ACT 2-1  “你準備好了嗎？”

【故事梗概】

 Marilyn 和Richard 在家里穿戴打扮，準備去參加Richard的展覽。Richard變得更加緊張了。

Marilyn: Do you like the dress?Richard: I love it.Marilyn: I designed it myself.Richard: It's beautiful.Marilyn: Are you ready? We're supposed to be there before the guests arrive.Richard: I know. I know. Help me with this tie, will you? Honey, I'm scared to death.Marilyn: But this is what you've been working for all these years.Richard: No, no. I worked to put together a book of photographs. This is show business.Marilyn: Well, it's all part of the same job. Just relax and enjoy it.Richard: You're right. I earned this, and I'm going to enjoy it. As soon as I recover from my nervous breakdown.Marilyn: What are you afraid of?Richard: Everything. A critic was there this morning. He probably hates my work. I have to sign copies of my book for a lot of people I never met before. My new shoes hurt my feet…[Marilyn hugs Richard, and they both laugh.]

【語言點精講】

1. Do you like the dress? 你喜歡這件晚禮服嗎？dress: 禮服。在正式場合，男的要穿西裝，女的穿套裙。非正式場合則不要穿禮服，有的請貼中活動通知上注明“informal”或“casual”，表示“服裝請便”。

2. Are you ready? We're supposed to be there before the guests arrive.你準備好了嗎？我們應當在佳賓們到場之前就到那里。be supposed to do: 應該做某事，必須做某事。

3. Honey, I'm scared to death.親愛的，我害怕得要命。

4. I worked to put together a book of photographs. This is show business.我努力工作是為了收集成一冊影集，而現在這個卻搞成了一種娛樂行業的作法。show business: 常拼寫為 showbiz，娛樂業，演藝生意。指影、劇、電視等的大吹大擂，吹捧夸飾，唯利是圖的一面，帶有貶意。

5. I earned this, and I'm going to enjoy it. As soon as I recover from my nervous breakdown.這是我多年努力的報償，我要享受它的樂趣，只等到我從精神崩潰癥恢復過來就行了。as soon as: 一……就…….recover: 恢復。 注意與recover搭配的介詞是from。nervous breakdown: 精神崩潰。這里指 Richard過分緊張。

6. I have to sign copies of my book for a lot of people I never met before.我得為許多從來沒見過的人在我的書上簽名。I never met before. : 我從來沒見過的。美國英語中通常用一般過去時表示過去已做過某事，而英國英語用現在完成時。比較下面的兩句：Did you ever go to New York? Have you ever been to New YorK?