聚會之后

Fred： ①So， was it just me， or did someone spike the punch last night？

Susan： Huh， I thought it tasted a bit strong. But that’s not good if someone actually did that. It’s not the same as it was in school. ②Because now， besides impairing the judgment of those driving home， there could have been a recovering alcoholic in our class who just fell off the wagon thanks to some immature prankster.

Fred： Yeah， those are certainly concerns that never seemed to plague us in our younger days. It’s a testament to the wider perspective provided us by father time.

Susan： So did you hit it off with any old flames yesterday？ I could’ve sworn I spotted a few divorcees eyeing you like their next prey.

Fred： Funny you should mention that. I did have a few admirers come over and strike up a conversation. I was a pretty easy target for a chat， since my feet were firmly planted as far from the dance floor as possible.

Susan： Well， one hurdle at a time， right？

Fred： Right. And how about yourself？ I couldn’t help but notice you and Mike looking awfully chummy over there in the corner， right next to that 50-proof fruit punch. A coincidence？ I think not.

Susan： ③You just love to twist the knife don’t you？

Fred： What do you mean？ You two seemed to pick up right where you left off in high school.

Susan： ④Well， yes and no. He’s…not the man I expected. Fred： How so？

Susan： He seemed…lacking， like there was something missing in his life， a void of some sort. And I got the impression that he was counting on me to fill that emptiness. I mean， that’s just way too much responsibility on my shoulders. Maybe， as a young girl， I found that kind of longing fervor romantic， but now it all seems a bit juvenile.

Fred： So， are you gonna go on a date with him？ Give him a chance at redemption？

Susan： Mmmm…Nah！ I’ve got my eye on someone else; an old friend， with a penchant for giving sage advice.

Fred： Sounds like a lucky guy.

Susan： You tell me， you feeling lucky？

弗雷德：那昨晚，是我還是其他什么人在賓治里加了烈酒呢？

蘇珊：呵，我感覺那酒的度數是有點高。如果有人真的往里面加了烈酒就不太好了?，F在可不比在學校那會兒。因為現在這樣做的話，除了會削弱駕車回家人士的判斷力外，還可能會令班上已經戒了酒的人酒癮復發，那可真是多虧了那個不成熟的搗蛋鬼。

弗雷德：是啊，這些問題我們年輕的時候似乎從來就沒擔心過?？梢姎q月讓我們懂得更全面地考慮問題了。

蘇珊：那你昨天有沒有和哪個老相好擦出火花？我敢發誓我看到幾個離異的同學看你的眼神就像在物色對象。

弗雷德：你提得正好。確實有幾個傾慕我的人過來和我搭訕。我一直都盡量呆在遠離舞池的地方，所以我很容易成為閑聊的對象。

蘇珊：嗯，慢慢來，對吧？

弗雷德：對。你呢？我不經意間發現你和邁克在那個角落里親密得很，緊挨著那瓶25度水果賓治。你倆是碰巧湊一塊嗎？我覺得應該不是。

蘇珊：你就愛揭人傷疤是不是？

弗雷德：你啥意思？你倆貌似自高中分手后又重新開始了。

蘇珊：嗯，不好說，是，也不是。他……不是那個我要等的人。

弗雷德：怎么會呢？

蘇珊：他似乎……缺了點，就好像他生命里缺了點什么，某種空缺。而我覺得他指望我去填補那個空缺。我的意思是，我感覺我承擔的責任有點重。也許，當以前還是個小女孩的時候，我會覺得那種熾熱的情感很浪漫，但現在只會覺得那樣不太成熟。

弗雷德：那么，你打算和他約會嗎？給他一個補償的機會？

蘇珊：唔……不啦！我已經看上別人了;一個老朋友，一個老愛給人忠告的老朋友。

弗雷德：看來那人運氣不錯。

蘇珊：那你告訴我，你覺得自己運氣是不是不錯？

Smart Sentences

① So， was it just me， or did someone spike the punch last night？ 那昨晚，是我還是其他什么人在賓治里加了烈酒呢？

spike the punch： add alcohol to the punch（往賓治里加酒，通常是烈酒）。例如：

Jack， don’t you dare spike the punch. These people have a long drive home after the party.

杰克，你別想往賓治里加酒，派對之后這些人要開車行駛很長的路才到家。

② Because now， besides impairing the judgment of those driving home， there could have been a recovering alcoholic in our class who just fell off the wagon thanks to some immature prankster. 因為現在這樣做的話，除了會削弱駕車回家人士的判斷力外，還可能會令班上已經戒了酒的人酒癮復發，那可真是多虧了那個不成熟的搗蛋鬼。

fall off the wagon： resume drinking alcohol again after quitting（戒酒后再喝酒）。例如：

Both my brothers got clean for two years and have never fallen off the wagon.

我的兩個哥哥滴酒不沾兩年了，一直沒有再喝過。

③ You just love to twist the knife don’t you？ 你就愛揭人傷疤是不是？

twist the knife： do or say sth. to make an unpleasant situation more unpleasant（揭他人瘡疤）。例如：

Can you please stop talking about your acceptance to Yale？ It’s twisting the knife for poor David—he failed his college entrance exam.

拜托你能不能別再說你被耶魯大學錄取的事？可憐的大衛的大學入學試考砸了，你這是在揭他的瘡疤。

④ Well， yes and no. He’s…not the man I expected. 嗯，不好說，是，也不是。他……不是那個我要等的人。

yes and no： used when you can’t give a definite answer because the answer is in some ways yes and in other ways no（不能說定，是也不是）。 例如：

—Are you excited to see your old love after all these years？

過了這么多年再見到你的舊愛，是不是很興奮？

—Yes and no. It’s a bit complicated.

是，也不是。這事有點復雜。