Michael和李華今天在華盛頓的國(guó)家建筑博物館參加一個(gè)建筑會(huì)議。
L: 期中考試完了有這么一個(gè)周末真不錯(cuò),盡管我們得參加這次大會(huì), 我也覺(jué)得挺不錯(cuò)。
M: I'm glad we made it to DC. It's a good time to just kick back and relax.
L: 我也很高興能到華盛頓來(lái),正好可以休息一下。不過(guò),你剛才說(shuō) kick back是什么意思呀? 肯定不是要踢什么東西吧?
M: No, I don't! I just mean to relax with my friend, you.
L: 噢,跟朋友一起玩, 也就是說(shuō)跟我玩。你是說(shuō),kick back 就是把腿蹺起來(lái),痛痛快快地休息,是這個(gè)意思嗎?
M: Yes. Last weekend we were in New York and kicked back with your friends, remember?
L: 對(duì),上個(gè)周末我們是去紐約跟我的朋友一起玩了。不過(guò),我以前也聽(tīng)人說(shuō)過(guò)kick back,但那是指貪污受賄。
M: Yeah, it can be used that way as well. When one person pays someone else in return for a job or a contract.
L: 這么說(shuō),kick back可以解釋為休息,也可以解釋為給某人一些錢(qián), 以換取一個(gè)工作職位或其他好處。這兩個(gè)意思完全不同。
M: When you mean corruption, kickback is one word. When it means to relax, kick back is two words.
L: 在指賄賂的時(shí)候,kickback是一個(gè)字,在指休息,輕松的時(shí)候, kick back 是兩個(gè)字,就差這么一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)。對(duì),我那天在報(bào)上看到一個(gè)公司總裁把合同給了一個(gè)給他回扣的承包商。
M: Yeah, that company executive got a kickback. Well, enough about kickback. Do you want to go to any of the panels this afternoon?
L: 你問(wèn)我下午要不要去參加小組討論? 去那個(gè)討論東方建筑特色的小組吧! 盡管我很想到咖啡館去休息休息。
M: Ok, maybe once we are done with the panel we can go out and do something fun.
L: 好主意, 小組討論會(huì)結(jié)束后我們可以出去玩。