最后一幕（第10季，17、18集）
来源：沪江商务英语
ID：HJ_BizEnglish
美剧《老友记》陪伴了不少小伙伴学习英语口语、了解美国文化，而它更是美国人休闲看剧离不开的。这部14年前就已经播完的情景喜剧，至今还在被很多人一刷再刷。而对于播剧的平台，想要留住这些用户和点击量，怕是要破财了——最近，为了能在2019年继续播放《老友记》，流媒体平台网飞（ Netflix ）和该剧的出品方 AT&T 就签下了1亿美元1年的大单！
Are Netflix and “Friends” on a break? The answer is no — for now.
网飞和《老友记》要分手了吗？答案是否定的，至少现在还不分。
" ‘Friends’will still be there for you in the US throughout 2019,” Netflix posted in a tweet, which included an image of the character Ross in an armadillo suit from a scene in which he tries to explain the story of Hanukkah to his son.
“2019年，《老友记》将依旧在美国播出。”网飞在一条推特中声明。推文的配图是主角Ross穿着犰狳的装扮来给儿子解释光明节的故事。
The deal to keep “Friends” on Netflix was due to expire by the end of the year, but both Netflix and AT&T had been negotiating for at least a few months to extend it, the people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
《老友记》在网飞的播出期限原定今年末到期，但据知情人士透露，网飞和AT&T就续约问题进行了几个月的谈判。
Complicating the negotiation was AT&T’s plan to begin a streamig service of its own by the end of 2019. AT&T acquired Time Warner in June for $85.4 billion, landing prized assets such as HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. film and TV studios, which include shows like “Friends” and “Big Bang Theory” and blockbuster movies like “Wonder Woman.”
AT&T曾打算在2019年末推出自家的流媒体服务，并在今年6月获得了时代华纳公司854亿美元的投资。时代华纳的事业版图包括HBO、CNN以及出品了《老友记》、《生活大爆炸》和制霸电影票房的《神奇女侠》的华纳兄弟。
“Friends” ran for 10 seasons from 1994 through 2004 on NBC’s once-mighty Thursday night lineup that dominated television.
《老友记》曾于1994年至2004年间，在当时NBC旗下每周四晚的黄金档播出了整整十年。
It has since been syndicated widely, but the show has found an especially receptive audience on Netflix, where it became available in 2015. Its popularity among the streaming set even prompted a 2016 New York magazine article, “Is ‘Friends’ Still the Most Popular Show on TV?”
由此开始，《老友记》得以广泛推广，而这部电视剧自从2015年起登陆网飞后，尤其受到了观众的欢迎。这部剧在网飞平台上是如此之火爆，以至于《纽约》杂志在2016年甚至写过一篇《‘老友记’是否依旧是最受欢迎的电视剧？》的文章。
Whether it is or not, Netflix has decided it’s worth $100 million.
无论它是不是，这回网飞是认定了它值1亿美元。
今日语言点
1）be on a break: 处于分手期
看过《老友记》的人都记得这句 “We were on a break!” （我们当时分手了呀！）。主角 Ross 和 Rachael 分分合合，一次 Rachael 质问 Ross 曾和别的女生暧昧， Ross 很激动地向她解释说那都是两人分手期间的事了。
所以用 break（-broke-broken）up 表示分手，我们可以说：
Poor Ian！His girlfriend broke up with him last night.
可怜的伊恩！昨晚，他的女朋友和他分手了。
其实 break 这个词的过去式 broke 也是口语中一个会经常用到的词——作形容词表示“破产的、钱花光了的”，而在这部剧里， broke 的这一用法更是高频，还高到每一集都出现——片头主题曲《 I’ll be there for you 》里：
Your job is a joke, You are broke, and your love life D.O.A.(dead on arrival) ...
工作不顺、身无分文，感情还不顺……
嗯，是够惨的……所以下次有人问你借钱，而你打算委婉拒绝时，就可以说：
Sorry, but I’m broke, too.
实在抱歉，我最近手头也挺紧的。
2） I’ ll be there for you. 我会守护着你。
多么长情的一句，这句话就是为告白而生的！
前面交代了，这句话也是整部剧主题曲的名字，这一句在歌词中是这样的：
I’ ll be there for you, when the rain stars to pour.
I’ ll be there for you, like I’ve been there before.
I’ ll be there for you, 'cuz you're there for me too.
我会守护着你，当大雨倾盆时。
我会守护着你，一如既往。
我会守护着你，因为你也从未离我而去……
还不赶紧记下来，讲给你心爱的ta？
He is due to appear in court on Wednesday.
按计划，他将于周三出庭。
注意：这个固定搭配和 due to + n. / pron. 的区别，后者表示“因为”，相当于 because of：
The flight is canceled due to bad weather.
由于天气原因，本次航班取消。
今日重点句：
The deal to keep “Friends” on Netflix was due to expire by the end of the year, but both Netflix and AT&T had been negotiating for at least a few months to extend it, the people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
《老友记》在网飞的播出期限原定今年末到期，但据知情人士透露，网飞和AT&T就续约问题进行了几个月的谈判。
这次我们只看 had been negotiating 这个结构：
过去完成进行时 had been doing = had done + be doing
首先，这半句中的 had done 的过去完成时部分，表示发生在“过去的过去，影响到过去”。而前面半句 was due to expire ... 正是这一句的“过去”—— AT&T 和网飞早就约定好了播到今年年底为止，所以双方早早就准备起来了续约的谈判。而过去完成进行时 had been doing 还有“未来还会持续做下去”的意思，也就是说谈判还未收尾。看来抱住《老友记》这棵摇钱树，AT&T 以后每年都能挣网飞一大笔授权费，简直是可以躺着数钱了……
这句我们也可以简化成：
Both Netflix and AT&T had been negotiating for at least a few months to extend a deal to keep “Friends” on Netflix was due to expire by the end of the year. The people who are with direct knowledge of the matter said.
老规矩，一拆到底：
Both Netflix and AT&T had been negotiating for at least a few months.
Because they wanted to extend a deal.
The deal was to keep “Friends” on Netflix.
It was due to expire by the end of 2018.
Some people are with direct knowledge of the matter, and they said so.
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