女生玛丽莎
第七章 室友Roommates
The next morning, Melissa wakes up to a knock on the door and the sound of her door being unlocked.
Melissa (yawning1 and peeking out2 from under the bed sheets): Good morning!
Chelsea: Hi! I'm your roommate, Chelsea. Maria told me that you had already arrived. Sorry I woke you up! I thought you might be arriving later today.
Melissa: What time is it?
Chelsea: 9:30.
Melissa: I'd better get up. I've got to get my books today and straighten up3 the room. Also, the computer people are stopping by4 this afternoon to set up5 my computer. Sorry the room is such a mess! Watch out6 for the hiking boots7. I've wiped out8 on them several times already myself!
Chelsea (laughing): OK, I'll watch out for those killer9 boots! Why don't you get up so we can have a late breakfast together? There is a great place off campus10 I'd like to take you. I've been craving11 their eggs benedict12 ever since summer vacation started!
Melissa: Thanks! I'll be ready in a few minutes!
It actually takes Melissa more than an hour to get ready. First, she locks herself out of the bathroom and then cannot find her shampoo or her overalls13. Chelsea starts carrying her stuff in from her car. When Melissa returns from her shower, there are boxes and books piled up outside of their room.
Melissa: Wow! How are we ever going to fit all of our stuff in14 our room?
Chelsea: No problem. You should have seen my room freshman year. What a mess! It didn't help that my roommate was a total pig15, either. I swear, she never emptied out the trash or cleaned up after herself16. What a total nightmare!
Melissa: Don't worry, I'm pretty clean. Although you would never know it from the look of the room right now!
Chelsea: It's OK. It's always difficult at first. Within a month or so, we'll have it all figured out17. Ready?
Melissa: Yes! Let's go!
Chelsea: Do you have your keys with you? I have to go to the library after we eat. I can drop you off at the dorm but you'll need your keys to get back in the room.
Melissa: They're in my pocket.
Chelsea and Melissa arrive at the restaurant.
Chelsea: Here we are! They have the best eggs benedict on the planet! And their French toast18 is to die for!
Melissa: I think I'll go for the French toast.
Chelsea: So, you're from Washington, right?
Melissa: Yes, I'm from a small town about two hours north of Seattle. How about you?
Chelsea: I am from Santa Barbara. You know, I actually have several friends who live in Seattle. I've even visited there several times. It's so beautiful ?but it rains too much for me!
Melissa: Yeah, me too. That's why I'm going to school in Southern California!
Chelsea: How do you like UAP so far? What's your major?
Melissa: Everyone seems super friendly. I wasn't sure what to expect. People in the Pacific Northwest are famous for their friendliness and hospitality and I thought things might be different here.
Chelsea: Well, some of the colleges and communities in California are not as personable19. But UAP is different. They really value and respect each person.
Melissa: That's what I heard when I talked to my friend's sister who goes here. Her name is Andrea Miller. Do you know her? I think she is majoring in International Relations.
Chelsea: Yes! I know Andrea! We actually lived across the hall from each other last year! We've had a lot of classes together ? especially in Spanish.
Melissa: Do you speak Spanish?
Chelsea: I'm actually getting my degree in Ethnic Studies with a minor in South American Literature. My mother is from Brazil, so we often speak Portuguese at home.
Melissa: Wow! I spent last summer in Costa Rica20 with my family! Maybe you can recommend some interesting books to me?
Chelsea: Sure, no problem. I'll lend you some of my books. Oops! Look at the time. We'd better head on back to school! Don't worry about the tab21 ? it's on me22 this time around!
Melissa: Thanks! Next time, it's my treat! When we get back to school, can you drop me off in front of the bookstore?
Chelsea: Sure thing. I hope you have your credit card with you! Textbooks are so expensive! I swear that I suffer from sticker-shock23 every semester!
Chelsea drops Melissa off by the bookstore. Melissa walks into the store but soon realizes that she has forgotten her list of classes and teachers. She decides that she'll have to come back later after her appointment with the computer technician. After her computer is set up, she decides to wait until the next day to buy her books. Chelsea comes back several hours later with an armload of library books24.
Chelsea: Man25, that was an ordeal!26 I can't believe how long it took me to find all of the books that I needed!
Melissa: What are you going to do with all of those books? School hasn't even started, yet!
Chelsea: Last spring I was awarded a research fellowship27, which starts in a week. For the fellowship, I will help do research on several influential Latino-American28 writers. It should be very interesting. But first, I have to catch up on a lot of studying! I should have read a lot of these things over summer vacation. Unfortunately, I was lazy and didn't get around to doing very much!
Melissa: Your research sounds interesting. Do all departments have research fellowships? I have been thinking of majoring in Anthropology29.
There's a knock on the door. Maria enters the room.
Maria: Hey Melissa! How are you doing? I hear Chelsea has been introducing you to off-campus life!
Melissa: Yes, I had some wicked30 French toast this morning! I haven't seen anything too exciting at the cafeteria downstairs, though.
Chelsea: The cafeteria isn't too bad for breakfast ?as long as you don't mind cereal31 and some juice. Beware of the chicken filet32, though ?that dish is fondly known as chicken gangrene33 around here.
Maria: Melissa, have you been finding your way around campus alright? It can be kind of confusing at first.
Melissa: No problems so far. I seem to have more problems remembering to take my room key with me to use the restroom than locating buildings on campus.
Chelsea (laughing): Just be glad that this floor is not co-ed34. One of my friends got locked out of her room last semester after a shower. She had to go up to the front desk in her robe to get the R.A.35 to let her back in her room! Unfortunately, she was spotted36 by a bunch of guys on her wing37 who were having a party and they teased her about it for months!
Maria: Melissa, don't forget that tomorrow is Freshmen Orientation38. We'll start at 9 o'clock. Could you meet me outside by the elevator?
Melissa: Sure, I'll be there. See you tomorrow morning.
Chelsea (looking at Maria): Let's go out for coffee. I've got a long night ahead of me.
Maria: Sure. I get off duty39 in 15 minutes. I'll meet you downstairs in the lobby. Melissa, would you like to go?
Melissa: Sorry, I'd better clean up this mess! See you later!
1. yawn: 打哈欠。
2. peek out: 偷看,窥视。
3. straighten up: 整理(房间)。
4. stop by:(顺路)停留一下。
5. set up: 安装(电脑、仪器等)设备。
6. watch out: 小心,特别注意点儿。
7. hiking boots: 登山靴,长途步行的靴子。其结构与普通的鞋子不同,除了按照脚型设计外,其减振的功能也很强。
8. wipe out: 原义为“从冲浪板、雪橇等上翻跌”,此处意思是“不小心被放在地上的登山靴绊倒”。
9. killer: 害死人的。“killer”当形容词时,其意思可以是“害死人的”,也可以是“迷死人的”,要视上下文而定。
10. off campus: 校外的。
11. I've been craving...: 我好想吃……。
12. eggs benedict: “鸡蛋伴内地克特”,系美国早餐鸡蛋的做法之一:一个英国松饼(English muffin)分成上下两半,中间夹两片加拿大火腿肉,两个水煮荷包蛋,然后浇上乳酪浓汁而成。
13. overalls: 背心裤,这类的背心裤除了小孩穿外,大学生或是工人也可穿,男女不分。
14. fit... in: 盛得下,(所有的东西)都放得进去。
15. a total pig: 真是彻头彻尾的一头猪。这是一种比喻的说法,形容一个人不修边幅,外表又脏又乱。
16. clean up after oneself: 在用过东西之后整理清洁,随手整理干净。
17. have it all figured out: 全部都想出来了。也就是:什么东西该放哪儿,全部都想好了。
18. French toast: 法式烤面包。
19. personable: 讨人喜欢的。
20. Costa Rica: 哥斯达黎加(拉丁美洲国家)。
21. tab: 账单。
22. it's on me: 和下文中的“it's my treat”都是“由我来付,我请客”的意思。
23. sticker-shock: 直译是“标签震惊”,也就是“看了标签上的价钱后震惊不已”,形容定价太高。
24. 两手抱满了图书馆的书。
25. Man: 口头感叹语,表示不耐烦或轻蔑。
26. that was an ordeal: “真把人折磨死啦!”带有不耐烦,夸张的意味。
27. research fellowship: 研究奖学金。美国一般大学的研究所给学生的奖学金有两种:一种是助教奖学金,领这种奖学金的学生需给学生上课;另一种则是研究奖学金,帮教授作些研究工作,不需给学生上课,每周工作的时间均为20小时。一般领这种奖学金的外国学生,除了免除学杂费外,每个月还有1200~1500美元的生活费。
28. Latino-American: 拉丁美洲裔美国人。
29. anthroplogy: 人类学。
30. wicked: 原义是“坏的,邪恶的”,这里意思“棒的”。
31. cereal: 美国人一般早餐最常吃的干粮。例如麦片,将其泡在冰冷的牛奶里,就是一顿早餐。
32. chicken filet: (没骨头的)鸡胸肉。
33. chicken gangrene: “鸡坏疽”,这是一个比喻,表示学生餐厅做的鸡肉非常难吃。
34. co-ed: 男女住在一起的。
35. R.A.: “Residence Assistant” 的简写,宿舍助理。
36.she was spotted: 她被人认出来,“spot”是从一群人中被认出来,当动词用。
37.wing: 类似中国人说的“厢房”,在同一栋宿舍里,东边的宿舍称“东厢”,西边的称“西厢”,如此类推。
38. Freshmen Orientation: 新生培训。
39. get off duty: 完工。