中财网完美漂移技巧:VOA流行美语（200-285）
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VOA流行美语（200-285）
流 行 美 语(Popular American)
--- 听美国之音 学流行美语
流行美语(Popular American),这个短小精悍的英语教学节目每次五分钟，生动活泼，幽默轻松。节目通过两个大学生的对话来教授美国年轻人常用的俚语，有的在字典上还查不到。
201 own sb.;goner
202 up for sth.; spot sb.
203 count sb.; wipe out
204 blown away; bone head
205 drive sb. bonkers; tightwad
206 chock full; doohickeys
207 freebie; megabucks
208 gas guzzler; tree hugger
209 cold feet; do a number
210 grub; hustle
211 head honcho; slam dunk
212 down; chug
213 dumb down; win-win
214 get a life; happy camper
215 phone tag; chit chat
216 go ballistic; get a move on
217 classic; go for it
218 jazzed; catch some waves
219 do the math; know the drill
220 live large; a hoot
221 toast; wiggle room
222 my bad; back in the day
223 trash talking; make waves
224 glitch; tweak
225 get out of here;burned out
226 night owl; catch some zzzs
227 hip; square
228 sick; souped up
229 get-go; on board
230 oodles; chuck
231 hush-hush; blabbermouth
232 spaced; in a jiffy
233 bite the bullet; benchwarmer
234 people person; know-it-all
235 seeing sb.;break up
236 Dullsville and Coolsville
237 ASAP; crank out
238 cut it; get on it
239 hand-me-down; hands down
240 doggie bag; back burner
241 cuppa joe; guilty pleasure
242 no show; lala land
243 TMI; PDQ
244 dud; oomph
245 rough it; creep sb. out
246 rocket science; chemistry
247 primo; glued
248 bells and Whistles; savvy
249 fed up; off the hook
250 oh boy; scaredy cat
251 snarf; power nap
252 party foul; split
253 newbie; been around
254 eat my dust; sore loser
255 my treat; ginormous
256 outdoorsy; artsy
257 nightmare; group hug
258 bread; nest egg
pa201.txt
流行美语第201课
李华今天在Larry家玩电子游戏，给Larry打败。 李华今天会学到两个常用语：own someone和goner。
[Sound of video games]
LH: 哎，我又输了。这个游戏真不怎么样。
LL: Ha! I own you Li Hua! That‘s five games to zero! I totally own you!
LH: Larry，你那么激动干什么呀！你说什么？“I own you ”，你又不欠我什么呀！
LL: No, not owe, I said own! To "own" someone means to overwhelmingly defeat that person at a game or contest, or just to be a lot better than someone else at something.
LH: 噢，to own someone就是玩游戏或比赛的时候把某人打败，或者在某个方面比对方强得多。你是说，我们玩电子游戏，你把我打败了。这有什么了不起！ 上次打乒乓球我把你打的落花流水，你记得吗？
LL: Yeah, I know, I know, the last time we played, you beat me 21 to zero. You totally own me at ping-pong. But that‘s just because in the
LH: 什么？你们美国人不把乒乓看作是真正的体育？That‘s baloney! 好吧，打保龄球在美国是很流行的，是不是！你还记得有一次我得了230分， 你连100分都不到。Larry，这你该怎么说呢？
LL: Right, right, you definitely own me at bowling. That was pretty embarrassing. Of course, I had given blood that day, and...
LH: 嗨，别再找理由了。你自己觉得不好意思就行！ 你呀， 除了打电子游戏以外，我看你什么都玩不过我。
LL: Oh yeah? What about Scrabble? I own you at Scrabble any day!
LH: 拼字游戏？ 当然了， 你是土生土长的美国人，英语是你的母语呀，如果连拼字你都比我差，那也太不好意思了吧。
LL: In spite of what you believe, I also own the tennis court. I‘m the best player on the tennis court. I can beat anyone else who comes onto the court.
LH: 我承认你的网球的确打得不错，到目前为止，谁也打不过你，不过那是因为你还没有遇到好的对手。
LL: Come on, Li Hua, it‘s silly to argue like that. Isn‘t it obvious that everyone can own someone in certain fields, but no one can own everyone in everything.
LH：这话不错。每个人都有比别人强的地方，但是不能什么都比人强。
******
[Sound of video games]
LH: 好了， Larry, 电子游戏打得差不多了， 我们出去吃点东西吧。
LL: Wait, just let me finish this round [sound of TV popping and shutting off] Whoa, the TV died. Oh well, I guess it‘s a goner now.
LH: 电视坏了， 你说电视是什么？ Goner ？
LL: I said, "It‘s a goner". That means that the TV is "gone". It‘s dead, it cannot be used again or brought back to life.
LH: 我明白了，你说 "the TV is a goner" 意思是这电视机坏了，没救了。你怎么知道呀？也许还可以修呢！
LL: I‘v already fixed it once, I‘m pretty sure it‘s a goner this time.
LH: 原来你已经修过了，那看来是完蛋了。 Larry, 你看墙角的那盆花都枯黄了，看来是没救了。It is a goner。
LL: Oh man, I can‘t believe I let that poor plant die. Yeah, it‘s definitely a goner. Just like your goldfish Shan-shan.
LH: 你可别提我的金鱼， 一提我就难过。 Larry，你不觉得用goner来形容心爱得宠物或是人，有点不太合适吗？
LL: I‘m sorry. You‘re right, it is very insensitive to say someone‘s pet, or loved one is "a goner".
LH: 没错，我也觉得把别人心爱的东西或喜欢的人称为goner似乎不太礼貌，对不对？
LL: You‘re absolutely right. Li Hua, do you remember my brother Jack?
LH: Jack? 就是那个不想上大学的弟弟吗？
LL: Yes. Since he didn‘t have a college education, my parents said that he‘s a goner in the job market for sure.
LH: 你爸爸妈妈认为你弟弟没有大学学历，要找工作是没有希望的。我看不一定吧 。 微软的创办人Bill Gates也没念完大学，可他现在是世界上最富有的人士之一。说不定Jack将来会很有出息呢。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是own Someone, 意思是在游戏和比赛中击败某人，或是在某个方面比别人强。李华学到的另一个常用语是goner意思是完了， 没希望了。
VOA慢速英语网 www.voanews.cn www.voanews.com.cn
pa202.txt
流行美语第202课
李华需要一个书架，她请Larry 陪她去社区看看有没有卖旧货的。李华今天会学到两个常用语：up for something和spot someone。
LH: Larry ， 我想买个书架， 你陪我去附近社区看看有没有卖旧货的，好吗？对了，报纸上的广告说， 附近就有一家， 走路10分钟就到。
LL: Sure. I‘m up for it. Let‘s go.
LH: Up for it? 这话是什么意思？听起来好象你愿意去。
LL: Right! When someone says he is up for it, that just means they are ready to do what is proposed, often some kind of social activity.
LH: 明白了， 你刚才说，"I‘m up for it", 意思是你愿意跟我去社区看看卖旧货的情况。那太好了。Larry ， 如果我买到书架， 你能不能帮我把它搬回去呀？
LL: I‘m definitely not up for that. I definitely don‘t want to do that.
LH: 我要是请你吃晚饭呢？Are you up for it ?
LL: Well, I could be up for that, as long as the furniture isn‘t too big or heavy.
LH: 瞧你，请你吃饭就原意帮我搬。当然咯，要是书桌太大，太重，你一个人是搬不动的。可是我也不要太大的。
LL： Li Hua, I‘d like to get some exercise today, would you be up for going for a run later today?
LH：跟你去跑步？ 好啊。 I‘m up for it! 我最近也一直没有运动，体重增加了
LL: I meant to ask you, Li Hua, we spend so much time together, do you think your parents are up for you hanging out with me instead of your Chinese friends?
LH: 我父母没有意见， 因为跟你交往， 我既可以提高英语又能更多地了解美国生活。这是件好事呀。 我倒要问问你， 你的父母愿意我们两个作朋友吗？
LL: Of course they are up for it. They like you and you help me improve my Chinese.
LH：我也很喜欢你爸爸妈妈呀！至于帮你学中文嘛，我看成效不大。你看，你从来也不跟我讲中文。
LL：Well, when I have a bigger vocabulary of Chinese characters, I will certainly feel up for speaking Chinese with you.
LH：你总是说等我增加词汇量后再讲。我看，你永远也开不了口！
******
(嘈杂人声)
LH: Larry，你看那家的门口摆了不少东西在卖， 我们去看看。
LL: Yeah, I might even want to get something too, though I didn‘t bring my wallet. If I see something I like, do you think you could spot me?
LH: 你可能要买东西，但没带钱包。你要做什么？Spot you？ 找你呀！
LL: No, that‘s not what I meant. If someone asks you if you can spot him or her, it means that he wants to know if you can lend him some money.
LH: 噢，原来spot someone在这里是指借钱给某人。 你要是看到喜欢的东西，我当然可以借钱给你呀！可不能太贵了，否则我买书架钱就不够了。
LL: Hey, look at that bookcase, that would be perfect for your dormitory.
LH: 记得我刚来纽约的时候，在商店里看见过一个特别漂亮的书架，可是价格太贵， 我买不起，当时也不认识什么能够借钱给我的人。
LL: Oh, if only I had known you then, I would have spotted you. But you can buy the bookcase here now. It‘s a real nice one.
LH: 这个书架是挺好，价钱也不贵。 我实在是需要，否则我也不买，因为，你知道，我毕业后回国的时候， 这些东西不是送掉，就是扔掉。
LL: That‘s right. And you need a lot money to buy airplane ticket and gifts for your family.
LH: 到时候我能向银行借钱吗？Can I ask a bank to spot me?
LL: No. Spot someone usually involves a small amount of money, while bank loans are often a big sum.
LH：噢，银行贷款一般数额大一些，那spot someone都是借少量的钱。
LL：Right. Li Hua, can you spot me for that badminton racquet over there?
LH: 你要买那羽毛球拍呀？ 才三美元呐，我可以借钱给你，没问题。不过你必须帮我把书架抬到宿舍去。
LL: Sure, I‘ll help you since you‘re so nice to spot me for that badminton racquet.
今天李华学到了两个常用语，一个是up for something。意思是愿意作某件事。李华学到的另一个常用语是spot someone。意思是借钱给某个人。
VOA慢速英语网 www.voanews.cn www.voanews.com.cn
pa203.txt
流行美语第203课
这是个星期六早上，李华打电话给Larry，叫他一起去海边玩。李华今天会学到两个常用语。一个是，count someone in另一个是，wipeout。
(Li Hua打电话给Larry。电话铃声)
LL: (Tired) Hello。
LH: Larry， 该醒啦！看看外面的天气有多好呀！我和Jenny要去海边。你要一起去的话，赶快起来准备好。
LL: Hmmà hey! You‘re right, the sky is beautiful. So you‘re going to Rockaway beach? Count me in!
LH: 你说什么？要我数什么呀？你要我们等很久可不行！
LL: No, no. I said count me in. That means I want to go too, I want to do this activity.
LH: 噢，count me in就是：也算我一个，也就是说你要一起去。行，我和Jenny 一起出去买点吃的，那，我们11:30到你那里...
LL: Wait， you‘re getting lunch before we go? Count me in on that too. I‘m hungry!
LH: 你饿了，要跟我们一起吃午饭？我早该知道你会这么说。只要有吃的，你总是要参加的。
LL: Absolutely! I haven‘t had a good hamburger for weeks, so you can definitely count me in!
LH: 怎么说得这么可怜！几个星期没吃一个像样的汉堡。好吧，那，你快起来准备，我们过十五分钟来接你。对了，Jenny还要去滑旱冰，你是不是也要参加？
LL: Count me in on the rollerblading also.
LH: 这你也要玩！ 我真有点害怕，特别是几个星期前我把自行车撞坏了以后 ...
LL: Really? I‘m surprised. You usually like to try new things. When we plan new, fun things we can usually count you in.
LH: 对，我一般是喜欢尝试新东西的。凡是有新鲜的，好玩的事，我都去。这回是因为自行车出了事，所以有点特殊。不过，我如果带安全用具，应该没事。那，你就算我一个吧！
LL: That‘s what I thought! Anyway, count me in for the hamburgers. I‘ll be downstairs in fifteen minutes!
******
(Li Hua and Larry are on the beach.)
LH: 哟，我还从来没有看人冲浪呢！你看这些人呐！那人从他那冲浪板上掉下去了。他没事吧？
LL: He just wiped out. It happens all the time.
LH: Wiped out? 那是什么意思呀？他这就被冲掉啦?
LL: No, no. Wiped out.If you fall down, fall off of something, or crash, this is a wipe out.
LH: 原来wiped out就是掉下来，或撞坏了。我刚才真是吓了一跳，我还以为他被冲走了呢！ 对了，我想掉在水里不会像摔在地面上那么痛吧！
LL: Remember when you wiped out on your bicycle last month?
LH: 你怎么又提我从自行车上摔下来的事呢！你看，我手臂上的疤还在呢！真痛呀！对了，你头边上的疤是哪儿来的？
LL: That? I wiped out on my skateboard when I was a kid and fell down some steps. I was lucky I wasn‘t seriously hurt.
LH: 你小时候从滑板上摔下好几个台阶？ 你没有严重受伤，真算你运气。你该带防护帽。我从自行车上摔下来的时候要是没带防护帽，那我就惨了， 很可能会严重受伤。
LL: Hey, that reminds me: what about your friend who wiped out while skiing earlier this year? Is he doing OK?
LH: 你在说谁呀？噢，就是今年年初滑雪的时候摔跤的Steve! 他现在很好，几个星期前把他腿上的石膏取下来了。 Larry，那边是Jenny吗？
LL: Hey, there‘s Jenny over there. Let‘s get our gear on and join her.
LH: Larry，我还是有点害怕。我不想摔倒了受伤。
LL: Don‘t worry, Li Hua! We‘ll go slowly. Even if you do wipe out, you‘ll be OK.
LH: 那好吧，我跟你一起去，可是千万别太快了。那样即便摔倒也不会受伤。走吧！
LL: I knew we could count you in!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是count someone in，意思是把某人包括在某个活动中。李华学到的另一个常用语是wipeout，意思是摔倒。
VOA慢速英语网 www.voanews.cn www.voanews.com.cn
pa204.txt
流行美语第204课
Larry最近去约塞美蒂国家公园度假。他正在告诉李华旅游的情况。李华会学到两个常用语：blown away和bone head。
LL:
LH: 你是说那儿的风很大，会把我吹走呀？我本来倒是很想去，可是要是会被吹走的话，那不是太危险了嘛？
LL: No, no. By "blown away" I mean you would be astounded. When something blows you away, it amazes you.
LH: 噢，blown away 在这里指的是感到惊异，吃惊。对了，我看到过约塞美蒂国家公园的照片。照片上的风景就让我惊叹不已了。
LL: But being there in person is so much more amazing. You won‘t believe how high some of the waterfalls are; when you go, it will blow you away!
LH: 身临其境那当然更好了。我是听说了那儿的瀑布从很高的山上流下来，非常惊人。其实你知道吗，Larry，中国也有许多有名的山脉。下回你去中国一定要去黄山玩。那里的景色也会让你惊叹不已！
LL: I am sure I will be blown away. I‘ve heard friends who have been to Huang Shan and talk about it, and it does sound amazing.
LH: 对，很多美国人都去黄山玩过，他们都觉得很美。对了，Larry，你去约塞美蒂有没有照相哪？
LL: I sure do. Before I left, my uncle came by and gave me a new camera to take with me to
LH: 你叔叔那么好呀！知道你要出去玩还特地送你一个新的照相机呀！他这么慷慨，人人都会感到惊异，而且还会让人羡慕你呐。
LL: Yes, sometimes when someone does something unexpectedly nice, it really blows you away.
LH: 对，象我刚到美国的时候没有汽车，有的人开车带我去买菜，然后告诉我到什么地方该怎么走。我没有想到人们会对我这么好，真是让我感到又感动，又惊讶呢。
LL: You know, the scenery was beautiful, but I was also blown away by the number of tourists at
LH: 那有什么奇怪的？放暑假嘛，旅游的人当然多了！
******
LL: Li Hua，I was also blown away by some of the stupid things people would do in the park!
LH: 那不奇怪，在哪儿都有人做一些不得体的事。你看见有些人做什么啦？
LL: Well, there was one guy who was feeding the deer. What a bone head!
LH: 给鹿吃东西？公园里一般都不让大家给动物吃东西。你说bone head，你是指那头鹿头上有骨头？谁头上没有骨头呀？
LL: No, I mean the guy who fed the deer was a bone head. A bone head is someone who has no brains and does something really stupid.
LH: 嗯，bone head就是没有脑筋的人，所以你是指那些给鹿吃东西的人没有脑子。对了，我听说鹿应该在他们所在的栖息地自己找东西吃。
LL: Yes, there are thousands of tourists who come to
LH: 还有那些随地扔东西的人也很讨厌，他们也都是bone-headed。
LL: Exactly. Not picking up your trash just spoils the view for others and is bad for the environment.
LH: 就是嘛，到处扔垃圾不但会影响公园的景色，而且也有害与保护环境。也许他们是因为没有扔垃圾的口袋？
LL: That still seems like a bone-headed excuse to me. You can carry your trash until you find a park trash can or bring it with you to your car.
LH: 你说我没有脑筋才会问这样的问题？我看你才没脑筋呐！把垃圾拿在手里，等到看见垃圾筒再扔？或者把垃圾带回到你汽车里？什么馊主意呀！
LL：I wonder why don‘t parks give out trash bags to everyone who comes into the park, Li Hua, Do you think that would prevent littering?
LH: Larry，这才是个好主意呐！ 公园应该给每个来公园玩的人发一个垃圾袋，这样人们就不会随地扔东西了。
LL：In fact, there are some parks in the
LH: 有的公园已经这样做了，那别的公园也应该这样做。
LL：So, I had a good idea! I guess that means you don‘t think I‘m a bone head!
LH：对，这个主意很好，所以你不是一个bone head.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是blown away，意思是惊叹，惊奇。另一个常用语是bone head，意思是没有脑筋的人。
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pa205.txt
流行美语第205课
Larry的父母最近来大学看望他。Larry一直忙着招待他们，今天好不容易抽空在李华的住处休息一下。李华会学到两个常用语：drive someone bonkers和tightwad。
LL: I can‘t believe my family has been here only three days. They are really making me bonkers!
LH: Making you bonkers？Larry，这个听起来可不像是什么好话。
LL: No, it isn‘t. Bonkers means crazy. Even though I love my family, they have all these annoying habits that drive me bonkers.
LH: 噢， make you bonkers就是你都快疯了。这我就不懂了，你很爱你的父母，这是毫无疑问的。可是他们有哪些习惯会让你受不了呢？
LL: Well, there is my mom. She is a great housekeeper, but when she comes to my apartment, she rearranges everything. It drives me bonkers, because I can‘t find anything!
LH: 这我完全理解。你妈是好意，看你屋里太乱，帮你整理整理。可是东西找不到的时候可真着急， 火气就上来了。我妈来看我的时候总是看电视，吵得我都没法看书。That drove me bonkers。
LL: And I bet your mom is the kind of person that would go bonkers if it was always quiet. She probably likes the noise and activity.
LH: 你说得一点都没错。我妈是个很活跃的人，一静下来她就受不了。
LL: Then there‘s my little sister. She drives me bonkers because she is always complaining that there is nothing to do. She says she is bored.
LH: 你也别怪你小妹妹，没事干也是很难受的。我回中国探亲的时候，每天不是吃饭就是聊天，真是很枯燥，有时真受不了。 Sometimes, it drove me bonkers, too.
LL: Speaking of talking and eating, my brother is making me bonkers because he talks endlessly and has eaten up everything in my house! I‘ve got to go to the grocery store again.
LH: 噢，你弟弟也一起来啦？他那么爱说话，跟我妈在一起倒不错！(哈，哈...)不过，年轻人能吃，你当然得去超市给他去买吃的了！
LL: It is okay, Li Hua. Even though I complain about my family, I really do love them. For everything they do that drives me bonkers, there is something wonderful they do, too.
LH: 我知道，抱怨归抱怨，但是家人总是亲人。尽管他们有让我们受不了的地方，但是他们对我们总是出于爱心，为我们作了许多事。
LL：Li Hua, do I drive you bonkers sometimes?
LH: 没有啦！你是个好朋友. You never drive me bonkers.
******
LH: Larry, 你好像没有抱怨过你的父亲，看来你们家里至少有一个人没有drive you bonkers.
LL: Oh, no, my dad is driving me bonkers, too. He is such a tightwad!
LH: 什么？你父亲是什么？
LL: He is a tightwad because he doesn‘t like to spend money on anything. He is very stingy with his money.
LH: 噢，tightwad就是小气，不肯花钱。其实节省也不是坏事。
LL: Yes, but let me give you an example. My dad knows my apartment is very small, but he is such a tightwad that he didn‘t want to spend money on a hotel.
LH: 这个例子倒挺能说明问题。你这么一小间屋子，你爸爸妈妈带着弟弟一起来挤在你这儿是不太方便。
LL: That is right. It would have been much more comfortable for them to have a hotel room, but my dad is too much of a tightwad for that!
LH: 对，他们住在旅馆里，大家都舒服多了。这么看，你爸爸是很小气。不过，我父母也一样，他们来美国探亲时总舍不得到餐馆去吃饭， 说在外面吃太贵。
LL: My dad is the same way about eating out, too. I hope that when I have kids I won‘t be such a tightwad.
LH: 你爸爸也不肯出去吃饭哪！我看你呀，Larry，有了孩子后绝不会像你爸爸那样。 其实，作父母的也不容易，要养家，要供孩子读书，花销很大啊。
LL: That‘s true. If my dad wasn‘t such a tightwad about the little things, maybe he wouldn‘t have been able to send me to college.
LH: 那到是，要是你爸爸不这么精打细算，你现在可能还上不了大学呢。你的弟弟妹妹也要上大学的，所以你父亲节约是有道理的。
LL: You are right, Li Hua. I‘ll forgive my dad for being a tightwad。But the rest of my family is still driving me bonkers!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是drive someone bonkers, 意思是令人生气，受不了。另一个常用语是tightwad，意思是小气鬼、吝啬鬼。
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pa206.txt
流行美语第206课
这是个周末，Larry和李华在Larry叔叔的农场里摘了一天的苹果。李华会学到两个常用语：chock full和doohickey。
LL: Wow, Li Hua, your basket is chock full of apples.
LH: Chock full of apples？你是不是说我的篮子都装满了？
LL: Yeah, chock full means full to the point of overflowing, and I don‘t think you could put another apple in that basket.
LH: 噢，chock full是指篮子不仅满了，而且是满得快掉出来了。那也是，我这篮子里是一个也放不下了。Larry，你的篮子怎么还没有装满呀？
LL: You are right. My basket is not as chock full of apples as yours, but I have an excuse!
LH: Excuse！ 什么理由？
LL: When I‘m out picking apples on a nice, sunny day in the fresh air, I start to think about things. Soon my mind is chock full of ideas, but I‘m afraid my basket isn‘t chock full of apples.
LH: 我才不信呢！什么一到阳光明媚，空气新鲜的环境里摘苹果，你就开始动脑子。那你倒说说，今天都想了些什么呀！
LL: I was thinking of things we could do with these apples. My aunt has a cabinet in the kitchen chock full of recipe books.
LH: 你在想怎么处理这些苹果? 得了，这是你动作慢的借口罢了。不过，我对你说的你阿姨厨房里的食谱倒很感兴趣，咱们去找她聊聊吧。
LL: And while we are in the kitchen talking to my aunt, we can have a little snack. She has a jar on the counter that is chock full of cookies.
LH: 饼干我就不吃了， 太油太甜，They are chock full of sugar and fat.
LL: Oh, a little sugar and fat won‘t hurt you, Li Hua. Besides the cookies are chock full of things that are good for you, like nuts, oatmeal and peanut butter.
LH: 饼干里有果仁，麦片和花生酱？这些都是对身体有好处的？多吃了也是一样不好，你只是嘴巴谗而已！
LL: Ha, ha, Li Hua. Very funny. Hey, while we on are way to the kitchen, let‘s stop by my uncle‘s tool shed.
LH: 你要先去看看你叔叔的工具房？ 好呀！
******
LL：Boy, I forgot my uncle has so many tools. Can you hand me that doohickey on the tool bench?
LH: Doohickey是什么呀？
LL: Oh, I should have been more specific, Li Hua. A doohickey is a generic term for a tool or a gadget.
LH: Doohickey是工具或小型工具的总称。那你要的是哪个呀？
LL: I want the doohickey in the middle of the bench。
LH: 在板凳当中的那个， 给你。Larry，这个东西是干什么用的？
LL: This doohickey is one of the greatest inventions of all time. It is an apple corer, peeler and slicer.
LH: 这玩艺儿既能削皮，挖掉苹果的核还能把苹果切成片，有这么多功能呀。怪不得你说它是最伟大的发明之一。
LL: Yes, it does. This doohickey may look simple, but it is a good tool to have in a country kitchen when you have a lot of apples.
LH: 当然啦，在这样的农村厨房里，摘了那么苹果，有这么一个工具当然好呀！这个工具怎么用的？
LL: Well, first you stick the entire doohickey on a flat surface of a table.
LH: OK， 先把这工具放在平的桌面上。我来试试， 看看这个东西是怎么切苹果的。
LL: Put the apple here like this. And then turn the handle of the doohickey. And there you have it -- a cored, peeled, and slice apple!
LH: 把苹果放在这里，然后转动这个把手。真的耶，你看，皮也削了，核也没了，而且已经切成片了。
LL: Isn‘t this doohickey great?
LH: Wow! 真有意思， 你叔叔的工具房里还有什么好的小玩艺儿呀? Any other interesting doohickeys ?
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是chock full , 意思是装的满满的。还有一个是doohickeys，意思是工具。
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pa207.txt
流行美语第207课
Larry刚在银行开了一个帐户。他一走出银行的大门就遇到了李华。今天李华会学到两个常用语：freebie和megabucks。
LL: Hi there, Li Hua! You should open a savings account today. Look at the freebie I got at the bank.
LH: Freebie? 你手里拿的好像是个计算机。
LL: You are right, Li Hua. It is a calculator and, you know, it is free. And that is what makes it a freebie!
LH: Free？你说，只要开个帐户就能得到一个免费的计算机。所以免费送的东西就是freebie。真的是送给你的吗？
LL: Yes, it was a special promotion. I love getting freebies. And a calculator is a good freebie.
LH: 原来是银行在开展特别的推销活动，给开帐户的人送一个礼物。 计算机是有用的东西。不过，凡是免费的我也都喜欢。
LL: Banks often give away candy as freebie or a pen with the bank logo. But a calculator is something I will really use. That makes it a good freebie.
LH: 是啊，送给我一支笔，那也有用。送我糖我才不要呢！在所有的免费礼品中我最喜欢香水了。
LL: It is a good way to try expensive perfumes before spending the money. I guess.
LH: 对呀！买一瓶香水很贵。送我一瓶小小的香水，要是喜欢我下回可以去买，不喜欢就算。这样就不会浪费钱了。Larry, 还有哪里可以得到免费商品啊 ?
LL: Well, book stores often give away freebie bookmarks. But, I think my favorite freebie is food!
LH: 书店给的书签没有什么吸引力。我也喜欢超市里为了推销而提供的那些免费食品，什么面包呀，蛋糕呀，肚子饿的时候可好啦！
LL: Speaking of freebie food, here is a grocery store across the street. Let‘s go in and see if they have any freebies.
LH：对马路的超市有免费食品呀？那还等什么呀？快走呀！
(Sound of door opening, grocery store sounds)
LL: Let‘s go to the freezer compartments. There is usually a lady giving out freebie samples of pizza.
LH: 我看见了， 后面是有一个女服务员在送比萨饼呢。Larry， 你可真行呀！哪里有freebie 你都知道。
******
LL: Say， Li Hua， would you like to win megabucks?
LH: Megabucks? Mega意思是大， buck是指美元。 如果我没有猜错的话， megabucks的意思是很多钱。
LL: Wow, Li Hua. Your English is getting really good. That‘s right, megabucks is a lot of money.
LH: Larry, 我当然想赢megabucks。谁不想发财呢？问题是怎么才能得到那么多钱呢？
LL: Well, we can buy a lottery ticket at the front of the grocery store. Who knows, we may win megabucks.
LH: 你要到前面去买一张彩票呀？我才不信我们会赢megabucks呢！不过， Larry，要是我们赢了，那会有多少钱呀?
LL: If all six of the numbers on our ticket match the winning numbers, we will win 5 million dollars.
LH: 要真能赢五百万， 那该多好呀！我们就不用再打工了。可是，要六个数字全和彩票一样才能赢，那中彩的机率不会很高吧？
LL: It really isn‘t. We would have to spend megabucks buying lottery tickets to even have a small chance of winning.
LH: 我就知道嘛，这种机会是很小的。即便花好多钱去买好多彩票，我们也不见得会赢。与其这么毫无希望地等着中彩票还不如我们自己去赚大钱呢。
LL: You mean go to work? I don‘t know about you, Li Hua, but I‘m not being paid megabucks.
LH: 我知道你工资不高，我的工资也很低啊。 不过如果我们努力工作的话， 说不定哪一天我们会发财的。
LL: You mean like Bill Gates of Microsoft? He‘s certainly made megabucks.
LH: 是啊，所以微软的Bill Gates把很多钱都捐给了慈善事业。
LL: I‘m not sure I‘ll be making megabucks -- so for now I‘ll just keep living off of freebies in the grocery store. Want some more pizza?
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是freebie，意思是免费送的东西。还有一个是megabucks，意思是很多钱。
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pa208.txt
流行美语第208课
Larry和李华要开车去一个国家公园，他们先到加油站给汽车加油。李华今天会学到两个常用语，gas guzzler和tree hugger。
LL: I can‘t believe the price of gas these days! I am going to have to get rid of this gas guzzler.
LH: 我知道，我到美国来以后就从来没有见过这么高的的汽油价钱。 可是，Larry, 你要扔掉什么？Gas guzzler是什么呀？
LL: To guzzle something is to drink it really fast. A gas guzzler refers to a car that gets very poor gas mileage and constantly needs to be filled up.
LH: 我明白了。Guzzle就是口渴的时候大口大口地喝水。你是说你的车耗油太多，大口大口地喝油。A gas guzzler就是耗油量很大的汽车。
LL: That‘s right. And looking at the price on the gas pump, I am not too happy to be driving a gas guzzler right now.
LH: 好多人都有你这样的想法。油价这么高，还开耗油的车，花钱多了，当然不高兴啦。对了，你这个gas guzzler每加仑汽油能跑多少里路啊？
LL: Well, about 25 miles to the gallon on the highway, but only 18 miles per gallon driving around town. It isn‘t the worst gas guzzler out there, but I could be driving something more fuel efficient.
LH: 在高速公路上开每加仑25英里，在城市里只能开18英里！ 比我的车要费油多了。你是该换一辆省油的车了。
LL: Well, I know there are cars on the market that get as much as 40 miles to the gallon, but they tend to be smaller cars. Bigger cars tend to be gas guzzlers, and I wanted a bigger car.
LH: 当然啦，省油的车一般都是小型的车，大车都是耗油的。你喜欢开大车，那就得多花钱。Larry，现在耗油量大的汽车一定卖不动了吧？
LL: I think there will always be people who have the money to afford the gas and want to have a big gas guzzler to drive around.
LH: 没错，就像你这样爱开大车的人总是有的。Larry, 这就叫愿者上钩。不过，有的人有钱，你是穷学生。 我还是喜欢开小车，省油省钱， 还有利于保护环境。
LL: There! The tank of this gas guzzler is finally full. After I pay the gas attendant, we can get on the road.
LH: 油加满啦？快去付钱，完了我们就可以上路了。太棒了， 我早就想去国家公园痛痛快快地玩一天。
******
LL: So, Li Hua, you drive a small car because you think it‘s good for the environment. Are you a tree hugger or what?
LH: 是呀，我刚才说了，我喜欢开小车，原因之一是为了保护环境。你问我是不是个tree hugger? 抱树的人？ 我是很喜欢树， 可是没有到要拥抱树的程度。
LL: A tree hugger is someone who really likes trees and the environment and is willing to do pretty much anything to protect them.
LH: 我猜想a tree hugger也就是特别喜欢树木，关心环保的人。Larry，tree hugger这个名词是有赞扬的意思，还是含有贬义？
LL: It isn‘t a bad thing - depending on who you talk to. Some people see tree huggers as standing in the way of progress.
LH: 没有坏的意思，但是又要看你跟谁说话。为什么有的人认为tree huggers会妨碍进步呢？这我不明白。
LL: Do you remember a few years ago some tree huggers in the northwestern
LH: 对，几年前，美国西北部一些环保人士为了保护猫头鹰的栖息地，阻止木材公司伐木而用铁链子把自己捆在树上。
LL: Yeah, and the price of lumber in the northwest went up, and people blamed the tree huggers for lost jobs in the lumber industry.
LH: 原来是这样。因为砍的树少了，价格就上升了，伐木业的就业机会也少了；他们都怪环保人士呀！在这些人眼里，tree huggers显然不是赞美的称呼了。
LL: No, it is a term used to put down or disparage people who protect nature at the expense of human comfort and industry.
LH: 对这些人来说，tree huggers就是牺牲人类的舒适和工业来保护自然。野生动物应该保护嘛，这总要有人站出来说话啊。
LL: I guess so. Driving through the forest reminds me of the good things tree huggers can do.
LH: 在森林里开车是会让我们想起tree huggers。他们努力保护森林，好让我们和子孙后代都能享用，这都是很有意义的事。
LL: I think you‘ve answered my question, Li Hua. You ARE a tree hugger.
LH: 不错，我就是个tree hugger─我也为此而感到自豪。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。第一个是 gas guzzler, 意思是很费油的汽车。第二个是tree huggers， 意思是喜爱自然的人或是致力与环境保护的人士。
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pa209.txt
流行美语第209课
李华和Larry正在商量去野营的事。今天李华会学到两个常用语：cold feet和do a number。
LL: Hey Li Hua, are you ready for that camping trip this weekend?
LH: 这个周末去野营的事呀？ 嗯... 我还没一定是不是能跟你们一起去...
LL: What? Don‘t tell me you‘re getting cold feet! You told me last week you wanted to come along!
LH: 是，我上个星期是说要去来啦！可我现在说不好是不是能去。这跟我的脚没有关系。而且冬天还没有来，我的脚怎么会冷呢？
LL: No, no... to get cold feet means, to become nervous or anxious and then change your mind about a decision.
LH: 噢，你不是说我因为脚冷而不去。Cold feet是因为太紧张，太担心而改变主意。
LL：I still don‘t understand why you are afraid to go camping.
LH：我不是害怕野营。下星期二要期中考试，你忘啦？我得学习，还得写一个报告...
LL: Everyone has gotten cold feet at least once. When I was little, my parents sent me to a summer camp. At the camp I began to feel homesick, started getting cold feet, and wanted to come home.
LH: 原来你小时候还有这事！ 你父母送你去夏令营，结果去了以后你就紧张了，要回家，那你父母得提早把你接回去呀？Larry，那时你多大呀？
LL: I was like 7-years old. When I was a teenager, I thought about joining the Army after high school. But as I got closer to graduation, I got cold feet, and changed my mind.
LH: 中学时你又想参军，后来又因为害怕而改变主意了。这我知道，我哥哥也是这样。Larry，你听说了没有？乔治亚州一个女子结婚前几天由於太紧张而逃走了。
LL: Yes, she pretended she had been kidnapped. I feel sorry for her fiancé。
LH: 对， 她假装被人绑架了。她那未婚夫可真倒霉。Larry，上星期本来说好去跳舞，后来你改变主意，是真的病了呢，还是get cold feet?
LL: Honestly, I got cold feet. I got nervous at the last minute, and made up an excuse. Sorry!
LH：原来是最后一分钟胆怯了，所以装病。
******
LH: Hi, Larry! 你们去野营，开心吗？
LL: Sure, I guess so... but look at this sunburn I got! The sun really did a number on my face!
LH: 哟，看你的脸给晒的！ 你说太阳怎么啦？Did a number，太阳和数字有什么关系呀？
LL: The sun did a number on my face. Did a number means that the sun did a lot of damage, I got a really bad sunburn!
LH: Did a number 意思是造成很大损坏。对，你晒得可真厉害。你的手臂呢？
LL: Oh, those are mosquito bites. The mosquitoes really did a number on my arms... and my legs, and my neck...
LH: 蚊子把你咬成那样呀！瞧你的手臂，还有腿，哟，还有脖子上！不过，你总算去玩了。我呀，才倒霉呢。车子好好停在那里，一个人会开着车撞上去，把我的门给撞坏了。He did a number on the door.
LL: Wow, too bad. At least you were lucky that you weren‘t in the car when he hit it, he could have done a real number on you, not just your car.
LH: 对，幸好我没在车里，否则我肯定会受伤的。我姐姐以前就在出车祸时手臂骨给撞断了。
LL: That‘s terrible! A few years ago someone in a car hit me while I was riding my bicycle on the street. I was not hurt, but it really did a number on my bike!
LH: 汽车撞你自行车，结果你居然没有受伤。自行车坏了没事。那个人赔你钱了？
LL: Nothing, because he drove off. Good for him: I was angry and felt like doing a number on his face with my fists.
LH: 撞了就开走了？那太不象话了。这种人真是该揍他一顿。不过像你这样软棉棉的手，受伤的可能是你的手，而不是他的脸。
LL: Speaking of doing a number, that camping food really made my stomach uncomfortable. I need some coffee.
LL: 野营的饭让你的胃不舒服？不过你空肚子喝咖啡...
LH: Oh, yeah, that‘ll do a number on me, I‘d better eat first.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是：cold feet，意思是由于紧张和担心而临时改变主意。另一个常用语是：do a number， 这是指伤害什么东西。
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pa210.txt
流行美语第210课
Larry和李华一起出去买东西， Larry说他肚子饿了。李华会学到两个常用语：grub和hustle。
LL: Li Hua, I am so hungry. We need to find some grub quick.
LH: 你怎么又饿了？你想吃什么？Grub？ Grub是什么？
LL: Grub is food, and right now I need to get some grub; otherwise, I am going to start eating the shoes I bought.
LH: 原来Grub就是食物。你也太过分了， 你再饿也不至于吃你刚买的鞋子啊。 你要是真的啃鞋子， 我就要给精神病医院打电话了。
LL: Oh, I see a place up ahead called Ranchero. They‘ve got pretty good grub there.
LH: 我也看见了那家叫Ranchero的餐馆。你说他们的饭菜很好， 真的吗？这家饭馆是什么风味的呀？
LL: It is a Mexican restaurant. Mexican food is some of my favorite grub.
LH: 你喜欢吃墨西哥饭？ 我怎么不知道。 对不起，我可不喜欢吃墨西哥饭。我们能不能去别的餐馆呢？
LL: Well, I am pretty hungry. But I suppose we can spend a little more time looking for a place with grub we both like.
LH: 对，找个我们俩都喜欢吃的地方。这附近有个叫汉宫的中餐馆，他们的菜很好吃。我们去汉宫，怎么样？
LL: Actually, a friend told me that the grub at
LH: 汉宫的中国饭不地道？你听谁说的呀？我觉得还是不错的，当然不能算是第一流的。
LL: But another friend said that the grub at
LH: 每个人的口味不一样嘛。有的人觉得不正宗，这个朋友又觉得比他想象的更好。我看，你呀， 这么饿就别挑剔了。有什么就吃什么吧！
LL：You‘re right. I guess at this point I am so hungry I can‘t be too picky.
LH：说实话，Larry，哪儿的菜都比不上我妈妈做的。
LL：Of course, the grub you get at any restaurant is never as good as home cooking. Come on, Li Hua, let‘s go to
******
LL: We better hustle, Li Hua!
LH: Hustle ？那不是一种跳舞的步伐吗？你想去跳舞？
LL: The hustle *was* a dance popular in the
LH: 我明白了， 你的意思是我们要赶快，hustle跟70年代流行的舞步毫无关系。可是我们要付了账才可以走啊。这位服务生的动作怎么这么慢呢。
LL: You are right， he isn‘t very fast, is he? We need to let him know we need to hustle.
LH: 好， 你去告诉他我们需要赶紧走。我呢，去用一下洗手间。
LL: But you have to hustle right back, Li Hua; otherwise, we won‘t make the bus.
LH: 你放心，我马上就回来。我知道我们要赶六点的汽车呢，晚了就赶不上了。
LL：No, Li Hua, I think we need to hustle out of here right now. Otherwise we won‘t be able to make it.
LH: 有那么紧张吗？ 现在不走就赶不上车啦？
LL：Yes, I‘ll just leave the money on the table. Let‘s go!
LH: Larry, 好主意，把钱放在桌子上， 可别忘了给小费。
LL: Yes, I have included the tip。
(sound of opening the door and running)
LL: Oh, no, Li Hua! There is the bus. We aren‘t going to make it!
LH: 跑得我都气喘不上来了，结果还是没有赶上。真倒霉。Larry，你要是真有急事的话，我们就去坐出租车吧。
LL: That‘s a good idea, Li Hua.
LH: 对了，Larry，你这么急着回家，到底有什么事呀？
LL: The season finale of my favorite TV show is on at eight P.M.. I really can‘t miss it.
LH: 原来你要在八点前赶回去看你爱看的电视剧！我的天啊， 我还以为你有什么急事呢。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是grub，意思是食物。还有一个是hustle，意思是赶快。
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pa211.txt
流行美语第211课
Larry和李华在一家咖啡店里聊天， Larry在告诉李华的办公室里最近发生的事。李华今天会学到两个常用语：head honcho和slam dunk。
LL: So, Li Hua， yesterday the head honcho of the company I work for came into the office.
LH: 谁到你们的办公室来？公司的head honcho？ head是头脑， honcho是什么呀？
LL: A Head honcho is the person with the highest position in a company or organization. I think "honcho" actually comes from a Japanese word meaning leader.
LH: Head honcho就是一个公司，或一个机构的最高领导人。Honcho这个词原来是来自日文， 意思是领导人。Honcho听起来是像日文。听起来，你好像挺高兴看见你们公司的head honcho。
LL: Yes, indeed. I was very happy to meet the company president. I had never met the head honcho before.
LH: 你和他从来没有见过面？ 难怪他来了你们都好像有点受宠若惊一样。那这位高高在上的主管为什么会突然到你们办公室去呢？
LL: Well, some of my co-workers have said that someone in our office is being considered for a promotion, but they don‘t know who. They think the head honcho came by to see the candidate for himself.
LH: 你的同事说他是来看看他们领导想提拔的那个人，可是提拔谁呢，你们又不知道。他要提拔的人他还不认识呀？
LL: You know how head honchos are. He works in the company‘s main office across town, and he doesn‘t always personally meet everyone that is hired.
LH: 那倒也是，这个head honcho在公司总部上班，而总部又不在你们大楼里。说实话， 即使是在同一个办公楼里，老板也不一定认识所有的雇员呀。我们大学的校长我也只是在大会上见过。
LL: But, Professor Jones is the head honcho of the East Asian Studies Department, and you know him.
LH: 是啊， 东亚研究系的琼斯教授倒是和我很熟。 你们公司总裁是不是来看你的。他们想提拔的就是你吧？
LL: I don‘ t know, Li Hua. He did chat with me for a few minutes about my work. Maybe the head honcho IS thinking about me for the promotion.
LH: 他跟你聊了几分钟有关你工作的事？我看他很可能是想提拔你！Larry，你将来也许会成为一个head honcho!
******
LL: I really don‘t think the promotion is a slam dunk, Li Hua.
LH: Slam dunk? Slam dunk不就是我们在打篮球的时候常说的灌篮吗？
LL: That‘ s right. A slam dunk is a shot taken by a basketball player that can‘t be missed. The player is usually right by the hoop and is literally shoving it right in the basket.
LH: 灌篮得分应当是十拿九稳。 人就在栏板下面， 一伸手就把球灌进去了。Larry，我知道公司是否提拔你并不像灌篮那么十拿九稳。可是Larry，你的确很出色呀！
LL: The company president DID talk to several other people in the office, so I have to say it is too early to think of the promotion as a slam dunk.
LH: 我看也是，我们不要过于乐观， 毕竟跟公司总裁谈话的不止你一个人。不过，什么时候才知道the head honcho看中的到底是谁呢？
LL: I don‘t think I will know. Say, what about you, Li Hua? I remember you applied for a fellowship for next year. I‘d say for you that is a slam dunk!
LH: 我是申请了奖学金， 可是现在还没有消息呢。 对我来说， 这也不是十拿九稳的， I don‘t think it is a slam dunk.
LL: How could it not be a slam dunk? You are honestly one of the hardest working students I know. I can‘t imagine any one else getting the fellowship.
LH: Thanks, Larry。 我是很努力， 可是用功的学生很多呀。 不过听到你这么赞扬我， 我还是很高兴。
LL: Well, let‘s talk about something that is a slam dunk!
LH: 什么事情是slam dunk，一定会发生呢？
LL: I‘d say it is a slam dunk that after we finish our coffee, you are going to go home and study.
LH: 喝完了咖啡，我就要回家去做作业了。这是肯定的，That is a real slam dunk, Larry.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是head honcho，意思是公司或组织的最高主管。还有一个是slam dunk，指的是很有把握，肯定会发生的事情。
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pa212.txt
流行美语第212课
Larry和李华在学校的食堂里吃晚饭。李华今天会学到两个常用语；to down和to chug。
LL: You know, Li Hua, I think I can down this entire hamburger in a single bite. I am that hungry.
LH: 听你的意思，我猜你是说你可以一口就把这个汉堡包吃下去， 对不对？
LL: You‘re right, my friend! The hamburger will go down to my stomach.
LH: 你看我没猜错吧！ Down就是吃的意思。Larry，你说一口就能吃下去这有点夸张吧。 人又不是蛇， 要噎住了怎么办呢？
LL: Well, maybe I was exaggerating a little, but down means to eat something all at once and really fast.
LH: 我明白了，down不仅是吃，而且是狼吞虎咽。我记得在电视上看过 吃热狗比赛，有个人在12分钟内吃了50个热狗，He downed 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes! Larry，你能吃这么多吗？
LL: No, I can‘t. I‘m pretty hungry right now, but I think I would get sick after downing so many hot dogs in so little time.
LH: 一下子吃这么多热狗，你当然受不了。不过， 人都有狼吞虎咽的时候。象我，回国探亲的时，有时候一顿饭能吃好几十个饺子呢。
LL: But steamed dumplings are so small, I bet you can down fifty of those and still feel okay.
LH: 五十个饺子，那可不少啊。 我只要吃上二十个就已经很饱了。
LL: Well, one of my favorite things to eat is chocolate chip cookies. When I was a kid my Mom would bake them, and I would down a whole plate of cookies just like that.
LH: 带巧克力的饼干我也爱吃。大多数美国妇女都会烤这种饼干。可是，你妈怎么会让你把烤出来的一盘全吃了呢？你们美国人可真能吃。
LL: But I know you like ice cream, Li Hua. I‘ve seen you down an ice cream cone in just a few seconds.
LH: 你说对了，我的确喜欢冰淇淋。 其实我现在就想吃。 I‘d like to down an ice cream cone right now.
LL: Well, you go get your ice cream cone - and I am going to finish downing this burger.
LH: 好吧，Larry，我去拿冰淇淋， 你把这汉堡吃完，我一会儿就回来。
******
LL: Hey, Li Hua, after downing that burger, now I really need to chug a big glass of soda.
LH: Chug，那是什么意思啊？
LL: You know how you down a hamburger by eating it very quickly? You chug a soda by drinking it really fast and all at once.
LH: 我刚才就猜是这个意思， chug就是很快地一下子喝光。Chug听起来好像是个像声字。
LL: Well, listen to me chug this soda and tell me what you hear.
(Sound of drinking)
LH: 听到了， 你喝起来有咕嘟咕嘟的声音。
LL: Yeah, chug comes from the sound you make when you drink something quickly and all at one time.
LH: 只有在喝冷饮的时候才能够咕嘟咕嘟地快喝。你要喝茶可就不行了。一杯热茶，最好慢慢品尝。 再说， 喝快了也会烫嗓子呀。
LL: I guess you can‘t really chug a cup of hot tea, but what about a bottle of cool water?
LH: 冷的水当然可以了。只要不是热的，其他饮料都可以一饮而尽嘛。
LL: For me, there is nothing better than chugging a glass of milk right after eating a plate of my mom‘s chocolate chip cookies.
LH: 瞧把你给谗得！吃完巧克力饼干，你要再喝一大杯牛奶，听起来是真过瘾。
LL: Oh, I love to chug milk! Sometimes I chug milk right out of the bottle in the fridge.
LH: 你从冰箱里拿出装奶的瓶子就喝？连杯子都不用呀？
LL: That‘s right. But don‘t tell my mom. She wouldn‘t be very happy to know I was chugging milk from the bottle in the fridge.
LH: 你真够呛！还让我不要告诉你妈妈。谁看见了都不会高兴的。你这么喝，那别人要喝怎么办呐！Larry, 快把你的饮料喝了吧。 我得去上课了。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是down，意思是狼吞虎咽。还有一个是chug，意思是大口大口地喝，一饮而尽。
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pa213.txt
流行美语第213课
Larry和李华在谈李华教中文的事。李华会学到两个常用语：dumb down和win-win。
LL: So, when you teach first year Chinese you must really have to dumb down the material for the students.
LH: 什么？Dumb down? 这是什么意思呀？
LL: Yeah. To dumb down is to take something difficult and make it easy.
LH：噢，To dumb down就是把难学的教材简化，让学生容易学一点。是啊， 一年级的学生都刚开始学中文， 我必须用简单一些的教材。Larry，dumb就是苯；down就是下降，dumb down这说法是不是有贬义呀？
LL: Well, sometimes you dumb something down because it is really hard, and in those cases, to dumb down doesn‘t really have a negative sense to it.
LH: 那倒是。把过分复杂的内容简化一些是好的，所以在这种情况下，dumb down确实不应该属于贬义。
LL: Sometimes the person you are trying to teach isn‘t very smart - and you have to dumb it down so they can begin to understand. In that case, it does have a negative meaning.
LH: 这我太清楚了。有的学生就是教不会，脑子不太聪明，遇到这种情况你也只好一点一点教，从最简单的开始。
LL: Of course - and at work, when I explain the software to people who have never used it, I generally dumb down my instructions so they don‘t get confused.
LH: 那我跟你办公室的同事差不多。你要教我用新的电脑软件，你非得讲得简单易懂，否则我会糊涂的。就像我教那些脑子不太快的学生一样。
LL: So, you don‘t have to dumb it down for those bright students?
LH: 教聪敏的学生当然就不需要dumb down我的教材咯！有的学生可真聪敏，一教就会，而且还不需要我每次重复。
LL: That is amazing! If you didn‘t have to dumb it down, you must be a really good teacher.
LH: 那还用说呀！当然是教导有方了，严师出高徒嘛。 Larry, 我想请你帮个忙， 不知道你能不能教我使用刚买的绘画软件。
LL: Sure, Li Hua, I‘d be happy to.
LH: 我刚才说了，我对电脑不太精通。 你可要用简单的词汇来讲解 - You are really going to have to dumb it down for me!
******
LL: Hey, Li Hua. Speaking of teaching Chinese, I‘ve got a proposal for you - and I think it is a real win-win situation.
LH: 我知道，win-win situation就是双赢。也就是对双方都有好处。Win就是赢或输的赢。对了，Larry，你要给我提什么建议呀？
LL: Oh, I met someone who studied Chinese years ago and wants to practice their Chinese. I thought you would be a perfect choice to help her out.
LH: 你认识的这个人以前学过中文， 现在想练习中文， 我当然可以帮助她了。不过，如果只是我帮助她，这好像并不是双赢的局面呦。
LL: Well, she is an editor for a magazine, and I thought she could help you by editing your dissertation - and you could help her practice her Chinese. It‘s a win-win situation for both of you.
LH: 原来如此，她是一个杂志的编辑，可以帮我修改博士论文。 这样，我帮她练习中文，她帮我改论文，这真是一个win-win situation。 谢谢你，Larry， 你知道花钱请人修改论文是很贵的。
LL: As can hiring a Chinese tutor. I am sure my friend will think it‘s win-win as well.
LH: 当然，请人辅导中文也不便宜。 你把她的电话给我，我和她联系一下。Larry, 我也有一个双赢的建议给你。
LL: Okay, just what is your win-win proposition?
LH: 我刚才不是请你教我使用刚买的绘画软件吗？这个周末给你做顿中国饭怎么样？
LL: Well, I like the idea! You are a great cook and I‘m happy to buy the food, and you‘ll learn how to use the software. A perfect win-win partnership!
LH: 你也是个很棒的双赢夥伴。可是，Larry， 吃完饭后别忘了洗碗。
LL: Me do the dishes, too? That seems a little less win-win to me!
LH：But it‘s a win-win to me!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是dumb down，意思是把教材、讲解等简化，让学的人更容易懂。还有一个常用语是win-win，意思是双赢。
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pa214.txt
流行美语第214课
Larry和李华都对他们的朋友Dave感到很同情，因为Dave最近刚同他的女朋友分手。李华会学到两个常用语：get a life和happy camper。
LL: Ever since Dave‘s girlfriend broke up with him, Dave has been staying in his apartment doing nothing but playing video games and eating pizza. He really needs to get a life!
LH: 我也听说了，自从Dave同女朋友分手后他成天灾家里玩电子游戏，什么事也不做。不过，Larry, 你说Dave needs to get a life， 我不太懂，他不是还活着，有生命啊。
LL: Well, when I said Dave needed to get a life I meant Dave needs to stop thinking about his old girlfriend and get on with his normal life.
LH: 我明白了。 你的意思是说他现在的生活不正常，头不梳，脸不洗的，天天只吃pizza。他确实应当设法忘掉那女朋友，振作起来过正常的生活。
LL: Yes. The other day I told one of my co-workers in the office to get a life, too.
LH: 你怎么老是让人get a life? 你的同事又怎么了？
LL: Well, this one person I work with complains all the time. No one ever does anything right, nothing is ever good enough, and she never has anything nice to say.
LH: 这种人我见得多了！他们对什么事都不满意，总是发牢骚。要跟这种人接触多了，你也会被他弄得情绪低落的。
LL: Yeah, she was upset because the chairs around the table in the meeting room were not pushed in. I couldn‘t believe she was bothered by something so minor, so I told her to get a life.
LH: 椅子没放好， 她也不高兴。 这种人呀，算了吧。让她找点真正有意思的事做。 Larry，我有一个同学也需要get a life。他书不好好地念，可整天泡在酒巴里。
LL: Well, Li Hua, at least we know that isn‘t going to happen to you. You study all the time.
LH: 是啊， 我太用功了，只念书，不休息，也不娱乐， 或许我也应当平衡一下- get a life。
LL: Oh, I wouldn‘t worry about it, Li Hua. You are doing just fine. I don‘t think you need to get a life. Li Hua, how about some ice cream?
LH: 不行，我在减肥，不能吃冰淇淋。
LL: Oh, come on, Li Hua, get a life!
******
LL: Have you seen Dave lately, Li Hua? He sure is a happy camper!
LH: 什么？Happy camper，快乐的露营者？
LL: No, no. A happy camper is just someone who is really happy.
LH: 噢，A happy camper指的是很快活的人。Dave现在很快活吗？
LL: Dave got back together with his girlfriend. And ever since then he‘s been smiling and laughing.
LH: 难怪Dave最近笑口常开，原来和女朋友言归于好了。 我真为他高兴。
LL: I‘m a happy camper, too. That woman who was always complaining at work got transferred to another office.
LH: 你办公室那爱发牢骚的同事调走了啦？那太好了。 Larry ，看来你的运气也很不错。
LL: But I feel bad for the people who will be working with her. When they find out how much she complains, they won‘t be happy campers.
LH: 那倒是，这种人走到哪里，哪里的人就倒霉。我有的时候想，这种爱抱怨的人能不能改变，也成为happy campers。 Larry , 我真希望跟你们一样，也是个happy camper。可惜我有这么多作业要改，高兴不起来。
LL: Hey, I‘ve got an easy way to solve this problem. Just give all your students A‘s. Then they will all be happy campers.
LH: Larry， 你别出馊主意了， 给每个学生都打满分，他们当然高兴。可是这是欺骗，也不公平，这不是害了他们吗？
LL: Li Hua, what would make you a happy camper?
LH: 那还不简单！就是不改作业。
LL: Well, why don‘t you put the grading off for a while and let‘s go get some ice cream. I promise you‘ll be a happy camper.
LH: 好吧，先不改作业，痛痛快快地吃一碗冰淇淋。.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。 一个是get a life， 意思是改变一下生活的态度或方式。 还有一个是happy camper, 意思是快乐的人。
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pa215.txt
流行美语第215课
Larry告诉李华他连续几天给他哥哥打电话，可是总也找不到他。 李华会学到两个常用语：phone tag和chit chat。
LL: Argh! I just got my brother‘s answering machine AGAIN. I‘ve been playing phone tag with him for days.
LH: 你和你哥哥playing phone tag？那是玩什么？有电话有关的游戏吗？
LL: Well, not exactly, but it is like a game of tag.
LH: Game of tag不就是小孩子们玩的捉人游戏吗？就是，大家跑，一个人追。被追到的人再接着去追别人。我们小时候都玩过这个游戏的。
LL: Right. I‘ll give you an example of how phone tag works. On Monday, I called my brother and left a message on his answering machine. On Monday night, he called me back, but I was out so HE left a message.
LH: 我也碰到过这种情况，上星期我打电话给一个朋友，他不在，我就留了言。他给我回电话的时候，我又不在，所以他留了言。 这样互相留言好几次，谁也找不到对方， 真是像捉迷藏一样。Phone tag这个词太生动了。
LL: Yes, and this game of phone tag with my brother has been going on for three days! I‘m getting pretty tired of it.
LH: 你们这样phone tag已经三天了， 你为什么不给他写email，发电子邮件呢？
LL: I know, Li Hua. Next time I call, if I get his answering machine again, I am going to tell him exactly when I am at home. That should solve the phone tag problem.
LH: 对，你告诉他你什么时候在家，让他到时候 打过来就行了。 你还可以给他写email发电子邮件呀。 这可比打电话要省事多了。
LL: That is a good idea, but I like hearing his voice. It makes me feel closer to him, and I really don‘t mind the phone tag too much.
LH: 那倒也是。通话和写信毕竟不一样。 我虽然也用email，可还是常给我爸爸妈妈打电话。
LL: I guess it would be pretty frustrating and expensive to play a game of long distance phone tag from
LH: 一般都是我每个星期在固定的时间打电话回家，因为从中国打到美国价钱比较贵。 So I don‘t play phone tag with my family.
LL: Maybe I should try that with my brother. I‘m sure he is tired of playing phone tag, too.
*****
LH: Larry， 你那么急着找你哥哥，有要紧的事吗?
LL: No, not really. I just want to chit chat.
LH: Chit chat是什么意思啊？
LL: To Chit Chat is to talk about general things that aren‘t very important. I don‘t really have anything specific or urgent to talk about.
LH: Chit Chat就是闲聊。那你和你哥哥平时都闲聊些什么呢？
LL: We chit chat about what is going on at work, what we‘ve been doing for fun lately, and even about the weather.
LH: 嗯，聊工作，生活和天气，看来你们哥俩的关系很不错嘛。 我也喜欢和家人聊天，特别是和我妈妈。
LL: Chit chatting can be pleasant, but some times it can be annoying.
LH: 是啊，有时候聊天不仅没有乐趣反而令人烦恼，就好像昨天我正忙着写论文，我的朋友 Rachel 打电话来和我聊天。
LL: So, did you tell her you didn‘t have time to chit chat?
LH: 一开始我没好意思告诉他我很忙。 然后聊了一会儿以后我对她说我在忙着写论文呢。
LL: I know Rachel. She really likes to chit chat. Did she get off the phone right away, when you told her you need to work?
LH: Rachel的确很喜欢聊天。我说我要赶快写论文，她还是不挂电话。真拿她没办法。
LL: Well, I have to say, Li Hua, I don‘t mind chit chatting with you.
LH: 你也喜欢和我聊天？其实我也喜欢和朋友聊天。像现在这样，边喝茶边聊，很放松也很有意思。 当然要作功课的时候就不能chit chat了。
LL: That‘s right! I think it‘s time for you to work on your paper, and I need to try to call my brother again.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是phone tag，意思是打电话找人，可是来回好几次，双方还是没讲上话。还有一个常用语是chit chat，意思是闲聊。
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pa216.txt
流行美语第216课
李华和Larry今天要和在他们的朋友Jenny一起去钓鱼。李华会学到两个常用语：go ballistic和get a move on。
LH: Jenny怎么这么还不来啊。 我们已经等了20分钟了。 看见她我非和她算账不可。
LL: Hey, calm down Li Hua. Don‘t go ballistic on Jenny when she gets here, there might be a good reason for her being late.
LH: 你说不要对Jenny怎么样？Ballistic? 我就知道ballistic missile，弹道导弹。
LL: That‘s different. I said, don‘t go ballistic. To go ballistic on someone means to get really angry, lose control and start screaming at this person.
LH: 原来你是说不要对Jenny大发脾气， 我当然不会了。我确实讨厌别人迟到，但是我决不会对人大声嚷嚷，礼貌还是要的。
LL: Oh really? What about that time you went ballistic on one of your students in Chinese class?
LH: 那个学生作弊，我当然得训斥了他两句呀！但是，我也没有对他大发雷霆， I didn‘t go ballistic on him。 要是你，恐怕就会go ballistic了。
LL: Ok, then, what about the time that guy almost hit you with his car, and you were so angry - you definitely went ballistic on him.
LH: 那个人边开车边打电话，差点撞到我和一位老太太。我当然非常生气了。你可以说，我是发脾气了，I did go ballistic on him。 不过那是特别情况。我差一点命都没了。
LL: Didn‘t you tell me before that you used to go ballistic on your old roommate all the time?
LH: 没错，我以前常跟我的同屋发脾气。 可是你知道，每天我要作功课了，她总是大声放那种摇滚乐，我跟她说了还不听。过了一个月，我实在受不了才对她发脾气的。
LL: Well, I definitely remember I heard you talking to someone in Chinese on the phone the other day, and it sounded to me like you really went ballistic on them.
LH: 你听到我在电话上跟人发火了？那是我表姐。 不过我并没有跟她发脾气呀。你今天是怎么了， 你老是指责我，不断地翻老账。 你要是再没完没了，我就对你不客气了。 I‘ll be going ballistic on you.
LL: I‘m sorry, you‘re right, I shouldn‘t tease.
LH: 什么？你这么一 本正经的，原来是在逗我呀。 真气死人了。
******
LH: Larry， Jenny还没有来， 我们还要等多久啊？
LL: I think we‘ve waited long enough. She must have overslept. Oh well, let‘s get a move on.
LH: 我肯定她睡过头了。一般她是很准时的。不过Larry，你说get a move on，那是什么意思啊？
LL: To get a move on means to hurry up, to start going somewhere.
LH: 我明白了。 To get a move on的意思是赶快走。昨天我在上课的路上遇见Jenny， 她说，We had better get a move on，or we‘ll be late。当时我还不太清楚什么是get a move on。现在才清楚她是让我赶快走，不然就要迟到了。
LL: Right, OK, well, let‘s get a move on then, it‘s getting late.
LH: 好吧，噢，Larry，对不起，我把防晒油忘在宿舍里了， 请你等一下。
LL: Don‘t worry. I have some sunscreen right here. Now come on, it‘s almost six thirty - we need to get a move on.
LH: 好吧， 那我就用你的防晒油吧。
(Cell phone rings)
LH: 很可能是Jenny打来的电话， 让我来接吧。
LL: (sighs) Oh great！Tell her to get a move on. If she isn‘t here in five minutes we have to leave.
LH: 对，我们最多只等5分钟， 过期不候。Larry, 要是我和我爷爷去看电影，我想催他赶紧走，能对他说get a move on吗？
LL: No way, that would be rude.
LH: 我也这么想呢！ 你要是对长辈说get a move on是不太礼貌。对同年龄的人或年纪比你小的可以这么说，是吗？
LL: Sure, telling someone your own age or younger to get a move on is fine. I remember once when I was waiting in a traffic jam in
LH: 那你不能在纽约开车，纽约堵车是常事。你每次碰到堵车就大喊大叫？叫了也没用。 看来你也太没礼貌了。 刚才居然还批评我。
LL: Hey, there‘s Jenny, let‘s get a move on before the fish stop biting.
天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是go ballistic，意思是大发雷霆。另一个常用语是get a move on，意思是赶快走。
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pa217.txt
流行美语第217课
Larry和李华在看篮球比赛，交战的一方是姚明所属的休士顿火箭队，另一方是迈阿密的热火队。李华会学到两个常用语：classic和go for it。
LL: Wow, Li Hua, did you see that shot by Yao Ming? Now, that was classic!
LH: 看到了，姚明的投篮真是一流的！你说that was classic!就是这个意思吧。
LL: Yes, classic means something that is really good or especially well done.
LH: 要是姚明的队能赢就太好了。 It will be classic。
LL: I‘m not sure that they will. Did you see that Miami Heat player steal the ball? Now that was a classic move!
LH: 迈阿密热火队虽然抢到了球，这并不保证他们就会赢呀！你看，姚明队的队员紧紧地盯着对方，他们根本没有机会投篮。哎， 你看哪！火箭队的吉祥物火箭熊跑到比赛场上来了？
LL: That is really funny! That is just classic.
LH: 火箭熊在场上干扰比赛，你还说是classic。 不是说classic是好事吗，这有什么好的呢？
LL: Oh, things that are classic are good. Clutch the Bear is doing a good job as a mascot. His prank is well-done and that is why it is classic.
LH: 原来火箭熊是出来表演！ 火箭熊玩的把戏倒是很精彩，真是一流的。哎， 说到可笑的事情，你听过 Bob的笑话吗？
LL: Oh, yeah, Bob has so many jokes and almost everyone of them, I should say, is classic.
LH: 是啊， 不知道他哪儿来的那么多笑话。每个笑话都很妙，有的时候笑得我肚子都痛了。
LL: I remember sometimes you laughed so hard that you cried, Li Hua. Now, I have to say, your response was classic.
LH: 有的时候我真的笑得肚子都痛了。 可这有什么好不好的？
LL: Of course, it showed you have a great sense of humor.
LH: 那倒是，有的人对笑话毫无反应。Hey, look, Larry, 迈阿密热火队领先了！
LL: Whoooooo-eeeeeee! Alright! Awesome!
LH: Wow, Larry, 我要是有相机一定把你站在沙发上乱蹦的样子拍下来，
Now that would be classic!
******
LL: Look at Yao Ming setting up his free throw. He is really taking too much time. He should just go for it.
LH: 轮到姚明罚球了。你说姚明应当Go for it? 这是什么意思呢？
LL: Oh, to go for it means to do something without thinking too much about it and ignoring the risks. Yao Ming should just take his free throw and get on with the game.
LH: 我明白了， go for it的意思是不要犹豫不决、要全力以赴。姚明罚球是有点不紧不慢的，不过这是他的风格呀。太快了，可能投不中。糟糕！姚明罚球没中！
LL: That‘s too bad. Say, speaking of going for it, I hear you are thinking of applying for a full-time teaching job.
LH: 是啊，我打算申请一个全职的教师工作，不过还没有最后决定呢。
LL: I think you should go for it, Li Hua.
LH: 我知道应该去争取， 可是那个工作在外州， 一想到搬家我就头痛。
LL: But if you don‘t go for it, you may never know if the job is good or not.
LH: 这我也知道， 要不做那个工作就永远也不知道这工作好不好。不过，我也不想搬到外州后，万一不理想再搬回来。
LL: That is just one of the chances you have to take when you go for it.
LH: 当然任何事情都有风险，找工作也一样。
LL: Li Hua, sometimes when you go for it, good things happen.
LH: 积极找工作有时会有好的结果？万一工作不满意怎么办？
LL: Well, my friend Bob saw a posting for a job he was interested in and decided to go for it. But his boss didn‘t want to see him go and gave him a really big raise.
LH: Bob真走运。 老板听见他要走就给他加工资。 我要碰到这种老板，那该多好呀！
LL: I think you should apply for that teaching job. You really should go for it!
LH: 让我想想再说。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是classic, 意思是优秀的、一流的。还有一个是go for it意思是不犹豫、全力争取。
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pa218.txt
流行美语第218课
夏天的时候，Larry和李华开车去海边玩。李华会学到两个常用语：jazzed和to catch some waves。
LL: Li Hua, I am really jazzed about this trip to the beach.
LH: Jazz不是爵士乐吗？我们去海边跟爵士乐有什么关系呢？
LL: You are right, but by Jazzed I mean to be really excited. I am really looking forward to spending some time at the beach today.
LH: 我知道了，Jazzed的意思是很兴奋。其实我也挺高兴的，不过我想知道有什么事情让你这么兴奋呢？
LL: There are three reasons. First, I am really jazzed to not be working! I have been working really hard on a project for my boss, and it is really nice to have some time off.
LH: 对，你为你老板的那个项目花了一个月的时间，现在完成了当然要放松一下喽。不用上班，这个理由很成立，另外两个理由呢？
LL: Second, I am very jazzed about trying out my new surf board and riding some waves.
LH: 你想试试你新买的冲浪板。那也合理，你那新的冲浪板真是很漂亮。要我是你，I would be very jazzed, too. 不过呢，我只想躲在阳伞下面看书。
LL: I don‘t see how you can get jazzed about reading a book, Li Hua.
LH: Oh, Larry, 你喜欢冲浪，我喜欢看书。各人的兴趣不同嘛。
LL: I guess that is what makes the world interesting! I get really jazzed about playing Frisbee at the beach, too.
LH: 在沙滩上扔飞盘，那有什么好玩的？那是小孩玩的东西。
LL: Remember what you said, Li Hua? Different people get jazzed about different things.
LH: 没错，没错，我是说过。
LL: Remember, the guy in our English class really get jazzed about flying kites. We should have asked him to come to the beach with us today.
LH: 对了，忘了邀请他一起来了。你不是说有三个理由让你兴奋吗？
LL: Yes, the third reason is that I am jazzed to be spending some time with one of my favorite friends. And that would be you, Li Hua.
LH: 第三个理由是跟像我这样的好朋友一起出游让你感到兴奋。Larry，你的嘴可真甜呐。不过，我还是谢谢你的好意。
******
LL: Well, now that I‘ve put on some sun screen, Li Hua, I am going to go catch some waves.
LH: Catch some waves? 你能抓到海浪吗？
LL: Ha, ha. I don‘t mean with my arms. To catch some waves- WAVES, means to ride some waves on your surfboard.
LH: Oh, 我明白了， 你是要去冲浪。 不过，今天的浪不太，即使是用新的冲浪板也不好冲哟。
LL: You are right, Li Hua. It isn‘t the best day to catch waves. The waves aren‘t very big, but I can at least try out my new surfboard by catching some little waves.
LH: 不管是大浪还是小浪， 反正有浪就行了。Go and catch your waves。我在这里看我的书。
LL: Oh, come on Li Hua, why don‘t you come out and catch some waves with me?
LH: 我不知道怎么冲浪，我从来没有试过。
LL: Catching waves isn‘t hard, Li Hua. I can show you how.
LH: Okay, 那我去试试。不过， 你知道我有点紧张。
LL: Oh, it will be fine, Li Hua. Let‘s go catch some waves.
(Ocean/splashing sounds)
LH: 我们已经在水里了，那怎么冲浪呢？
LL: First, you hold on to the surfboard like this. And then you wait for a wave to catch. When a big wave comes along, you stand up on the surfboard and ride it.
LH: 我来试试。 把冲浪板拿好， 然后海浪一来，就站到冲浪板上。噢，我的天啊， 大浪来了！
LL: Okay, Li Hua, try to stand up. Good job, you caught your first wave!
LH: Wheeeee, 我第一次冲浪成功了！
LL: See, I told you catching some waves isn‘t hard.
LH: 冲浪是不难。 Larry，我们再来一次吧。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是jazzed, 意思是令人兴奋，还有一个是catch some waves, 意思是海上冲浪。
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pa219.txt
流行美语第219课
Larry和李华打算乘火车去Larry家玩。Larry家住在纽约郊区。 Larry和李华还打算去纽约市旅游。李华会学到两个常用语：do the math和know the drill。
LL: Okay, Li Hua, I don‘t know how we are going to do the sightseeing and also spend time with my family. I mean, you do the math - how is it going to work?
LH: Do the math? 这很好算嘛。我们有四天时间，24小时乘以4等于96个小时 。我们总共有96个小时。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, I guess I didn‘t mean for you to actually do the math. When I said "you do the math," I meant something like "you think about it."
LH: 原来你说"do the math"，意思是考虑一下，不是真的要我算。Larry，是你请我到你家去，还要到纽约玩， 你应该考虑呀 - You should do the math。另外，去纽约玩要花多少钱呢？我这个当老师的可没有很多钱啊。
LL: Don‘t worry, Li Hua. I‘ve done the math. We‘ll save a lot of money by staying at my parent‘s house. Plus they will feed us.
LH: 能住在你父母家就太好了，可以省很多钱。 Larry，你知道我是穷学生，凡事都要精打细算才行。I have to do the math all the time。
LL: You know that is very smart. My younger brother could really have learned something from you.
LH: 你弟弟向我学习？我有什么好学的呢？
LL: Well, when he moved out and got his first job, he really didn‘t do the math. He ended up needing help from my parents, because he wasn‘t making enough money.
LH: 你弟弟真傻，第一次拿到工资就觉得自己很有钱，要搬出去住。他肯定没想到房租那么贵。你弟弟现在怎么样了？
LL: Yes, he is now making very good money waiting tables at a restaurant.
LH: 我也听说餐馆服务员收入不少。
LL: In one hour he might wait on ten tables. If each table tips him between five and ten dollars。Well, you do the math.
LH: 每小时服务十桌客人，每桌客人给5块或是10块美元的小费。哟，你弟弟一个小时就能挣50到100美元。 看来，我也改行作服务员算了。
LL: No, Li Hua. You are definitely meant to be a teacher. He‘s making what seems like a lot now, but in the long term - if you do the math - I think you‘ll be doing better in the end.
LH: 从长远来看，我以后会挣得比你弟弟多？但愿如此。
******
LL: Okay, Li Hua, we‘re now at the subway station. You know the drill. Have your ticket ready ...
LH: 地铁票？我有呀。 Larry，你刚才说： You know the drill， 这是什么意思啊？ Drill不是一种工具吗？
LL: Well, a drill is a tool。But a drill can also be a routine. Knowing the drill is knowing a routine - it is knowing how things are done.
LH: 噢，to know the drill就是知道一件事该怎么作。我当然知道怎么坐纽约地铁了。先要买票，然后把票放进自动检票机，否则就进不去。对吗？
LL: That‘s good. But do you know the drill when it comes to taking a taxi in the city? We have to do that next.
LH: 什么？我们下了地铁还要打的？我可没有在纽约打过的， 我是随时拦车呢，还是要到指定的街口等呀？ I really don‘t know the drill。
LL: That‘s OK, Li Hua. I‘ll teach you what you need to do - then you‘ll know the drill.
LH: 我是得学学。我在纽约人生地不熟的。 没有你，我一定很紧张。
LL: Yeah, it can be very disconcerting when you are in an unfamiliar place and don‘t know the drill.
LH: 是呀，在不熟悉的地方有时心里是很不安。我刚来的时候不知道怎么乘公共汽车，有一次差点走丢了。
LL: But now you are an expert. No one would say you don‘t know the drill now!
LH: 当然了， 不过我也不是什么都知道， 还要向你多多请教。Larry，我们这是去哪里呀?
LL: Oh, the usual places in
LH: 对，到纽约来玩的人都是去这几个地方， I know the drill。先去自由女神像， 然后接着去百老汇看戏，然后去唐人街吃饭。
LL: I‘m glad you are excited about eating in
LH: 这你放心，Larry。 你不会点菜，我来点。 I know the drill 。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是do the math，意思是考虑、算计一下。另一个是know the drill，也就是说知道怎么作某件事情。
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pa220.txt
流行美语第220课
Larry和李华在谈论他们的朋友Dave。 Dave的老板刚刚给他加了一大笔工资。李华今天要学会两个新的习惯用语，live large和a hoot.
LL: It is a good thing that Bob got such a big raise. He likes to live large!
LH: Live是生活，你说live large那是什么意思呀?
LL: By living large, I mean Bob likes to buy expensive things, wear the best clothes, and eat out at fancy restaurants.
LH: 谁不喜欢那样生活奢侈呀？买贵的东西、穿最好的衣服、下高级饭馆？I like to live large too。
LL: Right. And Bob does live large. The minute after he heard about his new raise, Bob went out and bought a brand new Mercedes.
LH: Wow，他可真够大手大脚的，钱还没拿到手就已经花出去了。 一辆Mercedes至少要几万美金吧。不过，喜欢live large的人还挺多。教我英国文学的史密斯教授最近买了一座豪宅，里面有六个卧室， 四个洗澡间，还有一个马厩。
LL: Wow, maybe someday, I‘ll be able to live large, too.
LH: 我不知道你， 反正我是没有希望了， 靠教中文这点收入连做梦也不会live large.
LL: I don‘t earn that much at my job either. I will need more than one big raise to be able to live large. I‘ll need several raises!
LH: 要加薪好多次才能过上奢适的生活， 那要等到什么时候啊。 不过Larry，过不上那种日子也没关系，我并不羡慕那种生活。
LL: What do you mean? You don‘t want to live large?
LH: 生活奢适是要付出代价的， 比如，保养和维修奔驰车要花很多钱。 大房子也要费时间打扫。
LL: Those are good points, but it sure is fun to dream about living large.
LH: 过不了那种生活光是梦想有什么好玩的呀！ Larry，如果你有了钱，可以挥霍地生活， 你想作什么呢？
LL: Well, I would first buy my own private jet.
LH: 买一架私人飞机？ That would be living large.
LL: And then I would fly my jet to my own private island in the
LH: 你还想开着飞机到自己在加勒比海买的一个岛上去！你真是在做梦！
******
LL: I loved your reaction when I told you I wanted to buy my own private island in the
LH: "A hoot"是猫头鹰的叫声。你说我刚才的反映是猫头鹰的叫声？你这是什么意思呀？
LL: No, that‘s not what I meant. You looked so amazed I thought it was really funny. Something that is really funny is a hoot.
LH: 我刚才听你说要买一个私人岛屿是让我非常惊讶！想像你在加勒比海的私人海滩上悠闲地喝着果汁，那情景很可笑的哟。
LL: Say, you know what else was a real hoot? Did you see that show on the comedy channel last night?
LH: 你是指昨天晚上那喜剧节目频道播出的节目吗？我当然看了。
LL: Yes! Wasn‘t it the funniest thing you have ever seen? I thought it was such a hoot.
LH: 我也觉得很有趣。 有个人模仿总统，模仿的真好笑。 都快把我笑死了。 He was a hoot!
LL: Hey, I hadn‘t really thought about this before, but doesn‘t our friend Bob look like the guy who impersonated the president?
LH: 是啊， 模仿总统的人很像我们的朋友Bob 。真有趣 - What a hoot!
LL: Speaking of Bob, did I tell you that he took me out for a drive in his new Mercedes?
LH: Bob开着崭新的奔驰车带你去兜风了？ 下回我也要让他带我去兜风。
LL: Well, you wouldn‘t believe what happened. We were stopped behind a garbage truck at a stoplight when all of the sudden the truck dumped trash into the Mercedes all over me and Bob!
LH: 什么， 垃圾车突然把垃圾倒出来，把你和Bob弄得全身都是垃圾？Larry，那卡车司机把你们当成了垃圾场了。 这真可笑 - It‘s really a hoot!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是live large，意思是生活挥霍。还有一个是hoot，意思是可笑、有趣。
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pa221.txt
流行美语第221课
Larry和李华在谈论州长竞选的问题。 李华会学到两个常用语toast和wiggle room。
LL: If the Governor doesn‘t change his education policies, Li Hua, I think he is toast.
LH: 你说什么？ 要是州长不改变他的教育政策，他就会怎么呐？Toast不是烤面包吗？我想这肯定是一种比喻， 不过，He is toast究竟是什么意思呢？
LL: When I said "toast" I meant that he would be finished or done for. Basically, I think he will lose the election.
LH: 噢， He is toast就是他没有希望了，完了。 Toast这个说法很生动。就像烤面包一样， 面包烤好了就会被弹出来， 政府官员落选就像面包被弹出来一样。
LL: That is exactly right.
LH: 我们州的这位州长政绩不错，希望他能当选连任。 I hope he‘s not toast.
LL: Well, I‘ll agree with you that the Governor is very effective in many ways. But after he decided to raise taxes, most Americans were pretty dissatisfied. He‘s toast, I tell you.
LH: 我认为他不会落选。你不是也认为州长在各方面都很有效率吗？增加税收也是为了改善教育呀。我倒觉得他的竞选对手不行，他既不诚实，也税收方面也没有什么好主意。
LL: I can see you and I aren‘t going to agree on this. Good friends shouldn‘t talk about politics. We don‘t want our friendship to be toast!
LH: Larry， 你说的没错，再谈政治我们两个非成为仇人不可。 我们换个话题吧。你最近好像很忙， 在忙什么呢？
LL: Well, since you asked, Li Hua, if I don‘t finish the budget report I am working on by Thursday, then I am toast!
LH: 什么？你要在星期四以前完成预算报告。今天已经星期三了。看来你是要完了。我要是你，今天无论如何不睡觉也要把报告写出来。
LL: That is the best way to avoid being toast. Say, Li Hua, what about you？Don‘t you need to turn in a chapter from your dissertation to your advisor?
LH: 没错，琼斯教授说了我非得在月底以前把我论文的第一章交给他，不然就算我这学期不及格。那我就完了。Then I‘m toast.
LL: You *will* be toast, Li Hua. You won‘t be able to look for a job next year, and I know your parents will be very unhappy.
LH: 就是呀，书没念好，父母不高兴，我就真的完了。I will be toast!
******
LL: Did you see the candidates‘ debate last night, Li Hua? The Governor really didn‘t leave himself any wiggle room on the tax issue.
LH: Wiggle room? Wiggle有摇动，摆动的意思。 Room是房间。你说州长在房间里说话的时候摇来摆去？
LL: No, I meant that on the issue of taxes he left himself very little room to shift his position later.
LH: 你是说他在辩论税收问题的时候没有给自己留下回旋的余地。他都说了什么呢？
LL: He promised during the debate that if he was reelected he would not raise taxes.
LH: 他说当选后不会提高税收？他实在不应当作出这个承诺。 如果遇到自然灾害、战争或是经济恶化，政府怎么能不提高税收呢？
LL: You are exactly right. I can see he didn‘t leave himself any wiggle room there. Say, Li Hua, how is your dissertation chapter coming?
LH: 我的博士论文写得怎么样了？哎，说起来很惭愧，我一直没有时间写。 时间表排得满满的，没有一点回旋的余地。
LL: I know how that is, Li Hua. I am going to be working on my budget project right up until the last minute. I haven‘t left myself much wiggle room, either.
LH: 我看你是得赶紧写那预算报告，要能在最后一分钟写出来就算你运气。 我这星期一定得写完论文第一章。下学期我想减少教书的时间，这样就会有多一点的时间来写论文了。
LL: While having some wiggle room in your schedule is a good thing, are you worried about losing some of your income?
LH: 是啊，少教些书是会让我有更多时间，不过我也担心收入就会减少。
LL: I‘m not very good at sticking to a budget. I always like to have some wiggle room in my budget for extra expenses.
LH: 我知道，规定自己一个月花多少钱是很难遵守的，总有要额外买些东西的时候。所以我总给自己留一些余地，免得到时候没有没办法。
LL: Yeah, I guess we can skip going out for ice cream for a while.
LH: 吃冰淇淋花得了多少钱！We have a lot of wiggle room for ice cream.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是toast，意思是失败，或是俗话说完蛋。另一个是wiggle room，意思是回旋或调整的余地。
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pa222.txt
流行美语第222课
Larry和李华在一个大商场里买东西，那里非常拥挤。李华今天学会两个常用语my bad 和back in the day。
LL: My bad! I didn‘t mean to step on your foot, Li Hua. It‘s just that there are so many people at the mall today.
LH: My bad? Bad不是坏的意思吗？这儿人确实很多，你不小心踩到我的脚，为什么说my bad? My bad是什么意思呀？
LL: Oh, That‘s my bad, too. I should have explained what "my bad" means. It is a very informal way of apologizing without actually saying "I‘m sorry."
LH: 原来my bad是表示道歉，但是是很不正式的道歉。 什么时候用my bad，什么时候用I‘m sorry呢？
LL: Because you are my friend, and stepping on your foot was a pretty minor thing, I said "my bad." I‘d say "I‘m sorry" for something more serious - or if you were my boss.
LH: 明白了，my bad是对很熟的朋友说的，而且发生的事也不是太严重，就像不小心踩了脚这类小事。要我是你的老板，你就不能说my bad!
LL: Yeah, that‘s right. Say, would you like to get out of the crowd and stop for a cup of coffee in that shop over there?
LH: 你要去那边那个店里喝咖啡？好呀！ 可是My bad我没有带现金。
LL: Don‘t worry, Li Hua. I‘ve got some cash. You can pay me back later.
LH: 谢谢你。 我在这里占着位子，你去买咖啡吧。我要一杯摩卡拿铁咖啡。
(Sounds of busy restaurant/cash register transaction as Larry gets coffee)
LH: Okay, Li Hua, here is your latte. Oh-My bad! I now remember you wanted a mocha latte. I got the wrong drink.
LH: 没关系，不是摩卡拿铁也没关系。 Larry，递我一张餐巾纸，好不好？
LL: Sure, here‘s a napkin.
LH: Oops， My bad! 对不起， 我把咖啡撒了！
LL: Here let me help you clean that up.
LH: 谢谢你，幸亏你拿了好多餐巾纸，否则还真没法收拾。
LL: Agh! Now it‘s my bad! I‘ve spilled my coffee, too. (laughs)
LH: (Also laughing) 你的咖啡也撒了。Larry， 我们赶快走吧， 不然不知又会出什么事，那样我们就会没完没了地说my bad !
******
LL: I can‘t believe how rude people are at the mall. I know it is crowded, but back in the day people were much more polite.
LH: 没错，有的人真是没有礼貌。Larry，你说back in the day人们都很有礼貌，back in the day是指哪一天呢？
LL: No, no, Li Hua. "Back in the day" is a general expression referring to a time in the past when things were better than they are now.
LH: 噢，back in the day就是指过去，而不是指哪一天。你是说过去美国人都很有礼貌？
LL: Yes, back in the day a man would have taken the time to open a door for a lady, especially if she was carrying packages.
LH: 我遇到过这种情况。上次我去看牙，进大楼的时候，前面那个男子看见我也是进那大楼，就把门开开，等着让我先进去。Larry，你是说以前都是这样的吗？
LL: Yes, and life was much simpler. There were no computers and cell phones back in the day. Now it is rush, rush, rush.
LH: 没错，过去生活是比较简单，别说没有电脑和手机，我们小时候连彩色电视也很少。现在每个人都好像匆匆忙忙，不知道怎么回事。
LL: And can you believe it? Before e-mail, back in the day people wrote letters with their own hands!!!
LH: 自从有了电子邮件后，现在拿起笔来写信的人恐怕是很少了，可是我很喜欢收到别人亲笔写给我的信，因为那让我感到很亲切。
LL: I agree with you. But, then again, I guess not everything back in the day was so great.
LH: 是啊， 过去也不是样样都好。 我父亲常对我说， 他小时候上学要走很远的路。现在的孩子们就幸福多了，可以坐校车。
LL: You know, my dad says the same thing. He would tell me I was so lucky, because back in the day he had to walk five miles to school.
LH: 你爸爸上学要走五里路。我爸爸更苦，他不仅走路还要背着几十斤重的课本呢。
LL：I agree. Li Hua, let‘s take the bus and go home. Oh, let me open the door for you.
LH: 谢谢你， Larry， 你真希望有更多像你这样有礼貌的年轻人。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是my bad, 意思是对不起起。还有一个是back in the day， 意思是过去。
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pa223.txt
流行美语第223课
Larry在告诉李华他公司里发生的事。 李华今天会学会两个常用语，trash talking和make waves。
LL: So, Li Hua, yesterday at the office I heard two of my co-workers trash talking my boss.
LH: 什么是trash talking? 难道他们在谈垃圾，垃圾有什么好谈的？
LL: No, it‘s not. Trash talking is saying really mean things about someone.
LH: 噢，trash talking就是说别人的坏话。那你的这两位同事为什么要说老板的坏话呢？
LL: I think they were upset because he didn‘t like a proposal they submitted. They were saying my boss wasn‘t very smart and didn‘t make good decisions for the company.
LH: 就因为老板没有接受他们的建议，他们就说他笨，作出的决策对公司不利？他们也太自负了吧！ Larry，那你是怎么看的呢？
LL: I am sure he had his reasons for rejecting their proposal. I have a lot of respect for my boss, and that is why their trash talking him bothers me so much.
LH: 老板拒绝他们的建议总有他的道理。我知道你很尊重你们的老板，所以听见别人在背后说他坏话就感到很讨厌。我那天也听到两个研究生在说一个教授的坏话。我也觉得很讨厌。
LL: Did you do anything about their trash talk?
LH: 我当时就为这位教授辩护。 他们不一定会改变看法，但是我不能听任他们诬蔑这位教授。
LL: Good for you, Li Hua!
LH: 后来别人告诉我那两个人又在背后说我的坏话 - They trash talked me 。
LL: I guess you made them mad by bringing attention to their trash talking. I just don‘t have the courage to deal with my two co-workers who talked trash about my boss.
LH: 你没有勇气来对付他们？这有什么呢？你就对他们说， 你们这样说老板的坏话是不对的。
LL: I don‘t think it is that easy, Li Hua. After all, I still have to work with these trash talkers.
******
LH: 你是不是担心他们会找你的麻烦呀？
LL: It is not so much that I am afraid of them, as it is that I don‘t want to make waves at work.
LH: 你不是怕他们，而是不想在工作单位make waves。 Make waves是什么意思？你不想兴风作浪？
LL: No, no. Making waves means to cause a disturbance.
LH: 噢， 你是不想得罪他们，引起纠纷。
LL: I know it would make waves at work. These two co-workers are senior to me, and I know if I talked to them, they‘d just cause trouble for me.
LH: 这两个人资历都比你深。你要批评他们，他们就会给你找麻烦，你实际上还是有点怕他们。
LL: You know, I also don‘t want to make waves at home, too.
LH: 公司里的事情怎么会牵涉到你的家人，又怎么会给家里制造麻烦呢？
LL: Well, my parents just want me to do well and be successful. It would upset them to know I was having trouble at work.
LH: 我明白了， 你不想让父母担心。 Larry，你不愧是个孝子。 我的一个学生可不像你。他暑假回家的时候， 给家里制造了不少麻烦。
LL: What did he do?
LH: 他在肚脐上穿了一个洞， 带上了一个金属环。他要赶新潮。可把他的父母都快要气疯了。
LL: Well, that certainly is one way to make waves. Li Hua, you don‘t seem to be able to make waves.
LH: 那你就不了解我了。几个月前我也跟我的房东闹了一场呢。
LL: Really, Li Hua, you didn‘t tell me about this. What happened?
LH: 我公寓里的浴缸漏水了。我跟老板说了好几次他都不理我。 后来我实在忍无可忍，就去他办公室问他为什么不给修，so I made some waves。
LL: It is too bad you had to make some waves to get your landlord to do what he is supposed to do.
LH: 其实我是不喜欢这样做的 - I don‘t like to make waves。他要早派人修了不就没事了嘛！
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是trash talking, 意思是说别人的坏话。还有一个是make waves， 意思是制造麻烦或纠纷。
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pa224.txt
流行美语第224课
Larry和李华在一个餐馆里商量周末的计划。李华今天会学到两个常用语glitch和tweak。
LL: What a busy morning in our office! We discovered a glitch in some new software we were trying out at work.
LH: 你们发现新的电脑软件有一个glitch。Glitch是什么呀？
LL: A glitch is a technical problem. When your computer or software doesn‘t work the way it is supposed to, it often has a glitch.
LH: 噢， glitch就是技术故障。电脑或软件不能正常运作时往往就是因为有了故障。那你们弄清楚了没有电脑软件到底是什么问题呢？
LL: Well, glitches are often difficult to explain. Basically, we would try to use a certain function of the software, and it would cause the office computers to lock up.
LH: 用软件的某一功能，办公室的电脑就都不能用了，你说的就是所谓的电脑死机吧。
LL: Glitches are very frustrating. They cost a lot of time and effort.
LH: 没错，出了故障要花很多时间去解决，是很烦人的。对了，Larry，你听说没有，最近大家都在抢购一种电子游戏软件，结果发现这种软件有严重的技术问题 - it has a big glitch in it。听说厂家正在回收产品呢。
LL: Oh, I know all about that! I love video games and actually bought that game system. It does have a serious glitch, and now I need to send it back to the company.
LH: 你也买了那软件？那你就得把它寄回去。Larry，你说既然有问题，那厂家为什么还要出售他们的软件呢？
LL: Sometimes the companies don‘t know about a glitch in a video game or video game system until enough people play it.
LH: 那倒也是，有的问题必须在很多人用了以后才会发现。 对了，Larry, 你不是说今天要跟老板一起吃午饭吗？
LL: I was originally, but there was a glitch in our plans. My boss discovered he had two appointments on the same day, so he had to reschedule our lunch for next week.
LH: 你的老板也真是够糊涂的，怎么会在同一天安排两个午餐。幸好你是个年轻新雇员，取消和你的约会还不要紧。 Larry，我们说好了这个周末去参观摄影展览。这个计划没问题吧？Are there any glitches in that plan?
LL: I don‘t think there will be any glitches. I am really looking forward to it. When do you want to leave?
LH: 我也跟你一样盼着去呢。星期六早上十点半出发，怎么样？
LL：Fine!
******
LL: Hmmm, I need to do an errand Saturday morning. We may have to tweak our plans a little.
LH: Tweak our plans? Tweak这个字的发音有点怪。你的意思是要改变计划吗？
LL: Tweak, may be a funny-sounding word, but it means to adjust something just a little bit.
LH: Tweak的意思是稍微作些改动。 那你的意思是说星期六的计划要变喽。
LL: Right, we don‘t have to change our plans too much. If we just tweak the time a little bit and leave at 11:00, I can finish my errand, and we still have plenty of time to enjoy the exhibit.
LH: 没问题。我们把10:30出发改成11点出发就行了。不过我们也不能玩得太晚喽。
LL: Why is that?
LH: 我下个星期要在研讨会上宣读一篇论文。论文是写完了，但我还要作一些修改。
LL: If the paper is in English, Li Hua, I can help you tweak it by reading it after we get back tonight.
LH: 我是用英文写的， 你要是能帮我修改一下，那真是太好了。
LL: It would be my pleasure, Li Hua. Well, this has been a nice lunch, but I need to get back to work. I‘ve had some ideas about how to tweak the computers at work.
LH: 瞧你，想出了修电脑的主意就急着要回去工作了。 你真有把握吗？
LL: I‘m not sure. But if I can‘t tweak it, maybe some one at the software company can. Thanks again for lunch, Li Hua. I‘ll see you later.
LH: 哎，Larry，你的午饭都没怎么吃嘛。
LL: To be honest, it wasn‘t very good. I think the chef needs to tweak the seasoning. It was kind of bland.
LH: 这菜的确是没有什么味道。厨师是该改变他的佐料了。再见，Larry。 Good luck tweaking your computers!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是glitch，意思是技术故障。还有一个是tweak， 意思是作小的改动。
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pa225.txt
流行美语第225课
Larry和李华刚下课。李华告诉Larry一个非常好的消息。李华今天要学会两个常用语 get out of here和burned out。
LM: Larry! 我有个好消息，说了你一定不相信，我买的彩票中奖了!
LL: Really? Get out of here!
LH: 我中了彩票，你不为我高兴，还让我出去？Get out of here? 我们又不在屋子里，出去上哪儿去呀？
LL: No, listen，when someone tells you some good or exciting news, and you are really surprised, you can say get-out-of-here. It shows that you can barely believe the good news.
LH: 原来get out of here在这里是表示惊讶和难以相信的意思。按字面来解释不就是出去吗。
LL: You are right. So anyway, how much money did you win?
LH: 你说我的彩票呀？ 我中奖得了一千美元。
LL: A thousand dollars? Get out of here! You are sooooo lucky! Hey, I‘ve got some good news too. Do you remember that summer internship at the museum I applied for?
LH: 你申请暑假到那博物馆去实习，当然记得呀！怎么啦？他们接受你去实习啦？
LL: That‘s right! And not only that, but they are going to pay me a good salary too!
LH: 让你去实习，还给你很好的薪水？Get out of here! 我简直不能相信。这比中奖还棒。
LL: Heh, well, I don‘t know about that... Oh, by the way, you won‘t believe who I saw in the coffee shop near my apartment this morning, Jet Li!
LH: 什么？你在公寓附近的咖啡店里看见李连杰了？Get out of here!
LL: He‘s a really nice guy. Look, he gave me an autograph.
LH: Whoa, get out of here! 李连杰还给你亲笔签名！你真幸运。
******
LL: Well, Li Hua, what are you going to do with your lottery winnings?
LH: 我要把大部分存起来， 不过我想请几个朋友去听音乐会。你要不要去？
LL: Umm, well... I really appreciate the offer, but I‘m kind of burnt out right now. I need to stay home and rest.
LH: 你说你因为burnt out， 所以要在家里休息？什么是burnt out?
LL: I said that I am burnt out. To be burnt out means to become exhausted because of stress or too much activity.
LH: 噢， burnt out是指因为压力太大， 活动太多而疲惫不堪。 我看你就是活动太多，放假以后你天天都去参加聚会，所以才累成这样。
LL: That‘s right, during the school year I was burnt out from studying and working, and now that school is out, I‘m burnt out from partying!
LH: 我知道你的意思。记得去年我本来要上四门课，同时还要当助教。没到两个星期，我就已经累坏了。
LL: Good thing you dropped one of those classes. It‘s hard to be a good teacher when you are burnt out from studying yourself!
LH: 对，幸亏我放弃了一门课。 自己学习都应付不过来怎么才能当好老师呢！ Larry, 你不能跟我们去听音乐会， 真是可惜。 你知道还有谁喜欢滚石乐队吗？
LL: The Rolling Stones? Get out of here! You have tickets to the Rolling Stones concert? OK, never mind what I said earlier, I‘m going with you!
LH: 我就知道你再累也不会错过滚石乐队的。 不过，Larry，有的人说滚石乐队已经演出了四十年，现在已经太疲乏了- burnt out。
LL: I don‘t agree. I don‘t think they will ever burnt out.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是get out of here, 意思是难以相信，还有一个是burnt out，意思是累坏了，精疲力尽。
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pa226.txt
流行美语第226课
Larry昨晚因为赶工作而一夜没睡。他正在跟李华讨论睡眠问题。李华今天要学会两个常用语night owl和catch some zzzs。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, I stayed up all night last night working on this project for work, and now I feel terrible. I guess I‘m not a night owl after all.
LH: 什么？你一夜没睡？难怪你显得很累。 不过你说你不是夜间的猫头鹰，熬夜跟猫头鹰有什么关系呢？
LL: Owl is a bird, but a night owl is someone who likes to stay up all night.
LH: 我知道了。 猫头鹰是夜间活动的动物，所以美国人把很晚才睡的人称为night owl。我们中国人把这种人称为夜猫子。
LL: Right, real owls are like that. But last night I discovered I am not a night owl.
LH: 你昨晚发现你不是夜猫子。你怎么发现的呢？
LL: Well, I didn‘t go to bed until three in the morning, and now I am so tired I can hardly move.
LH: 你早上三点睡觉，现在已经累得不行了。是呀，真正的夜猫子好像不在乎开夜车似的。看来你真不是一个夜猫子。 我算是会熬夜的了，但是也很少到三点才睡觉。
LL: Really? When do you go to bed, Li Hua?
LH: 我喜欢在夜深人静的时候写作，所以经常半夜以后才睡觉。 Larry， 你可以说我是个“夜猫子，”a night owl.
LL: I‘d say you are a night owl. Normally, I go to bed around ten o‘clock, because I have to get up early in the morning for work.
LH: 你早起要上班，那当然不能当夜猫子了。 十点睡觉已经不算早了。
LL: Yeah, when I was a student, I used to be a night owl, too. I remember back in college being a night owl was a lot of fun. Especially in the city, where there is a lot going on at night.
LH: 当学生的时候熬夜是常事。不是念书，就是出去玩，晚上有很多地方可玩的。
LL: I sometimes wish I could be a night owl again.
LH: 你还想当夜猫子？那等你下班后我们去城里玩，怎么样？
LL: Oh, No, Li Hua. All I need right now is a cup of coffee to get me through the day and a good night sleep!
******
LL: Well, Li Hua, I‘ve got to get back to work, and then go home and catch some zzzzs.
LH: 你要回去工作，然后回家，还要抓什么？Catch some zzzs是什么意思呀？Catch是抓住， zzzs是什么啊？
LL: Catching some zzzs means to get some sleep.
LH: 嗯，catching some zzzs就是睡觉！可为什么说catching some zzzs呢？Z不是英语的最后一个字母吗？
LL: You‘re right. "Z" is the last letter of the alphabet. But many people associate the sound of the letter "Z" ( makes sound zzzzzzzzz) with the sound of snoring.
LH: 噢， z跟打鼾的声音有点像，所以把睡觉说成是： to catch some zzzs。
LL: And to catch some zzzs is to fall asleep, which is really what I need to do now.
LH: 我知道，你已经说了好几遍了， 你现在最需要的就是回去睡一大觉。那你就赶快走呀！
LL: But I still have some things I need to do at work.
LH: 办公室里还有事要做。那你睁不开眼睛怎么办？
LL: There is no need to worry! My desk isn‘t very comfortable, and the office is pretty loud. I don‘t think I could catch some zzzs at work, even if I wanted to.
LH: 你怎么那么可怜呢！ 办公室里坐着不舒服，又吵吵闹闹的，想睡觉都睡不着。那你乘车回家的时候在车上睡一回儿吧。
LL: No, I better not do that. If I catch some zzzs on the bus, I might miss my stop.
LH: 那就没办法了。我看你今天只有喝咖啡了。 Larry， 跟你说了半天睡觉的问题，把我都说困了。 Maybe I need to go home at catch some zzzs, too!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是night owl, 意思就是习惯很晚睡觉的人，也就是夜猫子。还有一个是 to catch some zzzs， 意思是睡觉。
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pa227.txt
流行美语第227课
Larry和李华正在去学校的书店。 李华今天会学到两个常用语hip and square。
LL: Wow, Li Hua, that is a really hip book bag!
LH: Hip? Hip不是人的臀部吗。这跟我的书包有什么关系呢？
LL: "Hip" is a slang word that means something is really cool and neat. I think your back pack is cool, so I said it was hip.
LH: 我明白了， hip在这里是个俚语。意思是很棒， 很时髦。 你喜欢我的背包？这还是我在中国上大学的时候买的呢。这么旧的包有什么好的呢？
LL: I think it is hip because it has Chinese characters on it. Things with Chinese characters on them are really cool - Really hip.
LH: 有中文字的东西都好啊？这种背包在中国到处都是。我们并不觉得这种背包特别时髦。
LL: Well, most Americans can‘t read the Chinese, but they still think having something, like a t-shirt or jewelry, with Chinese characters on it is really hip.
LH: 那到是很有意思，美国人不懂中文，可是却喜欢有中文字的东西。我是看到有不少美国人的体恤衫上有中文字。中文字那么时髦， 说不定还能吸引一些人来我的班上学中文呢。
LL: I am sure it will. Have you ever noticed some of the students have tattoos with Chinese characters?
LH: 是啊，有的美国人纹身，刺的是中文字 。可惜有的时候他们恐怕不知道这些字的意思。
LL: What do you mean?
LH: 我有一次在校园里看到一位很时髦的男生，他的胳膊上写着“只能干洗。”
LL: Ha, ha! That is really funny. And decidedly un-hip.
LH: 是啊，“只能干洗”不仅不酷而且很可笑。 Larry, 我们快到书店了。听说时髦的学生都喜欢坐在书店的咖啡厅里边喝咖啡边看书。你要不要也喝一杯咖啡呀？
LL: I don‘t know, Li Hua. . . Are we hip enough to drink coffee with all the cool students on campus?
LH: 你够不够时髦我不知道，反正我有资格，别忘了我有一个时髦的背包。
LL: Well, maybe some of your hip-ness will rub off on me!
LH：行呀，你就沾点我的光吧！
******
LL: Wow, sitting here with all of these hip college students is making me feel a little square.
LH: Larry, 你看上去既不是方的，也不是圆的。不过如果一定要给你定型的话，我觉得你更圆一些。
LL: I‘m not talking about my physical shape, Li Hua. You know how "hip" means something cool? Something that is "square" is not cool at all.
LH: 噢，原来square跟我刚才学到的hip意思正相反。Square就是不时髦，很土得意思。
LL: That‘s right. And right now I am feeling square.
LH: 你为什么感觉自己跟不上潮流很土呢？
LL: Well, I‘ve been out of school for a while, and I‘ve been working. Every one here seems so young and carefree. It seems part of growing up is to become square.
LH: 不错，你已经毕业，开始在公司做事了，学校里的人年龄也比较小。可是我不同意你的看法，成长并不等于越来越保守呀！
LL: Look - I‘m wearing a dress shirt with a tie, khaki pants and glasses. This is the uniform of a square.
LH: 这我还没有听说！衬衫加领带，一条卡基其布裤子，再带上一付眼镜，这就成了赶不上潮流的典型制服？
LL: Right.
LH: 可是Larry, 我觉得你的眼镜很好看，很时髦。你看上去很有学问。
LL: Thanks, Li Hua. But squares often look smart and read and study all the time.
LH: 噢，不时髦的人看起来都很聪明，经常读书学习。那我这个研究生每天都看书，一定就是不时髦喽。I am a true square!
LL: Well, I guess that means we two squares can hang out together then!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是hip, 意思是很棒、很酷、很时髦。还有一个是square， 意思是保守，不时髦。
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pa228.txt
流行美语第228课
Larry和李华今天去看赛车。 李华会学到两个常用语sick和souped up。
LH: Larry，你看， 每辆赛车都不一样，各有独特之处，真有意思。
LL: That car over there is totally sick. Look at the paint and the tires. That is so cool. I‘d love to have a car like that.
LH: That car over there is totally sick？ 你说那辆车有病，可你又说它很酷。有病是坏事， 很酷是好事。你究竟在说什么呀？
LL: Cool means I like that car, sick means I like the car too. If I say something is sick, that means it‘s really good, I like it, it‘s special.
LH: 原来sick 和cool是一样的意思，都是指很好，很特别。这里的sick跟生病毫无关。那我可以说，you are neat Larry, you‘re special, you are so sick.
LL: Hmm. You shouldn‘t use sick in that way! I would never say my friend is sick or that pretty girl over there is sick.
LH: 你的意思是sick只用来形容一样东西？
LL: That‘s right. That car over there is sick, those sunglasses you are wearing are sick, that new hat I bought you is sick too.
LH: 我的太阳镜的确很酷，可是你给我买的帽子就很难说了。 Larry你看我的新鞋好看吗？
LL: Totally sick，very nice. Where did you get them?
LH: 特别酷吧。这双鞋是我在学校附近新开的大商场里买的。那商场的建筑很特别 - The structure of that shopping center is very unique...totally sick!
LL: The company that developed that shopping center is owned by a friend of my Dad‘s, his company is opening new shopping centers every other week.
LH: 那购物中心是你父亲的朋友建的呀？ 而且每两个星期就开一个新的购物中心！他肯定很有钱了。
LL: That‘s for sure. Their revenue is pretty sick。 With company growth like that, I bet my Dad‘s friend‘s net worth is pretty sick too.
LH：那是肯定的。收入那么多，家产当然是惊人的。我们中国人就说：家产万贯。
******
LH: Larry, 看赛车真有意思。你看，赛车奔驰而过， 人群不断地呐喊助威，多热闹啊。
LL: A lot of people come to car races for the excitement but a lot just come to see the souped up cars.
LH: See the souped up cars? Soup不是汤吗？Souped up cars是什么呀？
LL: Souped up means changed or altered to go faster.
LH: 噢，souped up的意思是经过改装，速度加快了。这里的赛车一定都经过改装。它们的速度比普通汽车要快得多。
LL: That‘s right. If someone takes an ordinary bicycle and changes the wheels so it can go faster, we can say it was souped up.
LH: 自行车也能改装加速吗？那我的自行车也该换换车胎了。
LL: One time I had a skateboard, but it wasn‘t very fast. My Dad helped me soup it up with some new parts. After that my skateboard was one of the fastest in the neighborhood.
LH: 滑板也能改装，让它加快速度呀？ 你可要注意安全啊。对了，我以前也改装过电脑。我的朋友帮我安装了一些新的电脑软件，那电脑一下子快了不少。我用了好多年，直到没法再加快了。后来我只好再买一个新的。
LL: Souped up is also often used with the Internet. When Google or Yahoo makes an improvement in their search engine, they‘ll often say that a certain type of search has been souped up.
LH: 对了，上回我看到Google和Yahoo的广告，说它们的搜索引擎速度加快，当时我也不懂什么是souped up。今天才弄清楚，souped up就是为了加快速度而改装。
LL：For some people, souping up motorcycles or cars is their hobby. I knew a guy who was always souping up something in his spare time.
LH：还有人把改装东西作为嗜好？真是难以想象。我要有空就去购物中心。
LL: Well, looks like the red car has won the race, let‘s go home.
LH: 我就说嘛， 那辆红车一定会赢。我们走吧。
LL: Too bad we can‘t take one of these souped up cars and quickly get home for dinner. I‘m hungry.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是sick，意思是很棒、很酷。 还有一个是souped up， 意思是为了加快速度而改装某样东西。
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pa229.txt
流行美语第229课
Larry告诉李华他想报名参加救灾，帮助灾民。李华今天会学到两个常用语： get-go和on board。
LL: Li Hua，there was a news report about families whose homes were damaged in a flood and they are not far from where my parents live. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to go help these people.
LH: 对，我今天早上听到这条新闻，说有不少房屋被洪水冲垮了。你要去帮助救灾那当然好咯。不过你刚才说 from the get-go I wanted to go help these people。From the get-go是什么意思呀？
LL: From the get-go means from the beginning. I knew from the beginning, from the get-go, that I wanted to do something to help out.
LH: 原来from the get-go就是一开始的时候。 也就是，你一听到这新闻就想去救灾。我虽然没有想到要去救灾，不过我听到这消息后就马上为灾民的遭遇感到难过。From the get-go, I felt sorry for those people .
LL: From the get-go, I felt the same way. So, this afternoon I am going to go to the American Red Cross to volunteer.
LH: 你今天下午就要去美国红十字会去做义工呀？这太好了。
LL: The Red Cross is a wonderful organization. In any disaster, they are always ready to help, ensuring that the victims have food, water, medicine and shelter from the get-go.
LH: 可不是嘛。美国红十字会是有名的，一有灾情，他们一般都是首先赶到，向灾民提供救济。Larry，你到红十字会打算作些什么呢？
LL: Well, my plan from the get-go has been to stop by the Red Cross and see what kind of help they need. Depending on what they need, I will take a couple days off work and drive to the town hit by the flood to help out.
LH: 对，是要根据他们的需要。你还要向公司请假，开车到灾区去？ Larry. 我好佩服你。我从一认识你， from the get-go，就知道你是个好人。
LL: Thanks, Li Hua. That is really nice of you to say. You have been a good friend from the get go, too.
LH: 谁都喜欢和你这样的人作朋友。Larry, 你去红十字会之前，我们先去吃午饭，怎么样？
LL: That would be good. Today I have been hungry from the get-go. Where do you want to go?
LH: 你早就饿啦，那我们就在附近找个地方吧。你看马路对面的这家pizza店怎么样？
LL: Great! That place has been so popular from the get-go!
******
(Restaurant sounds)
LL: (To waiter) I‘ll have two slices of cheese pizza please. So, Li Hua, I was wondering if I could convince you to get on board this volunteering effort.
LH: Get on board? 你的意思是让我也参加救灾？
LL: Yes, when I asked you to get on board, I meant would you join me and help out.
LH: 我这两天正好不用教课，所以跟你去一两天没问题。
LL: That would be great! The people at the Red Cross will be so happy to have you on board.
LH: 那我们怎么去呢？
LL: Well, I was thinking we would drive. I was wondering if you would be on board with the idea of renting a van for the trip.
LH: 租个面包车？ 租车不是很贵吗？
LL: It is a little expensive. But don‘t worry, Li Hua, I will pay for renting the van. I‘d rather have you on board to help out.
LH: 那好啊， 如果你出钱，我没意见。 .
LL: And since we have a van, I am wondering if we can get anyone else on board. We will have room to take some other people.
LH: 那也是，车里还有好几个空位呢，我的一些学生可能也愿意去灾区服务。
LL: You should ask them, Li Hua, the more people we can get on board to help with the relief effort, the better.
LH: Larry, 我们现在就去红十字会报名吧。让他们知道我们要参加救灾， let them know we are on board.
LL: Good idea, but I really want to finish this pizza first.
LH: I am definitely on board with that! Let‘s eat!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是from the get-go，意思是从一开始。还有一个是on board,, 意思是赞成、 愿意参加。
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pa230.txt
流行美语第230课
李华在帮Larry打扫他的公寓。李华今天会学到两个常用语Oodles和chuck。
LL: Oh! I forgot about this closet. Whoa. There are oodles of things in here I don‘t need.
LH: Oodles? 你是说面条，noodles?
LL: No, no. Oodles and noodles may rhyme, but oodles means lots of something.
LH: 噢，oodles和noodles虽然押韵，但是oodles和面条毫无关系。Larry，你壁橱里怎么会有那么多东西呀？ 看来今天我们要扔很多东西。That means there will be oodles of things to throw away!
LL: Yes, like the oodles of old tennis balls I‘ll never use again.
LH: 不只是网球，还有那么些旧杂志，你怎么会有这么多杂志呢？
LL: You know, Li Hua, those are magazines I have had since I was a kid. I would love to look through them, but we don‘t have oodles of time.
LH: 你小时候的杂志一直保留到现在， 难怪这么多。对了，你为什么说我们没有很多时间来收拾？我们今天还有别的事吗？
LL: Well, I arranged for a local charity to stop by at 5:00 and pick up the things I don‘t need. We‘ve got oodles of work to do before they come, and time is running out.
LH: 原来你已经跟慈善机构约好下午五点钟来拉东西。你怎么不早说呢？我们赶快收拾吧。
LL: The problem is that I want to give them useful things. I know I have oodles of things to throw away, but I am not sure I‘ll have oodles of things to give to charity.
LH: 别担心，要我看，你的很多东西慈善机构都有用的。比如这些旧衣服和餐具，肯定会有人要的。
LL: Say, are you hungry? Why don‘t we make some lunch?
LH: 做午饭？做什么呀？你的冰箱都是空的，没有什么可吃的呀。
LL: I really need to go to the grocery store, but I DO have oodles of noodles.
LH: 你有好多面条，那我们就煮面条吧。
LL: I‘m so glad you came by to help out, Li Hua. You‘ve made cleaning my apartment oodles of fun!
******
LL: Okay, now that we‘ve collected everything, I need to decide what I‘m going to give to charity and what I‘m going to chuck.
LH: Chuck? chuck又是什么意思?
LL: To chuck something is to throw it out.
LH: Oh, chuck就是扔掉。那我们把不要的东西分成两堆， 怎么样？ 一堆捐献， 一堆扔掉。
LL: Okay, I am definitely going to chuck these old magazines.
LH: 这些旧杂志一定要扔掉，那这些毛衣呢？ Do you want to chuck these sweaters?
LL: No, I don‘t want to chuck those. I will give those to charity.
LH: 你一下子扔掉这么多东西，以后不会后悔吗？要是你改变了主意怎么办？
LL: I don‘t think I‘ll change my mind, Li Hua. Most of the things I am chucking, I haven‘t used in months.
LH: 我想那些你好久没有用过的东西，扔了你也不会再想到它们。
LL: It just feels good to chuck a bunch of stuff you don‘t need. My apartment will be neater after we are done, and I‘ll have more room.
LH: 没错，东西扔了以后房间也会整齐一些，地方也会显得大一些Larry, 这个炒菜锅也要扔掉吗？
LL: Well, the handle came off, and I bought another one. So, I just thought I‘d chuck it. Since the pan is broken, I didn‘t want to give it to charity.
LH: 锅子的把手掉了？让我看看。Larry，我喜欢这个炒菜锅。把它扔了还不如给我算了。 我可以修理。
LL: Li Hua. I‘d be happy if you got some use out of it. Giving the pan to a friend is much better than just chucking it in the trash can.
LH: 谢谢你， Larry。 你没听说吗？ 一个人的垃圾是另一个人的宝贝："One man‘s trash is another man‘s treasure."
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是oodles, 意思是很多。还有一个是chuck, 意思是扔掉。
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pa231.txt
流行美语第231课
Larry有件事要告诉李华，但是他要李华保守秘密。 李华今天会学到两个常用语Hush-hush和Blabbermouth。
LL: So, Li Hua, I have some news I‘d like to share with you, but I‘d like you to keep it hush-hush.
LH: Hush-hush? 我知道，hush-hush是要人别出声， 保持安静。Larry，你为什么要我别出声呢？
LL: Something that is hush-hush means private and secret. It is something you don‘t want other people to know about.
LH: 原来hush-hush在这里是指秘密的，不能告诉别人。 难道你有什么秘密吗？
LL: I got a new job!
LH: Wow! 你找到新工作了，太好了， Larry。 我还以为是什么不可告人的事情呢。这么好的消息你为什么不告诉大家呢？
LL: Well, I am excited about it, and I do want to tell everyone, but my new job won‘t start for several months. I want to keep it hush-hush until I‘m ready to tell people at my current job.
LH: 新工作要几个月以后才开始，你现在还不想让老板和同事们知道。那好，我一定为你保密。不过这个秘密我们要保守多久呢？
LL: About two months. Then I‘ll tell my boss and co-workers, and you won‘t have to keep my news hush-hush any more.
LH: 两个月以后你就要告诉老板和同事了。我想他们一定会舍不得你走。 Larry，我也要告诉你一个秘密。 It is all very hush-hush.
LL: What‘s that?
LH: 我的一个学生最近在华盛顿申请了一份工作， 听说是去一个秘密机构。
LL: If it is so hush-hush, how do you know about it?
LH: 因为我给她写了推荐信， 那个单位还找我谈话，调查这位学生的情况。
LL: Hmm, a hush-hush organization. Is she applying to become a secret agent?
LH: 你说她在申请作特工？ 这我可不能告诉你， 你知道我必须保密。
LL: Oh, I know. I‘m just curious. Sometimes it is hard to keep things hush-hush. Like the fact that my friend Dave is dating your friend Mary.
LH: Dave 和Mary? 他们在谈恋爱？ 我怎么没听说呢？
LL: Dave asked me to keep it hush-hush for a while, because he wanted to be sure that Mary liked him and that it wasn‘t a one-time thing.
LH: Dave要确定Mary是否真的喜欢他后才公开。这我完全理解。
******
LL: I thought about telling you, Li Hua. But I didn‘t want to be a blabbermouth.
LH: Blabbermouth这个词我知道， Blabbermouth指的是嘴快、不能保守秘密的人。
LL: Wow, you are *good*, Li Hua. A blabbermouth is someone who blabbers; they talk, talk, talk and can‘t keep a secret.
LH: Larry，在Dave这件事上， 你可真是守口如瓶啊，You are not a blabbermouth。 有你这样忠实的朋友，Dave一定很放心。
LL: Thanks, Li Hua. Dave and Mary have been dating for several weeks, and he told me I could tell you and our other friends now.
LH: Dave让你告诉我啦？那他和Mary一定很合得来， 太好了！Larry, Dave当时幸亏没有告诉Jennifer， 全世界的人就都知道了。
LL: Jennifer is a blabbermouth? What do you mean?
LH: 她总喜欢打听和议论别人的私事，然后到处乱说。
LL: Have you ever said anything about it to her?
LH: 我怎么好意思对她说：Don‘t be such a blabbermouth!
LL: Well, then I‘ll remember the next time I have something I want to keep hush-hush: Don‘t tell Jennifer the blabbermouth!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是hush-hush，意思是不要公开的，是秘密的。还有一个是blabbermouth，这是指那些嘴快，不能保守秘密的人。
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pa232.txt
流行美语第232课
Larry说好开车来接李华去艺术馆，可是李华等了他好久也不见他来。李华今天会学到两个常用语 spaced和in a jiffy。
(Phone rings)
LH: Hello?
LL: Hi, Li Hua, This is Larry. I am so sorry I am late. I completely spaced that we were going to the museum today.
LH: You spaced going to the museum? 我们要去艺术馆不是航空馆，跟space没有关系!
LL: By "spaced" I meant I completely forgot. Again, I‘m really sorry.
LH: 你怎么全忘了呢？我们不是一直说要去看画展吗？
LL: I know, Li Hua. I can‘t explain how I spaced it. I got busy doing little things at home like laundry and cleaning the kitchen.
LH: 什么？你在忙着洗衣服和打扫厨房？平时不见你干活，怎么今天这么勤快呢？不过别着急， Larry谁都有忘记的时候，包括我在内。
LL: I can‘t believe it, Li Hua. You are so well organized. I can‘t imagine you spacing anything.
LH: 我今年就忘了给我母亲寄生日贺卡。 I completely spaced it!
LL: You spaced sending your own mother a birthday card?!
LH: 是啊，真不好意思。 那几天我忙着改学生的作业，把寄卡的事忘得一干二净。Completely spaced it!
LL: Well, that makes me feel a little better about spacing today‘s trip to the museum.
LH: Larry, 你忘了没关系，现在还来的及。我们还有时间去看展览。
LL: Really? I thought I had the pamphlet for the museum with its closing time, but I seem to have spaced where I put it。
LH: 博物馆的小册子也不知道放在哪里了？你今天怎么了？得了，我上网去查吧！ 让我看看...有了，网站上说他们6点关门。
LL: OK, if I don‘t space anything else, we should have plenty of time to see the exhibit and maybe get some dinner afterwards.
LH: Larry, 千万别忘了把门票带上。Don‘t space bringing the tickets for the exhibit. 没有票我们就惨了。
LL: Don‘t worry Li Hua, I won‘t space the tickets. I‘ve got them right in my pocket. I‘ll be over soon. Bye! (hangs up)
******
LL: See, I told you I‘d be over in a jiffy!
LH: In a jiffy? 你是说很快就到了，是吗？
LL: Exactly, Li Hua. In a jiffy means a very short amount of time.
LH: 对了，你平时要花一刻钟才能到我这里，今天怎么十分钟不到就到了呢？ You did make it here in a jiffy.
LL: I tried very hard to get over here in a jiffy, because I felt so bad about spacing our trip to the museum today.
LH: 别再想忘了去参观的事了。我们得马上出发， 不然就没有时间看画展了。 We better get there in a jiffy.
LL: Oh, it won‘t take long to get there, Li Hua. The museum isn‘t far. I promise we will be there in a jiffy. Are you ready to go?
LH: 我去拿一下大衣和钱包， 马上就准备好。
LL: While you are getting your coat and purse, I‘ll check the directions to the museum on the Internet. (computer clicking sounds)
LH: Okay, 我去拿大衣。你在网上查查去博物馆的路线。
LL: The web page isn‘t coming up. Usually web pages come up in a jiffy.
LH: 是啊，平时网页一点就开，今天真奇怪。 Larry，我们没有时间了， 还是赶快上车吧。
LL: Li Hua, I didn‘t have lunch because I rushed to get over here. Do you mind if I fix myself a sandwich real quick? I can make one in a jiffy.
LH: Oh, Larry， 实在抱歉，我不知道你还没有吃午饭。你赶快去作sandwich吧，我在这里等你。不过要快噢。Please do it in a jiffy!
LL: I will, and I promise I will also eat it in a jiffy, too!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是spaced, 意思是忘了。还有一个是in a jiffy意思是马上、立刻。
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pa233.txt
流行美语第233课
李华和Larry在一家中餐馆吃饭。李华今天会学到两个常用语bite the bullet和benchwarmer。
LH: Larry，你点的陈皮牛肉真好吃。 (Groans in pain) Oww!
LL: Hey, what‘s wrong? Was there something in the beef?
LH: 不，是我的牙。我的一个牙齿坏了，早该去看牙医， 可是一直不敢去。
LL: Really? Well, if it hurts that much, I guess you have to bite the bullet and see a dentist!
LH: Bite the bullet!? 咬子弹？Larry ，我咬肉都痛，还叫我咬子弹！
LL: No, no, I‘m not being mean. To bite the bullet means to resign yourself to doing something that is difficult or unpleasant.
LH: 所以，你的意思是硬着头皮去难做的事，或不愉快的事。噢，我知道了，以前打仗的时候有时没有麻药，伤员动手术时只好咬著子弹，忍住疼痛。这个习惯用语就是这么来的吧？
LL: I guess so. Anyway, your painful tooth will affect your studying, and it might get worse if you keep waiting. Just bite the bullet and see a dentist!
LH: 牙痛当然影响我的学习。我一会儿就打电话给牙医生约时间。对了， Larry，你上星期因为停车而被罚款有没有去付啊？
LL: (Sighs) No, I haven‘t paid them off yet. I guess I‘d better bite the bullet and pay them, otherwise the charges will be doubled.
LH: 还没有付呀！逾期不付会加倍罚款的。 Larry，今年你已经吃了好几张罚单了， 你平时很少用车，为什么不把它卖掉呢？
LL: Hmm... I like the freedom of having a car, but owning one is pretty expensive in this city. Maybe I should just bite the bullet and sell my car.
LH: 有车是方便， 可是要交停车费、保险费，车坏了还要修理费。 你知道吗？Ben最近把他的车卖掉了。
LL: Really? You know what else Ben did recently? He finally bit the bullet and asked his girlfriend to marry him! She said yes!
LH: 真的呀？那就是说Ben和他的女朋友要结婚了。这是好事啊， 可你为什么你说He bit the bullet? 为什么要硬着头皮求婚呢？
LL: No! It‘s just that a making a marriage proposal takes courage sometimes. I‘m sure Ben was nervous. That‘s why I say he had to bite the bullet.
LH: 那倒是。求婚是要有勇气的，特别是对Ben这么内向的人来说。
******
(Sounds of indoor court basketball)
LH: Hey， Larry! 没想到你还会打篮球。
LL: Hey! I‘ve been a part of this recreational league here at the gym for a few months. Years ago I played in high school, but I was just a benchwarmer, really.
LH: 你参加这体育馆的球队已经好几个月了？ 我怎么不知道呀？ 你说你在中学时只是个benchwarmer，那是什么位置呀？我只知道有前锋，中锋和后卫。
LL: (Chuckles) It‘s not really a position, Li Hua. A benchwarmer is a reserve player on a team. They aren‘t as good as the starting players, so they have to sit on the bench and wait.
LH: 原来benchwarmer就是我们中国人常说的板凳队员。 因为他们的技术比较差，入场打球的机会比较少，老坐在板凳上等教练的命令，把板凳都坐暖了。Benchwarmer，这很有意思。
LL: Yeah, well, being a benchwarmer on my high school basketball team was not funny, for me at least. That‘s why I quit the team after one season.
LH: 这我完全理解。 我以前在大学也参加过蓝球队， 也是老坐板凳，所以不久就退出了。
LL: That‘s too bad! If I was forced to be a benchwarmer on this team, I‘d probably quit too. It‘s not worth my time if I can‘t play.
LH: 光坐在那里看而没机会打球的确不值得。 Larry，你现在差不多每场比赛都参加，球技一定很棒噢。
LL: Heh, not really, this team only has seven players, and everyone always gets a chance to play. No one has to be a benchwarmer on this team.
LH: 你们只有七名队员，那是没有人坐板凳了。我也想打篮球，不过我谁都不认识，不知道怎么报名。
LL: Oh, what are you worried about, Li Hua. Just bite the bullet and ask someone about joining!
LH: 好吧，我明天就去问问。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是bite the bullet, 意思是硬着头皮、鼓起勇气去做不想作或是很难做的事。还有一个是benchwarmer， 意思是指球队的后备队员。他们老是坐在板凳上，打球的机会不多。
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pa234.txt
流行美语第234课
Larry正在跟李华谈他最近回家看到哥哥和妹妹的情况。 李华今天会学会两个常用语people person和know-it-all。
LL: So, Li Hua, I just got back from seeing my family. It was a nice visit, and I was so impressed with my little sister Emily. She is such a people person.
LH: 你说你妹妹Emily是什么？A people person? Hey, Larry, 妹妹Emily当然是人嘛。
LL: Oh, a people person is someone who is good around people and likes people. Emily definitely is a people person, and she has what we call "people skills."
LH: 噢，原来people person就是喜欢而且善于跟人交往的人。
LL: Right, people skills include being friendly, being a good conversationalist, and making other people comfortable. So, seeing Emily again reminded me what a people person she is.
LH: 我真是很羡慕那些善于跟人交往的人。他们总是显得很友好、也很健谈，让人喜欢。 你哥哥Ron呢? 他也是a people person?
LL: No, Ron is very, very smart, but he is a not a people person. He likes to keep to himself, and when he is in a group, he doesn‘t talk very much.
LH: 我知道你哥哥Ron很聪明。他是不太爱讲话。原来他性格比较内向。你和你哥哥的性格是不是有点相似？
LL: Well, I think I am somewhere in the middle. I am not as much of a people person Emily is, but I think I have more people skills than my older brother Ron.
LH: 我看你也是处于中间，在人际关系方面赶不上Emily，但比哥哥要强一些。Larry, 那你觉得我是什么水平呢？
LL: You are a people person, Li Hua. I think you need to be a real people person to be a Chinese teacher.
LH: 那倒不见得教中文的老师必须善于和人交往，其实任何老师都应该如此。 我们每天都要跟学生打交道嘛。
LL: Being a people person can also be very useful when interviewing for a job.
LH: 没错，找工作面试的时候， 公司总是喜欢能与人相处的雇员。
LL: Yes, and my sister Emily told me she has an interview for an internship at a law firm. With her people skills, I am sure she will get it.
LH: 没错，像Emily那样讨人喜欢的人，那律师事务所肯定会要她去实习的。
******
LL: My older brother Ron drives me crazy sometimes, because he is such a know-it-all.
LH: A know-it-all? 他什么都知道。这不是好事吗？
LL: A know-it-all is someone who acts like they know every thing and want to show everyone that they know everything. But, they don‘t necessarily really know what they are talking about.
LH: 噢，这儿说的a know-it-all不是真正的有知识，而是指那种喜欢喧耀自己什么都知道， 可是其实并不见得都懂的人。
LL: Let‘s take my older brother Ron as an example. Because Ron is such a know-it-all, you can‘t say a word without him correcting you or arguing with you.
LH: 我碰到过这样的人。不管你说什么他都要更正你。 Larry, 如果你说得对呢？比如你说地球是圆的？
LL: Well, in this case my know-it-all older brother would say to me, "You know, Larry, technically the earth is not round."
LH: 什么?! 他会说， 地球实际上并不是圆的？人人都知道地球是圆的。看来你哥哥并不是无所不知啊。
LL: I‘ll give you another example. During this visit with my family, I said I thought Star Wars was the greatest science fiction movie of all time.
LH: 许多人都认为[星球大战]是科幻影片中最棒的。
LL: No, Ron, said, "Actually, Larry, ‘The Matrix‘ did much better at the box office."
LH: 他怎么这么爱抬杠啊？ The Matrix这部电影的票房收入比《星球大战》还要高？我没有调查，可是我才不信呢。
LL: That‘s why Ron drives me crazy sometimes. I just want to have one conversation with him where he doesn‘t have to act like such a know-it-all.
LH: 其实，我觉得Ron未必喜欢和你争论，他可能是自卑，所以才装出什么都懂的样子。
LL: Oh, No, Li Hua, don‘t you start sounding like a know-it-all, too!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是people person，这是 指喜欢并善于跟人打交道的人。还有一个是know-it-all，这是指那种自以为什么都懂的人。
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pa235.txt
流行美语第235课
Larry和李华在公园里散步，Larry告诉李华他的朋友Rick最近交了一个女朋友。 李华今天要学会两个常用语Seeing Someone和Breaking up。
LL: Hey, Li Hua, have you heard the news? Rick is seeing someone.
LH: Rick is seeing someone? Rick在看人。这有什么奇怪的，我也在看一个人呀。I am seeing someone, too.
LL: Really? You are seeing someone, Li Hua? Who is it?
LH: 就是你呀。 Larry. 我不是在看着你吗？
LL: (Laughs) That‘s pretty funny, Li Hua. But, by "seeing someone" I don‘t mean Rick is looking at someone with his eyes.
LH: 你不是说"Rick is seeing someone"吗？ 他不是在看人， 那是什么意思呀？
LL: When I said Rick is "seeing someone," I meant he was dating a girl.
LH: OH! 你是在说Rick有了一个女朋友。Although I‘m seeing you，但是我们不是男女朋友的关系。
LL: Right, we are just friends, Li Hua. We go out and do things together, but we aren‘t boyfriend and girlfriend. We aren‘t seeing each other.
LH: 事实上， 我现在根本就没有男朋友，I am not seeing anyone.
LL: It‘s OK, Li Hua. I‘m not seeing anyone either. But Rick is pretty serious about the girl he is seeing.
LH: Rick已经换了好几个女朋友了，你说他这次真的会很认真吗？那女孩是谁呀？
LL: Her name is Jennifer. Rick has been seeing her for about a month or so.
LH: 嗯，Jennifer。交往了才一个月，你怎么知道Rick对这个女孩很认真呀！
LL: You‘re right, Li Hua. It hasn‘t been very long - but ever since they started to see each other, they‘ve been doing everything together - going out to eat, seeing movies, and taking walks in the park.
LH: 热恋的时候当然是形影不离了；一起吃饭， 看电影，一起去公园散步，多浪漫。Larry, 那边走的不是Rick吗？跟他牵着手的女孩子就是Jennifer吧？
LL: That is Rick across the park. But that is not the girl he has been seeing.
LH: 那个女孩子不是Jennifer? 难道Rick另有所爱了？
LL: I don‘t know. I‘ll ask him.
******
LL: Well, Li Hua, you were right. Rick is seeing someone else. He and Jennifer broke up.
LH: 果然Rick又有了别的女朋友。 哎，你说他和Jennifer broke up，那是什么意思呀？
LL: To break up means to end the relationship. Apparently, Rick broke up with Jennifer last night.
LH: 昨天晚上才分开，Rick就已经和别的女孩手牵手了， 真是不可思议。
LL: From what Rick says, he decided to break up with Jennifer, because he met someone new that he liked even better.
LH: Rick遇到了他更喜欢的人，所以和Jennifer分手了。 真是喜新厌旧的人呢，Jennifer一定伤心死了。 Rick是怎么跟她说的呢？
LL: Rick said he called Jennifer last night on the phone and told her he wanted to break up.
LH: 什么？他只是打了个电话，这太不礼貌了，他至少应该当面道歉。
LL: Well, I guess since they hadn‘t been seeing each other very long, he didn‘t think it a problem to break up over the phone.
LH: 他们交朋友的时间虽然是不长，可是毕竟是谈过恋爱的。如果我的男朋友突然打来电话要分手，我会很难过的。
LL: Well, at least Rick didn‘t send Jennifer a text message telling her he wanted to break up.
LH: 电子邮件？Larry，你跟女朋友分手不会只发个电子邮件吧？
LL: Well, me personally, no. But I‘ve known guys who have broken up with girls by sending them a text message.
LH: Larry, 你可不能像他们那样。
LL: I promise, Li Hua. And right now it is an easy promise to keep, considering I‘m not seeing anyone!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是seeing someone, 意思是跟某人谈恋爱。还有一个是break up， 意思是分手。
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pa236.txt
流行美语第236课
李华和Larry看了一场电影刚回到Larry的公寓。李华今天会学会两个常用语Dullsville和Coolsville。
LL: Wow, Li Hua, that movie was totally dullsville. I can‘t believe we stayed and watched the whole thing.
LH: Dullsville? 这个电影的确没意思，It WAS really boring, 可是你为什么不说boring而是说Dullsville?
LL: Well, you know, Li Hua， many small towns in America end in "ville."
LH: 是啊，美国的许多小城镇都叫什么什么"ville" ，比如Coopersville and Andersonville.
LL: So, when I said the movie was "dullsville," I was suggesting the movie was so boring, it was like living in the town of dull.
LH: 我知道了， "dullsville"的意思是说，电影很没意思，就像是住在一个很枯燥的地方。
LL: Right. And that movie was totally dullsville, especially for a comedy. I don‘t think I even laughed once.
LH: 真的啊？你看这部喜剧片的时候一次都没有笑？不会吧。这部电影不是很好，可也没那么差。Larry，我们学校的一些教授，他们讲课才是真正的dullsville.
LL: Yeah, I remember back in college being in some really dullsville classes. Sometimes they were so boring I‘d fall asleep.
LH: 不光是你，不少学生都会因为教授讲课乏味而打瞌睡。Larry，你上班的时候打瞌睡吗？Is your work dullsville?
LL: No, actually we‘ve been very busy with several important projects. There are times I wish it WAS dullsville at work.
LH: 要完成好几个重要的项目，哪当然有功夫打瞌睡了。我教中文倒是蛮有意思，可是周末就很无聊。My weekends are dullsville.
LL: I know what you mean. My weekends have been dullsville, too. I usually clean my apartment, go grocery shopping, and maybe wash my car. Not too exciting.
LH: 我也是，周末就是打扫房间，买吃的、洗车、真单调。Larry，我们得想点什么有趣的事，改善一下周末的生活。
LL: Hmmm。Let me think of how we can get out of dullsville.
******
LL: I‘ve got it, Li Hua! We‘ll go to an amusement park next weekend. There is one not too far away that is totally coolsville!
LH: 我们下个周末去游乐园？好啊。那这次你就不用解释了，我知道Coolsville的意思就是说那个地方一切都很棒，很有意思。对不对？
LL: That‘s right. And this amusement park really is coolsville. We won‘t be bored there.
LH: 那这个游乐园里有什么特别好玩的呢？
LL: The park has three huge roller coasters. One of them goes upside down! Now that ride is coolsville.
LH: 游乐园里有三个过山车， 还有一个是头朝下的。可我不喜欢坐过山车，the ride doesn‘t sound so coolsville to me.
LL: You don‘t like roller coasters? Well, what do you think is coolsville, Li Hua?
LH: 我觉得自然博物馆很有意思。
LL: Really? Why do you think the natural history museum is coolsville? I guess I think it is more like dullsville.
LH: 自然博物馆怎么会令人厌倦呢？ 你看过那里的恐龙化石吗？多有意思啊。
LL: Well, now that you mention it, my little seven-year old cousin Amy thinks dinosaurs are coolsville, too.
LH: 你七岁的表妹Amy也喜欢恐龙化石？那下个周末，你去游乐园，我带Amy去自然博物馆，怎么样？
LL: That would be coolsville! What a great idea.
LH: 你去享受过山车，我们去观赏恐龙化石。两全齐美，Everything will be coolsville.
LL: Except for one thing.
LH: 除了一件事以外？什么事？
LL: Wouldn‘t it be more coolsville if we could do something together?
LH: 你说的对，两个人一起才有意思。那我跟你去游乐园，以后我们再去自然博物馆。
LL: Coolsville.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是dullsville，意思是枯燥乏味，令人厌倦。还有一个是coolsville，意思是很好，很有意思。
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pa237.txt
流行美语第237课
Larry在学校的电脑室里见到了李华。李华今天要学会两个常用语ASAP和crank out。
LL: Hey Li Hua! What are you working on? A paper?
LH: 不是，我在写申请威廉森中国历史奖学金的申请书。
LL: What? But that‘s due tomorrow! You‘d better finish that ASAP.
LH: 我知道明天是申请的最后期限，所以我在赶呐。ASAP, 那是什么意思啊？
LL: ASAP means "as soon as possible". You need to finish that application as soon as possible!
LH: 噢，原来ASAP就是尽快 - as soon as possible 的缩写。 Larry，那你为什么不说as soon as possible而是说ASAP呢？
LL: Well, people say "as soon as possible", but if you are in a hurry, it‘s easier to just say ASAP.
LH: 匆忙的时候说ASAP，这能节省多少时间呢， 顶多半秒钟吧。
LL: Well, it also sounds more forceful. For instance, if your boss tells you, "Li Hua, I need you to get this done ASAP!" you know that he is in a hurry!
LH: 那倒是。ASAP听起来比较干脆，比较有力。
LL: Or if your mechanic tells you that you car is leaking oil, and that you need to have it fixed ASAP, you‘d better take his word for it.
LH: 你别举这种让我倒霉的例子。不过，要是我的车漏油了，我当然得尽快修理。I need to have it fixed ASAP。
LL: Wait, Li Hua, you promised me yesterday that you would proofread my Chinese composition. Have you done that yet? I need to hand it in ASAP!
LH: 天啊， 昨天我答应帮你修改中文作文，我怎么把这件事给忘了呢？真的好对不起。那你今天下午交还来得及吗？
LL: I need to go to work ASAP, so I need to hand this in before I go.
LH: (Sighs) 如果你一定要在上班之前把作业交上去， 那我现在就帮你看吧。
LL: Thank you so much, Li Hua. You‘re such a good friend.
******
(Larry returns to the computer lab later in the day.)
LL: Hey Li Hua! I am back from work. Are you still working on that statement?
LH: 是啊， 我还在写申请。哎，Larry, 写申请有什么窍门吗？你怎么每次都写得那么快呢？
LL: Oh, I don‘t know. I guess because I have written so many of them, now it‘s easy for me to crank them out.
LH: Crank them out? 这是什么意思呀？
LL: To crank something out means to produce something quickly and mechanically, without much thought.
LH: 嗯，To crank something out就是不需要太多思考，很机戒地做成某种事。
LL: Well, when I was an undergraduate, I would just crank out essays and term papers, no problem. Of course, it‘s not that easy these days.
LH: 我听说了，你读本科的时候是写作高手， 论文和学期作文都难不倒你。现在当研究生就不一样了；你要作大量研究才能有根有据地写。
LL: Exactly. So, did you ever just crank out essays when you were a student in
LH: 当然了，我在中国读中学的时候， 半个小时就能crank out两页的政论文章。Larry, to crank out这个短语还能用在别的地方吗？
LL: Sure, for instance, at McDonald‘s, they crank out hundreds of hamburgers every day.
LH: 麦当劳每天制作成千上万个的汉堡包。这一点也不错。
LL: And
LH: 我从来不看好莱坞制作的那种武打片，所以我就不太清楚了。
LL: Anyway, I have another piece of homework for Chinese class that I need you to look at ASAP. Can you help me?
LH: 没问题，我可以帮你看中文作业，不过你得帮我修改一下我写的申请书。I need to drop it in the mail ASAP。
LL: Ok, no problem. Show me what you‘ve written so far。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是ASAP, 意思是尽快。还有一个是crank out， 意思是不需多加思考地，机戒地制作某种东西。
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pa238.txt
流行美语第238课
Larry看见李华在修补她的书包，觉得有点奇怪。 李华今天要学会两个常用语cut it和get on it。
LL: Hey, Li Hua, what are you doing with that tape?
LH: (Sighs)我不小心把书包扯了一个大洞。 我要用胶布把它粘上。
LL: With that tape? Li Hua, this cheap clear tape isn‘t going to cut it, you need some duct tape.
LH: The clear tape isn‘t going to cut it? 我不是要把书包切开呀!
LL: I know! I said the clear tape won‘t cut it. Cut. If something or someone can‘t "cut it", that means it‘s not good enough.
LH: 原来won‘t cut it的意思是不够好， 而不是把它切开。所以你是说这种透明的胶条不结实，粘不住，你要用那种厚的胶布？
LL: That‘s right. Remember that Chinese newspaper reading class I was taking, it was too hard for me- my Chinese wasn‘t good enough. I couldn‘t cut it in that class, so I changed to another.
LH: 我当然记得咯！当时你才学了半年中文，看中国报刊是不行，所以跟不上，只好放弃。
LL: Yeah, to be able to read Chinese newspaper, I have to learn more Chinese characters.
LH: 你说的对。 Larry你有没有帮我修改申请书啊？
LL: Yeah, I looked at it. I don‘t think your application is going to cut it, though. You‘ll need to re-write some parts.
LH: 你认为凭我写的申请书是拿不到奖学金的。哪怎么办呢？你说吧，哪些部分要重写。
LL: You need to be more specific about your future academic plans. Simply promising to work hard isn‘t going to cut it with the review committee.
LH: 你说得有道理，我得应当更具体地讲未来的学术计划，而不是泛泛地说要努力学习。 我写的恐怕是通不过审查委员会。
LL：Call me when you finish rewriting.
LH：I will, Larry.
******
[Li Hua and Larry meet on campus several days later]
LL: Hey, Li Hua, haven‘t see you for a couple of days. Do you have another draft of that application essay for me to check?
LH: 是啊，我们好几天没见了。 我一直忙着上课， 我的申请还没写好呢。
LL: Well, you‘d better get on it! It‘s due next week!
LH: 我得get on it，那是什么意思？
LL: I said, you‘d better get on it. To get on it means to take care of something or start working on an important task.
LH: 噢， get on it就是动手处理某件重要的事情。 没错，没错，我的确该动手修改那申请书了。
LL: That‘s right! You‘d better get on it right away. By the way, I‘m going to be busy on Thursday, so you‘d better have it ready by noon tomorrow.
LH: 你星期四没有时间， 那就是说我非得在明天中午以前交给你。
LL: Yes. If you can give it to me around noon tomorrow, I‘ll get on it right away and have the corrections ready by Thursday morning.
LH: 星期四上午你就能改完。那太好了。 谢谢你。 你知道吗？我现在千头万绪，忙得不可开交，我这个月的电话账单还没付呢。
LL: Really? You‘d better get on that! If you wait too long, they‘ll charge a big fee, and it might damage your credit score.
LH: 我知道，所以心里着急呢！过期不付要罚很多钱， 而且还会影响我的信誉。 这我都知道。可是我事太多， 我的汽车还没有重新登记呢。
LL: What? If the police notice that you are driving a car with an out of date registration, you‘ll get a big ticket, or worse! You‘d better get on that!
LH: 是啊， 这件事一定得赶快办。 我可不想让警察发现我的车没登记，真要罚钱，我可受不了。可是我就是不喜欢填表， 要花很多时间。
LL: That kind of thinking definitely won‘t cut it if you want to go to graduate school. Filling out forms for grant proposals is one of the main things that professors and graduate students do.
LH: 那也是，研究生要申请研究经费都要填表。 看来我是得改变这种想法了。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是won‘t cut it, 意思是不行，不够好。还有一个是get on it ， 意思是赶快处理。
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pa239.txt
流行美语第239课
Larry和李华一起去购物。Larry准备去参加朋友的婚礼，可是原来的西装太旧了，所以需要买一套新西装。李华今天要学两个常用语hand-me-down和hands down。
LL: Hey Li Hua, I need your help with something. I want to go to the mall and buy a new suit to wear for my friend Jack‘s wedding.
LH: 要我帮你购物？这可是我的专长。你想买什么牌子的西装？是Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, 还是Dolce & Gabbana?
LL: Wo! Wo! Don‘t overwhelm me already. Any department store will do. All I need to do is find something to replace this old hand-me-down suit that I always wear.
LH: 什么？你这套旧西装是什么质地的？Hand-me-down? 我怎么没听说过这种西装布料呀？
LL: No. Hand-me-down is an expression. It refers to something that is given to you because someone else does not want it any more. My father gave me the suit that I wear now because he could not wear it any longer.
LH: 噢，我明白了，hand-me-down是说从别人那儿捡来的旧东西，是别人不要的东西。你现在这套西装原来是你老爸穿不了给你的，怪不得看起来不太合身，而且还有些旧旧的。要这么说的话，我的鞋也是hand-me-down。
LL: What? Your wingtip dress shoes?
LH: 就是啊，这双鞋其实是我的好朋友Jane不要了给我的。她还告诉我说，她的另外两个朋友Sarah和Lily也都穿过这双鞋。
LL: Wow! Now that‘s a hand-me-down. How have those shoes lasted so long?
LH: 这种鞋之所以结实，是因为鞋底可以换新的，我已经换过两次了。对了，你老爸有没有给你什么hand-me-down的鞋，让你穿着去参加Jack的婚礼啊？
LL: No, unfortunately, my big feet won‘t fit into his hand-me-down shoes.
LH: 你的脚确实不小。那就走吧，大脚，我们买东西去。
******
[Li Hua and Larry arrived at store]
LH: Larry，你有三种选择，这种黑色或是棕色的单排扣两件套西装，还有就是这件灰色的双排扣西装，你更喜欢哪个？
LL: I think the gray double-breasted suit is better looking than any of the others, hands down. And it makes me look pretty sophisticated.
LH: 这件灰西装看上去确实不错，穿在你身上也挺精神的，但是你刚才说的hands down是什么意思呀？
LL: Oh. hands down is an expression that means that something is easily better than something else; that a comparison or competition between two things is uncontested.
LH: 噢， 我明白了。你是说这件灰色西装比其它的都强得多，根本没有好比较的。你说的不错，那套棕色的好像有点儿容易皱，黑色的看起来又太一般了。这件灰色的样子确实不错。
LL: Yeah, and it costs half as much as the others. You know Li Hua, I would never have found this suit at such a good price without your help. Hands down, you are a much better shopper than I am.
LH: 而且价钱也不贵，算是让你赶上了。你也知道，我这人就是喜欢逛街。下次你要买什么东西，可以再找我。我们俩儿也算是各有所长，谁都知道，要打篮球，我绝不是你的对手，可是，hands down，毫无疑问。
LL: Yeah you‘re right about that. Let‘s go to the check-out counter and pay for this suit so I can finally get rid of my old hand-me-down suit.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是hand-me-down, 意思是别人用过的旧东西。还有一个是hands down，意思是毫无疑问。
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pa240.txt
流行美语第240课
Larry和李华刚刚在餐馆吃完饭。李华今天要学两个常用语doggie bag和back burner。
LL: This is waaaay too much food for me to finish. I guess I‘d better ask for a doggie bag.
LH: 怎么啦，你不会是想吐吧。
LL: Huh? No! I said I am going to ask for a doggie bag. That‘s a bag that you use to take home leftover food from a restaurant.
LH: 我知道了，就是中国人说的打包。你们叫"doggie bag"，是因为美国人一般都把剩下的饭菜喂狗吧？可你没有狗呀。
LL: It‘s just a figure of speech. I ‘m asking for a doggie bag because I plan on eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
LH: 原来是你自己吃啊。美国人这种习惯真好。在中国，大家出去吃饭总要点好多菜，根本吃不了，剩下的，有的就扔了。
LL: The
LH: 怪不得叫 "doggie bag"，原来开始的时候美国人也不好意思承认自己节俭，所以说是要喂狗。美国人真觉得这样做丢人吗？
LL: Hmm...well, in the
LH: 所以说，在高级饭店和正式场合一般不打包，但除此之外，打包就很正常了。中国现在也差不多，打包越来越普遍，不过我们用的是饭盒。
LL: Yeah, same here. But even though the food usually goes in a box, people still use the term "doggie bag".
LH: 美国人真把剩饭剩菜喂狗吗？
LL: (Chuckles) The food from doggie bags can make a dog fat!
LH: 不光是狗，经常在外面吃，人也会变胖的。账单来了。你得要 "doggie bag" 了。
LL: (To the waiter) Excuse me, could I get a doggie bag for this please?
******
LH: Larry, 刚才说了半天 "doggie bag"。我还真想养只小狗。
LL: I know, you‘ve mentioned that before. But you‘d better just put that on the back burner for now.
LH: 把什么放在炉子上？你在说什么呀？
LL: I said put it on the back burner. That means, you should give your idea of owning a dog low priority, and wait until it is more practical or convenient.
LH: 你是说我养狗不现实，所以不要着急，应该暂时放一放。其实，我要是真的养条狗也没有什么不可以，就是要做出一些牺牲罢了。
LL: Really, you should just put it on the back burner. Taking care of a pet requires money and time.
LH: 你说得也对，养狗又花时间，又费钱，确实应该等毕业有工作了再说。我真恨不得马上毕业。
LL: I know! I have to put so many things on the back burner while I‘m in school... I feel like I have no life!
LH: Larry, 你都想干些什么呢？
LL: Well, for instance, Jack and I were working together on an online business, but I am too busy with school to work on it often. I had to put that on the back burner.
LH: 你和Jack要合作在网上做生意，真有两下子呀！
LL: It‘s on the back burner right now. You know, I was in a rock band for a while, but I put that on the back burner as well.
LH: (Laughs) 摇滚乐队？不会吧。Larry, 我听过你唱歌，你不会真想当摇滚歌星吧？(Cell Phone Rings) 是你的电话。
LL: Whoa, it‘s Angie. I‘ll talk to you later, Li Hua. I‘ve got to answer this. I‘m going to ask Angie out this weekend.
LH: 谁？你不是要跟Cindy约会吗？怎么又变成Angie了。你可不能脚踏两条船啊。
LL: Cindy? Well, earlier this week, she left for study abroad in
LH: (Groans) Whatever, Larry!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是Doggie bag, 意思是在外面吃完饭打包用的盒子。还有一个是back burner，意思是暂时不考虑。
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pa241.txt
流行美语第241课
Larry和李华正在一起吃午饭。李华今天要学两个常用语a Cuppa Joe和Guilty Pleasure。
LL: I am so sleepy! What I need right now, Li Hua, is a cuppa joe.
LH: A cuppa joe ? 我确实有个朋友叫Joe，他怎么能帮你提神呢？
LL: No, I don‘t need your friend Joe. "I need a cuppa joe" is a way of saying "I need a cup of coffee."
LH: 我知道了，"cuppa"是"cup of"的缩写，可我还是不明白"Joe"怎么会是咖啡呢？
LL: You wouldn‘t be alone in that, Li Hua. Most Americans don‘t know why we call coffee "Joe", but we have for a long time, and we still say it today.
LH: 对呀，只要说起来方便，大家都知道是什么意思就好了。Larry, 你干嘛急着要喝咖啡呀？
LL: I stayed up too late watching a movie on television last night, and today I am so tired. Having a cuppa joe would really help me get through my work day.
LH: 原来是你自己晚上看电视，不好好睡觉，怪不得会那么困，要靠"a cuppa joe"里的咖啡因来提神。
LL: So I am definitely ordering a cuppa joe with lunch. How about you, Li Hua? Would you like a cuppa joe?
LH: 我才不要"a cuppa joe", 我又不爱喝咖啡。
LL: If you don‘t want a cuppa joe, then what are you going to order to drink?
LH: 我要一杯茶好了。
LL: I‘ve heard that a cup of tea doesn‘t have quite as much caffeine as a cuppa joe. Is that true?
LH: 是呀，茶里所含的咖啡因确实不如咖啡多。
LL: Then why would anyone want to drink tea instead of a cuppa joe?
LH: 据我所知，除了咖啡因含量低以外，茶对人体还有其它许多咖啡没有的好处，特别是绿茶。听说绿茶里的抗氧化物质还能防癌呢。
LL: But I still can‘t live without my cuppa joe.
******
LH: Larry, 你真的那么喜欢喝咖啡吗？
LL: I guess you could say that drinking coffee is one of my guilty pleasures.
LH: 喜欢喝咖啡也算犯罪吗？
LL: A guilty pleasure is something you like to do, but isn‘t good for you. I‘m not guilty of a crime when I drink coffee, but I do know there are better things I could be drinking.
LH: 我知道了，A guilty pleasure的意思是一种内疚的快感，就是说你明知道喝咖啡可能不如喝茶和喝水对身体好，但你还是愿意喝咖啡。
LL: That‘s right. What about you Li Hua, do you have any guilty pleasures?
LH: 我，当然有了，其中之一就是冰激凌。
LL: Ah yes, how could I forget? Eating ice cream is definitely a guilty pleasure for you.
LH: 我知道冰激凌是高糖和高脂肪的食品，我也担心吃多了会胖，可我就是管不住自己。这不能算是最糟糕的guilty pleasure吧。
LL: Some people like to drink alcohol or to gamble. These are guilty pleasures you have to be really careful about.
LH: 是呀，酗酒和赌博都会让人上瘾，带来各种各样的问题。这些guilty pleasure可不是闹着玩的。不过我想，大多数guilty pleasure都是无害的吧。
LL: Yes, my mother‘s guilty pleasure was taking a bubble bath on Sunday afternoons.
LH: 星期天下午洗泡沫浴，这也算guilty pleasure吗？
LL: She felt like she should be taking care of me and my brother and sister, but instead her guilty pleasure was to enjoy the quiet relaxation of some time alone in the bath tub.
LH: 她内疚是因为觉得应该照顾孩子，不应该自己躲起来享受啊。Larry, 咱们的午饭和你的Cuppa joe来了，快吃吧。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是a Cuppa joe，意思是一杯咖啡。另外一个是guilty pleasure, 意思是带有内疚的快感。
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pa242.txt
流行美语第242课
李华告诉Larry说，她跟一个学生约好，十点在她的办公室见面，谈谈这个学生的成绩，可以这个学生没有赴约。李华今天要学两个常用语no show和lala land。
LL: So, you made an appointment with this student to talk about his grades, and he was a no show?
LH: A no show? 对呀，他没来，没有出现，所以叫no show。这种说法简洁明了。
LL: Right, a no show is some one who doesn‘t show up when they have agreed to. But, it is really rude to be a no show.
LH: 确实不礼貌。我专门跑到办公室来，等了他好长时间，谁知道他却是个no show。
LL: So, he didn‘t even call you to tell you that he wasn‘t going to come? It is even ruder to be a no show and not have called to let the person know you can‘t come.
LH: 对呀，不来就已经很不礼貌了，连个电话都不打，就更不礼貌了。说实话，我挺意外的，因为这个学生看起来不象是那么不懂事的人。
LL: Well, maybe something unexpected happened to him. There might be a good reason why he was a no show.
LH: 失约还有什么好理由吗？
LL: Well, maybe he was a no show because his car broke down, or he got lost, or even worse maybe he had an accident.
LH: 是呀，我怎么就没想到呢。他的车可能会在半路抛锚。还有他可能会迷路。更可怕的是，还可能会出车祸。我本来挺生气的，让你这么一说，我反而开始替他担心了。
LL: I remember one time when I was in college I made an appointment with a professor and ended up being a no show because my car ran out of gas.
LH: 什么，车跑到半路没油了？你那个教授肯定火冒三丈。那后来呢？
LL: I felt so bad about being a no show, the first thing I did when I got to a phone was call the professor and apologize.
LH: 打电话道歉？那我们再等等吧，也许过一会儿我的学生就会打电话来了。
LL: Have you ever been a no show for anything, Li Hua?
LH: 倒是有一次，我的闹钟没响，所以睡过了头，结果没去上课。
LL: That‘s not so bad. Lots of students are no shows for classes.
LH: 不好意思的是，那是我教的一门课。(Phone rings) 等等，我接一下电话。
******
LL: Hey, was that your student? Did he have a good reason for being a no show or was he just in lala land?
LH: 打电话的就是那个学生。你为什么会觉得他在lala land呢？Lala land在哪呀？
LL: Lala land isn‘t a real place. It is a state of mind. It is where you go when you are day dreaming and not paying attention to the things going on in the real world.
LH: 我明白了，lala land不是一个地方，而是仙境、幻境的意思，做白日梦就是去了 "lala land"。这样说来，那个学生确实是去了lala land。
LL: Really?! He was off in lala land when he forgot his appointment with you?
LH: 没错，他当时正在跟朋友吃饭，完全忘记了跟我约好要见面。
LL: Yes, it sounds like he was in lala land. So what did you say when he told you this?
LH: 虽然我知道“忘了”不能算是失约的理由，但我还是很高兴他能打电话来道歉，谁都有忘事的时候。换句话说，大家可能都到过lala land。
LL: That‘s right. Just last week I was a no show for a haircut appointment because I was off in Lala land.
LH: 还有更好笑的。昨天我监考，有个学生走过来问我问题。
LL: Let me guess, you were so far off in lala land, you didn‘t even know the student was there!
LH: 你怎么知道的！我当时确实有点儿心不在焉，那个学生碰了一下我的肩膀才让我醒过神来。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是no show，意思是失约。另外一个是lala land，意思是身处幻境，心不在焉。
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pa243.txt
流行美语第243课
李华正在兴致勃勃地给Larry将她去看医生的经过，没想到被Larry泼了一盆冷水。李华今天要学两个常用语，TMI和PDQ 。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, that is really TMI. I‘m sorry you had to go to the doctor, but I really don‘t want to hear all about your infected toenail!
LH: 你不想知道医生是怎么帮我处理那个发炎的脚趾甲的吗？TMI? 什么是TMI呀？
LL: T-M-I is an abbreviation for "Too Much Information." I think you were giving me too much information about your doctor‘s appointment.
LH: 我知道TMI是too much information的缩写，但我还是不明白，你为什么对我看医生漠不关心呢？
LL: Well, you were telling me very specific details about your trip to the doctor, like how he had to cut away part of your toenail, and I thought you gave me too much information. TMI!
LH: 噢，你是不想听医生是怎么把发炎的脚趾甲剪掉，又是怎么把里面的脓....
LL: (Urgently) Please, Li Hua, that really is TMI! Generally, Americans don‘t like to talk about the specifics of personal matters like a doctor‘s visit, especially when the details are disgusting!
LH: 原来是这样，就是说凡是像看医生这类的私事，美国人一般不会告诉别人，否则的话就是TMI。
LL: That‘s right. But you should also not give too much information about your personal relationships.
LH: 我有个朋友叫Sharon，她最喜欢给我讲她跟自己男朋友交往的细节。我也觉得那些都是 TMI 。
LL: How so?
LH: 比如说，她会告诉我，她的男朋友是怎么亲她的。
LL: That is definitely TMI. You probably really don‘t want to know how Sharon‘s boyfriend kisses.
LH: 那当然了。我实在不想听，可又不知道该怎么告诉她。
LL: Well, now you do! The next time Sharon goes on and on about her boyfriend you can just say, "Please, Sharon, TMI!"
LH: 我下次一定试试。对不起，Larry, 我得赶紧找个厕所。我刚才喝了一大瓶水。憋死我了。
LL: (Urgently) Li Hua, that is another excellent example of TMI!
******
LL: You are back, Li Hua. That was PDQ!
LH: 你刚才说TMI "too much information", 现在又说PDQ, PDQ是什么意思啊？
LL: PDQ stands for "Pretty Darn Quick." You came back from the restroom very quickly, you were PDQ!
LH: 噢，你是说我动作快啊，我是不想让你等，当然PDQ啦。
LL: Say, Li Hua, I am getting very hungry. Aren‘t you? Let‘s stop chatting and find a place to eat PDQ.
LH: 附近那个三明治的小吃店怎么样？
LL: That‘s a good idea! The sandwiches are really good and they make them PDQ, which is good because I should really get back to work.
LH: 对呀，他们那里的三明治又好吃又不用等。Larry, 你下午干脆别上班了，我们好好吃一顿，然后去公园。这么好的天气，待在办公室里可惜了！
LL: I wish I could, Li Hua, but I really can‘t. My boss assigned me a project this morning, and he really wants me to finish it PDQ.
LH: 那好吧，既然你要赶项目，那我们就快吃，你好get back to work PDQ.
LL: What about you, Li Hua? Do you have a relaxing afternoon planned?
LH: 其实我也有事。我的公寓有些地方需要修理，房东下午过来。所以吃完饭，我也要立刻赶回去。
LL: Well, it sounds like we both have things to do this afternoon. Here‘s the sandwich place. Oh, No! It doesn‘t look like our lunch is going to PDQ after all.
LH: 今天怎么这么多人，都排到门外了。
LL: Well, it doesn‘t look like the service will be PDQ today. They must be short-handed.
LH: 我们改去麦当劳吧，快餐店应该不会等太久。
LL: And then we‘ll need to eat them PDQ, too!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是TMI，意思是别人并不想知道的事。另一个是 PDQ, 意思是非常快。
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pa244.txt
流行美语第244课
Larry准备在公司汇报工作。事先想请李华帮他听听，看报告内容能不能吸引人。李华今天要学两个常用语。一个是dud，另一个是oomph 。
LL: Thanks for agreeing to listen to my presentation, Li Hua. I really don‘t want it to be a dud.
LH: Larry, 什么是 "dud" 呀 ?
LL: Oh, A dud D-U-D is something or someone that doesn‘t live up to expectations and is a disappointment.
LH: Dud就是让人失望的意思。你是不是想让我帮你听听，你的报告能不能吸引人啊？
LL: Right! I want my presentation to be lively and interesting. If it is boring and difficult to understand, it will be a dud.
LH: 愿意为您效劳！不过Larry, 你这人这么幽默，不用听我就知道，你的报告肯定不会枯燥无味的。
LL: You never know. I once worked with a woman who I thought was really funny, and at work we really got along. But then we went on a date, and it was a real dud.
LH: 你们约会的问题出在哪里呢？
LL: It turns out that we didn‘t have much in common except work.
LH: 噢，我知道了，你们俩这叫缺少共同语言。That date really does sound like a dud.
LL: What about you Li Hua? Have you every gone out with a guy who was a real dud?
LH: Dud也能指人啊。那要这么说，我可是遇到过真正的dud.
LL: How was this guy a dud, Li Hua?
LH: 他长得特别帅，可是我们俩出去吃饭，他从头到尾都在没完没了地讲他自己，根本不问问我喜欢些什么。That date was a real dud.
LL: Kind of like a firecracker that doesn‘t go off! We also call fireworks that don‘t go off "duds."
LH: 没错，我们管不响的爆竹叫“哑炮”。我最喜欢放炮了，特别是春节的时候...
Larry, 你干嘛呢？
LL: I am trying to get the slide projector to work. It looks like the light bulb is a dud!
LH: 那就别摆弄幻灯了。我光听就行了。
LL: Okay, let‘s get started. Please be honest, Li Hua, and don‘t be afraid to tell me if you think my presentation is a dud.
LH: 你放心，我一定怎么想就怎么说。
******
LL: So, what do you think, Li Hua? Does my presentation need more oomph?
LH: Oomph? 这又是什么词啊！怎么这么难说。
LL: It is like "oom" from the word room, followed by an "F" sound. Say it after me, Li Hua. Oomph!
LH: (Imitating)"oom", "oom-f". Oomph, oomph 是什么意思啊？
LL: When I asked if my presentation needed more oomph, I was asking if it needed something extra to make it more lively or interesting.
LH: 噢，你是说可以加点儿什么，让你的报告更精彩是吧。老实说，Larry, 我觉得有的地方确实有点儿枯燥，需要加点儿oomph.
LL: How do you think I could give my presentation more oomph, Li Hua?
LH: 比方说，你一上来可以先讲个笑话，吸引听众的注意。然后讲到一半儿有人开始走神的时候，你可以再讲个你自己工作中的真实经历，最好是干过的什么傻事。这样你的报告就能更生动了。
LL: That‘s very good advice, Li Hua. I think doing those things will give my presentation the extra oomph it needs.
LH: 好，那现在换我了。我最近给中文课设计了一个网页。你也帮我看看，要不要也加点儿oomph.
LL: Sure. I‘m happy to look at it and tell you if it needs more oomph.
(Typing on keyboard...)
LH: Okay, here it is. Larry, 你觉得怎么样？
LL: Wow, Li Hua! Maybe your website has a little too much oomph!
LH: Oomph 还会太多吗？
LL: Well, you used orange and pink together on the same page. Those colors make it hard to read.
LH: 粉红色和桔黄色放在一起是太亮了，看上去眼睛有点儿不舒服，那我换换其它颜色吧。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是dud, 意思是令人失望的。另一个是oomph, 是吸引力的意思。
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pa245.txt
流行美语第245课
Larry和李华周末在国家公园野营。李华今天要学两个常用语，rough it和creep someone out。
LL: I just love camping, Li Hua. Isn‘t it great to be roughing it?
LH: "Roughing it"那是什么意思呀？ 听起来好像挺恐怖的。
LL: To rough it means to do without the comforts of civilization.
LH: 噢，rough it就是在艰苦条件下生活的意思。
LL: Right. Here we are camping out in the woods instead of staying in a hotel.
LH：我们没去住旅馆，而是在野外宿营，所以你说这是在rough it. 可是我们有帐篷、有灯笼、还有睡袋，应该挺舒服的。
LL: You know, Li Hua, I really enjoy roughing it. I love to breathe in the fresh outdoor smells and enjoying looking at nature instead of watching TV.
LH: 就是啊，这里空气真新鲜，天好像都比城里蓝。
LL: But there are some people who don‘t enjoy roughing it. My dad loves camping, but my mother really doesn‘t.
LH: 你妈妈为什么不喜欢野营？
LL: She really enjoys her comforts. She doesn‘t like to be too hot or too cold.
LH: 外出野营确实没有在家里舒适。我小时候在中国根本从来没有野营过。我父母都不喜欢rough it.
LL: While some people don‘t like to rough it, there are times when you have to. Do you remember the big hurricane we had last year?
LH: 当然记得。那场大风刮断了电线，害得我们停电一星期，只好因陋就简，用蜡烛照明，用煤气炉烧饭。
LL: Even though we were in our houses, we had to rough it a little until the power came back on.
LH: Larry, 这儿的洗手间在哪？
LL: Well, you know, Li Hua, we ARE roughing it.
LH: 不会连洗手间都没有吧！那你刚才...
LL: Ha ha, just kidding, Li Hua. There is a restroom down the path over there. I may like to rough it, but there is no way I am going to a campground without a bathroom!
******
(Owl sounds, other night sounds)
LL: What is that sound, Li Hua?! It is really creeping me out, and I can‘t sleep.
LH: Larry, 不过是只猫头鹰而已。别担心，猫头鹰是不会爬到你身上来的。
LL: Even though "creep" does mean to crawl slowly along the ground like a worm or a caterpillar, that isn‘t what I meant by "creep out."
LH: 那你说creep out里面的creep不是爬的意思？那是什么意思啊？
LL: When I said it crept me out, I meant the sound of the owl was bothering me or disturbing me so I couldn‘t sleep. Actually, it was making me a little scared.
LH: 没想到你这样的大男人也会害怕一只猫头鹰。
LL: Come on, Li Hua. You‘ve got to admit it is a little scary being out in the woods all by ourselves. Aren‘t you a little crept out, too?
LH: 说实话，我也有点儿怕。对不起, Larry我不该笑话你。
LL: What is creeping you out, Li Hua?
LH: 我倒是不害怕猫头鹰的叫声，可是一想到可能会有蜘蛛和虫子在我睡袋里爬来爬去，我就浑身上下不自在。
LL: Well, we are in the woods, and there are lots of spiders and bugs in the woods. Now that you mention it, spiders creep me out, too. We‘ll never get to sleep.
LH: 那要不咱俩儿说点儿别的，没准注意力一转移，就不会去想那些吓人的事了。
LL: When I was young and went camping with my friends, we always told ghost stories to each other. We had a lot of fun creeping each other out.
LH: 什么，讲鬼故事？Larry! 不许吓唬我！我们现在是要设法不去想那些吓人的事，不是creep each other out!
LL: I guess you are right, Li Hua...
(Snoring sounds)
LL：Hey, did you hear that? I heard another strange noise that is really creeping me out.
LH: 别闹了。那是我在打呼噜呢！我不行了，快睡吧！
今天李华学到了两个常用语.一个是rough it, 意思是在艰苦的条件下生活。另一个是creep someone out, 意思是让人毛骨耸然。
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pa246.txt
流行美语第246课
Larry到李华家来看蜘蛛人的DVD。李华今天要学两个常用语，rocket science和chemistry。
LL: What‘s the matter, Li Hua? I can‘t believe you are having trouble with the DVD player. I mean, it‘s not rocket science!
LH: Rocket science？这是我家，又不是航空航天局，怎么会有火箭科学。
LL: Well, when I said it wasn‘t rocket science, I meant it shouldn‘t be hard for you to get the DVD player to start.
LH: 噢，rocket Science在这儿的意思是指很难弄懂的东西。但是使用DVD机不该是什么难事。
LL: That‘s it! Getting the DVD player to work should be as simple as pushing a few buttons, and not nearly as complicated as rocket science. . . Hey, look, you got it working, Li Hua!
LH：行了，没什么难的，只要知道按哪个键就行了。
LL: Now all we need is popcorn to eat with our movie. I can go make some. I mean, making popcorn isn‘t rocket science.
LH: 好啊，你负责爆米花，东西都在厨房微波炉下面的抽屉里。
LL: Ok, I‘m in the kitchen looking at the microwave, and I see three drawers. Which one is it?
LH: It‘s not rocket science, Larry. 你把三个抽屉都拉开看看不就行了吗！
LL: Oh, look at that! The popcorn was right on top. Now let me read the instructions. Hmm....Should be very easy. One doesn‘t have to be a rocket scientist to figure this out.
LH: Larry, 你怎么这么长时间啊！要帮忙吗？用微波炉爆米花，不应该是什么rocket Science吧。
LL: It isn‘t rocket science, Li Hua. The instructions are very easy. It‘s just I can‘t get the plastic wrapper off the popcorn packet.
LH: 包装纸撕不开？I‘m not a rocket scientist, but let me try. . .你看，只要抓住两边轻轻这么一拉就开了。
LL: Wow, Li Hua. Maybe you are a rocket scientist after all. That was pretty good. I better let you do the rest.
LH: Larry, 别这么懒，你又不是没用过微波炉。You know it‘s not rocket science.
******
(Operating microwave machine.)
LL: Mmmm...This popcorn is really good, Li Hua. And so is the movie. The chemistry between the lead actor and actress is really good.
LH: 化学？我最后一次上化学课还是高中的事。化学跟蜘蛛人和他的女朋友Mary Jane有什么关系呀？
LL: When two people are attracted to each other or get along really well -- they have chemistry.
LH: 我明白了，就像做化学实验的时候一样。中文里也有两个人之间有化学反应的说法，就是说两个人互相吸引，或者是很合得来。
LL: So, now that you know what I meant by "chemistry," what do you think -- do the actors in Spiderman have good chemistry or not?
LH: 我觉得有。他们演得很逼真，真让我觉得他们彼此相爱。但是我有一个问题，Larry.
LL: What is it, Li Hua?
LH: 有的时候化学物质混在一起可能起发生爆炸，那这是不是“坏的”化学反应呢？能用来形容人跟人之间的关系吗？
LL: Absolutely! When two people really don‘t like each other or can‘t get along -- that is bad chemistry.
LH: 我原来有两个邻居，可以说是势不两立，经常互相对骂，他们俩而就是纯粹的bad chemistry.
LL: It sure sounds like it. Speaking of bad chemistry, one of the people I work with really doesn‘t get along with my boss. They often argue about the littlest things.
LH: 你同事跟老板有bad chemistry？那可得小心，不定哪天就会被炒了鱿鱼。
LL: You‘re right, Li Hua...Say, Li Hua, what do you think about the chemistry between us?
LH: Larry, 这还用问吗！It‘s not rocket science. 我们认识都快七年了，没有good chemistry, 就不会一直做朋友做到今天了。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是rocket science, 意思是很难做，很难懂的事情。另一个是chemistry, 是指人跟人之间的感情关系。
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pa247.txt
流行美语第247课
Larry有两张歌剧的票，邀请李华一起去。李华今天要学两个常用语，primo和glued。
LL: Hey, Li Hua, I‘ve got two primo tickets to the opera. Would you like to come with me?
LH: 歌剧？好啊。不过Larry, 什么是primo ticket ? Primo听起来不太象英语，是外来语吧？
LL: You are right, Li Hua. Primo is an Italian word that means "number one" or "first-class."
LH: 噢，primo是意大利语，意思是最好的，最棒的。
LL: When I said I had primo tickets to the opera, I meant I had very, very good seats.
LH：既然你有最好的票，那我们一定有primo seats, 最好的座位了！
LL: Yes, we do have primo seats. The tickets are for two seats right in front of the center-stage.
LH: 前排最中间，真是太好了，我们一定能看得特别清楚。对了，我们看的是哪一部歌剧啊？
LL: It is Verdi‘s Aida. Since it is an opera in Italian, I guess it is appropriate to say it will be a "primo" experience.
LH: 我听说过，威尔第的《阿依达》是一部很有名的意大利歌剧，但是我从来没看过。
LL: Yes, Aida is a very famous opera, and I know you will enjoy it. I‘ve also heard the tenor has a primo voice.
LH: Larry, 这两张primo tickets会不会很贵啊。
LL: Actually, no. I got a primo deal on the tickets. My friend bought season tickets to the orchestra, but couldn‘t make this performance. He sold them to me for half price.
LH: 原来是你朋友买的季票，但是正好不能去，所以半价卖给你。That is a primo deal!
LL: And I was thinking before the opera, we could have dinner. I know a primo little Italian restaurant near the opera house.
LH: 意大利饭，太棒了！我最喜欢吃意大利饭了。
LL: I think you will find the food at this place is primo - Some of the best in
LH: 现在只有一个问题，Larry. I don‘t have any primo clothes to wear! 周末先得去买一身正式点儿的衣服。
******
(After the opera)
LL: Wasn‘t the opera amazing! I was glued to my seat the whole time.
LH: 什么？让我看看，你裤子上没有胶水儿啊，你怎么会一直粘在椅子上呢？
LL: I don‘t actually have glue on my pants, Li Hua. When I said I was glued to my seat, I meant I was so fascinated by the opera I didn‘t want to get up.
LH: 噢，我明白了，你是说歌剧太精彩了，你听得全神贯注。确实没错，特别是那个男高音，唱得简直太棒了。I was glued to my seat, too.
LL: It reminds me of this lecture about China I went to not long ago. The professor who spoke was very entertaining and charismatic.
LH: 你是说那个教授讲得太吸引人了，大家都坐在椅子上一动不动，听得聚精会神？
LL: Actually, not only was I glued to my seat, I was glued to his every word.
LH: 每个字？能让你这样的学生把他的每个字都听进去，这个教授一定很棒。
LL: He was really good, and he had a lot of interesting things to say about life in
LH: 我最近正在看一部韩剧《朱蒙》，剧情太吸引人了，我一集接一集地看，根本放不下。I am glued to the TV set for hours.
LL: If you are glued to your television for hours, you have really become an American, Li Hua!
LH: 你为什么这么说呀？
LL: I think statistics show Americans on average are glued to their television sets for nineteen hours a week.
LH: 我简直不敢相信，美国人每星期要看十九个小时的电视，我可能连九个小时都看不了。跟看电视比起来，我更喜欢看书。
LL: Are you reading anything good right now?
LH: 我最近正在看一本畅销的侦探小说。I have been glued to every page!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是primo, 意思是最棒的。另一个是glued, 是指被深深吸引，全神贯注的意思。
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pa248.txt
流行美语第248课
李华刚买了一台笔记本电脑。她今天要学两个常用语，bells and Whistles和savvy。
LL: So, you got a new laptop computer, Li Hua? Wow! It has all the bells and whistles, doesn‘t it?
LH: Bells and whistles？我怎么没看见这台电脑上有什么铃铛和哨子啊。
LL: Oh, What I meant was that your lap top has a lot of special features and extras that ordinary lap tops don‘t have.
LH: 噢，我知道了，你刚才说的bells and whistles是指电脑上的DVD播放器和超宽屏幕等额外的功能。
LL: Yeah, that is right. Manufacturers like to put lots of bells and whistles on lap tops to entice people to buy them.
LH：没错，我就是冲着这些bells and whistles才买这台电脑的。你看，上面还有无线调制解调器和一个超大储存量的硬盘呢！
LL: When I bought a lap top computer last year, Li Hua, I did NOT get one with all the bells and whistles, and now I kind of regret it.
LH: 是啊，这些bells and whistles确实要多花点儿钱，可我觉得还是值得的。
LL: I suppose I can always add some bells and whistles to my basic lap top. I would like to have a bigger hard drive.
LH: 我听说加个硬盘并不难，我觉得你真的可以在你的电脑上加点儿bells and whistles.
LL: Although sometimes it is possible to have too many bells and whistles!
LH: Bells and whistles还会嫌太多吗？
LL: Well, I was thinking of the cell phone I bought recently. It definitely came with all the bells and whistles. So many bells and whistles, in fact, I don‘t even know everything it does!
LH: 你是说手机啊。我也有同感。现在的手机功能越来越多，很多我都用不着，也不知道该怎么用。
LL: But some people really like to have all the bells and whistles. Like my Dad. The last time he went shopping for a new car, it had to have all the bells and whistles.
LH: 车上能有些什么bells and whistles？
LL: He wanted a car with leather seats that heated themselves and had a built in global positioning system.
LH: 能加热的皮座椅，全球定位系统，看来车上也能有不少的bells and whistles.
******
LH: Larry, 你能帮我把这些软件装到电脑上吗？
LL: I am happy to help you load your software on your new lap top, Li Hua. You know I‘m tech savvy.
LH: Tech Savvy? 我知道tech是technology科技的意思，那savvy呢？
LL: Savvy means to understand something very well.
LH: 所以你说自己tech savvy, 就是说你对电脑和高科技的东西很在行喽？
LL: That‘s right. I‘ve always been interested in computers, and as a result I am fairly tech savvy.
LH: 那太好了。我可一点儿也不tech savvy. 我就知道怎么用电脑写论文，发电子邮件，除此之外就一窍不通了。Larry, 除了高科技以外，还有什么东西可以说savvy吗？
LL: Oh, sure, Li Hua. We often say that some one who dresses well and has good fashion sense is fashion savvy.
LH: 噢，fashion savvy就是很跟得上服装的潮流。那我可以说fashion savvy吧。
LL: Oh, you definitely have fashion savvy, Li Hua. You always dress very stylishly.
LH: 这肯定是我祖母的遗传。我看过她的照片，穿得可漂亮了。She definitely had fashion savvy.
LL: A person can also have street savvy.
LH: Street savvy? 你是说会认路吗？或者是有方向感？
LL: No, no. A person with street savvy knows how people act in the city and how to be safe in parts of the city that might be a little rough.
LH: 噢，street savvy是说街头的生存能力，特别是能在那些比较乱的街区不惹麻烦。看来，tech savvy和street savvy我都学不来，有fashion savvy就行了。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是bells and whistles, 意思是附加的功能或是点缀品。另一个是savvy, 是指在什么方面很在行。
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pa249.txt
流行美语第249课
李华到Larry家借书，正好赶上Larry的朋友Dave打电话来 。她今天要学两个常用语, fed up和off the hook。
LL: That was just Dave on the phone, Li Hua. He is really fed up right now.
LH: Dave给你打电话，就是告诉你他吃多了吗？
LL: No, Li Hua. To be fed up is to run out of patience in a difficult situation and to become angry.
LH: 噢，fed up不是指吃多了，而是说受够了。
LL: That‘s right. Dave has been having a bad day, and he has good reason to be fed up.
LH：他遇到什么倒霉事了吗？
LL: Well, Dave‘s car broke down on his way to work today, and he called a tow truck to come and get him. He‘s fed up, because he has been waiting for over an hour for the tow truck to arrive.
LH: 拖车一个多小时还没到。换成我，也会fed up.
LL: And Dave is also fed up with his car. This is the third time in the last month that his car has broken down.
LH: 一个月坏三次。那可真得换车了，难怪他说自己受够了。他给你打电话就是抱怨这些吗？
LL: He was hoping that if the tow truck didn‘t come in the next few minutes I might be able to give him a ride to work. He doesn‘t want his boss to get too fed up with him.
LH: 噢，原来是求你送他去上班。一而再，再而三地因为车子抛锚而上班迟到，确实会引起老板的怀疑。
LL: I don‘t think Dave‘s boss is completely fed up with him YET, but Dave doesn‘t want to take any chances.
LH: 那当然了。他好不容易才找到这份工作，因为这个被炒鱿鱼，太不值得了。
LL: Yeah. Personally, I‘m a little fed up with Dave right now, too.
LH: Dave有什么让你受不了的呢？
LL: Well, every time Dave‘s car breaks down, he calls me to ask for a ride. I‘m getting a little fed up with having to rearrange my schedule to keep helping Dave out.
LH: 确实有点儿烦。不过，他是你的朋友，大家应该互相帮助嘛！
LL: You are right, Li Hua. I shouldn‘t get fed up with Dave. (Phone rings) It‘s Dave on the phone.
******
LH: Dave打电话说什么？
LL: He told me the tow truck finally arrived. It looks like I‘m off the hook!
LH: Off the hook? 这种说法跟钓鱼有关吧？
LL: Yes, it does, Li Hua. You know when you go fishing for fun, how you put a hook on the end of your line?
LH: 当然了，我还记得上次跟你老爸一起去钓鱼，鱼线最后面有一个钩子，在上面挂上鱼饵。
LL: And when a worm is off the hook, it is free. Just like I am now. I am off the hook, because I don‘t need to drive Dave to work after all.
LH: 所以，off the hook就是脱身的意思。你不用再开车送Dave去上班了，所以你说自己是off the hook.
LL: That‘s right. Say, speaking of obligations, don‘t you have a Chinese class you should be teaching right now?
LH: Oh, No. I am off the hook today, Larry. 今天学校放假，所以我不用去教中文课了！
LL: I forgot that today is a holiday. Unfortunately, I am NOT off the hook today. I need to go into work this afternoon to finish up a project I am working on.
LH: 那你就是on the hook喽？
LL: Well, we don‘t really say someone is "on the hook" in English when we mean they have something they need to do.
LH: 所以说不用再去做一件事情是off the hook, 但是反过来，必须去做一件事情，则不能说on the hook.
LL: You‘ve got it, Li Hua. Say, how about going to a movie tonight? Do you still have to write your paper for Professor Jones, or are you off the hook?
LH: 唉，I‘m not off the hook. 我今天晚上必须得写完那篇论文。我可不希望让琼斯教授 fed up with me.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是fed up, 意思是不耐烦，受够了。另一个是off the hook, 是脱身，摆脱责任的意思。
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pa250.txt
流行美语第250课
Larry和李华开车到游乐园去坐过山车。她今天要学两个常用语，Oh boy和scaredy-cat。
LL: Oh, Boy! Isn‘t this amusement park great, Li Hua! I can‘t wait to take a ride on the roller coaster.
LH: Oh, Boy？我知道你早就盼着来这儿坐过山车。可你说oh boy是什么意思啊？
LL: "Oh, Boy!" is a common American expression that really has nothing to do with boys at all.
LH: 那你刚才说Oh boy是什么意思呢？
LL: When I said "Oh, Boy!" I was expressing that I was excited about coming to the park and that I was looking forward to the fun we are going to have today.
LH: 所以你说Oh boy是表示高兴和兴奋。
LL: That‘s right. Oh, Boy! Li Hua, look at that. There is someone selling cotton candy. I love cotton candy.
LH: 我从没吃过棉花糖，好吃吗？
LL: Oh, boy, is it ever! It is so light and sweet. I am sure you will love it.
LH: Oh boy! Larry, 你看，那边有旋转木马。
LL: Well, let‘s take a ride on the carousel. It will be a lot of fun. But did you see the roller coaster, Li Hua? Oh, boy... (Nervous tone)
LH: 怎么了？刚才你说oh boy, 好象不太高兴。
LL: I just saw that the roller coaster flips you upside down, and I really don‘t like roller coasters that flip you upside down. Oh, boy...
LH: 可你刚才不是说oh boy是高兴的意思吗？
LL: Well, it all depends on your tone, Li Hua. If you say "Oh, Boy!" like this, it means you are happy. If you say "Oh, boy" like this, it means you are concerned or dismayed about something.
LH: 噢，我明白了。 Oh boy既可以指让人高兴的事，也可以指让人担心的事，完全取决于语气。
LL: That‘s right, Li Hua. It all depends on how you say it.
******
LL: I can‘t believe I am so worried about riding this roller coaster. I am usually not this much of a scaredy-cat.
LH: 什么是scaredy-cat? 听起来好象是胆小鬼的意思。
LL: You are absolutely right, Li Hua. And right now, I am feeling like a big scaredy-cat about the roller coaster.
LH: 你现在什么感觉？
LL: Well, right now, I have this tight feeling in my stomach, and I am shaking a little. See, look at how my hand is shaking.
LH: 我害怕的时候手也会抖，心里还会砰砰地跳。
LL: What about you, Li Hua? I thought you told me once you didn‘t like riding roller coasters. Why aren‘t you acting like a scaredy-cat now?
LH: 我以前也不敢做过山车，后来咬着牙试了一次，发现根本不可怕，而且头冲下的时候特别刺激。
LL: Okay. I‘ll try to be brave and ride the roller coaster with you. So, is there anything that makes you feel like a scaredy-cat, Li Hua?
LH: 说起来有点儿丢人。我最怕的是游泳。
LL: You are a scaredy-cat about swimming? Why is that, Li Hua?
LH: 因为我小时候没机会学游泳，所以长大后，不仅不敢下水游泳，连坐船都会害怕。
LL: You know, my mother is a big scaredy-cat about flying on planes. She doesn‘t like the feeling of going up into the air.
LH: 我听说很多人都害怕坐飞机，去什么地方，宁可开车或是坐火车 去。
LL: My mom is like that. If she can she‘d rather drive or take a train when she travels.
LH: 每个人都有自己害怕的事情。
LL: Well, I think people are scaredy-cats about things they think are dangerous.
LH: 你说得没错。不过如果什么都怕，什么都不敢尝试，不是也很无聊吗？
LL: Maybe so, but I am still feeling like a scaredy-cat about that roller coaster. Do I really have to go, Li Hua?
LH: Larry, 我保证你不会掉下来。So stop being a scaredy-cat, and let‘s go.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是oh boy, 用来表达高兴或是担心的情绪。另一个是scaredy-cat, 是胆小鬼的意思。
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流行美语第251课
Larry告诉李华说，他正在给公司做一个大项目，忙得连饭都没时间吃。李华今天要学两个常用语，snarf和power nap.
LL: I‘ve been so busy with this project, Li Hua, I‘ve hardly had any time to eat. Today I just snarfed down a sandwich at lunch, and I haven‘t eaten anything since.
LH: 你只吃了个三明治？snarf也是吃的意思吗？
LL: Snarf is another word for eat, Li Hua, but when you snarf something you eat it really quickly in a very short amount of time.
LH: 噢，snarf是狼吞虎咽的意思。你是因为要赶项目，没时间吃饭，所以才匆忙地吃了个三明治。
LL: Yeah. And when I snarfed down the sandwich, I didn‘t really enjoy it. I ate it so fast I didn‘t even really taste it.
LH: 有时候我赶着写论文或是判作业，没时间吃饭，也会凑合着只吃几口炒饭填饱肚子。
LL: You know, since I haven‘t had anything to eat since I snarfed down that sandwich, I am feeling hungry again.
LH: Larry, 我这儿有盒饼干，你先吃几块，来垫垫肚子罗。
LL: Thanks, Li Hua. That is really nice. But I‘m so hungry, I‘m afraid I‘d snarf up your entire box of cookies.
LH: 都吃了也不要紧，我不在乎这盒饼干，不过光吃饼干可没什么营养。
LL: You are right, Li Hua. I really shouldn‘t snarf up all these cookies.
LH: 不如今天晚上咱们找个餐馆，好好补一补，最近我一直在赶论文，也是忙得不可开交。
LL: I‘d love to, Li Hua. But, honestly, I don‘t have enough time to go out with you for a nice relaxing dinner. The deadline for the project is tomorrow, and I have just enough time to snarf down something before I go back to work.
LH: 既然明天就是最后期限，你没时间正经吃饭，那就更不能光啃饼干了，而是应该吃点儿有营养的。这样才能补充能量。
LL: Okay, I do have time to go to a fast food place.
LH: 拐角处就有一家面条店，保证你二十分钟就能回去上班。
LL: And snarfing down a bowl of noodles does sound better than snarfing down a box of cookies, Li Hua.
******
LH: 这家店的面条还真好吃。
LL: Yeah, But now I‘m feeling a little sleepy. I think I am going to need to take a power nap before I go back to work.
LH: A power nap? 我知道nap是午觉的意思，可power nap是什么意思啊？
LL: A power nap is a short nap, maybe only fifteen to twenty minutes in length that people take in the middle of their work day to give them more energy, more power!
LH: 噢，就是15分钟，20分钟，打个盹儿的意思。你知道吗，Larry, 在中国睡午觉是很普遍的。我们上学的时候中午都会睡上半个小时左右。
LL: Taking naps isn‘t as common in the
LH: 昨天晚上我看了一个节目，很有意思，里面说美国人现在越来越忙，晚上睡眠时间不够，所以白天需要take power naps，才能提高效率。
LL: Hey, I saw that report, too!
LH: 现在不少公司为了提高员工的工作效率，都在公司里设立专门供员工睡午觉的地方。
LL: I wish my company had places like that for us to take power naps at work.
LH: 你还记得吗，里面说有一家公司，给员工准备了鸡蛋形的午睡舱，还有舒缓的音乐，帮员工入睡。
LL: Yeah, I‘d love to take a power nap in one of those.
LH: 但是打盹儿也要注意不能睡得太久。
LL: I guess that is true. If you end up sleeping too long, you can enter a deep sleep and wake up feeling drowsy and even sleepier than you did before you took you power nap.
LH: 好，到你公司了，你准备在哪儿小睡一会儿呢？
LL: Well, I think I will go back to work and take a power nap at my desk.
LH: Okay, Larry. 明天完成了手头的项目，给我打电话。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是 snarf, 是狼吞虎咽的意思。另一个是 power nap, 是打盹儿的意思。
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pa252.txt
流行美语第252课
Larry和李华在Larry的朋友Sam家开party。李华今天要学两个常用语，party foul和split.
LL: Gosh, I am SO sorry, Li Hua! I just spilled some of my drink on you. What a party foul!
LH: 没事的，Larry. 只不过是点儿汽水而已，一下就弄干净了。不过，什么是party foul 啊？
LL: A party foul is when you do something really embarrassing at a party - like spill your drink on someone.
LH: 噢，foul 在体育比赛里是犯规的意思，那 party foul 就是指开派对的时候出丑喽。
LL: Right, and nobody really likes to commit a party foul, but sometimes when you are having a lot of fun and there are a lot of people together in one place, it is easy to do something stupid.
LH: 发生 party foul 的时候，其他人会怎样呢？
LL: Sometimes they stare or it gets very quiet - or other times some one might yell, "Party foul!" And everyone will laugh.
LH: 那可真够丢人的。不过，洒点儿饮料不算什么，我见过更糟糕的party foul。
LL: Really? What is the worse party foul you‘ve seen?
LH: 有一次我去参加朋友的婚礼。大家跳舞的时候，发生了我见过的超级party foul.
LL: Don‘t keep me in suspense, Li Hua! Tell me about this party foul. What happened?
LH: 有个客人踩在了新娘的婚纱上，把婚纱撕掉了一大块。所有人都傻了，大厅里鸦雀无声。
LL: Yikes! That really is a major party foul. What happened then?
LH: 新郎和新娘处理得很好，他们知道那个客人一定很难堪，所以马上开了个玩笑，帮他解围。
LL: I think the most embarrassing party foul I committed was the time I went to a party in a suit.
LH: 穿西装去参加派对有什么不对吗？
LL: Well, I received an invitation to a very fancy New Year‘s Eve party once from my boss. I didn‘t read the invitation very closely though.
LH: Uh-oh. 你犯了什么不可饶恕的 party foul 吗？
LL: Well, when I showed up at the party and all the men were wearing tuxedos, I knew I had committed a party foul.
LH: 别人都穿正式的燕尾服，只有你一个人穿西装，肯定特尴尬吧？哎，时间不早了，咱们是不是该走了？
******
LL: This has been a nice party, but you are right, Li Hua. We really should split.
LH: We need to split. Split 不是把东西劈成两半的意思吗？
LL: It is, but split S-P-L-I-T is also a slang term meaning to leave a place - and sometimes to leave a place quickly.
LH: 噢，原来是马上离开的意思。我前天晚上看了一个老的西部片，有个匪徒杀人后就说他要 split town, 逃出城。
LL: That‘s a good example, Li Hua. That meant he had to get out of town quickly, before the police figured out he had committed the crime.
LH: 好吧，Larry, 我准备好了，Let‘s split! 我们走吧。
LL: That‘s a perfect use of "split", Li Hua! But before we split, we really should go find Sam and thank him for a fun evening.
LH: 对啊，不跟主人打招呼就走，别人会觉得我们没礼貌的。
LL: You‘re right, Li Hua. Oh, there is Sam over there. I‘m going to go over and tell him we are going to split.
LH: 等等，Larry. 你看，还有这么多人呢，我们不会走得太早了吧？
LL: No, I don‘t think it is too early for us to split. We‘ve been here a couple of hours already. Plus, Sam will understand. He knows I have to work tomorrow - and that you have to teach classes.
LH: 那好，我在这儿等你。
(Party sounds and music)
LL: There. I told Sam we were going to split, and that we had a great time.
LH: Sam 没有不高兴吧？
LL: Oh, no. Not at all. In fact, he said he was glad we came and hoped we would come again the next time he had a party.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是party foul, 是在part上出丑的意思。另一个是split,是赶快走的意思。
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pa253.txt
流行美语第253课
Larry和李华在咖啡店里买咖啡。李华今天要学两个常用语，newbie和been around.
LL: Wow, it seems to be taking a long time for this guy to get our coffee made. Maybe he is a newbie.
LH: A newbie? 你说他是新来的？
LL: Right. A newbie is someone that is new to a place, activity or organization.
LH: 你说得对，他肯定是新手，好像连咖啡机还用不好呢！
LL: It is like this new guy in my office. He just started work the day before yesterday. He doesn‘t know where anything is.
LH: 初来乍到是最困难的时候，Larry, 你一定要帮帮这个新同事。
LL: I have been helping him, and he‘s doing pretty well for a newbie. He is clearly very bright and has picked up on a lot of things very quickly.
LH: 我们的咖啡来了，我们找地儿坐吧。
LL: MMMmmm...It may have taken him a while to make the coffee, but the newbie did a good job. This coffee is great!
LH: 你看，有时候对新手就是要有耐心。我还记得刚开始教中文的时候，样样东西都要学。
LL: What did you find the most difficult about being a newbie Chinese teacher, Li Hua?
LH: 当初最让我头痛的就是安排课堂活动，我总是掌握不好各项活动的时间长短。
LL: Yeah, when I was a newbie, I remember having to learn where everything was in the office and who was responsible for which aspects of my job. . .Say, Li Hua, I want to show you something on my lap top.
(Takes out lap top)
LH: 是新的电脑游戏吗？
LL: Yes, it is a fantasy role-playing game where you pretend to be a warrior or a wizard and run around attacking people and collecting treasure. I‘ve just started the game, so I am kind of a newbie.
LH: 这里面好像还有其他人，他们也是newbies吗？
LL: No, some people have been playing the game for a long time. Their characters are very experienced, and they have fun attacking and stealing treasure from the newbies.
LH: 那你肯定也是被这些老手欺负的对象喽？我是不会玩电脑游戏，也没兴趣。
LL: You should try it, Li Hua. It is a lot of fun to play computer games, and it gets more fun when you aren‘t a newbie any more.
LH: 还是算了吧，在电脑游戏上面，我宁愿做个newbie.
******
LL: Well, when it comes to computer games, I‘ve been around - if you know what I mean, Li Hua.
LH: "Been around"? 我还真不知道这是什么意思。
LL: "Been around" means to have lots of experience doing something. It is actually short for a longer expression...
LH: 我想起来了。说什么人特别老道，就是"He has been around the block."
LL: That‘s right! We shorten it to ‘‘been around,‘‘ but it basically means the same thing.
LH: 所以你说自己‘‘have been around.‘‘ 就是说你打过很多电脑游戏喽？
LL: That‘s right. I started playing computer games when I was seven years old, and I still play computer games.
LH: 对了，Larry, 我一直想问你，听说你妹妹有新男朋友了？
LL: Yes, she is dating a new guy. But I‘m a little concerned. I think this guy has been around. He is much older than my sister.
LH: 有经验不见得是坏事啊！
LL: Well, he has been around, but not in a good way. I think he has dated a lot of girls and may not be as serious about my sister as she is about him.
LH: 你是怕他不当真，让你妹妹伤心吧。那你妹妹呢？她有没有交过很多男朋友？
LL: No, not really. She is still very young. I wish she would wait until she has been around a bit before deciding she wants to get engaged to this guy.
LH: 别着急，Larry, 你妹妹绝顶聪明，她肯定能做出正确的选择。你要相信她！
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是newbie, 是新手的意思。另一个是been around, 是老手的意思。
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pa254.txt
流行美语第254课
Larry和李华在纽约参加长跑比赛。李华今天要学两个常用语，eat my dust和sore loser.
LL: It‘s a good thing you‘ve been training for this race, Li Hua. But you are still going to eat my dust.
LH: Eat your dust? Yuck. 吃你的土？这是什么意思啊！
LL: When someone says ‘‘eat my dust," they are saying to their competitors in a race situation that they are confident they are going to win the race, leaving everyone else far behind.
LH: 赢比赛跟让别人吃土又有什么关系呢？
LL: Well, when you run, you kick up dust from the road. So, if I run very fast and you are behind me, you‘ll be getting my dust in your face - and eating my dust.
LH: 噢，我明白了，跑在前面的人掀起的尘土，会落在后面人的脸上，原来是从这儿来的。不过，Larry, 我为今天的比赛已经训练两个多月了，也许你会eat my dust呢！
LL: But I‘ve been running for years, and I‘ve been in many races. And most of the time, the other runners end up eating my dust.
LH: 那也许你能象环法自行车大赛七连冠阿姆斯特朗一样，让其他人都ate his dust.
LL: Now that I think about it, Li Hua, I prefer to think of myself as the cheetah of the running world. As the fastest animal on land, all the other animals eat the cheetah‘s dust.
LH: 你还真自信！大话说出来，可千万别落在别人后面噢。
LL: Actually, Li Hua. I am just joking. I‘m not really the cheetah of the running world. There are so many runners in this race, I am pretty sure I will be eating someone else‘s dust.
LH: 输赢并不重要，重在参与嘛！
LL: You are right, Li Hua. And since this is a race for charity, it doesn‘t matter if you eat my dust - or I eat yours. In the end, everybody wins.
LH: 对呀，比赛收益全都要用来帮助无家可归的人。Okay, Larry. 准备好，你要eat my dust了！
******
LL: Whew! That was a great race. Even though I didn‘t place, I‘m pretty happy about my overall time. I‘m just disappointed by the guy who placed second - what a sore loser!
LH: Hmmm...得第二名的那个人好像特别不高兴，又跺脚，又挥拳头，嘴里还骂骂咧咧的。你说，这就叫sore loser吗？
LL: Yes, He clenched his fists and stomped around, saying things that weren‘t very nice. That is a sore loser!
LH: 在中文里，我们说这种人输不起。
LL: But I don‘t know why he was being such a sore loser, to place second out of the hundreds of people participating in the race should be something to celebrate.
LH: 就是啊。我要是得了第二名，一定乐死了。这种输不起的人，让所有人都觉得扫兴。
LL: It‘s true. Do you remember when you were a kid, Li Hua - and you were playing a game? If one of the kids started acting like a sore loser, the game wasn‘t so fun anymore.
LH: 我当然记得。小孩子都不愿意输。我有个外甥，一输就哭鼻子。
LL: Yeah, but most people grow up and become adults - and grow out of being sore losers.
LH: 但是有的人就是长不大，我就见过很多sore loser.
LL: That is true. I‘m trying really hard not to be a sore loser myself.
LH: 你怎么会是sore loser呢？
LL: Well, I am kind of embarrassed that you beat me in the race, Li Hua. Especially since I told you that you were going to eat my dust. But I am not going to be a sore loser - I‘m proud of you and how well you did in the race.
LH: 噢，原来是因为这个。谢谢你，Larry, 我确实花了很多时间为这次比赛做准备。
LL: Say, maybe we should celebrate the outcome by racing over to the ice cream store for an ice cream cone!
LH: 好啊！但是你肯定会eat my dust, 你知道我一见冰激凌就没命了。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是eat my dust, 是输给我的意思。另一个是sore loser, 是指输不起的人。
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pa255.txt
流行美语第255课
Larry和李华刚刚忙完手头的工作。他们一起去吃冰激凌。李华今天要学两个常用语：my treat和ginormous.
LL: Well, Li Hua, you just finished a big paper, and I just finished an important project at work. Let‘s go for ice cream and celebrate. It‘ll be my treat.
LH: 冰激凌是your treat? 可我也要吃啊，应该是our treat才对吧。
LL: Well, the ice cream will certainly be for both of us - and it will be a treat for both of us, but when I said it was "my treat" I meant that I would pay for the ice cream.
LH: 哦，原来是你要请客啊！
LL: That‘s right, to TREAT someone means to pay for someone‘s food or entertainment as a form of a gift.
LH: 那太好了。谢谢你请我去吃冰激凌。
LL: It is my pleasure, Li Hua.
LH: 为了表示感谢，这个周末我请你去中国餐馆吃饭。My treat.
LL: That‘s very considerate, Li Hua. But you don‘t really have to treat me to dinner just because I treated you to ice cream.
LH: 我可不是因为你请我吃冰激凌才请你去吃饭的，我请你吃饭是因为咱俩是好朋友嘛！
LL: In that case, I‘ll be happy to go for Chinese food this weekend - especially if it is your treat.
LH: 我有个问题，Larry, 在美国，如果有人提出请你吃饭，你还用争着付钱吗？
LL: Generally, you can try to protest a little, but the most polite thing to do is to let the other person treat you and allow his or her to feel generous.
LH: 在中国的时候，我有个叔叔，人特别大方，经常请朋友和家里人出去吃饭。
LL: It is wonderful to have generous relatives. When I was growing up, my grandmother would always treat us to the circus - or sometimes a movie.
LH: 看马戏？哎(叹气) -- 小时候真好！我爸爸也经常带我去看木偶剧。
LL: Yeah. My Dad would always treat us to ice cream at a shop just like this one. Say, why don‘t you go ahead and order your ice cream, Li Hua.
LH: 我要一个巧克力、香草和草莓的冰激凌蛋筒。
******
LL: That is the most ginormous ice cream cone I have ever seen, Li Hua.
LH: Ginormous? 你是想说enormous吧？
LL: Well, actually, Li Hua. You are right. I do mean that your ice cream cone is enormous. But ginormous is a slang word formed from two other words: gigantic and enormous.
LH: 哦，gigantic前面的音和enormous后面的音连在一起，就变成了ginormous, 也就是特别、特别、特别大的意思喽？
LL: Yes. Something that is ginormous is both gigantic and enormous. It is something that is really, really, really big.
LH: 我饿极了，现在正需要一个ginormous的冰激凌，因为我有一个ginormous的胃口。
LL: You just want to be careful that you don‘t eat too many sweets, Li Hua. You don‘t want to end up with a ginormous cavity!
LH: 吃甜的长个大虫牙我倒不担心，我担心的是我的腰围。
LL: Hey, here comes my hot fudge sundae. Wow! It is ginormous, too. Maybe we should have split one ice cream between the two of us.
LH: 吃完这两个特大号的冰激凌，恐怕我们就得赶紧节食了。
LL: You aren‘t kidding. I think this ice cream must contain a ginormous amount of fat and calories.
LH: 嗨，管它呢，先吃了再说。
LL: That sound‘s good...Oh, watch out, Li Hua! Your ice cream cone is melting and starting to tip! If it falls on the floor, it‘ll make a ginormous mess.
LH: 还好你提醒我，总算没掉下来。不过我还是得赶快去拿一大叠餐巾纸来，先准备着。
LL: That‘s a good idea. I could use a napkin, too. I think I have a ginormous chocolate moustache from my sundae.
LH: 巧克力胡子？Ha, ha...你的巧克力冰激凌确实沾了一嘴。快给你，餐巾纸。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是 my treat, 是我请客的意思。另一个是ginormous,是巨大无比的意思。
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pa256.txt
流行美语第256课
Larry和李华正在商量下个周末去哪里玩儿。李华今天要学两个常用语outdoorsy和artsy.
LL: Hey, Li Hua, do you remember how much fun we had camping in the woods? Wouldn‘t you like to do something outdoorsy again this weekend?
LH: Do something outdoorsy? 你是说户外活动吧。
LL: That‘s right! But "doing something outdoorsy" doesn‘t just mean to do something outside, though. Playing basketball or badminton outside isn‘t really outdoorsy.
LH: 在户外打球都不算outdoorsy, 那什么才算呢？
LL: Well, outdoorsy activities - like fishing, hunting, hiking, camping and canoeing - are ones that you do in natural settings, such as in a forest or near a river.
LH: 哦，我知道了，就是一定要到野外才行，在公园里和运动场上还算不上是outdoorsy.
LL: That‘s it. So - what do you say, do you want to do something outdoorsy this weekend, Li Hua?
LH: 上次去宿营确实挺开心的，咱们这次干点儿什么别？
LL: Well, you know me, Li Hua. I‘m a very outdoorsy kind of guy. How about we go canoeing?
LH: 划独木舟啊。听起来挺过瘾的，可我有点儿怕。
LL: Don‘t worry. I can teach you how to paddle a canoe. You don‘t have to be an outdoorsy person to learn how to do it.
LH: 可是独木舟那么窄，翻了怎么办啊，我可不会游泳。有没有不那么危险的野外活动呢？
LL: Oh, that is right. I forgot you can‘t swim very well. Okay...What other outdoorsy things might you like to do?
LH: 有了！我们到纽约州的山里去远足吧！
LL: Perfect. And I can borrow a backpack from one of my outdoorsy friends. That way we can bring food, water and other supplies we might need.
LH: Okay. 那我要做些什么准备呢？
LL: In addition to a backpack, you are going to need a good pair of hiking boots. I know a place that specializes in all sorts of outdoorsy stuff. We can get the boots there.
LH: 好，那你陪我去买。也许你能把我改造成一个喜欢野外活动的人呢！
******
LL: I don‘t think buying hiking boots will turn you into an outdoorsy person, Li Hua. I think you are really more of an artsy person.
LH: Arsty...喜欢野外活动的人可以说outdoorsy, 那说一个人 arsty肯定是说她喜欢艺术喽？
LL: Exactly! "Artsy" people enjoy appreciating and making all kinds of art - painting, drama and music.
LH: 那我就是个 arsty的人。我喜欢绘画、音乐和装饰。
LL: You are definitely artsy, Li Hua. I‘ve always been impressed with your calligraphy.
LH: 哦，我小时候我学过很长时间的书法；我父母都喜欢艺术，对我学习绘画和书法很支持。
LL: My family isn‘t very artsy. My parents were always interested in sports and really encouraged me and my brother and sister to get involved in athletic activities.
LH: 你姑姑呢？她看上去好像很arsty.
LL: Oh, Aunt Jane? You are right, Li Hua, she is VERY artsy. Aunt Jane is artsy in almost every way.
LH: 对呀，从她的服饰就能看得出来。
LL: Yes, and not only are her clothes artsy, but her entire house is artsy, too. She loves to decorate her rooms in very interesting ways.
LH: 我在中国有个朋友，也特别喜欢艺术，可是跟你姑姑不一样。
LL: How so?
LH: 他穿得特别简单，但是酷爱钢琴，每天要花好几个小时练琴。
LL: I guess there are many different kinds of artsy people. What they have in common is their love of art.
LH: 你呢，Larry, 要不跟我学书法吧，我保证把你变成一个喜欢艺术的人。
LL: That‘s a generous offer, Li Hua. But I‘m afraid there is a reason why I am an outdoorsy person and not an artsy person! I‘ll leave the calligraphy to you!
今天李华学到了两个常用语.一个是outdoorsy, 是喜欢野外活动的人.另一个是arsty,是喜欢艺术的人。
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pa257.txt
流行美语第257课
Larry去李华家吃饭。他告诉李华说，自己今天特别倒霉。李华今天要学两个常用语：nightmare和group hug.
LL: I had the worst day at work today. It was an absolute nightmare!
LH: 上班做恶梦？Larry, 你可要小心点儿，上班睡觉是要被老板炒鱿鱼的！
LL: No, no. I didn‘t HAVE a nightmare at work...Being at work today was LIKE a nightmare.
LH: 噢，你是说今天上班很痛苦，就像是做了一场恶梦啊，听起来挺吓人的。
LL: It wasn‘t so much scary as it was unpleasant. Any situation that is really bad or unpleasant can be called a nightmare - even a really angry person can be a nightmare.
LH: 我知道了，nightmare是指令人不愉快的人或者事。那你今天上班出什么事了？
LL: It all started with my boss. He is usually a nice guy, but today he was really angry with his staff - me, included. He was a total nightmare.
LH: 我记得你老板人挺随和的，今天怎么会突然发脾气呢？
LL: Well, he wasn‘t happy that we hadn‘t finished a project by the deadline. When he came into the office this morning, he told everyone we better have it finished by the end of the day - or he was going to become our worst nightmare!
LH: Your worst nightmare? Yikes! 你们不是一直都在赶着完成那个项目吗？老板这么生气，大家一定很沮丧吧？
LL: That is exactly what happened, Li Hua. After work, my day didn‘t get better. On my way over to your house, the traffic was a nightmare.
LH: 我也从新闻里看到堵车的消息了。你今天可真够倒霉的。我特别理解你现在的心情，还记得我博士生资格考试那天吗？
LL: I do remember. As I recall that day was a total nightmare for you.
LH: 是呀，我当时论文打到一半，电脑突然死机了。What a nightmare.
LL: But the nightmare turned out okay in the end, didn‘t it?
LH: 我只好从头再来。还好，我的论文最后还是得了优秀。
LL: Then maybe my nightmare will have a good ending, too.
******
LL: You know, Li Hua, when my co-workers and me were feeling down after the boss yelled at us, we had a "Group Hug" and all felt better.
LH: A "group hug"? 在办公室里集体拥抱？
LL: Well, I know it sounds kind of strange, but sometimes when a group of people or a team is down and they need to cheer themselves up they have a "group hug."
LH: 你的意思是，大家情绪低落的时候，group hug一下，感觉就会好起来？
LL: Well, after my boss left and everyone was feeling down, one of my co-workers said aloud, "Group Hug!" We all stood up, hugged in a circle one time, and then felt much better.
LH: 真有意思，group hug能让你们提高工作效率吗？
LL: It really did. The group hug reduced the tension, and we all were able to get back to working on the project.
LH: 我可以在我的中文课上试试看。中文很难学，所以学生们有时会因为进步慢而感到气馁。
LL: A "group hug" could help lighten the mood in class, especially after a really hard test.
LH: Larry, group hug是怎么做的呢？
LL: Well, usually someone says, "Group Hug" or "Let‘s have a group hug." Then the group forms a circle and each participant puts their arms over their neighbors‘ shoulders.
LH: 大家站成一圈，胳膊搭在旁边人的肩膀上，是这样吗？那下次我发考卷的时候，如果学生们考得不好，我就可以说，不要灰心，Let‘s have a group hug.
LL: Yes, that‘s it! In my family, when my brothers and sisters would have an argument, my mom would say, ‘‘Let‘s stop fighting and have a group hug.‘‘ It was like magic - we‘d all stop fighting.
LH: Larry, 我知道你今天情绪不好，但是我们两个人不能说是group hug吧？
LL: No, you are right, Li Hua. To have a true group hug, you need three or more people. But I‘d be happy with just a regular hug from you, Li Hua!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是nightmare, 是令人不愉快的人或事。另一个是 group hug，是集体拥抱。
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pa258.txt
流行美语第258课
李华告诉Larry说，她想多赚点钱，买机票回中国探亲。李华今天要学两个常用语：bread和nest egg.
LH: Larry, 我想回中国看看我父母。I need to make some more bread.
LL: You need to make more bread? I know you aren‘t a baker, Li Hua, so you must have learned that bread is slang for money.
LH: 没错。那天我听一个朋友说，他要跟父母借点钱，因为he was short on bread，缺钱花了。
LL: Well, Li Hua, how about you? Can you borrow some bread from your parents for a plane ticket home?
LH: 去中国的机票可贵了，我父母可出不起机票钱。要想回家，我唯一的办法就是再出去兼一份差。
LL: Well, with the Christmas holidays coming up, there will be many opportunities for you to earn some bread.
LH: 是啊，快过节了，很多商店都需要人手，找份活儿应该不难。
LL: I wouldn‘t think so, but if you do have trouble, I can always loan you some bread.
LH: 谢谢你，Larry. 但是不到迫不得已，我还是希望自己想办法。
LL: Okay, I understand. So, Li Hua, have you thought about where you might want to work?
LH: 我想到百货商店去打工，虽然那里的工作没太大的意思，但是I‘d really only be doing it for the bread.
LL: I think a department store is a good choice for you. Who knows? You may even be able to pay for your plane ticket to
LH: 我也是这么希望的。我教中文的工资实在是不多，总觉得钱不够花。
LL: Well, I am very lucky to have my job at the architect‘s office. Right now, I am bringing in a good amount of bread.
LH: 你的钱都花在什么地方呢？
LL: Well, I spend a lot on monthly expenses, but I also try to save some bread every month and, if possible, invest it.
LH: 投资？看来你还挺有经济头脑的，Larry.
******
LL: Saving is important, Li Hua. I am trying to build a nest egg so that I can buy a house some day.
LH: 你要建一个窝里的蛋？(开玩笑地说)那你什么时候变成小鸟啊？
LL: (Laughs) No, no, Li Hua. A "Nest Egg" is a term for money put away in reserve for some special purpose - like getting married, buying a house, or retiring.
LH: 窝里的蛋怎么会指为结婚买房子存的钱呢？
LL: Well, as I understand it, a "nest egg" was originally a fake egg placed in a nest to attract birds to lay more eggs. By putting aside money as a nest egg, you hope it will grow and make more money.
LH: 噢，我明白了，窝里的蛋原来指的是假蛋，放在那里骗家禽多生蛋的，用来指钱，就好像是中文里说的钱生钱的意思，放在银行定期存款里就是个办法。
LL: Yes, my parents have done this. But, they have also invested some of their nest egg in the stock market.
LH: 投资股市可有风险，我就听说过很多老年人投资股市，结果赔得一干二净。
LL: It can be, but my parents aren‘t investing in the stock market on their own. They have an investment company that is helping them manage their nest egg.
LH: 那就好，等我开始在百货商店打工了，I hope I‘ll have a nest egg, too.
LL: Well, I am building a nest egg to someday buy a house - What about you, Li Hua? What is your nest egg for?
LH: 我先得存点钱应急，万一哪天车坏了或是生一场大病，手里有钱心里就踏实多了。
LL: That‘s a good plan. My older brother wants to build a nest egg for his children.
LH: Wait a minute, Larry. 你哥哥不是没孩子吗？
LL: You are right, Li Hua, but he has recently gotten married, and he and his wife want to have children. They will need to have a big nest egg for that!
LH: 是啊，养孩子真的需要很多钱，特别是大学学费，做父母的确实需要提前做好准备。
LL: Yes, they won‘t just need a chicken-sized nest egg - they‘ll need an ostrich-sized nest egg!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是bread, 指钱。另一个是nest egg, 是存下来的钱。
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