Neil
Hello and welcome to Authentic Real English – I’m Neil and this is Feifei. Feifei? Feifei!
Feifei
Oh, sorry, Neil! 我昨天晚上睡得特别晚，今天 “dead tired”！
Neil
You’re dead tired, Feifei? Are you dying? That’s awful! What have you got? Is it contagious?
Feifei
Oh, Neil, don’t be silly! I’m not sick or contagious or dying! I’m just really tired!
Neil
That’s a relief! But, you said you were ‘dead’ tired. But you’re not dying?
Feifei
Oh, really, Neil? I think you’re more tired than I am! I said ‘dead’ tired because I’m really tired.
Neil
So we can use ‘dead’ to mean ‘really’ or ‘very’?
Feifei
That’s right. 在英式口语里，我们可以用 “dead” 来加强一个形容词的语气。比如：我刚才说的 “dead tired”，这里用 “dead” 加强 “tired” 的语气，所表达的意思就是 “特别累”。
Neil
Well, that’s dead confusing – perhaps we should take a look at some examples.
Examples
Is it lunchtime yet? I’m dead hungry!
The man sat next to me on the train this morning kept falling asleep on my shoulder – it was dead annoying!
I was dead happy when I passed my driving test!
Feifei
这里是 BBC 英语教学的《地道英语》节目。在这集节目里，我们给大家讲解 “dead” 这个词一个鲜为人知的用法和意思。“Dead” 是 “alive” 的反义词，意思是 “死亡的，去世的”。但在英式口语中，尤其是英格兰北部的人，会经常把 “dead” 用在形容词前，加强语气，强调他们的话语。Could you tell us a time when you were dead happy, Neil?
Neil
Well, when I woke up this morning and found I had another hour until my alarm went off! I was dead thrilled!
Feifei
Not quite. You were dead happy, but not dead thrilled! You can’t use ‘dead’ with extreme adjectives. 在使用的时候要记住：“dead” 不可以用在极限形容词前。
Neil
Oh, OK, so you can say ‘dead cold’, but not ‘dead freezing’, or ‘dead good’, but not ‘dead fantastic’.
Feifei
That was a dead good explanation, Neil! I see you have woken up a bit now, but I’m still dead tired.
Neil
Well, how about you make us both a coffee while I finish the programme – it’s your turn to make the coffees!
Feifei
Err, no, Neil – I always make the coffee! I’ll go make a coffee for me, not you, while you finish the programme!
Neil
Uh-oh. I’d best go and make the coffees then! She’s dead sensitive when she hasn’t slept enough! Well, bye, everyone, and see you next time!
*本文章由BBC英语教学授权，任何媒体禁止转载。点击这里获取更多BBC英语文章
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