389. Getting a Cold

📝 Translation

• Original Walt: What’s the matter with you? Irene: I have a bad cold. Walt: Why didn’t you stay home from work? You’re probably contagious! Irene: I had no choice. I have an important presentation this afternoon and I can’t play hooky. Walt: You can’t give a presentation in your condition. Your nose is running, your eyes are red and puffy, your voice is hoarse, and you look like you’re running a fever. Irene: Gee, thanks. I know I look terrible, but I’ll get through it. I’m taking a nasal decongestant, I’m using eye drops, and I’m taking cough medicine and sucking on throat lozenges. I should be better by the time of the presentation. Ahchoo! Walt: Oh, geez! You just sneezed all over me. You’ve contaminated me for sure! Irene: Sorry. Where’s the Kleenex? I need to blow my nose. Walt: I’m out of here! You’re a walking germ machine.

• Chinese Walt：你怎么了？ Irene：我感冒很严重。 Walt：你为什么没请假待在家里？你可能还有传染性呢！ Irene：我没法子。今天下午我有一场重要的演示会，我可不能翘班。 Walt：你现在的状态根本没法做演示。你流着鼻涕，眼睛又红又肿，声音沙哑，看起来还在发烧。 Irene：嘿，谢了啊。我知道我现在看起来糟透了，但我会挺过去的。我正在服用鼻腔减充血剂，用了眼药水，还喝了止咳糖浆，含着润喉糖。到演示会的时候我应该会好点的。阿嚏！ Walt：噢，天呐！你喷了我一身。你肯定把细菌传染给我了！ Irene：抱歉。纸巾在哪？我得擤擤鼻子。 Walt：我闪了！你简直就是一个行走的细菌机器。

• First 2026-03-14 12:18 W: What’s the matter with you? I: I get have a serious bad cold. W: Why don’t didn't you take off to stay home from work? You may also be’re probably contagious! I: I can’t had no choice. I have an important presentation this afternoon and I can’t take off play hooky. W: You can’t do the give a presentation at all in this status your condition. You have a running Your nose is running, your eyes are red and puffy, and you have a hoarse throat your voice is hoarse, and you seem that you’re still having look like you're running a fever. I: Hi ==Gee==, thanks. I know I ‘m looked look terrible right now, but I’ll get through it. I’m taking a nossle asal decongestant, and I'm using eye drops, and also I'm taking ==cough medicine and sucking on throat lozenges==. I should be better at by the time of the presentation. Ahchoo! W: Oh, gee~~zeez! You sneezed just sneezed all over me. You must have passed the germ to ’ve contaminated me for sure! I: Sorry. Where is the issues Kleenex? I have need to * blow my nose. W: I have to go’m out of here! You’re simply a walking germ machine.

  Full review: 389. Getting a Cold - Review

  Key Takeaways:

  • Use have a cold for the state of being sick, and bad cold for severity.
  • Use past tense (didn’t) when asking about past decisions, even if they affect the present.
  • Linking verbs like “look” are used with adjectives and don’t take the passive voice.
  • By is the correct preposition for progress leading up to a time limit or deadline.
  • Kleenex is a brand name commonly used as a generic term for tissues.

• Second 2026-03-14 18:01 W: What’s the matter with you? I: I have a bad cold. W: Why didn’t you stay home from work? You’re probably contagious! I: I had no way choice. I have an important presentation this afternoon and I can’t play hoody hooky. W: You can’t give a presentation at all in your condition. You have a running Your nose is running, your eyes are red and puffy, ~~and you have a hoarse throat~~ your voice is hoarse, and you look like you're running a fever. I: Gee, thanks. I know I look terrible, but I’ll get through it. I’m taking a nasal ~~ decongestant, I’m using eye drops, and I’m taking ~~ cough medicine and sucking on throat ~~ lozenges. I should be better by the time of the presentation. ~~ Ahchoo! W: Oh, Geez! You’ve senezeed over all just sneezed all over me. You’ve pass the germ to contaminated me for sure! I: Sorry. Where’s the issues Kleenex? I need to blow my nose. W: I’m off out of here! You’re just a walking germ machine.

  Full review: 389. Getting a Cold - Review

  Key Takeaways:

  • “Your nose is running” uses the body part as subject — don’t restructure as “you have a running nose.”
  • Don’t add at all unless you want to emphasize absolute impossibility.
  • Use past participle after “have/has” in present perfect: “You’ve passed,” not “You’ve pass.”
  • Contaminate is more vivid and dramatic than “pass the germ to.”
  • Remember the article a before singular countable nouns like “a nasal decongestant.”

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