PETS－2语法讲解(121)

　　A pot of tea for two please.
　　对话
　　Josie: I'm dying for a cup of tea and I’m also a bit peckish.
　　Alan: What about that place over there, "Ye Olde Tea Shoppe"?
　　Josie: Just what the doctor ordered. It's almost 4 o'clock, let's go in and have afternoon tea.
　　Alan: (To waitress) A pot of tea for two please.
　　Josie: And I'd like some salmon sandwiches and a cream cake.
　　Alan: Watch your figure there. I think I’ll just have some toast with strawberry jam.
　　卓喜：我很想喝杯茶，肚子也有点饿了。
　　阿伦：上那边那家店子‘古风茶肆’好吗？
　　卓喜：正合我心意。将近四点钟了，我们去吃下午茶吧。
　　阿伦：（向女侍者）请给我们一壶茶，供两人喝的。
　　卓喜：我还要鲑肉三明治和一个奶油蛋糕。
　　阿伦：小心别吃胖了。我只要土司，涂草莓酱。
　　卓喜说又渴又饿：I'm dying for a cup of tea and I'm also a bit peckish。To die for 义是 ‘为… …而死’，例如：The dog died for its master（那只狗为主人犠牲了）。但进行式的be dying for /to却是指‘渴望’，有‘想得要命’的意思，例如：I am dying to meet her（我很想见到她）。
　　Peckish则是俚语，出自peck一字。Peck指鸟儿啄食，例如:The chickens were pecking at the grain on the ground(那些鸡在啄食地上的谷粒）。Peckish是把‘啄食’引申为‘有点饥饿’，例如：I woke up in the morning feeling rather peckish（我早上醒来，觉得有点饿）。
　　卓喜见阿伦提议去吃下午茶，当然赞成，说Just what the doctor ordered。这是成语，多带戏谑含义，可直译做‘那正是医生吩咐的’，引申解作‘这正是我需要的’或‘这正合我心意’，just一字可以略去，例如：(1) A trip to Paris? After months of hard work, that is (just) what the doctor ordered（去巴黎旅游？辛苦工作了几个月，这正合我心意）。（２）A four-day week is (just) what the doctor ordered（每星期工作四天，正合我心意）。
　　最后谈谈Ye Olde Tea Shoppe这个店名。Ye、olde、shoppe都是‘仿古字’，分别等于the、olde、shop: ye不应读 "ye"，应读the; olde shoppe也可照读作old shop。以这些仿古字为名的店铺，多是茶肆、酒馆、礼品店等，以 古意’为号召，例如Ye Olde Tavern（老酒馆）、Ye Gift Shoppe（礼品店）。