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POPULAR AMERICAN 流行美语 第117课

今天Larry和李华在校园里闲逛,校园里到处都贴满了选举传单。今天李华会学到两个常用语:flip flop和wishy-washy.

LL: Hey, Li Hua who do you support for class president?

LH: 我觉得Gary Lawrence当学生会主席应该是不错的。他看起来挺老实,也很勤奋。

LL: Gary Lawrence? But he flip-flops all of the time. One minute he's in favor of increasing campus security and the next minute he's accusing the university of policing its students

LH: Flip-flop? 那是什么意思啊?你说他一会儿要加强校园安全,一会儿又批评学校过于监管学生。嗯...flip-flop, 你是说他翻来覆去的意思吧?

LL: Something like that. Flip-flop is a term that is often used in politics. It means that a particular person suddenly changes his/her position on an issue.

LH: 噢,flip-flop经常用在政治方面。但是改变想法也没什么错啊。每个人都会有改变主意的时候嘛!

LL: That's true, but when someone flip-flops a lot it makes him seem weak and indecisive. People will not think he is a good, strong leader.

LH: 那是没错。如果一个人经常flip flop,别人就会觉得他不够果断,不能做个好领导。

LL: If Gary flip-flops a lot, how could he be a good student leader!

LH: 对,如果我们因为Gary支持加强校园安,投了他一票。结果他当选后,又改变立场,那不就糟了?

LL: Exactly. I would feel as though I had voted for the wrong person.

LH: 没错,那可真是选错人了。哎,对了,Larry,如果我说我赞同死刑,但后来又改变立场,反对死刑。这样算不算是flip-flop?

LL: That would definitely be flip-flopping.

LH: 可是一些政治人物经常这样改变立场的啊!

LL: That's true, but they also lose support when they do things like that. It's very negative to be accused of flip-flopping in U.S. politics.

LH: 还好我不是什么政治人物,这样我就可以随便改变立场咯!

******

LL: Li Hua, what about Laura Wilson? Do you support her for class president even though she flip-flops all of the time? I think she is so wishy-washy.

LH: 嗯,Laura Wilson是还好啦。可是她不也经常改变立场吗?你还说她wishy-washy。那又是什么意思啊?

LL: Wishy-washy is similar to flip-flop but it's an adjective instead of a verb. To be wishy-washy is to be weak and indecisive.

LH: 原来wishy-washy的意思和flip flop差不多,只不过它是个形容词。照这么说,Larry, 我是不是能说一个经常改变主意的人很wishy-washy?

LL: Yes. I can also call you wishy-washy if you can't decide which candidate to support.

LH: 嘿!我才不是wishy-washy呢!我只是要仔细地想一想,到底把票投给谁最好!

LL: I know, I'm just teasing you. Can you give me another example of wishy-washy?

LH: 你要我举个例子啊?哎,有了,我们的朋友Lisa,她一直下不了决定是不是该和她男朋友分手。她呀! 就是标准的wishy-washy.

LL: Yes, you could call her wishy-washy because she can't make a decision and act on it.

LH: 说到做决定,我还没有决定是不是该为下学期的一个会议写报告。要写的话,负担很重,不过会得到学术界的重视。我到现在还决定不了。

LL: Quit being wishy-washy and make a decision. If it's worth it, then it's worth it. If not, then forget about it.

LH: 你说得到容易,值得就值得,不值得就算。我并不想wishy-washy,就是不想做错误的决定。

LL: Sometimes, you have to take the risk.

今天李华从Larry那儿学到两个常用语。第一个是flip flop. 意思是一个人经常改变立场,特别是指一些政治人物。第二个常用语是wishy-washy,这是形容一个人很软弱,不果断。
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