Jack is at work.
　
Rick: You OK, buddy? You look tired. Does your preggers wife have you at her beck and call?

Jack: How did you know? I can’t seem to please her. It’s 1)24/7.…

Rick: Just wait till the baby’s born. Your wife will seem 2)easygoing in 3)comparison.

Jack: Then I’m gonna be in over my head, for sure.

Rick: Have some 4)sympathy, though. You wouldn’t want to be 5)in her shoes. Her hormones are all 6)out of whack. Hang in there, man.

Jack: I’ll try—if she doesn’t hang me first.

Rick: Ha-ha. I know it’s tough. By the way, what did you get her?

杰克在上班。
　
瑞克： 老弟，你還好吧？看起來(lái)很累唷。你那懷孕的太太把你當(dāng)奴才使喚對(duì)吧？

杰克： 你怎么知道？我好像沒(méi)辦法讓她滿(mǎn)意。要隨時(shí)待命……。

瑞克： 耐心等到寶寶出生吧。你太太會(huì)比現(xiàn)在隨和得多。

杰克： 等到那時(shí)候我一定會(huì)忙死。

瑞克： 還是有點(diǎn)同理心吧。你不會(huì)想要跟她易地而處的，她的賀爾蒙失調(diào)。你撐著點(diǎn)啰。

杰克： 我盡量——前提是她沒(méi)先把我搞死。

瑞克： 哈哈。我知道這并不容易。對(duì)了，你送她什么？

好用句 at one’s beck and call 隨時(shí)聽(tīng)某人差遣，任人擺布

beck 是“點(diǎn)頭，招手”這類(lèi)叫人過(guò)來(lái)的動(dòng)作?！拔译S時(shí)樂(lè)意為你服務(wù)”可以說(shuō) (I’m) at your service. 而 at one’s beck and call 就是人家點(diǎn)個(gè)頭、招個(gè)手，就趕緊過(guò)去看要做什么，也就是“任人擺布”，因帶有負(fù)面意味，常與 not 連用。

A: Go get me a beer out of the fridge, will ya?

幫我到冰箱拿一罐啤酒，好嗎？

B: Hey, I’m not at your beck and call!

嘿，我可不供你使喚！

Vocabulary

1) twenty-four seven (adv./a.) 全年無(wú)休（不打烊）

（ 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 的縮寫(xiě)）

It seems like Rick and his new girlfriend are together 24/7. 瑞克跟他的新女友似乎整天膩在一起。

2) easygoing (a.) 隨和的，不拘小節(jié)的

Australians are known for being easygoing and friendly. 澳洲人以隨和友善聞名。

3) comparison (n.) 比較，對(duì)照

In comparison with Americans, Asians eat less meat. 跟美國(guó)人比起來(lái)，亞洲人吃的肉比較少。

4) sympathy (n.) 同情心

I have no sympathy for people who break the law. 我毫不同情犯法的人。

5) in someone’s shoes (phr.) 處于某人的位置，設(shè)身處地

If I were in your shoes, I’d quit and find a new job. 如果我是你，我會(huì)辭職另謀稿就。

6) out of whack (phr.) 失調(diào)，失常，故障

The suspension in my car is out of whack. 我這輛車(chē)的懸吊壞了。@

摘編自 《EZ TALK 美語(yǔ)會(huì)話(huà)志www.ez-learning.com.tw》日月文化出版股份有限公司 提供