美国之音《流行美语》 378 dodge a bullet

　　Larry和李华开车去多伦多渡假，结果在路上遇到了一些问题。他们会用到两个常用语：Dodge¹ a bullet和cheapskate。
LH: Larry, 还要开多长时间才到多伦多啊?
Larry: If we don't make any more stops, we should get there by nightfall.
LH: 啊，天黑的时候才能到？可我已经快饿死了! 咱们停下来找点东西吃吧？
Larry: Actually, we have a free dinner waiting for us at the hotel in Toronto.
LH: 我知道酒店有免费晚餐，可是还要几个小时才能吃到，我坚持不住啦!
Larry: You know me, Lihua, I'm a cheapskate. Sorry.
LH: Cheesecake? 你带了芝士蛋糕? 快给我吃！
Larry: No, not cheesecake... cheapskate. A cheapskate is someone who is very cheap, or doesn't like to spend money.
LH: Cheapskate就是小气鬼。没错，你就是个cheapskate! 要不是你舍不得花钱，我们才不会选多伦多渡假呢，早买张飞机票飞去泰国了!
Larry: Thailand? Don't be ridiculous! Even if I wasn't a cheapskate, you know we can't afford to go that far away for vacation!
LH: 那，就算去不起泰国，咱们停下车吃顿饭总可以吧？
Larry: If we stop for food, we'll waste time, gas, and money. I think we should just wait until we get to Toronto.
LH: Why are you being such a cheapskate?? 咱们刚开始约会的时候，你可是特别喜欢给我买吃的呢!
Larry: Oh, yeah, I remember that... Actually, now that I think about it, I think I might have some of that candy you like in my backpack...something like a white rabbit, right?
LH: 大白兔奶糖？哪里？！(Sound of LH shuffling² through a bag) 还真有诶! 可这包已经过期了。不过我太饿，将就吃了!
Larry: Phew! Looks like I dodged³ a bullet there.
******
LH: (With candy in her mouth) Dodge a bullet? 躲避子弹？你又在说什么我听不懂的话了？
Larry: To dodge a bullet means to narrowly escape a very bad situation. For example, a second ago you were about to get really angry because I wouldn't stop for food, but luckily, I had that bag of Chinese candy to keep you happy!
LH: 哦, to dodge a bullet意思就是 “逃过一劫”，躲过了非常糟糕的事情。你说，要不是因为你包里正好有糖，我肯定会因为饿肚子而大发脾气，所以你算是躲过了我的一顿数落。
Larry: That's right.
LH: 可是吃糖吃不饱啊!
Larry: We have a perfectly⁴ wonderful - and free - dinner waiting for us in Toronto. Sorry, Lihua, we're not stopping.
(ding! The gasoline light comes on)
Larry: Uh-oh.
LH: Larry， 什么声音？是不是没油啦？你看看!几个小时前我不是让你把油箱加满么!
Larry: I heard the gas is a lot cheaper in Toronto, so I didn't want to buy more gas than I needed to... I thought this would be enough for us to reach Toronto!
LH: 啊？你因为觉得加拿大的汽油便宜，就不舍得在美国加油，打算坚持到多伦多再说？你怎么这么小气! Cheapskate!
Larry: I hope we can find a gas station in time... I haven't seen any signs for a gas station for awhile...
LH: 我的老天! 附近没有加油站？那我们岂不是要身陷荒野!
Larry: Don't worry, we always have my cell phone if we need to call for help.
LH: 打电话求救？呃，我刚才一直拿你的手机玩游戏，已经没电了。
Larry: Oh good grief⁵. Luckily, I think I have an extra battery in my backpack. Check the outside pocket.
LH: 啊! 真的，这里有块备用电池! We dodged a bullet! 我们逃过了一劫!
Larry: Speaking of dodging⁶ a bullet, it looks like there's a gas station a few miles ahead. We should be able to get there without a problem.
LH: 太好了! 前面有加油站，咱们快去把油箱加满!
Larry: OK, I won't be such a cheapskate this time.
LH: 对!这次别再小气了! 还有，在加油站给我买点吃的来!
Larry: OK, fine. You got it.
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是dodge a bullet，意思是“逃过一劫”。另一个是cheapskate，意思是“小气鬼”。

1 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

2 shuffling   

adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

3 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

5 grief   

n.悲伤，悲痛，悲伤的事，悲痛的缘由

参考例句：

• Don't allow yourself to sink into grief,it can do no good.不要使自己陷入悲哀之中，这样一点好处也没有。
• After her mother died,she abandoned herself to grief.母亲死后，她沉浸于悲痛之中。

6 dodging   

n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He ran across the road, dodging the traffic. 他躲开来往的车辆跑过马路。
• I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic. 我避开车流穿过了公路。 来自辞典例句