VOA流行美语 Unit 135: gang up on somebody

Larry和李华到博物馆去看中国艺术品的展出，不过Larry好像心情不太好。今天李华会学到两个常用语：gang up on someone和basket case.

(Indoor crowd in a museum)

LH: Larry, 怎么啦？你好像很不开心？

LL: Oh, it's just that my mother, father, and sister are all upset with me for not calling them enough. I feel as though my whole family is ganging up on me.

LH: 既然你爸爸妈妈还有你妹妹都说你打电话回家太少，那恐怕情况确实是如此。不过，他们可能不了解你是工作和学习太忙了，所以才没法经常给他们打电话啊！不过，Larry，你说你家人gang up on you. 那是什么意思？

LL: If two or more people join together against another person, then they are "ganging up" on that person.

LH: 噢，gang up on someone就是合伙对付某个人的意思。所以你觉得你们全家联合起来埋怨你。

LL: Exactly, maybe they think that if they gang up on me, then I'll be sure to call them at least every other day.

LH：那你以后会不会隔一天就给他们打电话呢？其实，这也可以做到嘛。象我们现在休息的时候，你就可以打。说几句话就可以了嘛！

LL：Has anyone ever ganged up on you, Li Hua?

LH: 嗯，我不记得有什么人联合对付过我。哎，不过我记得在我们家附近有几条狗经常联合起来欺负我邻居的猫。那只可怜的猫最后只好跳到屋顶上去了。

LL: That's a good example, Li Hua. In my house, it was the opposite. We had three cats and one dog. The cats used to gang up and chase the dog around the house.

LH: 啊！原来在你们家是刚好相反。三只猫追一条狗。嘿！真有意思！你们家的狗一定很瘦小。我还没听说过有狗会怕几只猫的呢！

LL: Actually, he was a pretty big dog; he just wasn't very brave. Whenever the three cats would gang up on him, he would try to hide under the bed, but he was too big to hide there.

LH: 原来它还是只大狗，就是胆小。一只大狗因为怕三只猫而想躲到床底下！Larry，我没听说过，你肯定是在瞎说。

LL: No, it's true!

******

LH: 嘿！Larry，你和你家人谈过了吗？他们还在气你不常打电话吗？

LL: They aren't mad at me anymore, but my mom is a basket case because my sister will be graduating soon.

LH: 你妈妈怎么啦？basket case？Basket是篮子的意思，你妹妹快要毕业。这和basket有什么关系？

LL: Oh, a basket case is someone who is really upset or nervous. My mom is upset that my sister is graduating and will be leaving home for college.

LH: 噢，原来basket case就是指一个人很紧张，很不高兴。你妹妹高中毕业后，很快就要到外地念大学；你妈妈紧张不安是可以理解的。

LL: That's true. However, I think my sister will be just fine. There's no need for Mom to be such a basket case.

LH: 那倒是，你妈妈没有必要那么紧张。我刚来美国的时候，也是个basket case。我那时好紧张，因为我的英语还不是很好，我担心听不懂别人讲的话而犯错误。

LL: That's pretty normal. How about now? Are you still a basket case? Or have you adjusted to life in the U.S.?

LH: 嗯，现在我只有在考试的时候才会紧张。每学期总是有一个礼拜，我会紧张得睡不着，吃不下。

LL: I didn't realize that exams turned you into such a basket case. Why do you worry so much when you always get good grades?

LH: 我也不知道为什么我那么在乎考试成绩。但我也没办法控制，只要考试一来，我就马上成了个basket case。我想我大概是对自己信心不足吧！

LL: Well, next time you feel yourself turning into a basket case, let me know and I'll make you learn to be relaxed.

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是gang up on someone, 就是合伙对付某个人的意思。另一个常用语是basket case, 是指一个人很紧张，很担心。