流行美语 第 37 课

李华到美国来念书还不到一年，纽约有好多地方她还没有去过。今天Michael 带
李华到一个夜总会去玩。李华有点紧张，但是她会学到两个常用语：uptight¹ 和to get
it 。

M：Hey Li Hua, why are you sitting over here next to the bar? Why don't you go out
and dance?
L：我为什么坐在这里，不去跳舞？我。。。有点累。
M：Oh come on! Don't be so uptight! Everyone is having a good time except for you.
L：你说除了我，每个人都很高兴？你叫我不要什么？什么是uptight?
M：I said, don't be uptight. Uptight means tense, irritable², or unable to relax.
L：Uptight 就是紧张，显得烦躁，不能放松。Uptight 这个词是怎么拼的？
M：Uptight, u-p-t-i-g-h-t. You really are uptight! We're at a dance club, and you're still
trying to learn English!
L：在夜总会问你一个英文字就说明我情绪紧张呀？我听不懂问你还不行吗？
M：Hmph. You're never this uptight when you are with your Chinese friends. You're
never afraid to sing karaoke, even it sounds so bad!
L：跟中国朋友在一起我当然不紧张咯，我跟他们都很熟嘛。我知道我唱卡拉OK
唱得很难听，但是我也不怕。
M：Hmm. Sometimes if I feel a bit uptight, I have a few beers. That helps me relax.
L：Michael，你得小心，不要在感到紧张的时候为了放松而喝酒。这样你会越喝
越多的。
M：I don't always drink when I feel uptight. Just sometimes.
L：要不是经常的话，那还可以。不过，我现在。。。不想喝酒。
M：Stop being so uptight, have a drink. Come on, I'll buy you something.
L：行，行。让我想想。。。我要一个Jack³ and Coke.
M：Be right back!
M：I don't get it, Li Hua. I thought You liked to dance.
L：你没有什么？Don't get 什么？
M：I said "I don't get it". Don't - get- it. That means I don't understand.
L：噢，don't get it 就是不懂。那要是我想学什么，可是又弄不清楚，弄不懂，我
就可以说："I don't get it." 对吗？
M：That's right! Like my dog, Ralph. I tried to teach him to sit whenever I tell him to.
But he still doesn't understand me. He doesn't get it.
L：等等，你要训练你的狗，叫它坐哪里就坐哪里，它弄不懂你的要求，这也能
说：He doesn't get it.
M：Yes. If I tell you a joke, and you understand it, you can say: "I get it."
L：要是我懂你说的笑话，我可以说："I get it." 可是，Michael, 你说的笑话，我
大多数都听不懂。
M：There you go again...you are always so uptight.
L：听不懂你的笑话也怪我紧张呀？Michael, you don't get it, 我根本就不紧张。
M：Wait, I get it! You're being uptight because Zhao Lifeng is dancing over there.
Everyone says you like him!
L：什么！说我喜欢赵立封！他在那儿跟别人跳舞，所以我就很紧张。Michael, you
really don't get it at all. 赵立封是我好朋友的男朋友，我要跟他跳舞，我的好朋友
就会生气。何况我也不喜欢他。
M：Whatever you say, Li Hua. But you still don't have to be so uptight. You can dance
with me.
L：好吧，我跟你跳舞，这样你就不会再说我uptight 了。(dance music)

今天李华学到两个常用语：to get it, or don't get it 意思是懂某件事，或弄不懂某件
事；另一个是：uptight，也就是一个人显得很紧张。

1 uptight   

adj.焦虑不安的，紧张的

参考例句：

• He's feeling a bit uptight about his exam tomorrow.他因明天的考试而感到有点紧张。
• Try to laugh at it instead of getting uptight.试着一笑了之，不要紧张。

2 irritable   

adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的

参考例句：

• He gets irritable when he's got toothache.他牙一疼就很容易发脾气。
• Our teacher is an irritable old lady.She gets angry easily.我们的老师是位脾气急躁的老太太。她很容易生气。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。