【走遍美国精讲笔记】第3课：祖父的行李箱 ACT 2 - 2

ACT 2-2 “说确切点，是47年。”

【故事梗概】

在火车上，祖父Malcolm与Elsa的谈话在继续。一位乘务员走过来到他们身旁，他要看看Elsa的车票。

Elsa: Are you married?
Grandpa: My wife died four years ago. She was a wonderful woman. A real friend.
Elsa: I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry.
Grandpa: Lots of wonderful memories. We were married almost fifty years. Well, forty-seven, to be exact.
Elsa: John and I celebrate our fortieth anniversary next month.
Grandpa: Oh, congratulations! That's nice. What does John do?
Elsa: He's an aerospace engineer and works for Orlando Aircraft Corporation. He started with them almost forty years ago. What do you do?
Grandpa: I just retired. Had my own company. A construction company. Roads, bridges, big stuff. But I just sold it and retired.
Conductor: Excuse me, ma'am. Ticket, please.
Elsa: Would you kindly hold these keys, please? I have a ticket, I know, I was in the smoking section.
Conductor: It's OK, lady.Take your time.
Grandpa: I'm sure it's in your purse, Mrs. Tobin.
Elsa: Oh, here it is.
Grandpa: And here are your keys.
Elsa: Thank you.

【语言点精讲】

1. Are you married?
你结婚了吗？ 动词的过去分词形态常用作形容词，放在be动词后面，作表语来修饰主词。如本句中的married

2. I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry.
在谈话的过程中，我们可能会谈到一些不愉快的话题，这种情况下，我们应该表示遗憾或者惋惜。如本情景中，祖父Malcolm谈到自己的妻子4年前去世了，Elsa女士对此的回应是- "I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry."（我听了很难过，真的很难过。）

3. We were married almost fifty years. Well, forty-seven, to be exact.
我们结婚有差不多50了，呃，说确切点，是47年。
to be exact 确切点说，用于对刚说的话进行解释或修正。
美国人比较重视结婚纪念日，在祖父和Elsa的话中都谈到了自己结婚的时间。

4. Congratulations!
太好了，恭喜你，祝贺你。当别人告诉你他的喜讯时，就可以向他表示祝贺，对他说"Congratulations!"

5. Would you kindly hold these keys, please?
请你代我拿着这些钥匙，可以吗？
"Would you kindly…?"的意思是“能麻烦您...吗？请您…好吗？”用于正式的、客气的请求别人做某事。

6. Take your time.
慢慢来，别着急。