流行美语 (Popular American) 342

李华和Larry在夏威夷渡假。今天我们要学两个常用语： pale in comparison和blown away。

LH: Larry, 我简直不能相信今天是我们在夏威夷的最后一天了！真舍不得走。

L: I know! I feel like we just got here, and now we already have to think about going back home.

LH: 所以我们得珍惜这最后一天，咱们来点刺激的，空中跳伞怎么样？

L: Sky diving? Wow, that would be really crazy! All of our other activities would pale in comparison with sky diving.

LH: Pale in comparison? 什么意思？

L: You can say that something pales in comparison when it is much smaller or less significant than something else.

LH: 哦，pale in comparison就是远远不如，逊色很多。你是说，和空中跳伞相比，我们在夏威夷玩儿的其它东西就逊色多了，简直太没劲了。

L: Exactly! Or for another example, I could say that John decided¹ to accept a new job at a different company because his old salary paled in comparison with the one he was offered.

LH: 你是说， John跳槽到一家新公司，因为人家给他的薪水比原来公司的高得太多了。

L: Right! But I don't know about sky diving Lihua. It sounds really dangerous.

LH: 不用害怕! 你就是走在大马路上，也可能摔跟头啊！难道你因为担心这个就不出门走路了？

L: True, but I think the danger of walking down the street pales in comparison to the danger of sky diving.

LH: 好吧。那咱们去坐直升机好了，可以鸟瞰美丽的夏威夷!

L: I agree. I think the natural scenery back home pales in comparison with the incredible² natural scenery here.

LH: 那当然了! 不过，虽然夏威夷景色怡人，但物价也比其它地方贵。咱们坐直升机肯定得花好多钱。

L: You're right. The prices of things back home really pale in comparison with the prices in Hawaii.

LH: 但是咱们都来了，不去肯定会遗憾的!

L: I think you're right. Let's do it!

******

LH: Larry, 怎么样？这趟直升机之旅很棒吧？

L: Yeah, that was great!I was really blown away by how beautiful the natural scenery was.

LH: Blown away? 被风吹走？你没被吹走啊。

L: Actually Lihua, when you say that you were blown away by something, that means that you were really amazed.

LH: 哦，原来be blown away就是感到震惊的意思。你是说，咱们在空中看到的美景彻底让你瞠目结舌。

L: Right! Here is another example. When I went to the Sichuan restaurant, I knew that the food would be a little spicy³. But I was really blown away by just how spicy it was!

LH: 哦，虽然你本来就知道四川菜辣，但直到真把川菜吃到嘴里后，才发现它们可比你想象的辣多了。对了，Larry， 那天咱们去钓鱼，我的垂钓技术有没有让你blown away, 对我刮目相看呢？

L: Lihua, I'm sorry to say that I was not blown away by your fishing skills. Just catching⁴ one big fish on your first try is beginner's luck.

LH: 抓到鱼是我运气好？才不是呢！对了，我还听人说过"blow their mind"这也是一个意思么？

L: Exactly. For example, I had seen pictures of the Grand Canyon⁵ in books. But when I finally went there, seeing it in person really blew my mind.

LH: 大峡谷的美景的确会让人叹为观止! 对了，上次我做的麻婆豆腐也让你惊艳了吧!

L: Absolutely! When I tasted your mapo tofu for the first time, it completely blew my mind. I couldn't believe how delicious it was.

LH: 你还挺会说话。对了，我们下午得早点出发去机场，别遇到堵车。

L: I know! I was blown away by how crowded the airport was when we landed.

LH: 不过比起纽约的交通，这里就算不错了。

L: Oh sure, the lines at the airport here pale in comparison to big US cities.

LH: 说到纽约，马上就要回去了，又得上班了，真烦人。

L: Lihua, I have just one rule for going on vacation: never mention work!

今天李华学了两个常用语。个是pale in comparison, 表示不能比，逊色很多。另一个是blown away, 意思是大吃一惊。

　

 

1 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。

2 incredible   

adj.难以置信的，不可信的，极好的，大量的

参考例句：

• Some planets run at incredible speed.某些星球以难以置信的速度运行着。
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.她的回答显示出不可思议的愚蠢。

3 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。