【张艺兴】小蕾老师英语课堂 LESSON 23/Spring Showers 雨水（三）

Spring Showers (3)

Trump card

Very naturally, I began to imitate Michael Jackson, and I imitated him quite well. I felt that it was very fun, and then it became a trump card of mine. When I was young I did not like to do my homework, when I did not do my homework my mother would get angry, and when my mother got angry she would be fierce towards me. At this critical juncture, I would take off my shirt and stand in front of her, straighten my chest and sing Michael Jackson’s songs. Because I was fat then, I would shake the flab on my chest while singing "Beat it!” My mum would always roar with laughter, laugh extremely loudly, laughing till her temper was gone.

Got played with growing up

Things in life are very unpredictable, it does not even matter if you are a child, you are no exception. Every time I imitated Michael Jackson, the whole family would become jubilant, and then they would begin a pitiful game. At that time I was 5 or 6, mother was 30, uncle, auntie Ting Ting, auntie Jing Jing, were all only 12 or 13, so they were very boisterous and mischievous.

The game was like this: l would stand on the bed, and the adults and children of my family would sit around the bed. This way, the bed in our house became my first stage.

They would request for songs, “You sing this song, you sing that song.” I would start to struggle, "Can I not sing?" Of course they would quell me mercilessly: "No way, hurry up and sing, when you sing it's the easiest way for us to pass the time.”

This really wasn't an ordinary singing and dancing talent show game! If it was an ordinary game, would they fall on their sides laughing? The first day, you sang very well, it was awesome, sing another song. Good, sing another one, again. And then the next day… I always thought, watching me every day, wouldn’t they get bored?

Today’s key points:

Spring Showers (3)

雨水（三）

Trump card

绝招

Very naturally, I began to imitate Michael Jackson,

很自然地，我就开始模仿迈克尔·杰克逊跳舞

> imitate [ˈɪmɪˌtet] vt.模仿，效仿;仿造，伪造

Eg. This person dance to imitate and explore the world. 

这个人的舞蹈全世界都在模仿和探讨。

Eg. The workers imitate a diamond with crystal. 

工人们用水晶仿造钻石。

and I imitated him quite well.

学得还算挺像的

I felt that it was very fun,

自己就感觉特别好玩

and then it became a trump card of mine.

然后这还成了我的一个绝招

> trump [trʌmp] n.王牌，法宝;有效手段;<古，诗>喇叭，号声;<口>好人vt.胜过;打出王牌赢;捏造 vi.出王牌;捏造，编造;吹(喇叭)

Eg. Now it's time that you played your trump card. 

现在是你摊王牌的时候了。

Eg. I didn’t honestly think he’d pass the exam but he came up trumps on the day.

说实话我以为他考试及不了格，但是那天他发挥出色，考得不错。

When I was young I did not like to do my homework,

小时候不爱做作业

when I did not do my homework my mother would get angry,

我一不做作业我妈就生气

and when my mother got angry she would be fierce towards me.

我妈一生气就会凶我

At this critical juncture, I would take off my shirt and stand in front of her,

危急关头，我就脱了上衣站在她面前

straighten my chest and sing Michael Jackson’s songs.

挺直了胸脯唱迈克尔·杰克逊的歌

Because I was fat then, I would shake the flab on my chest while singing "Beat it!”

那时候胖嘛，一边抖着胸上的肉，一边唱：“Beat It！”

My mum would always roar with laughter, laugh extremely loudly,

我妈每次必狂笑，笑得超级大声

> roar [rɔr, ror] vi.咆哮;吼叫;喧闹;混乱或吵闹vt.大声喊出;使…轰鸣;吼，咆啸n.吼叫声，咆哮声，呼啸声;狂笑，大笑

Eg. Max threw back his head and roared with laughter. 

马克斯仰头大笑起来。

Eg. Don't roar at me. 

不要对我大吼大叫。

Eg. There was a roar of approval.

响起一阵热烈的赞同声。

laughing till her temper was gone.

笑着笑着就没脾气了

Got played with growing up

被玩大的

Things in life are very unpredictable,

人生的事情很难预料啊

it does not even matter if you are a child, you are no exception.

根本不会管你是不是小孩子，都不会例外

Every time I imitated Michael Jackson,

每次我模仿迈克尔·杰克逊

the whole family would become jubilant, 

全家人都莫名地欢欣鼓舞

and then they would begin a pitiful game.

然后就会开始一个可怜兮兮的游戏

> pitiful [ˈpɪtɪfəl]adj.可怜的;可鄙的;<古>充满同情或怜悯的;惨 同义词：pathetic adj.可怜的，令人同情的；poor adj.卑微的，卑鄙的

Eg. How pitiful, so I play with him. 

多可怜啊，所以我常跟他一起玩。

拓展：pity [ˈpɪti] n.怜悯;同情;可惜的事;憾事vt.对…表示怜悯;对…感到同情

Eg. The pity is that you cannot come. 

可惜的是你不能来。

Eg. It's a pity you never got married, Sarah 

萨拉，你没结过婚真是遗憾啊。

Eg. What a pity you couldn't come here yesterday! 

昨天你不能来，这真是件憾事！

At that time I was 5 or 6, mother was 30,

那时候我五六岁，妈妈三十岁

uncle, auntie Ting Ting, auntie Jing Jing, were all only 12 or 13,

舅舅、婷婷姨、静静姨他们只有十二三岁

so they were very boisterous and mischievous.

所以就特别爱闹爱玩。

The game was like this:

游戏是这样的：

l would stand on the bed, and the adults and children of my family would sit around the bed.

我站在床上，我们家一群大人小孩围坐在床下

This way, the bed in our house became my first stage.

这样，我们家的床就成了我的第一个舞台

They would request for songs, “You sing this song, you sing that song.”

他们点歌：“你唱这首，你唱那首。”

I would start to struggle, "Can I not sing?"

我就开始挣扎说：“我可以不唱吗？”

> struggle [ˈstrʌɡəl] vi.奋斗;搏斗;努力;争取n.奋斗;打斗;竞争

Eg. We have to struggle against/with all kinds of adversity.

他们不得不同一切困境做斗争。

Eg. Life became a struggle for survival. 

生活成了一场奋力求生的斗争。

Eg. We are facing a serious struggle.

我们正面临着一场激烈的竞争。

Of course they would quell me mercilessly:

当然是无情地镇压：

> mercilessly [ˈmə:sɪlɪslɪ] adv.无情地，残忍地

Eg. He teased me mercilessly about going Hollywood 

他毫不留情地嘲笑我想去好莱坞。

拓展：mercy [ˈmɜ:rsi] n.怜悯;宽容;幸运;侥幸

Eg. They are going to finish her off, swiftly and without mercy. 

他们打算毫不留情地迅速了结了她。

Eg. It’s a mercy she wasn’t seriously hurt.

幸运的是她的伤势不重。

"No way, hurry up and sing, when you sing it's the easiest way for us to pass the time.”

“不行，你赶快唱，你唱歌我们时间最容易打发的咯。”

This really wasn't an ordinary singing and dancing talent show game!

这真不是普通唱个歌跳个舞的才艺表演游戏！

If it was an ordinary game, would they fall on their sides laughing?

如果是普通游戏，他们会笑得东倒西歪吗？

The first day, you sang very well, it was awesome, sing another song.

第一天，唱得真好，太棒了，你再唱一首

Good, sing another one, again.

好，又唱了，再来再来

And then the next day… 

然后是第二天……

I always thought, watching me every day, wouldn’t they get bored?

我总在想，每天看，他们不会无聊吗？

BGM: Will You Be There - Michael Jackson