流行美語 第380課

【大紀元2011年06月30日訊】Larry和李華剛看完電影2012，在門口聊起來。李華會學到兩個常用語：bucket list和dough。

LH: Larry， 你覺得2012年真的會是世界末日嗎?

LL: I don’t know. But the movie does remind me that I have yet to finish my bucket list.

LH: Your bucket list? 世界末日前你唯一想做的事情就是買一堆桶子？

LL：No, no. A bucket list is not a list of buckets that I want to buy. It is a list of things I want to do before I die.

LH: Oh… 所以bucket list是指死以前要完成的事情的清單嘍？

LL：Exactly. In ancient British language, people used “kick the bucket” to refer to death. Therefore “a bucket list” means a list of things you want to do before you die.

LH: 原來如此。 那它跟wish List很像啊。

LL：Mmm. You can say a bucket list is very similar to a wish list. However, a bucket list is mostly filled with things you want to do before you die, whereas a wish list can be anything you want to do or any object you want to buy for any occasion. But recently, a bucket list has been used for more general wishes as well.

LH: 那你的bucket list裡都有哪些東西呢?

LL：I want to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, I also want to go skydiving, and…

LH: 哇…你想完成的事情也太難了吧。 Bucket list上一定要是這些高難度的東西嗎？ 不能簡單點， 比如說，結婚？生子？

LL: What you put on your bucket list is totally up to you. However, a bucket list is usually a list of things that are unordinary that you would not normally do unless you only had a few days left on Earth.

LH: 是這樣啊。 那我懂了。 所以我也可以說，visiting the seven wonders of the world is on my bucket list?

LL: Yes, that works. An example of something more simple that could make everyone’s bucket list is to make a lot of dough. Although that is more generic…

LH: 等等。 怎麼會有人死前的願望是做很多麵團呢？ 這也太奇怪了吧。

LL: Haha…dough here is not the dough you use to make cookies. Here it means money.

LH: Dough是金錢的意思？

LL：Yup. Dough is derived from bread, a commonly used commodity for trade in ancient times. Therefore dough is the same thing as money.

LH: Wow. I didn’t know that. 原來古時候人們把麵包當錢用，所以dough又有錢的意思。 那我明白了。

LL: Terrific. Now, can you give me a sentence using the word dough?

LH: 我可以說， Recently I spent all my doughs on movies.

LL: That’s good. But dough is a plural noun, so you do not need to add a “s” at the end. You can simply say, recently I spent all my dough on movies.

LH: 喔…原來是這樣說的，dough已經是複數形式，所以不用加 S。

LL: Now, how about you, Lihua? What’s on your bucket list?

LH: 這個嘛…我最大的願望是英文說得能跟你一樣好。

LL: Really? But I don’t think you can ever beat me in English…

LH: 所以這個願望是在我的bucket list上啊。我有一生的時間可以完成！鐵定可以超過你。

LL: I’m glad you have the confidence. What else is on your bucket list?

LH: 在死以前我還要donate all my dough to charity.

LL: You want to donate all your dough? And I want to make lots of it…why don’t you just donate to me?

LH: 這怎麼可以。 我捐錢出去是為了幫助有需要的人。 況且那是你bucket list上的內容， 還是自己完成吧。

LL: Good. I think you know what a bucket list is now. The movie has sure got us thinking about our big wishes.

今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是bucket list, 表示死前想要完成的事的清單。另一個是dough, 金錢的替代說法。