ACT 3-1  “這是個好兆頭。”

【故事梗概】

星期六的晚上， Marilyn和Ellen 在和Max玩兒的時候，Marilyn的雇主Rita Mae來了。

Ellen: [She looks at Max in his playpen.] Hi, big guy.[The doorbell rings.]Marilyn: That must be Rita Mae.Ellen: She sure got here quickly. That's a good sign. She must like you and your work, Marilyn.Marilyn: I think she's just anxious to see Max. She loves children. [She goes to the door.]Rita Mae: Hi, Marilyn.Marilyn: Welcome. It's so nice of you to come.Rita Mae: Oh, I just wanted to see your baby, Max.Ellen: Hello, Rita Mae.Rita Mae: [to Ellen] I haven't seen yon since the hospital.Ellen: I'm Ellen Stewart, Marilyn's mother-in-law.[She shakes Rita Mae's hand.]Rita Mae: We met at the hospital. Hello. How are you?Ellen: I remember. How are you?Rita Mae: Oh, and there is Max! Oh! My, how he's grown! [She give Marilyn a present.] A little present for Max.Marilyn: [She opens the present. It is a silver spoon.]Oh, it's beautiful, Rita Mae! You shouldn't have.Rita Mae: It's nothing. It's just a little present for Max.

【語言點精講】

1. Hi, big guy.嗨，小家伙。這里故意把這小男孩稱為“big guy”。

2. She sure got here quickly. That's a good sign.她來得真快。這是個好兆頭。a good sign: 一個好兆頭。

3. I think she's just anxious to see Max. She loves children.我想她只是渴望看到Max，她最喜歡孩子們了。be anxious to do sth.: 急切、渴望做某事。anxious與eager相較，口氣稍重。eager是渴望、巴不得怎樣，而anxious則常是焦慮、急切的意思。be anxious to do something則常是和eager同義，但更強調其急切。

4. It's so nice of you to come.你能來真是太好了。

5. I haven't seen yon since the hospital.我從上次在醫院見到你一次之后，一直還沒有見到你呢。since the hospital: 相當于“since I met you at the hospital”。 the hospital指Marilyn生Max后大家去醫院看望一事。

6. My, how he's grown!噢，天啊，他長得這么大了！My: 在這里用來表示驚訝。how he's grown: 在驚嘆句中常省略表示所驚訝的性質的形容詞或副詞，這里是how big的意思。

7. [She opens the present. It is a silver spoon.]Oh, it's beautiful, Rita Mae! You shouldn't have.[她打開禮物，是一把小銀匙。]噢，美極了，Rita Mae！你不該這樣破費的。She opens the present. It is a silver spoon. : 西方人的一個傳統的習慣是，當你接受了禮物時，一定要當場打開。在你表示了你對禮物的欣賞之情之后，向送禮者當面道謝。這是一種禮節。銀勺或銀杯是送給新生兒的很傳統的禮物，因為這是嬰兒需要的第一個用具。通常父母們都會把銀勺、銀杯珍藏起來做為紀念。You shouldn't have. : 你不該買禮物。你不該破費。這是別人送重禮時常說的客氣話。should not have done sth. 這里的動詞是過去虛擬語氣，指本不該做某事。