美国学生常常用一些词汇来形容那些不太受其他学生欢迎的人。他们最常用的一个字是:nerd。它的意思和“书呆子”很相似。被称为nerd的学生一般都很聪敏,对学习很严肃,他们大多数时间都花在学习上。他们的毛病在于他们看起来很软弱,和其他同学的关系也很别扭。Nerd的衣服风格也比别的学生保守,在社交场合表现得不知所措。由于他们一般都比较害羞,因此和这些nerd在一起不像和其他人在一起那么有趣。
例句:Today George Miller1 actually2 had3 the nerve4 to ask me to go the the Christmas dance with him! Sure, he s getting straight5 A s in all his classes, but look at those thick classes, and those dull6 clothes he wears. I d rather7 be caught dead8 than to out with a nerd like him.
今天乔治米勒居然敢来邀我和他一起去圣诞节舞会。是啊,他每门课都得A,但是看看他那眼镜片有多厚,还穿那些老古董衣服。我要和这么一个书呆子一起去跳舞,我宁可去死。
又如:The big surprise was9 seeing Bill10 Green. He was such11 a nerd 20 years ago--too busy studying instead12 of having a good time like most of us. But maybe he had the right idea; he owns14 his own13 computer company15 and is worth16 ten million17 bucks18.
这次聚会最惊人的是看到比尔格林。二十年前他可是个书呆子,忙于学习,没有时间像我们那样玩。可是,也许他当时的想法是对的,他现在自己开一个电脑公司,值一千万美元。
Nerd在学校里被人看不起的角色,那么哪种人受人欢迎呢?受人欢迎的是:jock。Jock就是那种身材魁梧,长得很帅,很富有男子汉气概的运动员。
例如:You may call me a nerd, but I think it s more important19 to study hard than to be a jock and play football or basketball. The trouble20 is, though21, the girls all want to go with jocks, the guys22 with the muscles23 and team sweaters.
你可以叫我书呆子,但是我认为用功念书要比做一个漂亮男子和踢足球、打垒球更重要。可是,问题是那些女孩子都要和那些长得帅的男学生和那些身强体壮的球队队员出去玩。
现在美国学校里好些女学生也积极参加各种体育运动,她们被称为:girl jock。
例如:My kid24 sister is only six but it looks like she ll turn out to be a girl jock. Instead of staying in the house, she loves to go outside and play baseball with the boys. And you know something--she s better at it than most of the boys.
我的小妹妹只有六岁,可是看起来她会成为一个强壮的女运动员。她不愿在家呆着,她喜欢出去和男孩一起打垒球。你要知道,她比大多数男孩都打得好。