第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

 

精彩对白

Ryan: It's Kara. Hey.

Kara: Ryan, where are you? We're having a meltdown here.

Ryan: What's going on? What happened?

Kara: It's Jim. Can you get back here? We need your help.

Ryan: Okay. We got to go.

Alex: I'll grab your suit.

Ryan: Thanks. What happened?

kara: Jim's got cold feet.

Ryan: Today?

Kara: Yeah, that's how cold feet work.

Ryan: What do you want me to do?

Kara: Talk to him.

Ryan: You want me to talk to him?

Kara: Hey, it's either you or me. You know my track record. I've already struck out once.

Ryan: I haven't been to bat. I haven't been in the dugout.

Kara: Don't you talk for a living? Motivational-type stuff?

Ryan: I tell people how to avoid commitment.

Kara: What kind of fucked-up message is that?

Ryan: It's a philosophy.

Kara: It's stupid.

Ryan: Hey, it could have helped you.

Kara: Ryan, you haven't been around much. Fuck, basically, you don't exist to us. I know you wanna be there for her. Well, here it is. This is your chance.

Jim: Hey. What's up, Ryan?

Ryan: Jim.

Jim: You ever read this before?

Ryan: Yeah, it's pretty powerful stuff.

jim: Yeah, I'll say.

Ryan: Kara mentioned that you were having some thoughts.

Jim: I don't think I'm gonna be able to do this.

Ryan: And why would you say that today?

Jim: Well, last night I was kind of laying in bed and I couldn't get to sleep, so I started thinking about the wedding and the ceremony, and about our buying a house and moving in together, and having a kid and then having another kid. And then Christmas and Thanksgiving and spring break and going to football games. And then, all of a sudden, they're graduating, they're getting jobs, and they're getting married, and, you know, I'm a grandparent. And then I'm retired. I'm losing my hair. I'm getting fat. And then the next thing you know, I'm dead. I'm just, like... I can't stop from thinking, "What's the point?" I mean, what is the point?

Ryan: The point?

Jim: Yeah, I mean, what am I starting here?

Ryan: Jim, it's marriage. It's one of the most beautiful things on earth. It's what people aspire to.

Jim: You never got married.

Ryan: That's true.

Jim: I mean, you never even tried.

Ryan: Well, it's hard to define try.

Jim: I don't know, just...You seem happier than all my married friends.

Ryan: Look, Jim, I'm not gonna lie to you. Marriage can be a pain in the ass. And you're kind of right. This all is just stuff that leads to your eventual demise. And we're all on running clocks, and they can't be slowed down or paused, and, you know, we all end up in the same place. There is no point.

Jim: There is no point. That's what I'm saying.

Ryan: You know, I'm not normally the guy you would talk to about stuff like this. If you think about it, your favorite memories, the most important moments in your life, were you alone?

Jim: No, I guess not.

Ryan: Hey, come to think of it, last night, the night before your wedding, when all this shit is swirling around in your head, weren't you guys sleeping in separate bedrooms?

Jim: Yeah, Julie went back to the apartment, and I was just by myself in the honeymoon suite.

Ryan: Kind of Ionely, huh?

Jim: Yes, it was pretty Ionely.

Ryan: Life's better with company. Everybody needs a co-pilot.

Jim: That was a nice touch.

Ryan: Thanks.

Jim: So, what's the mood like out there?

Ryan: It's not good.

Jim:  She's pretty pissed?

Ryan: She's upset.

Jim: What should I do?

Ryan: Go get her.

Jim: I'm such a fuck-up. I love you so much. Will you be my co-pilot?

Julie: Yes. Yes.[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

1. have a meltdown: we have a meltdown here在这里指“我们这里出事了”。Meltdown单独使用表示“崩溃、垮台”。

2. get cold feet: 临阵畏缩。这种说法非常口语化。

例如：The groom get cold feet just before the wedding and run off.（就在婚礼开始之前,新郎临阵退缩，溜走了。）

3. track record：记录。在这里指凯拉的婚史。凯拉已经和丈夫分居，所以觉得自己没有办法说服吉姆结婚。

此外，track record还可以指公司的“业绩”。例如：Does the company have a good profit track record?（业务有没有发展潜能？）

4.dugout: （足球、棒球场的）球员席。瑞恩说“我根本就没进过赛场”，意指他根本没有结过婚。

5. spring break：春假。美国学校通常在三月中旬放大约一个星期的春假，春假前的一周则为考试周。

6. lose one’s hair：脱发。

我们平时还常用它表示“发脾气”，例如：I know you've got your driving test tomorrow but don't lose your hair over it, you can always take it again if you do not pass.（我知道你明天要考驾照，但如果你通不过也别发脾气，你总还是能再考的。）

7. what's the point: 这有什么意义？

8. be on running clocks: 时间在一分一秒地过去。

9. co-pilot: 副驾驶员，也称为second pilot，用在这里表示一生的伴侣。

10.pissed：愤怒的。

例如：Everybody is pissed off with all the changes of plan.（大家对计划的诸多变动均感厌烦。）

此外，pissed还可以用来形容一个人喝醉了，例如：After six whiskies Harry was finding it difficult to stay on his feet. "You're as pissed as a newt, " Ted said, "I'd better get you to a taxi." （6杯威士忌下肚，哈里两腿站不住了。特德说：“你醉了，我还是为你叫一辆出租车吧。”）[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

 

1.吉姆临阵退缩了。

________________________________
2.我连赛场都没上过，连赛场都没靠近过。

________________________________
3.我一直想，“这有什么意义？”

________________________________
4.时间在一分一秒地过去。

________________________________

答案见 第一期

Up in the air《在云端》精讲之五  参考答案

1.No offense.
2.I don't want to say anything that's anti-feminist.
3.He really fit the bill.
4.I mean, even that's not a deal breaker these days.[page]

第一页：片段欣赏
第二页：巧学口语
第三页：小小翻译家
第四页：文化一瞥

 

 

你看过《落跑新娘》吗？那么你一定对“婚前恐惧症”并不陌生。吉姆不敢进教堂与瑞恩的妹妹结婚，这是典型的“婚前恐惧症”。来看看下面这段介绍吧。

婚前恐惧症

即将结婚的人，都明白从此之后两人的关系会发生质的变化。恋爱是自由的，想什么时候见面就什么时候见面，而婚后则天天在一起。恋爱期间，心情不好时可以取消约会，自己想干什么就干什么。而婚后则不然，即使心情不好，也必须上班、挣钱养家，回家后还得做饭、买菜、洗碗洗衣服、教育孩子。人们结婚是为了满足情感需要、安定的需要及传宗接代的需要等。结婚是一种契约，从此两人都要做其应做的事，承担责任，尽义务，自然也要付出一定的代价。

正是由于上述婚前婚后所面临的角度转换，生活方式的反差，致使一部分人即将步入婚姻殿堂时，对自己的未来人生状况产生一种捉摸不定、莫名其妙的忧虑。

一般而言，下面几种人容易产生过度的婚前焦虑：

没有责任感和责任能力的人。那些个性不成熟、依赖性强、生活能力差的男女，对即将到来的婚姻生活，容易产生紧张焦虑感。心理学认为，履行婚姻生活的人必须有相当的成熟程度和责任感，需要有一定的理性思考和应付生活的能力。而那些一味依赖他人，为人处世完全听任感情诱导的人，往往留恋不被期待履行责任的恋爱期，而对进入婚姻期产生焦虑。

对婚姻矛盾和冲突过度忧虑者。在精神和感情上，总有些人属于敏感型的。他们对婚姻生活可能出现的矛盾冲突提前忧虑起来，这部分人或受到父母婚姻不和阴影的影响，或是看到周围婚姻破裂的实例，或者早已耳濡目染了“婚姻是爱情的坟墓”的说法，因而产生了一种“好花不常开，好景不常在”的婚前忧虑。

对婚前自由生活过于“适应”者，这类人已习惯于自由自在地生活，他们担心一旦结婚，会丧失自己的独立性、自由度，缩小甚至封闭自己的社交圈子，因而对可能压抑他们目前多种心理欲求的婚姻，不自觉地产生一种恐惧感。

对于将步入婚姻殿堂感到忧虑的人，最好给自己留有一段充分的时间，来进行适当的心理调整。包括明确自己的忧虑所在，根据问题选择应对的策略。可以听新婚辅导讲座或看看此类书籍，也可以学习掌握一些具体的生活技能，与恋人之间多沟通，尤其是婚后生活的安排和设想。当忧虑者着手应付和改变，而不是仅仅陷于忧虑无助时，情绪状态才有可能改变。