VOA流行美語 Unit 209:cold feet和do a number
李華和Larry正在商量去野營的事。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：cold feet和do a number。
LL: Hey Li Hua, are you ready for that camping trip this weekend?
LH: 這個週末去野營的事呀？ 嗯... 我還沒一定是不是能跟你們一起去...
LL: What? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet! You told me last week you wanted to come along!
LH: 是，我上個星期是說要去來啦！可我現在說不好是不是能去。這跟我的腳沒有關係。而且冬天還沒有來，我的腳怎麼會冷呢？
LL: No, no... to get cold feet means, to become nervous or anxious and then change your mind about a decision.
LH: 噢，你不是說我因爲腳冷而不去。Cold feet是因爲太緊張，太擔心而改變主意。
LL：I still don't understand why you are afraid to go camping.
LH：我不是害怕野營。下星期二要期中考試，你忘啦？我得學習，還得寫一個報告...
LL: Everyone has gotten cold feet at least once. When I was little, my parents sent me to a summer camp. At the camp I began to feel homesick, started getting cold feet, and wanted to come home.
LH: 原來你小時候還有這事！ 你父母送你去夏令營，結果去了以後你就緊張了，要回家，那你父母得提早把你接回去呀？Larry，那時你多大呀？
LL: I was like 7-years old. When I was a teenager, I thought about joining the Army after high school. But as I got closer to graduation, I got cold feet, and changed my mind.
LH: 中學時你又想參軍，後來又因爲害怕而改變主意了。這我知道，我哥哥也是這樣。Larry，你聽說了沒有？喬治亞州一個女子結婚前幾天由於太緊張而逃走了。
LL: Yes, she pretended she had been kidnapped. I feel sorry for her fiancé。
LH: 對， 她假裝被人綁架了。她那未婚夫可真倒黴。Larry，上星期本來說好去跳舞，後來你改變主意，是真的病了呢，還是get cold feet?
LL: Honestly, I got cold feet. I got nervous at the last minute, and made up an excuse. Sorry!
LH：原來是最後一分鐘膽怯了，所以裝病。
******
LH: Hi, Larry! 你們去野營，開心嗎？
LL: Sure, I guess so... but look at this sunburn I got! The sun really did a number on my face!
LH: 喲，看你的臉給曬的！ 你說太陽怎麼啦？Did a number，太陽和數字有什麼關係呀？
LL: The sun did a number on my face. Did a number means that the sun did a lot of damage, I got a really bad sunburn!
LH: Did a number 意思是造成很大損壞。對，你曬得可真厲害。你的手臂呢？
LL: Oh, those are mosquito bites. The mosquitoes really did a number on my arms... and my legs, and my neck...
LH: 蚊子把你咬成那樣呀！瞧你的手臂，還有腿，喲，還有脖子上！不過，你總算去玩了。我呀，才倒黴呢。車子好好停在那裏，一個人會開着車撞上去，把我的門給撞壞了。He did a number on the door.
LL: Wow, too bad. At least you were lucky that you weren't in the car when he hit it, he could have done a real number on you, not just your car.
LH: 對，幸好我沒在車裏，否則我肯定會受傷的。我姐姐以前就在出車禍時手臂骨給撞斷了。
LL: That's terrible! A few years ago someone in a car hit me while I was riding my bicycle on the street. I was not hurt, but it really did a number on my bike!
LH: 汽車撞你自行車，結果你居然沒有受傷。自行車壞了沒事。那個人賠你錢了？
LL: Nothing, because he drove off. Good for him: I was angry and felt like doing a number on his face with my fists.
LH: 撞了就開走了？那太不象話了。這種人真是該揍他一頓。不過像你這樣軟棉棉的手，受傷的可能是你的手，而不是他的臉。
LL: Speaking of doing a number, that camping food really made my stomach uncomfortable. I need some coffee.
LL: 野營的飯讓你的胃不舒服？不過你空肚子喝咖啡...
LH: Oh, yeah, that'll do a number on me, I'd better eat first.
今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是：cold feet，意思是由於緊張和擔心而臨時改變主意。另一個常用語是：do a number， 這是指傷害什麼東西。
