LH: Larry,刚才电影里的男主角说他需要看一个shrink是什么意思呀?Shrink当动词用的时候是指缩水,但是在这里好像不是这个意思。他到底在说什么啊?
LL: Shrink is a somewhat negative slang term for a psychiatrist. If you tell someone that he needs to see a shrink, it means that you think he's crazy.
LH: Shrink是指心理医生啊!你要是说要去看心理医生,别人就会觉得你这个人脑袋有问题,精神不正常。
LL: Yeah, but shrink isn't usually a nice way to refer to psychiatrists.
LH: 噢,shrink是指心理医生,但是是带贬意的。为什么呢?
LL: Well, for instance, if my dad were a psychiatrist, I wouldn't describe him to other people as a shrink.
LH: 你爸爸要是个心理医生,你就不会说他是个shrink,为什么?你爸爸是个很糟糕的医生?
LL: No, it's because shrink is just not a very respectful word.
LH: 我懂了,所以shrink就是对心理医生不尊重的称呼。对了,Larry,你看过心理医生吗?
LL: Are you trying to imply that I'm crazy, Li Hua?
LH: 没有啦,我当然知道你脑子没有问题。不过,在美国好像很多人都去看心理医生耶!
LL: It is more acceptable nowadays, but a lot of people are still very uncomfortable about the idea of seeing a shrink.
LH: 是呀,好象这是很普遍的事。原来在美国还是有很多人觉得不能接受,他们觉得去看心理医生的都是有些问题,脑筋不太正常的人吧!
LL: No, shrinks help people who are depressed or are having family problems. Actually, most of the people who see a shrink probably aren't what we would call crazy.
LH: 是啊,现代人生活这么紧张,很多人都得了忧郁症,这时候心理医生就能帮上很大的忙。对了,Larry,你认不认识什么心理医生啊?
LL: Actually, my Dad's best friend is a shrink. He works with children that have social disorders.
LH: 真的啊?你爸爸的好朋友就是一个心理医生?而且专门治疗小朋友不合群的问题?Larry,你小的时候有没有什么问题,去看过这医生吗?
LL: Very funny, Li Hua.
LH: 我是跟你开玩笑的啦!
LL: Hey, Li Hua, were you grossed out by the murder scene in that movie?
LH: 你说电影里那段谋杀的情节怎么样?什么是gross out?
LL: Grossed out means disgusted. So, did that scene gross you out?
LH: Gross out就是让人感到恶心,你这么一说我就想起来,那段剧情真是够可怕的,有好多血噢!我是真的觉得gross out!
LL: Yeah, me too. Usually scenes like that don't bother me too much because I know they're fake, but that one was particularly nasty. I was really grossed out.
LH: 我啊,一看到血就受不了了。前几天,我不小心摔伤了膝盖,看到血流出来,我差点儿没昏倒 - I almost grossed out.
LL: I guess that it's a good thing you decided not to be a surgeon. Otherwise, you'll be grossed out all the time.
LH: 是呀,我妈妈一心想要我当医生,可是我这种一看到血就恶心的人,怎么能进医学院嘛!
LL: Yeah, in medical school, you have to study dead bodies.
LH: Larry,你别再说了,你越说我越害怕,也越觉得恶心了。别再说了啦!
LL: Wow, I guess you do get grossed out easily.
今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是shrink,这是指心理医生,但是是一种非常不礼貌的称呼,所以大家在应用时要小心。另一个常用语是gross out,就是让人恶心的意思。