ACT 1-1 我當(dāng)然認(rèn)識他
【故事梗概】
星期六上午，Robbie和Grandpa (Malcolm Stewart)在廚房里說話。郵遞員送來了一些信。夾在一堆帳單和廣告中間的是一封Grandpa大學(xué)時的室友Pete Waters寫來的信。
Robbie: The mailman just dropped some mail in our box, Grandpa.
Grandpa: Probably a lot of advertising and bills. Why don’t you write to me, Robbie, so I can get some interesting mail?
Robbie: You were right, Grandpa. Advertising, bills, bills, advertising.
Grandpa: It’s just like I said, Robbie. Nothing interesting.
Robbie: You won’t believe it, Grandpa, but there’s a letter here addressed to you, Mr. Malcolm Stewart, and it looks like a personal letter.
Grandpa: Oh, it must be a bill.
Robbie: I don’t think so. The return name and address is Pete Waters, RFD Number 1, Chesterton.
Grandpa: You’re joking. Pete Waters?
Robbie: Pete Waters, RFD Number 1, Chesterton. You know him?
Grandpa: Do I know Pete Waters? You bet I do! He was my roommate in college. He visited with Grandma and me in Florida about five years ago.
[He opens the letter.]
【語言點精講】
1. The mailman just dropped some mail in our box, Grandpa.
爺爺，郵遞員剛在我們信箱里投放了一些信件。
mailman: 郵遞員。近年來由于女權(quán)運動者反對含有性別區(qū)分的詞匯，因此常改稱mail carrier。
2. Probably a lot of advertising and bills.
可能是許多廣告宣傳品和帳單。
advertising: 廣告；促銷宣傳品。
bills: 這里指的是賬單。
3. Why don’t you write to me, Robbie, so I can get some interesting mail?
你為什么不給我寫幾封信，Robbie，好讓我也能收到有趣的郵件？
so I can get some interesting mail: 這里so是so that的省略，引導(dǎo)目的狀語從句。
4. You won’t believe it, Grandpa, but there’s a letter here addressed to you, Mr. Malcolm Stewart, and it looks like a personal letter.
你不會相信的，爺爺，真有一封信是寄給你的。Malcolm Stewart先生收，還像是一封私人信件呢。
a letter here addressed to you: 一封寄給你的信。
a personal letter: 一封私人信件。這是同廣告或商業(yè)函件相對而言的。
5. The return name and address is Pete Waters, RFD Number 1, Chesterton.
寄信人的姓名地址是Pete Waters，鄉(xiāng)村免費遞送，切斯特頓1號。
return name and address: 回信用的姓名和地址。通常就是寄信人的姓名、地址。
RFD: rural free delivery的縮寫，指的是（郵件的）鄉(xiāng)村地區(qū)免費遞送。這是一種為偏遠(yuǎn)鄉(xiāng)村地區(qū)免費投遞信件、報紙的郵政服務(wù)系統(tǒng)。由郵遞員開汽車遞送郵件，每個郵遞員負(fù)責(zé)一條線路。在美國，這種服務(wù)開始于1896年。
6. Do I know Pete Waters?
反問句，意思是“那還用問，我當(dāng)然認(rèn)得他了”。其形式是把對方的問句原句重復(fù)一次，稍加重讀，有時改用降調(diào)。
7. You bet I do!
這是美國口語的用法，表示“當(dāng)然”，“毫無疑問”的意思。在這里Grandpa想要表達(dá)的意思是“我當(dāng)然認(rèn)識他”。意思相近的表達(dá)還有“Of course I do! ”以及“ I certainly do!”
