Donny在北京学汉语，他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教他。今天是Jimmy要问的：扫兴。
Donny: Jimmy, sorry I can't make it to your birthday party this weekend. 我明天要去香港。
Jimmy: That's okay, Donny. 说实话，我自己对这个生日派对也没什么兴趣。
Donny: Why? Last time we talked about it, you were really excited.
Jimmy: 还不是因为我女朋友老打击我! 她说，过生日意味着我又老了一岁，还说，我开party大吃大喝会变得更胖。唉，真扫兴!
Donny: Oh, no! Your girlfriend is such a wet blanket! All the bad things she said made you NOT look forward to the party.
Jimmy: wet blanket? w-e-t, wet, 是“潮湿”的意思，b-l-a-n-k-e-t, blanket, 是“毯子”。你说我女朋友是个湿糊糊的毯子？
Donny: Actually, a wet blanket 就是让别人扫兴的人或事。
Jimmy: 哦! a wet blanket 说话讨厌，专给别人的好心情泼冷水!
Donny: That's right. There is a similar phrase---party pooper. Pooper is spelled p-o-o-p-e-r. A party pooper is a person who refuses to go along with everyone else and join the fun.
Jimmy: 哦! Party pooper是在派对上扫大家兴的人! Donny, 要是我去一个party, 结果大家玩儿的游戏我都不参加，还老嚷着要回家，then I'm a party pooper，对不对？
Donny:标准的 party pooper! But Jimmy, in real life, you are by no means a party pooper, on the contrary, you're the life of the party!
Jimmy: The life of the party? 我是派对的生命？
Donny: 差不多! The life of the party is the most fun and exciting person at a party, you know, the person who makes the party fun for everyone else.
Jimmy: 哦，the life of the party 就是派对上的开心果! 有这种人在，气氛一定很high! 你别说，我还真是the life of the party! 哈哈!
Donny: Of course you are! So don't let your girlfriend ruin your spirits. Now, let's see what you've learned today!
Jimmy: 第一，让人扫兴的人或事是a wet blanket, 或者a party pooper；
第二，派对的灵魂人物，开心果, 是 the life of the party. |