VOA流行美語 Unit 175:fixing to do something和tricked out

Larry下課後在校園裏碰到李華。他問李華需不需要去郵局。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：fixing to do something和tricked-out。

LL: Hey, Li Hua, I'm fixing to go to the post office to mail a package. Do you need to buy stamps or mail something?

LH: Larry，你要去郵局寄包裹。這和修理東西有什麼關係？爲什麼你說fixing to go to the post office？是不是你去郵局前，要先修什麼東西啊？

LL: No. Fixing to do something means that you are getting ready to do it. "I'm fixing to go to the post office" means that I'm getting ready to go to the post office.

LH: 啊！我懂了，fixing to do something就是準備要做什麼事。Larry，我從來沒聽過這種說法。

LL: It's used all over the U.S., but it's more commonly used in the southern states.

LH: 原來這是在美國南方常用的說法。Larry，我很想和你一塊兒去郵局，不過我準備去圖書館，我想在晚飯前看點書。I am fixing to go to the library to study before dinner. Larry，我這麼說對嗎？

LL: Absolutely! Hey, did you notice how tired Professor Smith looked in class today? He looked as though he was fixing to fall asleep in the middle of his lecture.

LH: 是呀，今天Smith教授看起來好累，在課堂上講課時好想要睡着一樣。不過你知道嗎？他正在爲下個月參加馬拉松賽跑作準備，也許他鍛鍊過度，所以才這麼累。

LL: I didn't know that he's fixing to compete in a marathon? Wow, that's impressive.

LH: 就是啊！我真難以想像他怎麼能在上課之餘還能找出時間來鍛鍊呢。

LL: No wonder he's tired. I'd be exhausted.

LH: 嗯，對了，我得去圖書館了，一會兒見！

LL: Yeah, I'm going to go and mail this package before post office closes. They should be fixing to close up soon, so I had better hurry.

LH：那就快走吧！ 否則郵局關門了。你這包裹就寄不出去了。

******

LL: Hey, Li Hua. On the way to the post office, I saw Bob's new car. It's awesome! It's totally tricked-out with every accessory you can imagine.

LH: What? 你說Bob的新車怎麼樣？什麼是tricked-out？

LL: If a car, or boat, or other machine is "tricked-out", it means that it has all kinds of luxury accessories.

LH: 噢，tricked-out就是說汽車、船、或其他任何機器有各式各樣的豪華設備。所以你剛纔是說Bob的新車有各種新式的裝置，很酷，是吧？

LL: Exactly. It has a satellite radio system, big speakers, special wheels, and an amazing paint job. It has a super turbo-charged engine, too.

LH: 哇，車上有衛星收音系統、大的擴音器、特殊的輪子....啊呀，我可不懂這些東西，但是聽起來真的很酷！Bob's new car really is "tricked-out."

LL: I can't imagine what he paid for it. It must have been really expensive. I can't wait until I can afford such a tricked-out car.

LH: 嗯，肯定是很貴。你想要這樣的車呀？我可不一定想買這種豪華車。我比較喜歡實用的車子，價錢比較便宜，問題可能也比較少。

LL: A simple car would be less expensive than a tricked-out one. But why do you think it would have fewer problems?

LH: 當然啦！你車上的裝置越多，就越容易出故障，修理起來一定也很貴。 這是必然的。

LL: That's true. It's probably more expensive to maintain a really tricked-out car because there are more things that could go wrong with it.

LH: 對呀，要維護一輛高級車肯定是很貴的。我的要求是價錢便宜，問題要少。

今天李華學到兩個常用語。第一個是fixing to do something, 就是準備要做某件事。另一個常用語是tricked-out，是形容一樣東西很豪華，有各種新式的裝置。