VOA流行美語 Unit 222:my bad 和back in the day
Larry和李華在一個大商場裏買東西，那裏非常擁擠。李華今天學會兩個常用語my bad 和back in the day。
LL: My bad! I didn't mean to step on your foot, Li Hua. It's just that there are so many people at the mall today.
LH: My bad? Bad不是壞的意思嗎？這兒人確實很多，你不小心踩到我的腳，爲什麼說my bad? My bad是什麼意思呀？
LL: Oh, That's my bad, too. I should have explained what "my bad" means. It is a very informal way of apologizing without actually saying "I'm sorry."
LH: 原來my bad是表示道歉，但是是很不正式的道歉。 什麼時候用my bad，什麼時候用I'm sorry呢？
LL: Because you are my friend, and stepping on your foot was a pretty minor thing, I said "my bad." I'd say "I'm sorry" for something more serious - or if you were my boss.
LH: 明白了，my bad是對很熟的朋友說的，而且發生的事也不是太嚴重，就像不小心踩了腳這類小事。要我是你的老闆，你就不能說my bad!
LL: Yeah, that's right. Say, would you like to get out of the crowd and stop for a cup of coffee in that shop over there?
LH: 你要去那邊那個店裏喝咖啡？好呀！ 可是My bad我沒有帶現金。
LL: Don't worry, Li Hua. I've got some cash. You can pay me back later.
LH: 謝謝你。 我在這裏佔着位子，你去買咖啡吧。我要一杯摩卡拿鐵咖啡。
(Sounds of busy restaurant/cash register transaction as Larry gets coffee)
LH: Okay, Li Hua, here is your latte. Oh-My bad! I now remember you wanted a mocha latte. I got the wrong drink.
LH: 沒關係，不是摩卡拿鐵也沒關係。 Larry，遞我一張餐巾紙，好不好？
LL: Sure, here's a napkin.
LH: Oops， My bad! 對不起， 我把咖啡撒了！
LL: Here let me help you clean that up.
LH: 謝謝你，幸虧你拿了好多餐巾紙，否則還真沒法收拾。
LL: Agh! Now it's my bad! I've spilled my coffee, too. (laughs)
LH: (Also laughing) 你的咖啡也撒了。Larry， 我們趕快走吧， 不然不知又會出什麼事，那樣我們就會沒完沒了地說my bad !
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LL: I can't believe how rude people are at the mall. I know it is crowded, but back in the day people were much more polite.
LH: 沒錯，有的人真是沒有禮貌。Larry，你說back in the day人們都很有禮貌，back in the day是指哪一天呢？
LL: No, no, Li Hua. "Back in the day" is a general expression referring to a time in the past when things were better than they are now.
LH: 噢，back in the day就是指過去，而不是指哪一天。你是說過去美國人都很有禮貌？
LL: Yes, back in the day a man would have taken the time to open a door for a lady, especially if she was carrying packages.
LH: 我遇到過這種情況。上次我去看牙，進大樓的時候，前面那個男子看見我也是進那大樓，就把門開開，等着讓我先進去。Larry，你是說以前都是這樣的嗎？
LL: Yes, and life was much simpler. There were no computers and cell phones back in the day. Now it is rush, rush, rush.
LH: 沒錯，過去生活是比較簡單，別說沒有電腦和手機，我們小時候連彩色電視也很少。現在每個人都好像匆匆忙忙，不知道怎麼回事。
LL: And can you believe it? Before e-mail, back in the day people wrote letters with their own hands!!!
LH: 自從有了電子郵件後，現在拿起筆來寫信的人恐怕是很少了，可是我很喜歡收到別人親筆寫給我的信，因爲那讓我感到很親切。
LL: I agree with you. But, then again, I guess not everything back in the day was so great.
LH: 是啊， 過去也不是樣樣都好。 我父親常對我說， 他小時候上學要走很遠的路。現在的孩子們就幸福多了，可以坐校車。
LL: You know, my dad says the same thing. He would tell me I was so lucky, because back in the day he had to walk five miles to school.
LH: 你爸爸上學要走五里路。我爸爸更苦，他不僅走路還要揹着幾十斤重的課本呢。
LL：I agree. Li Hua, let's take the bus and go home. Oh, let me open the door for you.
LH: 謝謝你， Larry， 你真希望有更多像你這樣有禮貌的年輕人。
今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是my bad, 意思是對不起起。還有一個是back in the day， 意思是過去。
