VOA流行美語 Unit 289:put your best food forward...

Larry帶李華去打保齡，李華以前從來沒打過。今天我們要學兩個常用語： put your best foot forward和break a Leg.

LL: Lihua, I feel a little dorky admitting this to you, but bowling is my favorite sport.

LH: 保齡是你最喜歡的運動？ 爲什麼？

LL: Bowling is the best sport to play with friends because you can drink beer and eat pizza while you play! That can't be said for any other sport.

LH: 這倒是真的，打保齡運動強度小，還可以一邊玩一邊吃。

LL: I know it's your first time bowling, and if you just "put your best foot forward" you'll be a great bowler.

LH: 我一直不明白，怎麼才能把保齡球直直地扔出去，不讓它掉進球溝裏去呢！還有，你讓我put my best foot forward, 哪隻腳是best foot? 左腳還是右腳？

LL: When you're told to "put your best foot forward," someone is giving you support to step up to the task and do your very best. Now, here is an 8-pound bowling bAll, you should be able to do well with this.

LH: 哦，你是在鼓勵我加油。好，把球給我！我先試試左腳。

(LH takes ball from LL and drops it on her foot)

LH: Ouch! 疼死我了。真倒黴，還沒開始打，腳卻先被球砸了。How can I "put my best foot forward" now? 看起來，左腳肯定不是我的“best foot.”

LL: Let me help you, Lihua. Take a seat right here and rest a while. You know, "put your best foot forward" is confusing to some people because one would think that "put your best foot forward" means to choose one foot and declare it the stronger one of the two. But that's not true.

LH: 我好象有點明白了。你鼓勵我"put my best foot forward"其實不是真讓我選擇左腳還是右腳。

LL: No, to "put your best foot forward" while you're bowling, or in any other situation, is a way of encouraging someone to try hard and do a good job.

LH: 不管怎麼說，現在腳疼得站不起來，看來今天我是打不了了。

LL: No problem. Just rest here for a while. Our pizza and beer should be here soon. Once we've eaten a little pizza and had a few beers, you'll be ready to "put your best foot forward" and bowl your first game.

LH: 好，我就聽你的。

******

LL: Lihua, I can't believe we ate so much pizza, and the beer is almost gone. Are you ready to bowl your first game?

LH: 我的腳感覺好多了。酒足飯飽，我們開始吧！

LL: We've had a nice rest and a delicious meal. Go ahead and throw your first bowling ball down the alley! Break a leg!

LH: Break a leg? 你怎麼能說出這種無情無義的話來？我砸了腳還不夠，你還咒我摔斷腿？沒想到，打保齡原來這麼危險！

LL: No, Lihua, I didn't mean that you should literally break your leg. This is just a slang term that is used to encourage someone.

LH: Break a leg, 摔斷腿怎麼會是好運氣呢？你應該祝別人“別摔斷腿”纔對啊！

LL: It is a very popular phrase that entertainers like to use. Although "break a leg" is typically used to support actors or singers before they perform on stage, "break a leg!" can also be used generally when wishing someone good luck.

LH: 我還是想不通。我朋友登臺表演之前，我居然要說"break a leg"？這種說法是怎麼來的呢？

LL: The term "break a leg" is an expression created by a superstition that all kinds of performers have. They believe that it is actually bad luck to wish someone good luck. If you tell someone to "break a leg," wishing them bad luck, this should actually create good luck for the performer on stage.

LH: 所以說，祝別人好運氣會帶來壞運氣，壞運氣反而會帶來好運氣。看來，語言這東西有時候還真不能深究。OK, I am ready. wish me luck!

LL: Break a leg!

LH: (Throws the ball down the alley, and knocks down all of the pins) Wow I got a strike! 全中。

LL: Congratulations, Lihua! You see? The phrase "break a leg" really gave you good luck!

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是put your best foot forward, 意思是盡最大努力。另一個是break a leg，意思是祝你好運。