Donny在北京学汉语,他的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词,就会来请教他。今天是琼燕要问的:电灯泡。
QY: Happy Friday, Donny! 你今天晚上有什么计划吗?
Donny: Hmm, not yet. What do you have in mind?
QY: Let’s go salsa!! 我今晚要跟两个朋友去跳salsa, 可他们俩是一对,我可真不想夹在中间,当大电灯泡--very bright light bulb!
Donny: I see. You don’t want to be the third wheel.
QY: The third wheel?
Donny: Yep! Wheel is spelled w-h-e-e-l. The third wheel, 第三个轮子, it’s a very colloquial way of saying a third person joining a couple in a social context.
QY: 没错!我就是不想当 the third wheel!
Donny: Exactly, you wouldn’t want to bother any love birds, right?
QY: Wait! Love birds? 爱的鸟儿?
Donny:Yep! In English, we often use the word love birds to refer to a couple who are openly affectionate, especially in public. 就是大庭广众之下卿卿我我。你不想打扰这对love birds吧?
QY: 可不是吗!不过这两个人很配!They are a great match!
Donny: Oh that’s nice! You can also say, they are a match made in heaven.
QY: A match made in heaven? 那不就是中文里说的天生一对嘛!
Donny: There you go! Since you don’t want to be the third wheel, I will go with you! But first, let’s see what you learned today!
QY: 第一:电灯泡叫做:the third wheel;
第二,如胶似漆的情侣,可以说 love birds;
第三,"天生一对"是,a match made in heaven.