春天来了，Larry和李华计划到外面转转，享受春天的美景。他们会用到两个常用语：to catch something和open minded。
Larry: What wonderful spring weather! We should get out and enjoy it, Lihua.
LH: 没错，咱们踏春去!
Larry: There are a lot of music festivals around town these days. Would you be interested in catching an outdoor show somewhere?
LH: Catch a show? "Catch"不是捕捉的意思吗? 怎么可能捕捉一个show呢?
Larry: Not that kind of catch, Lihua. Here, the word "catch" means to go to attend something, like a show.
LH: 哦，catch在这里不是“捕捉”，而是“参加某项活动”的意思。 To catch a show就是去看一场表演。
Larry: That's right! We could catch a rock concert.
LH: 啊？摇滚演唱会？太吵了! Let's catch a classical music performance instead. 我们去欣赏一场古典音乐。
Larry: Classical music? With music that boring and weather this nice, I'd surely fall asleep!
LH: 听古典乐你会睡觉？真是没有艺术细胞! 好了，你还有什么主意？
Larry: Well, we could always go catch a movie. There's a new action film that just came out.
LH: Catch a movie? 看电影？可那是在室内啊，可惜了这么好的天气!
Larry: That's OK. We can just enjoy the lovely weather - as we walk to the movie theater.
LH: 可我不是很想看电影....Wait! I know! 我们去运动运动吧，I feel like catching a game of tennis. 去打网球吧!
Larry: Well, you can't "catch" a game of tennis if you are playing it. If you are watching other people play, however, then you can say you are "catching" the game.
LH: 哦，to catch something是强调被动地，不需要费力就可以享受的那种参与。如果自己挥汗如雨地去打网球，就不能用catch, 可如果自己不用动，轻松地坐在一边看网球赛，就可以说catch a game of tennis 了! 这样吧 Larry, 咱们去博物馆看艺术展，怎么样？
Larry: Ah, I guess we could go to the museum...
LH: 你好像不太情愿啊!
Larry: Well, it's just that I had my mind set on going to that rock concert for awhile now.
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LH: 真不明白，那么吵闹的摇滚乐，有什么好听的。
Larry: Come on, Lihua. I think you should be more open-minded when it comes to music.
LH: Open-minded? 什么意思？
Larry: To be open-minded means to be open to new ideas or experiences.
LH: I get it. To be open minded就是宽容，思想开放的意思。这么说起来，Larry, 你就不是个open-minded，思想开放，勇于尝试的人。
Larry: No way! I am very open-minded, Lihua. I've done all sorts of crazy things with you that I wouldn't normally do.
LH：比如呢？
Larry: Well, like playing Mahjong with your friends. Even though I had to learn from scratch, I still kept an open mind and tried to have fun.
LH: 哈哈，你打麻将那次还真是出丑呢!
Larry: And I went camping last year with your friends. And even though it was cold and raining the entire time, I was open-minded and tried to enjoy myself.
LH: 好啦，我承认你是个优秀的男朋友!
Larry: Of course I am! And I'm not close-minded.
LH: Close-minded？ 我知道了，一定是open-minded的反义词，就是思想保守的。对不对？
Larry: That's right. You shouldn't be so close-minded to this rock concert thing.
LH: 那好，我们来个妥协。咱们先去看博物馆看艺术展，然后再去听摇滚乐，怎么样？我够open-minded了吧？
Larry: Great! Let's go!
今天李华学了两个常用语，一个是to catch something，意思是“观看观赏”。另一个是open-minded，意思是“思想开放的，肯接受新鲜事物的”。 |