(单词翻译:单击)
对话文本
Yang: Bob! Your eyes look bloodshot. Did you not sleep well?
Bob: I had a drop too much last night. I attended a banquet given by a Chinese colleague of mine. And it was startling for me to find that people are forced to drink against their will on a Chinese table.
Y: you have it right. Alcohol is a medium for communicating emotion in China. Drinking with business partners or would-be friends is a way of solidifying friendship, especially in Northern China.
B: I just felt embarrassed if I refused to drink when people toasted to me. But if I keep gulping down one cup after another, I'm afraid I would feel unfit or sick.
Y: you lose face by refusing to drink, and the host might think you refuse to give him face. The right thing to do seems to be drinking yourself into incoherence until you throw up. This will endear you to your friends.
B: a few guys even threw a drunken fit last night, crying hoarsely and bawling whole heaps of nonsense that I never understood.
Y: then he must be opening his heart to the friends. In a word, as long as you demonstrate a rediness to drink more in spite of already suffering extreme discomfort, no one will jeer at you.
B: I got you. Next time. I'll perface a toast with a statement like 'I can't drink any more' and then drink anyway.
参考翻译
鲍勃!你满眼血丝,没睡好?
昨晚参加一个中国同事的聚会,多喝了几倍.中国人喝起酒来真可怕,人们老是被逼着多喝几杯.
这你可说对啦.在中国,喝酒是感情交流的介质.尤其是在北方,和业务伙伴或者准朋友喝可以增进感情.
别人向我敬酒,我要是不喝吧,不好,但是我要是一杯一杯不停地喝,我会感到很不舒服,甚至恶心.
拒绝喝酒时很丢面子的,主人可能会觉得你是不给面子.看起来,唯一的做法是喝它个神魂颠倒,知道呕吐.这反倒会拉近你和朋友们之间的距离.
昨晚有几个人还发酒疯,嘶声竭力,不知道在吼什么.
他说的一定是推心置腹的话.总之,在酒席上,只要表明你不顾自己已经喝得浑身不舒服,还准备再喝,没人会笑话你的.
明白了.下次,我会在敬酒之前加上一句”其实我已经喝不下了”,然后不管三七二十一,一饮而尽.
参考词汇
Bloodshot: of eyes 眼睛 with the part that is usually white full of red lines because of lack of sleep, etc. 布满血丝的
Startling: extremely unusual and surprising 惊人的;让人震惊的
a startling contrast/discovery
惊人的对比╱发现
startling revelations in the Sunday papers
星期天的报纸上披露出的惊人的情况
Medium: something that is used for a particular purpose 手段;工具;方法
English is the medium of instruction(= the language used to teach other subjects).
用英语进行教学。
Video is a good medium for practising listening to a foreign language.
看录像是一种很好的练习外语听力的方式。
Solidify: of ideas, etc. 观念等 to become or to make something become more definite and less likely to change (使)变得坚定,变得稳固,巩固 written ~ (into sth)
Vague objections to the system solidified into firm opposition.
先前对这一制度不大明朗的反对演变成了坚决的抵制。 V
They solidified their position as Britain's top band.
他们巩固了自己作为英国顶尖乐队的地位。 VN
Gulp: to swallow large amounts of food or drink quickly 狼吞虎咽;大口吞咽;匆匆吞下 ~ sth (down)
He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out.
他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。
核心词组
Throw up: to vomit 呕吐
The smell made me want to throw up.
这味道使得我想呕吐.
endear somebody/yourself to somebody: to make somebody/yourself popular 使受欢迎(或喜爱、爱慕)
Their policies on taxation didn't endear them to voters.
他们的税收政策并没使他们受到选民的欢迎.
She was a talented teacher who endeared herself to all who worked with her.
她是一位深受同事喜爱的有才华的教师.
Jeer at sb:嘲笑,奚落
The police were jeered at by the waiting crowd.
警方受到在等待的人群的嘲弄.