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影片对白：

Cat: (Meows)

Declan: There you are, Bob. Hop in.

Anna: Please tell me that that is the car that is taking us around the corner to the actual taxi.

Declan: I'll have you know that is a Renault 4. She's classic!

Anna: Worst fears confirmed.

Declan: She's rock solid right there! Beautiful. Come on.

Anna: None of those fancy airbags to get in the way.

Declan: Don't listen to her. She knows not what she says.

Anna: Do you mind?

Declan: Ah! Sure.

(Hinges squeaking)

Anna: Thank you.

Declan: How does that work?

Anna: Can you be careful with that? That was a gift from my boyfriend.

Declan: He bought you a suitcase?

Anna: (Chuckles) It's a Vuitton.

Declan: What?

Anna: A Louis Vuitton.

Declan: Come on. Is it yourself, Louis? Can I give you a hand getting into the car, Louis? She named her suitcase. She's a crackpot.

Man 1: You can't go now, missus.

Anna: Why not?

Man 1: A black cat just crossed your path. You can't start a journey when you see a black cat. Ten years bad luck.

Man 2: No, it's not a cat, it's a magpie. Anyway, it's 15 years bad luck.

Man 1: Thirteen!

Man 3: It's 12, definitely 12.

Anna: Then I guess it's a good thing I don't believe in luck, so...

Man 2: Well, you ought to, if you're getting into that, you.

(Men laughing)

Man 1: Safe journey. (Speaking in Irish) May the road rise up to meet you.

Declan: See you, lads!

Man: Good luck, Declan!

Declan: Bye, now.

Anna: (Exclaims)

Man 1: I tell you something, they'll kill each other!

********************************

Anna: Okay, we're here, on the road.

Declan: Uh-huh!

Anna: It's only February 27th. I still have two days to get there, so...

Declan: Mmm-hmm.

Anna: Where are we?

(Irish rock music playing on stereo)

Declan: (Belching)

Anna: (Sighs in disgust) I may even get there before the stores close. I could get some shopping in.

Declan: That's the reason you're going to Dublin, is to shop?

Anna: No, I'm... (Music stops) If you must know, I'm going there to propose to my boyfriend. He's at a medical conference there. He's a cardiologist. We are applying to move into the most amazing apartment, and I actually thought he was going to propose to me the other night, but he didn't.

Declan: Yeah?

Anna: Yeah, and you guys have this great tradition that a woman can propose to a man on the 29th of February in a leap year.

Declan: Yeah?

Anna: Yeah.

Declan: Mmm-hmm.

Anna: So I thought, "Why not?"

Declan: Yeah!

Anna: Yeah. I mean...

(Both whooping)

(Both chuckling)

Declan: That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! (Laughing)

Anna: No, it isn't.

Declan: Yeah, it is.

Anna: No, it's a tradition. It's a romantic tradition.

Declan: It's a day for desperate women trying to trap themselves a man who clearly doesn't want to get married. You've got to know that if your man wanted to propose, he'd have done it already. Fact! (Laughing)

Anna: (Chuckles mockingly) (Chuckling)

(Irish rock music blaring)

(Music stops)

Declan: No one touches the music!

(Tires screeching)

Anna: Are you crazy? You know nothing about me or Jeremy! You know what you are? You're a cynic. You're a lonely, bitter cynic.

Declan: Better that than an idiot. "Leap year, diddly-eye! "Will you marry me, diddly-eye? "I've got a suitcase called Louis, diddly-eye!"

Anna: What are you, the Lucky Charms leprechaun? You know what? We are done. We're not talking anymore. I'm not paying you to talk, I'm not paying for your opinion. I'm paying you to drive, so just get in the car and drive.

Declan: Suits me, Bob.

Anna: And what is with this Bob thing?

(Cows mooing)[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. classic: 最优秀的；第一流的。

2. Louis Vuitton: 路易·威登，高档皮具品牌。影片中德克兰不知道这个奢侈品牌，还以为安娜给自己的皮箱起名字。

3. crackpot: 有古怪想法的人；怪人。

4. magpie: 喜鹊。magpie还可以表示“饶舌的人”。

5. trap: 迫使……进入（不能逃脱的地方）。影片中德克兰认为闰年求婚的传统不过是女人想绑住男人的借口罢了，如果一个男人真的想结婚，他不会等着女人来求婚。看一下例子：Many women are trapped in loveless marriages.（许多女人陷入没有爱情的婚姻之中而无法摆脱。）

6. cynic: 愤世嫉俗的人；悲观者；怀疑者。cynic的反面则是starry-eyed（天真的，过分乐观的）。

7. leprechaun: （爱尔兰传说中像小矮人的）魔法精灵。[page]

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1. 警察设圈套使他招供。

______________________________________________________

2. 玩世不恭者是知道一切事物的价格，却不知道任何东西的价值的人。

______________________________________________________

3. 这个年轻人真是饶舌。

___________________

4. 那位疯子认为他的邻居是外星人。

____________________________

答案见下期

Leap Year《败犬求婚日》精讲之二    参考答案

1. Do not rush into marriage.

2. I can't figure out why he said that.

3. We must figure out how to do it.

4. He was trained as an actor, but diverted to diplomacy.[page]

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西方各国有关猫的迷信

 

 

 

西方人普遍认为黑猫是不吉利的，原因有可能是黑猫与传说中的巫婆有关（巫婆是一个面目可憎、气势汹汹的老太婆，她头戴黑毡帽，怀抱一只大黑猫，骑着一把飞帚）。由于黑猫总是不离巫婆左右，所以它被视为不吉利的象征。传说中的黑猫有九个灵魂，巫婆具有变九次黑猫的魔法，杀死一只黑猫，她还可以变八次（所以英语中谚语：A cat has nine lives，即猫有九命），可泛指某人或某物的生命力很强。在西方，黑猫走过的路人走了就会有厄运降临，或如果你看见黑猫从你面前穿过，你就要倒霉。除了有黑猫不吉利的迷信之外，还有关于猫的其他迷信。如果猫静静地在人身边坐着，那意味着平平安安，顺顺当当；如果猫在人身上蹭来蹭去，那意味着这个人将有好运气；如果猫跳到人的腿上，那意味着吉星高照，官运、财运亨通；如果猫从人身边跑开，那意味着他的秘密将很快被泄露。万圣节黑猫还会被一些人以血腥的方法杀掉，或烧死来完成某些迷信活动。无家可归的黑猫也不能得到善待，黑猫似乎没人敢养。但也不全然这样, 请看下面各国关于猫的迷信：

When a cat washes behind his ears you may expect visitors. (Dutch superstition)

A strange Black cat on your porch brings prosperity. (Scottish superstition)

A cat sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it. (Italian superstition)

It is bad luck to see a white cat at night. (American superstition)

Dreaming of a white cat means good luck. (American superstition)

If a cat deserts a house, illness will always reign there. (English superstition)

When you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb, stamp it in the palm of your hand, and make a wish. The wish will come true. (American superstition)

If a cat washes behind it's ears, it will rain. (English superstition)

A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means cold weather ahead. (English superstition)

English schoolchildren believe seeing a white cat on the way to school is sure to bring trouble. To avert bad luck, they must either spit, or turn around completely and make the sign of the cross.

A Black cat crossing one's path by moonlight means death in an epidemic. (Irish superstition)

It is bad luck to cross a stream carrying a cat. (French superstition)

In Britain and many parts of Europe, a black cat crossing the road, or entering your house is considered very good fortune.

In parts of Yorkshire the wives of fishermen keep black cats at home to ensure their husbands safety at sea.

In Southern England a black cat crossing the path of the bride as she leaves the church is said grant a fortunate marriage.

On every black cat there is a single hair that is white. If you remove it without the cat scratching, this white hair will bring you wealth or luck in love.