流行美语 (Popular American) 331

李华正在帮Larry为面试做准备。今天我们要学两个常用语：shot in the arm和off the cuff¹.

LH: Larry, 明天早上求职面试，你现在心里是不是特别激动？

LL: Actually, I'm pretty nervous about this job interview. I really want to work at this company, so I need to make a good impression.

LH: 别紧张，你一定没问题。再说了，不录用你是他们的损失，象你这么出色的人才，想要你的公司多的是。

LL: Thanks Lihua. That encouragement is a real shot in the arm for me.

LH: A shot in the arm?

LL: You can say that something is a shot in the arm if it gives you a lot more confidence and energy.

LH: 哦，就是中文里说的强心针。你是说我刚才鼓励你的话大大地增强了你的信心吗？

LL: Right. For example, I could say that Joe was thinking of dropping out of his economics² class because it was so hard. But when he got an A on the midterm, it was a real shot in the arm and he decided³ not to quit.

LH: 就是说，期中考试得了A，极大增强了Joe对自己修完经济学这门课程的信心。

LL: Exactly. You know, Lihua, my career hasn't been going well lately, but I think this job could give it a real shot in the arm.

LH: 你现在的工作确实没什么发展潜力，换个新工作一定会对你今后的事业发展有好处。对了，我还没问你，你明天准备面试的那家公司是做什么的？

LL: Well Lihua, it's a small company that sells Chia Pets.

LH: 什么？是一家卖草头娃娃的零售商？

LL: Yeah, but it hasn't been doing well lately. I hope that with my business experience and passion for Chia Pets, I could give this company a real shot in the arm.

LH: 你当真啊？？？嗨，不管怎么说，我支持你去追求自己的梦想。

LL: Thanks, Lihua. Did you know that Chia Pets cost about $15 each? If everybody went out and bought one, it would give the economy a real shot in the arm.

LH: 好，为支持你，只要你得到这份工作，我保证一定去买一个草头娃娃。

******

LH: 言归正传，Larry, 你有没有想好他们可能会问你哪些问题呢？

LL: Well, just a little. But it would probably be good to practice a little bit.

LH: 那好，我假装考官，我们来模拟一下怎么样？

LL: Sounds good! It's important for me to prepare beforehand⁴, because I'm not good at speaking off the cuff.

LH: Speaking off the cuff? 这是什么意思啊？

LL: You can say that someone speaks off the cuff when he talks spontaneously⁵ without any preparation.

LH: 噢，就是在没有事先准备的情况下即兴发言。

LL: Right. For example, some politicians can speak very well when they have a speech prepared, but don't do well when they have to respond to questions off the cuff.

LH: 我明白了，你还记得上个周末我们一起去看电影，我穿了一件白色大衣，看上去圆滚滚的吗？你还说我象个大白兔奶糖。

LL: Oh come on Lihua, it was just an off-the-cuff remark! You know I didn't mean it.

LH: 我一点都没生气，反而觉得很好笑。Your off-the-cuff jokes are so funny. 对了，我以前听人说过 "off-hand," Off-hand跟off-the-cuff是同一个意思吗？

LL: It's very similar. An off-hand comment is something you didn't think about or consider very seriously before you said it.

LH: 忘记告诉你了Larry, 你带着这副厚厚的黑边眼镜活像一只眼镜猴。

LL: What? No I don't. I look very smart, like a scholar.

LH: 别生气啊，It was just an "off-hand" joke. 我是随便开玩笑的。

LL: Alright Lihua, I understand your point. I won't make any more off-hand jokes about your fashion sense. Now can we please get back to practicing for my interview?

LH: 那好，面试现在正式开始。 Larry, 你想加入我们公司来卖草头娃娃吗？

LL: Of course. I really love Chia Pets.

LH: 这我信，看你留的发型，就知道你是个草头娃娃的忠实爱好者。

LL: Another off-hand joke, Lihua?

LH: 哈哈哈.....对不起，你的发型跟草头娃娃实在是太象了。

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是shot in the arm, 意思是强心针。另一个是off the cuff, 或是off-hand, 意思是即兴的。
 

1 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

2 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

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 beforehand   

adj.事先，预先，提前地，超前地

参考例句：

• If I'd known this beforehand,I would not have gone back.早知如此，我就不回去了。
• They proposed to make arrangement beforehand.他们提议事先做好安排。

5 spontaneously   

ad.自发地

参考例句：

• We decided spontaneously to board a train for Geneva. 我们自行决定搭乘去日内瓦的火车。
• Opportunities for learning occur spontaneously every day. 学习的机会每天都会自然而然地出现。