ACT 3-2 “我想了很久上哪所大学好。 ”

【故事梗概】

当晚，Robbie和Philip进行了一次长谈。他坦诚的讲出了自己对申请大学这一问题的想法。Philip表示理解他做的决定。

Philip: Hi, Son. Is everything all right?
Robbie: Hi, Dad. Everything's fine. I was just waiting for you to get home so we could talk.
Philip: Anything special you want to talk about?
Robbie: There is, Dad.
Philip: I'm listening.
Robbie: Well, I know you and Mom have given up a lot to save money for my college tuition.
Philip: We want you to go to college, Robbie.
Robbie: I know. I do.
Philip: But?
Robbie: Well, I've thought a lot about which college, and one of them is Columbia.
Philip: Columbia? Why Columbia?
Robbie: First, they have an excellent School of Journalism.
Philip: They do. And your friends are planning to go to Columbia?
Robbie: That's only part of it. It's complicated. I'll try to explain. Mike and I had a hamburger this afternoon, and we talked.
Philip: Yes?
Robbie: Well, we talked about a lot of things. He applied to Columbia, and his interview was very successful. He thinks he'll be accepted, and he really wants to go there.
Philip: Dean Rafer called me today. He told me he was very impressed with you.
Robbie: He's a nice man. He was very kind.
Philip: He told me you had some doubts about wanting to go to Michigan.
Robbie: Yes. I do. I'm just not sure about what I want to do.
Philip: That's OK.
Robbie: You understand?

【语言点精讲】

1. Well, I know you and Mom have given up a lot to save money for my college tuition.
嗯，爸爸，我知道你和妈妈为攒钱供我上大学，做出不少牺牲。
give up: 放弃，牺牲（享受）。
tuition: 这里指学费。

2. I know. I do.
我知道。我真的知道。
“I do.”是“I do know. ”的简略，do表强调。

3. But?
然而？这里相当于But what's on your mind, anyway? （知道归知道，不过你是想说……？）

4. Well, I've thought a lot about which college, and one of them is Columbia.
嗯，我想了很久上哪所大学好，其中有一所就是哥伦比亚大学。
I've thought a lot about…: 关于…我想了很久。这里用现在完成时，表示一个在过去开始而延续到现在，或可能延续到将来的动作或情况，一般表示延续的时间较长。

5. That's only part of it. It's complicated. I'll try to explain.
这只不过是一部分理由。事情很复杂，我会尽力解释一下。
complicated: 难以理解的，难以说清楚的，复杂的。
explain: 解释，说明…的含义 (或原因、理由)；

6. He thinks he'll be accepted
他认为他会被录取入学的。
be accepted: 这里指被大学录取，相当于be permitted to enter.

7. He told me he was very impressed with you.
他对我说他对你的印象很不错。
He told me (that)…: 他告诉我…，后面接的是间接引语，用来转述别人的话。又如Philip说的：He told me you had some doubts about wanting to go to Michigan.（他告诉我说你对于是否上密歇根大学还拿不定主意。）
be impressed with you: 对你留有好印象，对你印象很深。