After Michael tells his best friend, Julianne that he is getting married in four days, she goes straight to Chicago to help him get through. But she has every intention to stop the wedding and steal the groom from Kimberly. Over the next three days, she tries everything to split them up. Finally, on the day of the wedding, Jules tells Mike she loves him and kisses him, but to her disadvantage, Kimmy is watching them. Now Michael has to decide whom he loves most.

经典片段:

Michael: Hey, beautiful, it’s so great to hear your voice. I miss you. I’ve been calling you for over a month, you know...

Julianne: Well, I’ve been on a book tour.

Michael: I figured you were out of town¹.

Julianne: No, I mean my machine eats all my messages.

Michael: Or you’re just averaging 30 days to return a call.

Julianne: It’s less when it’s you.

Michael: Look, I have to ask you something. Something incredibly important, that if you turn me down, I don’t know what I’ll do...

Julianne: You know, if I could just tell you one thing first. Well, this is, this is probably going to hand you the biggest laugh of your adult life², I’m sure. But I’m thinking about you, and I was remembering this unbelievably insane night we spent in Tucson, like, I don’t know, a thousand years ago? And you probably won’t remember this. But...

Michael: Are you kidding? I think about that night all the time.

Julianne: You do?

Michael: But it’s not why I called. Julianne: It’s not? 

Michael: I called because I met someone.

Julianne: Well, that’s great. That’s great. Because you haven’t really seen anybody, have you? Since dingbat³ Jenny Lee.

Michael: You don’t understand. I’ve never felt this way about anybody! And she’s all wrong for me!

Julianne: There is a good start.

Michael: No, no. I mean she’s a junior at the University of Chicago, she’s 20. Her name’s Kim, Jules. You’re gonna love her. She’s beautiful. And her dad is this billionaire and he owns the White Sox and some cable empire. You know I’ve always been uncomfortable around rich people.

Julianne: Sure.

Michael: But they’re not like that, they’re such wonderful people... really, salt of the earth⁴.

Julianne: So, you’ve met her par-ents.

Michael: Yeah. Jules, we’re getting married this Sunday. Hello. Hello.

Julianne: Michael, it’s Wednesday night, how can you possibly be getting married on Sunday?

Michael: Actually, it all starts tomorrow. It’s one of these four-day-weddings with all the traditional events, and like ten million people flying in from all over the world.

Julianne: Okay. Okay. But are you working this weekend? I mean, is that responsible?

Michael: Well, the Sox are at home and Sports is letting me do a profile⁵ on the Big Hurt. You know, Frank Thomas... Wait. What do you mean irresponsible? Taking off a weekend to get married? Jules, I’m scared.

Julianne: Maybe we should talk about this.

Michael: I need you. If you can’t come and hold my hand, I’ll never get through this. Please come, please.

Julianne: Well...

Michael: Oh, man, I can’t wait for you to meet her.

要点讲解

1. be out of town

　　这个短语如果直译的话，应为“出城”，但是总觉得有些牵强。那么正确的用法如何呢？通常情况下，当我们提到be out of town 的时候指的是“出差”，和be on business 的意思差不多。

2. hand you the biggest laugh of your adult life

hand 在这里是give 的意思，直译过来就是“给你的生活带来最大的笑料”。假设我们想告诉朋友们一件关于自己的非常尴尬的事情，但又怕说出来会被笑话，于是为了铺垫一下，我们会说： “如果我说了你肯定会笑话我的”，而这句话就是 Perhaps it’s gonna hand you the biggest laugh of your adult life.

3. dingbat

　　这是个专门用来形容女孩子的贬义词，指的是女孩子空有外表，但是实际上很傻、很没脑子。

4. salt of the earth

　　这是一个很有用的俚语。盐在古代就被看得很贵重，被认为是尊贵的象征。The salt of the earth出自《新约·马太福音》：耶稣对他的门徒说：“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? ”（你们是世上的盐，盐若失了味，如何才能再咸呢？）它的意思就是“中坚力量，精英，高尚的人”。

5. do a profile on somebody

　　通常情况下，我们所指的profile是“侧面”的意思，但是在这里它的意思是人物的短篇采访，或者短篇人物访谈。而do a profile on sb 指的就是做某个人的访谈。

文化多棱镜：

American wedding

　　

It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees, the man later proposes to her.

The usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.

　　As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride’s attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” But sometimes the couple has composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!”