Fred: ①So, was it just me, or did someone spike the punch last night?
Susan: Huh, I thought it tasted a bit strong. But that’s not good if someone actually did that. It’s not the same as it was in school. ②Because now, besides impairing the judgment of those driving home, there could have been a recovering alcoholic in our class who just fell off the wagon thanks to some immature prankster.
Fred: Yeah, those are certainly concerns that never seemed to plague us in our younger days. It’s a testament to the wider perspective provided us by father time.
Susan: So did you hit it off with any old flames yesterday? I could’ve sworn I spotted a few divorcees eyeing you like their next prey.
Fred: Funny you should mention that. I did have a few admirers come over and strike up a conversation. I was a pretty easy target for a chat, since my feet were firmly planted as far from the dance floor as possible.
Susan: Well, one hurdle at a time, right?
Fred: Right. And how about yourself? I couldn’t help but notice you and Mike looking awfully chummy over there in the corner, right next to that 50-proof fruit punch. A coincidence? I think not.
Susan: ③You just love to twist the knife don’t you?
Fred: What do you mean? You two seemed to pick up right where you left off in high school.
Susan: ④Well, yes and no. He’s…not the man I expected. Fred: How so?
Susan: He seemed…lacking, like there was something missing in his life, a void of some sort. And I got the impression that he was counting on me to fill that emptiness. I mean, that’s just way too much responsibility on my shoulders. Maybe, as a young girl, I found that kind of longing fervor romantic, but now it all seems a bit juvenile.
Fred: So, are you gonna go on a date with him? Give him a chance at redemption?
Susan: Mmmm…Nah! I’ve got my eye on someone else; an old friend, with a penchant for giving sage advice.
Fred: Sounds like a lucky guy.
Susan: You tell me, you feeling lucky?
弗雷德:那昨晚,是我還是其他什么人在賓治里加了烈酒呢?
蘇珊:呵,我感覺(jué)那酒的度數(shù)是有點(diǎn)高。如果有人真的往里面加了烈酒就不太好了?,F(xiàn)在可不比在學(xué)校那會(huì)兒。因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)在這樣做的話(huà),除了會(huì)削弱駕車(chē)回家人士的判斷力外,還可能會(huì)令班上已經(jīng)戒了酒的人酒癮復(fù)發(fā),那可真是多虧了那個(gè)不成熟的搗蛋鬼。
弗雷德:是啊,這些問(wèn)題我們年輕的時(shí)候似乎從來(lái)就沒(méi)擔(dān)心過(guò)。可見(jiàn)歲月讓我們懂得更全面地考慮問(wèn)題了。
蘇珊:那你昨天有沒(méi)有和哪個(gè)老相好擦出火花?我敢發(fā)誓我看到幾個(gè)離異的同學(xué)看你的眼神就像在物色對(duì)象。
弗雷德:你提得正好。確實(shí)有幾個(gè)傾慕我的人過(guò)來(lái)和我搭訕。我一直都盡量呆在遠(yuǎn)離舞池的地方,所以我很容易成為閑聊的對(duì)象。
蘇珊:嗯,慢慢來(lái),對(duì)吧?
弗雷德:對(duì)。你呢?我不經(jīng)意間發(fā)現(xiàn)你和邁克在那個(gè)角落里親密得很,緊挨著那瓶25度水果賓治。你倆是碰巧湊一塊嗎?我覺(jué)得應(yīng)該不是。
蘇珊:你就愛(ài)揭人傷疤是不是?
弗雷德:你啥意思?你倆貌似自高中分手后又重新開(kāi)始了。
蘇珊:嗯,不好說(shuō),是,也不是。他……不是那個(gè)我要等的人。
弗雷德:怎么會(huì)呢?
蘇珊:他似乎……缺了點(diǎn),就好像他生命里缺了點(diǎn)什么,某種空缺。而我覺(jué)得他指望我去填補(bǔ)那個(gè)空缺。我的意思是,我感覺(jué)我承擔(dān)的責(zé)任有點(diǎn)重。也許,當(dāng)以前還是個(gè)小女孩的時(shí)候,我會(huì)覺(jué)得那種熾熱的情感很浪漫,但現(xiàn)在只會(huì)覺(jué)得那樣不太成熟。
弗雷德:那么,你打算和他約會(huì)嗎?給他一個(gè)補(bǔ)償?shù)臋C(jī)會(huì)?
蘇珊:唔……不啦!我已經(jīng)看上別人了;一個(gè)老朋友,一個(gè)老愛(ài)給人忠告的老朋友。
弗雷德:看來(lái)那人運(yùn)氣不錯(cuò)。
蘇珊:那你告訴我,你覺(jué)得自己運(yùn)氣是不是不錯(cuò)?
Smart Sentences
① So, was it just me, or did someone spike the punch last night? 那昨晚,是我還是其他什么人在賓治里加了烈酒呢?
spike the punch: add alcohol to the punch(往賓治里加酒,通常是烈酒)。例如:
Jack, don’t you dare spike the punch. These people have a long drive home after the party.
杰克,你別想往賓治里加酒,派對(duì)之后這些人要開(kāi)車(chē)行駛很長(zhǎng)的路才到家。
② Because now, besides impairing the judgment of those driving home, there could have been a recovering alcoholic in our class who just fell off the wagon thanks to some immature prankster. 因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)在這樣做的話(huà),除了會(huì)削弱駕車(chē)回家人士的判斷力外,還可能會(huì)令班上已經(jīng)戒了酒的人酒癮復(fù)發(fā),那可真是多虧了那個(gè)不成熟的搗蛋鬼。
fall off the wagon: resume drinking alcohol again after quitting(戒酒后再喝酒)。例如:
Both my brothers got clean for two years and have never fallen off the wagon.
我的兩個(gè)哥哥滴酒不沾兩年了,一直沒(méi)有再喝過(guò)。
③ You just love to twist the knife don’t you? 你就愛(ài)揭人傷疤是不是?
twist the knife: do or say sth. to make an unpleasant situation more unpleasant(揭他人瘡疤)。例如:
Can you please stop talking about your acceptance to Yale? It’s twisting the knife for poor David—he failed his college entrance exam.
拜托你能不能別再說(shuō)你被耶魯大學(xué)錄取的事?可憐的大衛(wèi)的大學(xué)入學(xué)試考砸了,你這是在揭他的瘡疤。
④ Well, yes and no. He’s…not the man I expected. 嗯,不好說(shuō),是,也不是。他……不是那個(gè)我要等的人。
yes and no: used when you can’t give a definite answer because the answer is in some ways yes and in other ways no(不能說(shuō)定,是也不是)。 例如:
—Are you excited to see your old love after all these years?
過(guò)了這么多年再見(jiàn)到你的舊愛(ài),是不是很興奮?
—Yes and no. It’s a bit complicated.
是,也不是。這事有點(diǎn)復(fù)雜。