17. Receiveing a Gift (I)
Thank you so much.
It's wonderful.
It's what I always wanted.
It's perfect.
How did you know?
It's just what I needed.
You're so thoughtful.
I'm really grateful.
I can't thank you enough.
背景说明
别人送你礼物，你应该表示感谢。感谢的话说得越多越好，但要出自诚心。
(1) Thank you so much. 真是感谢你。
这句话和 Thank you very much. 一样。
(2) It's wonderful. 这东西真棒。
看到好东西，就可以说这类句子。类似的还有：
It's great.
= It's super.
= It's perfect.
(3) It's what I always wanted. 这是我一直想要的。
不可说成 It's what I always needed. （误），可以说 It's just what I needed.（这正是我所需要的。）
为什么这句话和always连用，不用现在时呢？
① always可以和过去时连用，表示过去的习惯。
[例1] She always wore red when she was a teenager.
[例2] I always wanted to learn Spanish when I was a university student.
② always可和过去时连用，代替现在完成时。
[例1] It's what I always wanted. = It's what I've always wanted.
[例2] I always wanted to visit Paris. = I've always wanted to visit Paris.
很多人学了语法，以为always一定和现在时连用，这个错误的观念，会阻碍他们学英文。现在时，表示现在如此，过去如此，未来也如此。
但是always不能和want的现在时连用。
I always want to visit Paris. [误]
I always wanted to visit Paris. [正]
(4) How did you know?
美国人和中国人一样，喜欢问“你怎么知道的？”你也可以说“Who told you?”（谁告诉你的？）或者“How did you find out?”（你怎么发现的？）当别人这样问起，你可以回“A little bird told me.” “I heard it through the grapevine （[?謖greip?謣vain] 葡萄藤）.”或“My spies told me.”暗示你不想告诉对方此人是谁，可引申为“消息灵通人士告诉我的。”说这话有幽默的语气。
(5) You're so thoughtful. （你真是体贴。）
= You're so considerate.
= You're very thoughtful.
= You're very considerate.
(6) I'm really grateful.
grateful这个词美国人常用，他们喜欢听，你也要常说。
(7) I can't thank you enough.
这句话字面意思是“我怎么感谢你都不够。”和中文的“我感激不尽。”异曲同工。
[比较]
I can't thank you enough.
I can't thank you too much.
在字典上或语法书中常见到can't...enough， 等于can't...too much,当你说I can't thank you too much.美国人听得懂，但觉得怪怪的，像是外国人讲英文。
ceiving a Gift (2)
What can I say?
I'm speechless.
You shouldn't have.
I really don't deserve it.
You're too good to me.
I really like this gift.
It's very useful.
I was going to buy one.
You read my mind.
背景说明
这个单元紧接着上一单元，主题相同，是别人赠送你礼物后的感谢话。感谢别人的话，说得越多越好，不花你一分钱，效果无穷。
(1) What can I say? 我该说什么呢？
这句话简直是万能句。几乎不管外国人说什么，正面或负面，你都可以回答“What can I say?”
[例1] A: You did a great job. （你做得非常好。）[正面]
B: What can I say?（我该说什么呢？）
[例2] A: You did a lousy job. （你做得真差劲。）[负面]
B: What can I say?（我该说什么呢？）
(2) I'm speechless. 我说不出话来了。
= Words fail me.
= What can I say?
(3) You shouldn't have. 你不该这样做的。
这句话是虚拟过去式，表示“与过去事实相反”，源自You shouldn't have done that.
[例]A: I got this for you.
B: You shouldn't have.
(4) I really don't deserve it.
此句字面意思是“我真的不应该得到它。”可引申为“我真的不敢当。”你可以只说I don't deserve it. 或者说I'm not worthy of it.
(5) You're too good to me.
在这里to me的to是介词，不要和too...to “太……而不……”弄混。You're too good to me. 也可说成You're too kind to me. 或You're too nice to me.
(6) I really like this gift. 我真的很喜欢这个礼物。
中国人比较保守，收到别人的礼物，通常不当场打开。美国人的风俗是，一边拆礼物，一边要表现出很兴奋的样子，不管礼物好坏，他们从小都被教育必须说感谢的话，这句就是最典型的表达方法。
(7) I was going to buy one. 我本来要买一个。
也可说成 I was going to get one. 或 I was planning to buy one.
(8) You read my mind. 你知道我的想法。
read one's mind 知道某人在想什么；看出某人的心思。read在此是过去式。
美国人常喜欢开玩笑，说：I can read you like a book. = I know you very well.
19. This is topnotch.
This is topnotch.
This is superb.
I'm very impressed.
It's very nice.
It's high quality.
It must be worth a lot.
It's excellent.
It's outstanding.
I like it so much.
背景说明
当你看到一部高级汽车，或一只名贵手表，你都可以说这九句话。人人都该学会说赞美的话，称赞别人，别人快乐，自己也快乐。
(1) This is topnotch.
topnotch [?謖t?蘅p?謖n?蘅t?蘩] adj． 高级的；一流的
无论是东西、事物或人，只要是“非常好、一流的”，都可以用topnotch来形容，例如：
The watch is topnotch. （这只表真高级。）
The present is topnotch. (这个礼物太棒了。)
This is a topnotch job. （你的工作表现非常出色。）
The service here is topnotch. （这里的服务一流。）
(2) This is superb. 这个东西太棒了。
当别人送礼物给你，一般美国人会说：This is great. 有两个含意：①这个礼物真棒；②感觉太棒了。但是This is superb. 只表示“这个东西真棒。”；如果指“感觉真棒。”要用This is super.
[比较] This is superb.（这个东西真棒。）
This is super. （太棒了；感觉太好了。）
(3) I'm very impressed. 真令我心动。
[例1] Your English is very good. I'm very impressed.（你的英文很好，我很佩服.）
[例2] The view here is great. I'm very impressed. （这里的景色真美，令我难以忘怀。）
[例3] That was a wonderful date. I'm very impressed. (那真是一次美好的约会，我永生难忘。)
(4) It's high quality.
这句话由It's of high quality.省略而来。美国人说话比较喜欢简洁，他们常说It's high quality.极少说It's of high quality.说It's of high quality.有一点咬文嚼字的味道。
(5) It must be worth a lot.
must作“一定”解，worth这个字是个特殊的形容词，其后要接名词或动名词做宾语。
这句话也可以说成：
It must be expensive.（这东西一定很贵吧。）
It must have cost a lot.（这个东西一定需要花费很多钱。）
当你看到别人戴着很名贵的手表，你就可以说：Where did you get it? It must be worth a lot.（你在哪里买的？一定很贵吧。）