ACT 2-2 他怎么了？

【故事梗概】

Susan在自己的老板John Marchetta的辦公室里，鼓足勇氣請老板給Grandpa一個工作的機會。另她有些出乎意料的是，John Marchetta先生立即就答應讓Grandpa明天來面試。

Marchetta: Now, how’s the Stewart family?

Susan: Fine, thank you, Mr. Marchetta. Except for my grandfather.

Marchetta: What’s wrong, Susan? What’s wrong with him?

Susan: He needs to work. In fact, that is the reason why I’m here to see you. I know you’re building a new factory, and I thought…maybe …my grandfather is so experienced in the construction trade, he could be so valuable.

Marchetta: Tel him to come and see me at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. I have an idea that may solve the problem for him and help a lot of other people.

Susan: Really, Mr. Marchetta? Can I tell him that?

Marchetta: Sure can. Ten o’clock in the morning. Here.

Susan: Oh, thank you!

【語言點精講】

1. How’s the Stewart family?

Stewart全家人還好嗎？這里動詞用單數is，因為family是集體名詞，表示全家人作為一個整體。

2. Except for my grandfather.

這句話是“Everyone is fine except for my grandfather.”的省略。

except for: 除……之外。指若不計被除掉的這一點，其它方面都符合主句的斷言。

3. What’s wrong, Susan? What’s wrong with him?

怎么了，Susan？他怎么了？

向對方表示關懷，詢問對方遇到什么麻煩了、有什么困難，可以有多種表達方式。如：

What’s wrong?

What’s the problem?

There is something on your mind.

Something’s bothering you.

What’s the matter?

Is anything/something wrong?

4. In fact, that is the reason why I’m here to see you.

事實上，我就是為這事來見你的。

the reason why … : …的原因，…的理由。也可以說the reason that或者the reason for.

5. My grandfather is so experienced in the construction trade, he could be so valuable.

so experienced in the construction trade: 在建筑行業很有經驗。trade除“貿易，交換”以外，還有“行業，手藝”的意思，因此有 the construction trade的說法。

valuable:有價值的，有用的。注意以下幾個詞的意思: invaluable（無價的；非常貴重的），valueless（無價值的；不值錢的），unvalued（不受重視的）， valued（重要的；寶貴的）。

6. Sure can.

當然可以。是一種非正式用法。