口语情景对话：当仁不让 ACT 3

ACT 3-2 “你领先了，那总比落后好。”

【故事梗概】

选举当天，Stewart一家人围在电视前看投票的直播。Ellen的票数暂时领先。Ellen很紧张。

Richard: And guess what? I called channel five. Their TV news is going to cover it. "Housewife campaignsin appliancestores." And I’ll bet some magazine will pick up the story, too.

Robbie: Mom, you’re going to win! I know it!

Philip: Hold it, Robbie! Just cool down. I know we’re getting some attention now, but in the end the voters will have to decide.

Grandpa: You’re going to win. Trust me!

[Election Night. The family is watching the news on television. ]

Reporter: In the hotly contested race for the one seat on the Riverdale School Board, Mrs. Ellen Stewart has taken an early lead.

Robbie: She’s winning! Mom, you’re winning!

Peporter: Now returning to other local news …Riverdale High School beat its rivalHorace Mann in baseball today …

Ellen: It’s too soon to know for certain.

Philip: You’re ahead. That’s better than being behind.

Reporter: More sports after this.

Ellen: It’s not over yet. Let’s just all calm down, and wait for the final results.

Grandpa: Ellen, why don’t you go out to the backyardand get some fresh air?

Ellen: Thank you, Grandpa. I need some.

【语言点精讲】

1. Their TV news is going to cover it.

他们的电视新闻将报导这件事。

cover: 这里是对某一事件进行采访报导的意思。cover近来常用作“涵盖，包括，包覆，掩护，负担费用，保证”等意思，都是从最基本的“覆盖上”化出的。

2. And I’ll bet some magazine will pick up the story, too.

我敢打赌有些杂志也会报导这条新闻。

I’ll bet: 我相信。

pick up the story: 报道这条新闻。pick up除了接人、取物等意外，还有“(偶然)捡拾”的意思，因此化出了“偶然结识，(警方)在路上拘捕，染上传染性疾病，养成习惯，学到本领，(开车)半路上搭载生人，获得(奖赏，声誉，钱财，可贵的东西等)，嗅到或听到、接收到”等等。

3. Hold it, Robbie! Just cool down. I know we’re getting some attention now, but in the end the voters will have to decide.

Robbie，沉住气，冷静点。我知道我们现在吸引了一些注意力，但是归根结底还是得由选民们来决定。

hold it: 沉住气。hold在这里是“停止，等一下”的意思，it指当时正在做的事。

cool down: 冷静点。用于叫人冷静下来，不要过分激动或过分乐观。

get attention: 吸引注意力。

4. In the hotly contested race for the one seat on the Riverdale School Board, Mrs. Ellen Stewart has taken an early lead.

在争夺联合校董会唯一空缺席位激烈的选举战中，Ellen Stewart已初步领先。

hotly contested race: 激烈的竞赛或选举战。

take an early lead: 初步领先。

5. Riverdale High School beat its rival Horace Mann in baseball today.

里弗代尔中学今天在棒球比赛中击败了对手霍勒斯·曼中学队

beat one’s rival: 击败了竞争对手。

6. You’re ahead. That’s better than being behind.

你领先了，那总比落后好。

ahead: 领先。

7. More sports after this.

稍候是体育新闻。

More …after this: 这是在广播或电视节目中，一个较长的节目没有完，中间穿插一小段广告、简明新闻或音乐时，广播员惯用的话。this指下面插入的节目。对于前面的节目称为that，如在新闻节目完了以后常说：“That was John Smith with the world news.”等。