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2026.04.16 11:29
第十五部 第十一课: toast , wiggle room
- Larry 和李华在谈论州长竞选的问题。 李华会学到两个常用语 toast 和 wiggle room。
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- If the Governor doesn't change his education policies, Li Hua, I think he is toast.
- 你说什麼？ 要是州长不改变他的教育政策，他就会怎麼吶？Toast不是烤麵包吗？我想这肯定是一种比喻， 不过，He is toast究竟是什麼意思呢？
- When I said "toast" I meant that he would be finished or done for. Basically, I think he will lose the election.
- 噢， He is toast就是他没有希望了，完了。 Toast这个说法很生动。就像烤麵包一样， 麵包烤好了就会被弹出来， 政府官员落选就像麵包被弹出来一样。
- That is exactly right.
- 我们州的这位州长政绩不错，希望他能当选连任。 I hope he's not toast.
- Well, I'll agree with you that the Governor is very effective in many ways. But after he decided to raise taxes, most Americans were pretty dissatisfied. He's toast, I tell you.
- 我认為他不会落选。你不是也认為州长在各方面都很有效率吗？增加税收也是為了改善教育呀。我倒觉得他的竞选对手不行，他既不诚实，也税收方面也没有什麼好主意。
- I can see you and I aren't going to agree on this. Good friends shouldn't talk about politics. We don't want our friendship to be toast!
- Larry， 你说的没错，再谈政治我们两个非成為仇人不可。 我们换个话题吧。你最近好像很忙， 在忙什麼呢？
- Well, since you asked, Li Hua, if I don't finish the budget report I am working on by Thursday, then I am toast!
- 什麼？你要在星期四以前完成预算报告。今天已经星期叁了。看来你是要完了。我要是你，今天无论如何不睡觉也要把报告写出来。
- That is the best way to avoid being toast. Say, Li Hua, what about you？Don't you need to turn in a chapter from your dissertation to your advisor?
- 没错，琼斯教授说了我非得在月底以前把我论文的第一章交给他，不然就算我这学期不及格。那我就完了。Then I'm toast.
- You *will* be toast, Li Hua. You won't be able to look for a job next year, and I know your parents will be very unhappy.
- 就是呀，书没念好，父母不高兴，我就真的完了。I will be toast!
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- Did you see the candidates' debate last night, Li Hua? The Governor really didn't leave himself any wiggle room on the tax issue.
- Wiggle room? Wiggle有摇动，摆动的意思。 Room是房间。你说州长在房间裡说话的时候摇来摆去？
- No, I meant that on the issue of taxes he left himself very little room to shift his position later.
- 你是说他在辩论税收问题的时候没有给自己留下迴旋的餘地。他都说了什麼呢？
- He promised during the debate that if he was reelected he would not raise taxes.
- 他说当选后不会提高税收？他实在不应当作出这个承诺。 如果遇到自然灾害、战争或是经济恶化，政府怎麼能不提高税收呢？
- You are exactly right. I can see he didn't leave himself any wiggle room there. Say, Li Hua, how is your dissertation chapter coming?
- 我的博士论文写得怎麼样了？哎，说起来很惭愧，我一直没有时间写。 时间表排得满满的，没有一点迴旋的餘地。
- I know how that is, Li Hua. I am going to be working on my budget project right up until the last minute. I haven't left myself much wiggle room, either.
- 我看你是得赶紧写那预算报告，要能在最后一分鐘写出来就算你运气。 我这星期一定得写完论文第一章。下学期我想减少教书的时间，这样就会有多一点的时间来写论文了。
- While having some wiggle room in your schedule is a good thing, are you worried about losing some of your income?
- 是啊，少教些书是会让我有更多时间，不过我也担心收入就会减少。
- I'm not very good at sticking to a budget. I always like to have some wiggle room in my budget for extra expenses.
- 我知道，规定自己一个月花多少钱是很难遵守的，总有要额外买些东西的时候。所以我总给自己留一些餘地，免得到时候没有没办法。
- Yeah, I guess we can skip going out for ice cream for a while.
- 吃冰淇淋花得了多少钱！We have a lot of wiggle room for ice cream.
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- 今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是 toast，意思是失败，或是俗话说完蛋。另一个是 wiggle room，意思是迴旋或调整的餘地。
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