中英文本

135.A Short Visit
135.短暂的拜访
"Keep the pot boiling, honey. And bear in mind that they're just neighbors!" Mr. Benz said as he went to the door.
"好好干吧，亲爱的。记住他们不过是邻居！"本兹先生边说边朝门口走去。
"Howdy!" Mr. Collins said. "We've got to kill some time so we thought we'd visit! You know, keep up with the times!"
"你好！"柯林斯先生说。"我们要打发掉一些时间，所以我们想过来拜访一下。你知道的，要跟上时代嘛！"
"That's so kind of you!" Mr. Benz said as he escorted Mr. Collins and his wife into the living room.
"您太客气了！"本兹先生说，他陪柯林斯先生和他太太来到起居室。
He could see them looking around his house, keeping track of each item and each piece of dirt!
他看得出他们在四处打量他的房子，看清每样东西和每片垃圾！

Both the Collins sat down, keeping together on the couch.
柯林斯夫妇坐了下来，俩人在沙发上紧挨在一起。
They didn't look happy. Mr. Benz sat on his chair and kicked up his heels!
他们看上去不怎么髙兴。本兹先生则坐在椅子上显得轻松愉快！
He decided to keep a level head and not give the Collins a hard time.
他决定保持清醒的头脑，不让柯林斯夫妇难受。
They had never liked the simple conditions of his house, thinking rather that everyone should have a perfect lawn,
他们从来就不喜欢他那简单的家，认为每个人都应该拥有完美的草坪、
the newest car, and the best furniture in order to keep up with the Joneses. But Mr. Benz thought that was kind of silly.
最新的车和最好的家具，这样才能与较富裕的左邻右舍比排场。但本兹先生认为这样有点儿愚蠢。
"So how've you been lately?" Mr. Collins asked.
"你们最近怎么样？"柯林斯先生问。
"Oh fine. You know we like to keep to ourselves. We're knit together like two peas in a pod.
"很好，我们不喜欢与他人交往，这你是知道的。我们俩形影不离。
But we started a vegetable garden. That's enough to keep up with for us!"
不过我们搞了一块菜园。这对我们来说足以让我们跟上潮流了！"
Mr. Benz replied as his wife started putting knives and forks on the table.
本兹先生说, 他的妻子开始在桌上摆放刀和叉。
"Here, try one of these cucumbers!" Mr. Benz said as he bit into a fresh cucumber.
"来，尝一根这种黄瓜！"本兹先生咬着一根鲜黄瓜说。
"Oh honey, knock it off. You know the Collins like to have their food cleaned before they eat it!"
"噢，亲爱的，住手！你知道柯林斯夫妇吃东西之前是要洗干净的！"
"What? It's just from the garden!"
"什么？可这是刚从菜园里摘来的！"
But the Collins couldn't keep up with the "Simple Life".
可是柯林斯夫妇无法跟上这种"纯朴生活"的潮流。
They said that they had forgotten about another appointment and left!
说他们把另外一个约会给忘了，然后就走了。
"You keep up like that and we'll never have friends!" Mr. Benz's wife said! "Who cares?"
"你要再坚持那样，我们就永远没有朋友了！"本兹先生的妻子说。"谁管呢？"

重点讲解

1.keep up with the times 跟上时代
例句：She is too conservative to keep up with the times.
她太守旧出法跟不上时期。
2.kick up one's heels 轻松愉快一阵,庆祝
例句：He plans to kick up his heels when he finishes his work.
他计划工作完成后要放松一下自己。
3.kill time 消磨时间,打发时间
例句：Why do you kill time every day?
你为何每天都消磨时间？
4.kind of 有点儿,有几分，相当，可以这么说
例句：The bat judges distances by a kind of echo-location.
蝙蝠用一种回声测定法来判断距离。
5.knit together 使紧密地结合,使团结起来
例句：We and the world are knit together by Einstein's thinking in ways that astonish me.
通过爱因思维的思维，我们和世界是编织在一起的，这让我大吃一惊。
6.knock it off (常用以制止喧哗、骚乱、殴斗、争 论、哄笑等)住手，别胡闹,住嘴，别说笑了
例句：In China, they knock it off, but still let you sell at there.
在中国，虽然依旧有山寨，但他们仍然准你销售。