流行口語 第148課

Larry 和李华在商量下星期三有没有时间去听爵士音乐．今天李华会学到两个常用语： to play something by ear 和 strapped¹.

LH: Larry，我看到一张爵士音乐会的海报．我很想去，怎么样，你下星期三有没有空去听呢？

LL: I don't know. I have several papers due next week and I'm not sure if I'll have time. Let's play it by ear, okay?

LH: 哇～，你下星期得交好几份报告啊？那肯定没有空了．疑？你刚才说： Let's play it by ear，你想玩什么啊？玩耳朵啊？

LL: No! "To play something by ear" is to wait and see if something is possible and to be flexible rather than set any firm plans.

LH: 哦～， play something by ear 就是想做一件事，可是又不能确定是否可能，只好到时候看情况再说啰，吔！那就像我们中文里说的“看情况而定”！

LL: Right. I just can't make any definite plans right now, so I prefer to play it by ear.

LH: 所以你刚才的意思是，你要再等等看能不能及时写完报告，然后才能确定能不能去音乐会！ 对了，你不是答应我下星期六要去博物馆吗？那，你还能去吗？

LL: Oh, I forgot that I promised to go with you. Can we play that by ear, too?

LH: 你怎么把答应我的事都忘了嘛！我特别想去那个博物馆！你不能去也得早一点告诉我嘛！

LL: Just because I want to play it by ear doesn't mean that we definitely² won't go. It just means that I'm not certain.

LH: Larry，下回啊你要约我上那儿去，我也要学你说： Let's play it by ear，到时候再说！

LL: That's not fair, Li Hua. It's not my fault that I can't make any definite plans because I have so much work to do.

LH: 哎哟．好啦好啦，说真的，这也不是你的错．那～我们只好看情况再说啰！

LL: All right, I'll call you the day before the concert to let you know if we should get tickets, okay?

LH：到音乐会前一天再告诉我，那哪还买得到票啊！ Let's play it by ear!

……………………………………………………….

LL: Hey, Li Hua, I can't go to the concert with you. I'm sorry, but I'm really strapped for time.

LH: 喔， Larry，你不能去听音乐会啊，没关系．我听说啊票子早就卖完了．你刚才说： strapped for time，那是什么意思啊？

LL: Oh, to be "strapped" for time or money means that you don't have enough of it.

LH: 哦～，我懂了． Strapped for something 就是缺少什么东西．你因为有很多报告要完成，所以没有时间去听音乐会了．所以， You're strapped for time，对吗？

LL: Exactly. I still have 20 pages to write by Friday.

LH: 你星期五以前还有 20 页的报告要写啊，那很多耶！那～，星期六你还去博物馆吗？

LL: Yes！I should be finished with everything by Friday, so I won't be strapped for time this weekend.

LH: 你真的能在星期五以前把报告都写完啊！那你这个周末就有时间陪我去看博物馆啰． You'll not be strapped for time this weekend, right?

LL: Yes, I promise to go with you.

LH: 那太好了！我好高兴这个星期六我们能一块儿出去，因为啊下个周末我就要忙了， I will be strapped for time next weekend!

LL: Why? Do you have a paper due?

LH: 就是啊．下个周末啊，我得写完一篇英文课的报告，所以肯定不能出去了。

LL: Let me know if you need any help with that. Listen, I'm sorry, but I'm too strapped for time to talk any more right now. I'll talk to you after Friday, okay?

LH: 没问题，等你星期五写完报告再打电话给我吧。

 

　　今天李华学到了两个常用语，一个是： play something by ear，就是“现在还不能确定，要等 (到时候看) 情况再说”；另一个常用语是： strapped，也就是缺乏什么，通常是指“缺乏时间或者是金钱”。

 

1 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。