我们讲的英语第119期:Sponger 寄生虫

Neil: Hello and welcome to The English We Speak, I'm Neil.
尼尔：大家好，欢迎来到地道英语节目，我是尼尔。

Li: And I'm Li. Neil, is that a new watch?
李：我是李。尼尔，那是新手表吗？

Neil: Yes I got it from my parents.
尼尔：是啊，我父母给我买的。

Li: Oh that's nice.
李：哦，这表真不错。

Neil: Did I tell you I'm going on holiday soon?
尼尔：我告诉过你我马上就要去度假了吗？

Li: No, where?
李：没有，去哪儿度假？

Neil: To Hawaii.
尼尔：夏威夷。

Li: Wow, how can you afford a holiday to Hawaii?
李：哇，你怎么负担得起去夏威夷度假的费用啊？

Neil: My in-laws paid for it. We told them it was too expensive but, you know, we just need a holiday.
尼尔：我岳父母支付旅行的费用。我们跟他们说了旅行费用太昂贵了，可是你知道，我们真的需要假期。

Li: Hmm… so your in-laws have paid for your holiday too…
李：嗯……所以你的岳父母为你们付了旅行费用……

Neil: I'm thinking of giving up work actually, Li.
尼尔：李，实际上我想辞掉工作。

Li: Giving up work? What about the cost of living?
李：辞掉工作？那生活开销怎么办？

Neil: Oh my wife can work. You know what, Li? I really need to move into a bigger house in a nicer part of London.
尼尔：哦，我妻子可以工作。你知道吗，李？我真的想搬进伦敦好地区的大房子。

Li: But you just said you're going to give up work! How can you afford a new house if you have no job?
李：可是你刚说你要辞职了！如果你没有工作，那你怎么买新房子呢？

Neil: My grandparents will give me some money. They always do.
尼尔：我的祖父母会给我些钱。他们一直这样做。

Li: Neil, there's a word for people like you. You're a sponger!
李：尼尔，有个词可以形容像你这样的人。你是个寄生虫！

Neil: A sponger!? How rude!
尼尔：寄生虫！这太无礼了！

Example
例子

A: When I was at university I had no money at all. I had to buy second-hand clothes and I could never afford to go out for a meal even though I had a part-time job.
A：我上大学的时候一点钱都没有。虽然我找了份兼职，可是我还是不得不买二手衣服，而且负担不起去外面吃饭的费用。

B: Yeah me too, but there were all these other students with cars and designer labels eating in expensive restaurants all paid for by Daddy.
B：我也是，不过也有些学生有车，穿着设计师品牌的衣服，还去昂贵的餐厅吃饭，而这些都是他们的爸爸付的钱。

A: What a bunch of spongers.
A：真是一帮吃闲饭的家伙。

B: Yeah.
B：没错。

Li: A sponger is a person who gets money, food and other things from other people without paying. Often it's used very negatively to describe people who live off state benefits.
李：这个词指自己不出钱，而从他人那里得到钱财、食物和其他东西的人。通常来说这个词有消极意义，用来形容那些依赖政府救济过活的人。

Neil: Just like a sponge.
尼尔：就像海绵动物一样。

Li: Yes, a sponge.
李：对，海绵动物。

Neil: A sponge soaks up the water all around it. A sponger soaks up gifts, food and money without working. And it can also be used as a verb–to sponge off someone.
尼尔：海绵动物会吸收周围的水分。而寄生虫则是不工作却收到礼物、食物和钱财。这个词也可以用作动词，揩某人的油。

Li: It's also a verb 'to sponge off someone.' Be careful to use the word 'off' with this verb.
李：动词搭配是揩某人的油。注意这个词用作动词时要和off搭配。

Neil: Whether it's a verb or a noun, it's still not a nice thing to say about someone, Li.
尼尔：李，无论它是动词还是名词，用它来形容一个人都不太好。

Li: Well I'm sorry to be rude, but it's true–you are a sponger.
李：嗯，我很抱歉刚刚无礼了，不过我说的是实话，你确实是吃闲饭的人。

Neil: You're right. I'm a sponger but I'm proud of it. Do you fancy taking me out for dinner? There's a fantastic restaurant I've been meaning to go to. It's very expensive, but you can afford it Li.
尼尔：你说得对。我是吃闲饭的人，不过我为此感到自豪。你想请我出去吃晚饭吗？有个很棒的餐厅我一直想去。那里很贵，不过李，你可以负担得起。

Li: He's trying to sponge a meal off me! What a sponger…
李：他想从我这儿蹭顿饭！真是个寄生虫……

Neil: What a sponger…
尼尔：真是个寄生虫……