纽约，能赚不少小费。

LL: So let's eat and drink, shall we? Here's the menu.

XY: 好啊，我饿极了。你觉得点点儿什么好？

LL: It's a tough call, Xiaoyan. There are a lot of great choices, so it's difficult to say that one in particular is the best.

XY: 这有什么好难的！我告诉你什么叫难吧，我的日子才叫难呢！

LL: You know? You are different than Li Hua when you don't understand something. She's so sweet...and you're...

XY: 我怎么样？你是不是觉得我太张扬，不够温柔？我跟李华可不一样。(语气中带有一丝嫉妒)

LL: 'A tough call' is a difficult decision to make, especially when there are so many choices or when something is not clear. For example, choosing the best meal on this menu is a tough call, because so many choices are good!

XY: 我知道了，tough call是说很难选择。你是说菜单上很多东西好像都不错，所以很难决定，it's a tough call. 你看，这还有这么多种啤酒，我真不知道该点哪种。It's a tough call too.

LL: Not for me! Excuse me, waiter, I'll have a Guinness please. Make that two Guinnesses, because my friend here is battling a tough call on what beer to order. So have you had to make any other tough calls in your life recently, Xiaoyan?

XY: 有啊。我正拿不定主意，不知道该回去读书，还是再在金龙干一年，多赚点钱。It's really a tough call!

LL: Yeah, especially since you live in New York, where there are lots of opportunities, yet high costs of living. Ah, here come our beers!

XY: 来，让我们为年轻和机会干杯。

*******

LL: The beers are good! How do you like your food, Xiaoyan? Is it better than Golden Dragon's food?

XY: Ha! That's not a tough call at all. 金龙的菜是最好的！

(Cut off due to blaring music音乐声音放大)

LL: (Shouting over the music)Wow that's loud! I wish they'd tone it down!

XY: 什么？ Tone it down? 你是想说 turn it down 吧。

LL: Just a minute. (to the waiter) Hey, could you turn down the music, please? We're trying to have a conversation, and we can't hear each other's voices. Thanks!

(音乐声音变小)

XY: Larry, tone it down和turn it down的区别到底在哪里啊？

LL: Well, 'turn it down' means to reduce the noise level of things like music and overall⁴ voice level. 'Tone it down' means to cool the overall tone or attitude that someone or someplace has.

XY: 我有点明白了。Turn it down是降低音量。Tone it down是降低声调、语气、改善态度、变得更为和缓的意思。Tone it down能用来指行动吗？比如说，我想请你吃饭，因为我觉得你...

LL: Oh my, Xiaoyan. I think you DO need to tone it down. Perhaps you've had too many beers, haha!

XY: 那其他情况呢？比如说生活习惯和穿着打扮，can we use 'tone it down' for that, too?

LL: Yes. If people are acting⁵ out of control, or if they are wearing obnoxious⁶ clothing to a formal party, then they need to tone it down.

XY: (生气地) 你是说我的穿着、举止不得体吗？

LL: Hey, Xiaoyan, tone it down. There's no reason to get excited and upset at me. I don't mean YOU specifically⁷. I'm talking about a situation in general.

XY: 那好，这次原谅你。啊，你看那个男的，怎么穿了一件粉红色的外衣，太离谱了。Now, HE needs to tone it down. 不好，他好像冲我们走过来了。

LL: It's your lucky day, Xiaoyan. He's coming over here to buy you a drink!

XY: 不好，三十六计走为上！我们赶快买单吧。

LL: Absolutely. Check please!

我们今天学习了两个常用语。一个是tough call, 意思上很难做的选择。另一个是tone it down, 是指降低语音、语调，让举止、态度变得更加和缓的意思。
 

1 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

2 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

3 shift   

n.交换，变化，移动，接班者；vt.更替，移转，变声；vi.改变，定责，更衣

参考例句：

• Lend me a hand to shift this box,will you?来帮一下忙，把这箱子搬开，好吗？
• A sudden shift in the wind warned of the coming storm.风向的突然改变预示暴风雨来临。

4 overall   

n.工作服，工装裤；全面的，全体的

参考例句：

• The shop assistant was wearing a white overall.那店员穿着白色的工作服。
• How much will it cost overall?一共多少钱？

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 obnoxious   

adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的

参考例句：

• These fires produce really obnoxious fumes and smoke.这些火炉冒出来的烟气确实很难闻。
• He is the most obnoxious man I know.他是我认识的最可憎的人。

7 specifically   

adv.明确地，具体地；特别地，特意

参考例句：

• The book was written specifically for children.这本书是特地为儿童编写的。
• I told you specifically not to do that.我明确地告诉你不要那样做。