VOA流行美语 Unit 78: HAVE COW / PACK RAT

今天Michael到李华的宿舍串门，李华会学到两个常用语：have a cow和pack rat。

M: Hey, Li Hua, what are you doing?

L: 哎哟，我在找我的眼镜，急死人了，找不到眼镜我怎么上课啊？

M: Calm down. Li Hua, don't have a cow. I'm sure you'll find them.

L: 你说什么？Don't have a cow? Cow, 这不是"母牛"的意思吗？哎，我这儿是学生宿舍，怎么能养母牛呢？

M: No, I said "don't have a cow", it means don't get too excited about something. I'm sure you'll find your glasses if you are patient enough.

L: 噢，我懂了，你是让我耐心点儿。你叫我Don't have a cow, 意思就是别着急、别慌，可是，Don't have a cow字面的意思明明是"别有母牛"。这跟"别惊慌"一点关系也没有，好奇怪哟！

M: Yeah, it is a little strange, but we still say it.

L: 好吧，就听你的， I won't have a cow, 再想想看，我可能把眼镜放在什么地方了。

M: Well, where did you see them last?

L: 我记得昨晚睡觉前把眼镜放在床边桌子上了。

M: Have you looked under the bed?

L: 有啊，我在床底下找过了，让我再看看。哎呀，你还真说对了，就在床底下呢！

M: See, I told you not to have a cow and I was right.

L: 可是，Michael, 你肯定平时也有惊慌失措的时候。比方说，要是我对你说，我把你的电脑弄坏了，你肯定会have a cow。

M: Yes, I would have a cow because I can't afford to buy a new one. Hey, Li Hua, You didn't really break my computer, did you?

L: Don't have a cow! 我是在跟你开玩笑啦！

******

M: Li Hua, you really have a lot of stuff. Is that the movie ticket from last week? You even saved that?

L: 噢，这是上星期的电影票。你说我这儿东西多啊，那是因为我喜欢把各样东西留起来。你看，除了电影票，我还有报纸杂志什么的。谁知道呢，说不定什么时候会有用呢！

M: You're really a pack rat. Look at all this stuff! No wonder you couldn't find your glasses.

L: 哎哟，Michael, 虽然我找不到眼镜可能是因为我这儿东西太多，可你也不该骂人啊？干吗说我是rat? Rat 那不是"老鼠"吗？

M: No, I didn't call you a rat. I said you are a pack rat. A pack rat is someone who saves everything and has lots of stuff.

L: 噢，原来，pack rat是指"什么东西都不肯扔的人"。我什么东西都不愿意扔 -- I guess I am a pack rat.

M: My mom is a pack rat, too. We have so much stuff in our house. She even saved every drawing I ever made when I was a kid.

L: 原来你妈妈也是个pack rat. 你说连你小时候画的画她都舍不得扔？我倒希望我妈也是个pack rat, 把我小时候画的画啦或者玩过的玩具也留到今天。

M: So you can have them here and add to your "collection"? You're really a pack rat, but Li Hua, have you ever thought how difficult it would be for you to move to a new place?

L: 说的也是，我什么都留着，东西越积越多，要是哪天想搬家，那可就成问题罗。

M: Well, my folks have been in their house for more than 20 years, probably because my mom is such a pack rat, they have too much stuff to even move.

L: 什么？你爸妈在一个地方住了20多年，可能就是因为你妈是pack rat，弄得家里东西太多了？Maybe I shouldn't be a pack rat anymore!

今天李华学到了两个常用语，一个是to have a cow, 意思是"惊慌失措"；另一个是pack rat, 意思是"什么东西都不肯扔的人"。