看生活大爆炸学英语第二季第十六集

【剧情介绍】

在谈论预算消减时,Sheldon毫不客气地说应该开除Leonard他们,那样他自己就有足够的研究经费(汗,小谢真够直白的).Leslie轻轻松松地为Howard争取到他申请的高速原型机同时还“喵”了一声,这让大家不得不怀疑他俩人的关系.

RAJ: Did you guys see the new budget memo that went out this morning?

LEONARD: Yeah,more cutbacks.

SHELDON: Unacceptable.It baffles me why they don't simply let some of you go so that there's money available for my research.

LEONARD: You know what baffles me,Sheldon?

SHELDON: Based on your academic record, any number of things,I imagine.

LESLIE: Hey,guys.

Hey,Leslie.

LESLIE: Howard,I got the approval for the rapid prototyper you wanted.

HOWARD: That's great,Leslie. Thanks.

LESLIE: You scratch my back,I scratch yours.

RAJ: What was all that about?

HOWARD: Oh,uh,no big deal. They gave Leslie control of some unrestricted grant money.

LEONARD: Yeah,okay,but what's with the back - scratching and the meow!

SHELDON: I believe the back-scratching metaphor generally describes a quid pro quo situation where one party provides goods or services to the second party in compensation for a similar action.

LEONARD: Thank you.

SHELDON: The meow,that sounded to me like an African civet cat.

LEONARD: Are you done?

SHELDON: No. Despite what the name suggests, the civet cat is not a true cat. Now I'm done.

【口语讲解】

1. budget memo 预算说明,预算备录

2. You scratch my back,I scratch yours我们各得所需,互相帮助

3. no big deal没什么大不了的

4. metaphor暗喻,明喻是simile,明喻的一个显著特征是常用like,as,而metaphor则不用.下面是Rachael在第一季第一集说的一段话,大家可以感受一下metaphor,顺便回味下老友记;)戳我看老友记第一季第一集剧本

“What if I don't wanna be a shoe? What if I wanna be a- a purse, y'know? Or a- or a hat! No, I'm not saying I want you to buy me a hat, I'm saying I am a ha- It's a metaphor, Daddy!”

5. quid pro quo（拉丁）补偿物；相等物；交换条件；让步条件

6. in compensation for补偿