流行美语 第105课 to push one's luck / crackpot

Larry 和李华正在课间休息的时候聊天，李华会学到两个常用语：to push one's luck和crackpot。

LH: Larry, 我已经好久都没有为我的论文做研究了。我想今天不去上Wilkins教授的课而去图书馆。

LL: I dunno, Li Hua. You'll really be pushing your luck if you miss class again.

LH: Pushing-my-luck? Pushing是推的意思，luck是运气，我不懂耶！pushing my luck是什么意思。

LL: I said you will be pushing your luck. "To push your luck" means to take a chance when you've already done something risky¹.

LH: 噢，pushing-your-luck就是已经做了冒风险的事，可是啊！还想再进一步碰碰运气，是这个意思吗？

LL: That's right. The first two times, the professor didn't give you any trouble. But every time you miss a class, you are taking an even bigger risk. You are pushing your luck.

LH: 对噢，那两次没去上课，教授没说什么。要是我今天再不去上课，万一教授不高兴，我不就麻烦了吗？ Larry，你不也是这样吗？你那台车，煞车都坏了，你还到处开，不也是碰运气，希望它不出事吗？

LL: That's right. One day, I was almost in a car wreck², so I decided³ to stop pushing my luck and have the brakes fixed⁴. I was so stupid.

LH: 我还不知道你差一点出车祸呢！哎呀，你看，你非要push your luck，非要到差一点出车祸的时候才去修车。真危险！ Larry，这么说，to push one's luck只能指冒风险，碰运气吗？

LL: Generally yes. But sometimes, if someone keeps asking you for favors, you might tell them "don't push your luck!"

LH: 我最近就碰到这么一个人，我帮了她一点忙，她就没完没了了，要求一个接一个。下回我就可以对她说：Don't push your luck! 对了，Larry，我还真想要你帮个忙，我能再借你的电脑用吗？这不算是push my luck吧？

LL: No, of course not. You're welcome to use my computer.

LH: 谢谢，Larry，你总是那么大方。我今天下午能借你的车吗？

LL: Yeah, OK... I guess...

LH: 那我能不能把你的电脑搬回家用一个礼拜呢？

LL: You're pushing your luck, Li Hua!

LH: 哈哈... 跟你开玩笑嘛！

******

LH: 哎哟，老天爷， Wilkins教授真是怪。他在上课的时候花了最后二十分钟给我们讲他每天吃多少维他命，为什么要吃这些维他命。

LL: What? (laughs) Don't worry about it, Li Hua. Everyone knows Professor Wilkins is a crackpot.

LH: 他是什么？你是说他吸毒吗？

LL: No, of course not... I said that he's a crackpot. A crackpot is a crazy person. Or maybe just someone who holds very strong, crazy opinions and ideas.

LH: 噢，crackpot是一个很怪的人，有稀奇古怪想法的人。嗨，Larry，有名的人是不是也是很怪的？

LL: Let me think... you know, most real crackpots don't become famous. But in his time, a lot of people thought that Christopher Columbus was a crackpot.

LH: 没错，真正怪的人一般是不会成名的。可是哥伦布的情况就不一样了。当时人们认为他很怪，有神经病，因为他说航行可以围绕地球转，但是事实证明他是对的，所以他是聪敏，不能算是crackpot。

LL: I wonder if I or other students should talk to Professor Wilkins, and ask him to not talk about off-topic subjects in class. Would we be pushing our luck?

LH: 你和其他学生去跟Wilkins教授说别在上课时讲那些离题的内容？我想他不会在意的啦！

LL: What if we just told him to stop talking about his crackpot ideas in class.

LH: 你说什么？叫他别在课堂上讲他的那些神神道道的想法！Now that would be pushing your luck!

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是：to push one's luck。意思是已经做了有点风险的事，还想进一步碰碰运气。李华学到的另一个 常用语是：crackpot。这是指那种想法很奇怪的人。

1 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

2 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

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 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。