【走遍美国精讲笔记】第2课：介绍会面 ACT 3 - 2

ACT 3-2 “抱歉，我失陪了。”

【故事梗概】

Susan把Harry请入房间，Harry加入了她和Marilyn的晚餐。随后，Marilyn知趣的起身告辞，留给Susan和Harry一段独处的时间。

Harry: Hi!
Susan: How... ?
Harry: Your downstairs neighbor let me in.
Susan: Did you go home?
Harry: I did, but everything is OK, so I decided to come back. To apologize for leaving so early, I brought you a little gift. It's a bonsai tree for your new apartment. Hi, Marilyn. I hope it's not too late.
Marilyn: Oh, not at all. We're still eating.
Susan: Please, come in. Join us. It's our meal from the restaurant. And how is your daughter?
Harry: Oh, she's fine. It was only a tummy ache.
Susan: It's good that you went back.
Harry: Yes, I think it's important for me to be there since her mother died.
Susan: I agree. Aren't you hungry?
Harry: As a matter of fact... I am hungry.
Marilyn: There's lots of food left.
Harry: Mmm, this is delicious!
Susan: Enjoy!
Marilyn: I'm going to excuse myself. I have a lot of work to do to get ready for tomorrow. Good night, Harry. It was nice meeting you.
Harry: Bye, Marilyn.
Marilyn: Good night, Susan.
Susan: Good night, Marilyn.

【语言点精讲】

1. How...?
这句话实际上要问"How did you go inside the building? "
Harry明白Susan要问什么，所以没等Susan说完，他已回答了"Your downstairs neighbor let me in."（你楼下的邻居放我进来的。）
2. To apologize for leaving so early, I brought you a little gift.
为了就早走了一步向你道歉，我给你带来一件小小的礼品。
To appologize for... 为了就某事道歉...

3. It's a bonsai tree for your new apartment.
bonsai tree是指“盆栽，盆景”。
美国人有时喜欢送给朋友一盆绿色的盆景来向朋友表示希望友谊长存。

4. I think it's important for me to be there since her mother died.
我认为我在场是很重要的，因为她母亲不在了。
since在这里是“因为，由于，既然”的意思。

5. Aren't you hungry?
你一定饿了吧？因为Susan知道Harry没有吃晚饭，所以她没有问"Are you hungry?"，而是用了反问句，意思相当于You must be hungry.

6. There's lots of food left.
在口语中，以 There 开始，表示“有...”的句子，常用单数形式there's，尽管后面接的有可能是复数名词。这是语言自然演变所致。书面语中仍宜区分。

7. I'm going to excuse myself.
抱歉，我失陪了。相当于"Sorry, I have to leave."
Marilyn想让Susan和Harry有单独交谈的机会。句中"be going to do"表示比较短时期内的未来可以推定会发生的事或预订要做的事。