Popular American - #103

流行美语-第一百零三课

clunker

Don't sweat it!

今天Li Hua的电脑坏了， 她正在用Larry 的电脑写学术报告。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：clunker和 Don't sweat it!

(Sound of typing)

LH:    Larry, 谢谢你让我用你的电脑。我的电脑最近老出毛病，真气人！

LL:    Heheh, don't mention it. You know, you ought to get a new computer to replace that old clunker of yours.

LH:    你说我应该买一台新电脑来取代什么？Clunker?  我在说我的电脑啊，怎么是"clunker"呢？

LL:    No, no... when I said it is a "clunker" - I meant that it's an old, worn-out machine.

LH:   噢，原来clunker是指“又老又旧的机器”，用这个词来形容我那台电脑再合适不过了。那Larry,  "clunker" 这个词只能够用来形容电脑吗？
 
LL: Not at all... a clunker can be any kind of worn-out machine that doesn't work very well.  "Clunk" is the sound that an old car's engine makes... like this (makes clunking noise)

LH: Larry, 你学得倒挺象的嘛！Clunk这个词真的听上去就像一辆破车的引擎发出来的声音。你知道吗？ 我那辆旧车就是这种声音。Larry, 你说clunker可以用来指任何旧的、不中用的机器，是不是啊？

LL: Right! Heheh, Li Hua, no offense, but your car is a real clunker, too. 

LH: 我才不介意呢，你是在说我的车，又不是说我。我那车本来就是又老又破。

LL:   Well, some people in America are sensitive about their cars.  People might feel a little ashamed if someone says the car they drive is a clunker.

LH: 是呀， 不少美国人对他们开的车很敏感的，要是有人说他们开的车太旧了，他们会觉得不好意思。不过，Larry, 我的车只要能把我带到我想去的地方就行了。等我毕业后找了份好工作，我再卖掉这个clunker, 换辆好车喽!

LL: Yeah, me too.  I can't wait to replace my old clunker car, clunker bicycle, and this clunker computer. 

LH: 哎哟，你可真着急 - 不仅想要换新车，连自行车、电脑你也想换新的呀！可是，跟我的电脑相比，你的电脑算不上是clunker - 你看，至少我还能用它写文章呐！

******

LH:    Oh no! 真对不起，Larry, 我不小心把你的鼠标器掉到地上了，可千万别摔坏了。

LL: Oh well.  Don't sweat it,  Li Hua,  it was an old mouse.  I needed to replace it anyway.

LH: 噢，你连这个鼠标器也想换新的啊！等等，你还说Don't sweat it，你是让我别出汗?

LL: I'm not talking about sweat!  When I say "don't sweat it", that mean's "don't worry about it".

LH: 噢，Don't sweat it意思就是“别担心”。你是说即使我把你的鼠标器给摔坏了也没什么大不了的。Larry, 好像真的给摔坏了，那可怎么办啊!

LL: Don't sweat it, Li Hua.  The computer store is just a five-minute drive from here.  We can go and get a new mouse.

LH: 噢，谢天谢地！我还真忘了你这儿附近就有个电脑商店嘛！Larry, 是我弄坏的，我要赔你，但愿不是太贵。

LL: Expensive?  Nah, don't sweat it.  A cheap mouse like this only costs around ten dollars.  Anyway, I'll pay for it... like I said, I needed  a new one anyway.

LH: 像这样的鼠标器大约才10美元一个啊。真是便宜。不过，是我弄坏的，还是我来买吧！那咱们赶紧走吧，我还得赶回来赶报告呢！

LL: Don't sweat it, it's only four thirty.  You have plenty of time.

LH: 虽然才四点半，可我还是得抓紧时间呐！Larry, 你等我一下，我把写好的部分存在这张disk上。我可不想我辛辛苦苦写好的东西被你那old clunker computer给搞丢了。

今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语。一个是clunker, 意思是“由于太旧而不太好用的东西”。李华学到的另一个常用语是 - Don't sweat it,  意思是“别担心”，“别着急”。