Background
1. Sitcom=Situational Comedy情景喜剧
情景喜剧是为很多人所喜爱的电视剧形式。除了经典的Friends之外,近几年流行的sitcom还有How I Met Your Mother(《老爸老妈的浪漫史》)、Two and a half men(《好汉两个半》)、Will & Grace(《威尔和葛蕾丝》)等等。情景喜剧的平民化特征比较显著,众多喜剧所关注的也多是平常人的日常生活。
2.关于Central Perk
Central Perk咖啡馆是Friends剧中重要的场景之一。它是Central Park (美国中央公园)的戏称,同时因为perk本身有“提神、使人兴奋”与“用渗滤壶煮咖啡”的意思,所以令Central Perk这个名字有了“一箭双雕”之妙。
Episode 1
1.Ross: Why does everyone keep fixating on that?
为什么你们总是提起那件事呢?
fixate on something:To become attached to a thing in an immature or pathological way. 过度集中关注(某事)。
2.Rachel: I realized that I was more turned on by this gravy boat than by Barry!
我突然意识到一个酱油瓶给我带来的兴奋感比Barry还大。
gravy boat:调味汁瓶,酱油壶
turn on:除了“打开”的意思,这里的意思是让人“兴奋和激动”。The hot girl really turns me on. 那个性感女孩让我很兴奋。
3.Rachel: Then I got really freaked out. 让我太烦了。
freak out:口语中非常常见,但在不同语境下会有不同理解。一般是形容某人对某事反应很大:让人很兴奋,或者让人焦躁不安。
4.Joey: You got screwed.你受骗了。
get screwed:(强调在钱财方面)受骗了。
5.Ross: I had a, um, major crush on you.那时我暗恋过你。
have a crush on someone:非常喜欢某人,暗恋某人
6.Monica: It sucks.太糟了!
Suck:口语中表示“太糟了,太烂了”的意思。The movie sucks.这电影太烂了。
Episode 2
1. Marsha:Well, she has issues.
玛莎:嗯,她有点困扰的事情/正闷闷不乐着呢。
Issue在英语新闻里很常见,如environmental issue(环境问题),anti-dumping issue(反倾销问题)。但在这里,issue有烦恼、问题的意思。别人不开心的时候,你可以关切地问一句Do you have any issues? 你有什么烦心事?
2. Rachel:Hi Barry! Remember me? I'm the girl in the veil who stomped on your heart in front of your entire family!'
Rachel在悔婚之后,准备把戒指还给Harry。她在电话里说了“她就是那个在全家人面前让你心碎的穿婚纱的女孩。”
stomp on your heart, 践踏你的心,也就是让某人心碎的意思。
3.Monica: Because I think it might take some of the heat off me.
莫妮卡:我想(这件事情)能帮我解解围。
Ross和Monica的父母来看望他们,在吃饭的时候总是无意识地讽刺着Monica,于是Monica提出了Ross前妻是同性恋的事情,希望借此转移父母的注意力。
take some of the heat off me,降温、减轻压力。
如:Energy savings take some of the heat off school's financial woes. 能源节约措施降低了学校的财政危机的负担。
4.Mrs.Geller: Well, at least she had the chance to leave a man at the altar…
至少她可以有机会在举行婚礼之时离开那个男人。
at the alter 在婚礼上,altar在这里可以解释为“教堂”。
lead a woman to the altar 与女子结婚
5.Mr. Geller: Look, there are people like Ross who need to shoot for the stars, with his museum, and his papers getting published.Other people are satisfied with staying where they are.
看看,像Ross这样的人有着远大的抱负,有他的博物馆,发表了多篇论文。另一些人满足于现状(不思进取)。
父亲盖勒一向以儿子Ross为豪,他一方面表扬Ross,一方面在贬低不思进取的Monica。 Shoot for争取,达到。 shoot for a best result争取最好的结果,shoot for a long-term progress力争长期的进步。这里Shoot for the stars 形容Ross的远大抱负和目标。
6.maid of honor伴娘; best man伴郎
7. Rachel: Okay, I know it was a cheap shot, but I feel so much better now.
Shot在口语中有“尝试”的意思,take a shot尝试某事;give it a shot=give it a try去试试吧。
Cheap这里有低劣,卑劣的(手段)的意思。
Episode 3
1. Joey: Yeah. Cushions the blow.好吧。放松一点。
来着重学习一下cushion the blow这个短语。 cushion the blow: to do something that reduces harm. cushion是指垫子,作动词的时候有“缓冲”的意思,cushion the blow就是“减缓这种压力”,在生活中引申为“减少某件事情的负面效应”。
例句:
The way to cushion the blow is to raise prices slowly, not all at once(突然). 减缓冲击力的方法就是慢慢提升价格,而不是突然为之。
Here are some ideas on how to cushion the blow of layoffs. 这里是关于减缓裁员冲击力的一些想法。
2. Monica: I mean, I bring a guy home, and within five minutes they're all over him. I mean, they're like- coyotes, picking off the weak members of the herd.
我带了个男人回家,但五分钟之内他们全都在挑他毛病,他们就像——丛林狼在把兽群中的弱小者赶走。
they’re all over:从下文中我们可以知道这里是说Monica的朋友并不喜欢这个人,专门针对这个人(挑他的毛病)。
但要注意在一般情况下, all over someone表示对某人非常着迷。
I’m all over you. 我对你非常着迷。=I have a crush on you.
相反,I'm over you. 则表示我跟你之间完了。
总结一下:I'm all over you,意思是“我对你非常着迷”。但 I'm over you. 意思完全不同。你一字之差,意思就完全不一样了。
3. Paula: Well, you do realize the odds of that happening are a little slimmer if they never get to meet the guy…
如果他们永远不见那家伙,你会发现(他们完全接受他的)机会会非常渺茫。
odds:机会,可能性; slim (adj.)瘦小的,苗条的;也常和chance等词连用,表示可能性非常渺茫。
由odds拓展开,学习有关它的一些短语:
odds and ends:small objects of different types which are not very valuable or important; 零零碎碎的小东西;也能看到报纸或者杂志会用这个词组来作一个栏目名称。
例句:I had the whole house cleaned out except for a few odds and ends that you might want to keep. 我把整个房间都清理干净了,除了一点小东西你有可能需要留着。
by all odds:without question and beyond doubt 毫无疑问地
例句:By all odds they should win. 毫无疑问他们应该会赢。
4. Ross: The way he makes me feel about myself.
他让我找回了自我。(和他在一起,让我重拾自信。)
5. Chandler: Hey, you know, I have had it with you guys…我受够你们了。
I have had it是口语中的常用句式,表示“我已经受够了”。
6. Alan: Yeah, I'm sorry too. But, I gotta tell you, I am a little relieved.
是的,我也很遗憾。但是,我还是要告诉你,我可以松口气了。
I am a little relieved:我可以放下心了/缓口气了/释然了。
例句:I am so relieved that he’s back. 他回来了,我可以松口气了。
gotta= ( got to 的缩写形式) 必须
例句:I gotta go home. 我要回家了。
Episode 4
1.Chandler: You got waaaay too much free time.你闲功夫太多了。
way too much:太多了。Way这里作为副词,表示非常,大大地。 非正式语中,常用way too来强调程度,
例如:The older generation likes their politeness but thinks they're way too soft. 较老的一代喜欢他们的礼貌,但也认为他们不够坚定。
It's way too much money. 太贵啦。
2. Joey: Ross, check it out: hockey tickets, Rangers-Penguins, tonight at the Garden, and we're taking you.罗斯,看呐:冰球票,骑兵队对企鹅队,今晚在花园体育场,一块去吧。
check it out/check out something: to investigate, examine, or look at. 查看,检查;往往表示看一些令人兴奋的事物。
例:
Hey! I heard the new movie is pretty good. Let's check it out tonight! 嘿,听说新上映的电影不错。让我们今晚去看一下吧。
3.Ross: I'd better pass on the game.球赛我还是免了。
pass on/up:错过,放弃。
例如:I would pass on the trip for I got tons of things to do at the weekend. 我周末有一大堆事情要做,旅游我就不去了。
Don't pass up a chance like that! 不要错过那样一个机会!
Never pass up a chance to learn. 永远不要放弃学习的机会。
4. Ross: Alright, alright, maybe it'll take my mind off it.好吧,或许这件事能让我转移一下注意力。
take my mind off something: to make you stop thinking or worrying about something. 忘记某事、不用担心某事,转移注意力。
例:A good sleep will help you take your mind off exams. 一个好觉能帮助你暂时不用去想考试。
I can't take my mind off of you. 我一直都在想着你。
5. Kid: I found it. Finders keepers, losers weepers.我找到它了。谁捡到归谁,谁丢了谁倒霉。
Finders keepers, losers weepers:谁捡到归谁,谁丢了谁倒霉。(小朋友说的童谣) weeper:哭泣者。(这属于西方文化的部分)
6. Ross: (to the kid) Oh yeah? Well, I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever—(to Chandler)—can't do it. (to the kid) Listen, uh- gimme back my puck. (对小孩子说) 是吗?好吧,我是橡皮你是胶水,无论你说什么——住手!(对小孩子)听着,还给我,这个淘气鬼。
I'm rubber, you're glue,:这里要说到另外一个文化知识点。“I’m rubber, you’re glue,Whatever (you say bounces off me and stick to you)”这里要表达的是:我是橡皮,你是胶水,你所说的都会反弹回去粘在你自己身上,也就是说:你说我的坏话实际在骂你自己。
gimme: (口语) give me
puck:恶作剧的小精灵,淘气鬼
Episode 9
1. Ross: Will you make the mashed potatoes with the lumps?
这是Friends中第一采讲到有关感恩节的故事,感恩节在美国是很重要的节日,所以Friends多次围绕它展开故事。
感恩节的食品里里少不了土豆的身影。这里mashed potatoes就是指土豆泥,mashed捣碎的。lumps这里指块状的土豆,lump 块状物。
2.Chandler: I’d like to say that I’m totally behind this experiment. In fact, I’d very much like to butter your head.
I’m totally/always behind someone or something: I support someone or I agree with you. 当你听到I’m behind you的时候,除了表示空间上“他在你之后”之外,一般是对方表达对你的支持和表示赞同。类似于I agree with you; I support you; I’m with you.
3. Monica: We all chipped in.
chip in: to contribute money or labor: 捐钱、凑份子钱。chip in有大家共同出钱或者出力的意思。这里说we all chipped in是说“我们可都交了份子钱了。”
例:Everyone chipped in for the gift. 这份礼物每个人都出了点钱。
If we all chip in we'll have enough to buy a suitable gift. 如果我们每个人都出份钱,我们就有足够的钱买礼物了。
同时,几个朋友一起出去吃饭,每个人吃一些钱来付账也可以说是chip in。
例:My friends and I usually each chip in a few dollars when we hang out for pizza on Friday nights. 朋友和我周五晚上去吃匹萨的时候,我们每个人都出一点钱来付账。
chip in: 还有一个意思为“插嘴”,我们也一起来了解一下。
The old man would chip in while we were speaking. 我们在谈话时,那老人总要插嘴。
4. Chandler: Yes. It's very difficult to appreciate a Thanksgiving dinner once you've seen it in reverse. 一旦经历过那样不愉快的感恩节晚餐,你是很难会喜欢它的。
in reverse: 颠倒过来,反过来。
Let’s do it in reverse to figure out whether there was something wrong. 让我们反过来做一遍,看看是否有什么错误。
reverse: [形容词] a reverse gear 倒车档
reverse: [名词