从《绝望主妇》的精彩片段,体验英语言文化的独特魅力:
Bree Van De Kamp, who lives next door, brought baskets of muffins she baked from scratch.
翻译:住在隔壁的布瑞· 范德坎普,带了两篮子她亲手烤制的松饼过来。
Bree brought baskets of muffins.
live next door:住在隔壁;
muffin: n. 小松糕,松饼;
bake: v. 烤,烘焙,我们日常所吃的蛋糕,面包之类的西式点心,都是烘烤出来的,很多面包店,西饼店都被称之为bakery,bakehouse, bakeshop之类的,可见bake, 在西点制作中,是多么核心重要的一个步骤。
和国内不同,崇尚传统的西方家庭主妇们几乎人人家里都有烤箱,烤炉之类的厨房电器,因为她们都很喜欢自己亲手制作面包,糕饼之类的点心,既可用来作为家人日常早餐的一种,也可在下午茶聊天时端出来款待朋友,更可作为正式晚宴上的餐后甜点,如果因品相和口味俱佳而获得了别人的称赞,对主妇们来说,那绝对是一件十分有成就感而令人高兴的事情。
Muffins
from scratch: 从头开始,从零开始,白手起家,bake from scratch, 就是从头开始,亲手烤制而成。关于from scratch, 我们平时用得比较多的是它的比喻意,比如:
Let’s start from scratch. 让我们从头开始吧;
How can we make a fortune from scratch? 我们怎样才能白手起家赚大钱呢?
Bree was known for her cooking, and for making her own clothes, and for doing her own gardening, and for re-upholstering her own furniture.
翻译:布瑞因擅长烹饪,擅长自己做衣服,擅长自己打理园艺,擅长自己翻新家具而闻名邻里。
Bree was making her own clothes.
这里又出现了be known for,因什么而出名,因什么而众所周知,来复习一下:
If there was one thing Mrs. Huber was known for, it was her ability to look on the bright side. 如果说胡博太太还有什么优点能为人称道,那就是她凡事都往好的方面看。
cooking: n. 烹饪;
gardening: n. 园艺,园艺学;
furniture: n. 家具;
upholster: v. 装饰,装潢,re-upholster: 给什么东西重装椅面,把椅子表面重新翻新的意思,像沙发,椅子之类的家具,最容易坏的就是坐垫那一块儿,所以便有了给椅子沙发重新换个套面的这种业务。连这种活儿布瑞都能自己干,可见布瑞确实还是相当能干的。
Bree was re-upholstering her own furniture.
Yes, Bree's many talents were known throughout the neighborhood.
翻译:是的,布瑞多才多艺的名声遍及邻里。
talent: n.一种天生就能将某类事情做得很好的能力,尤指艺术、文娱、运动等方面的才能,才华;
throughout: prep. 遍及,至始至终,贯穿:
throughout the neighborhood. 遍及邻里;
throughout the country: 遍及全国;
throughout the year: 一年到头,一年四季;
throughout history: 纵观历史,有史以来;
throughout one’s life: 终极(某人的)一生。
Except her own family
And everyone on Wisteria Lane thought of Bree as the perfect wife and mother. Everyone, that is, except her own family.
翻译:并且每个紫藤巷的人都觉得布瑞是个完美的妻子和母亲,每个人,也就是说,并不包括她自己的家人。
perfect: adj. 完美的,最佳的,极好的:
perfect excuse: 完美的借口;
perfect candidate: 最佳的人选;
perfect fool: 十足的傻瓜。
美剧经典天天背,地道口语学起来!
模仿和背诵是最原始有效的语言学习手段,坚持下去,日积月累,总有一天你会发现,自己的口语和听力已经发生了质的飞跃!
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