流行美语

Larry来找李华玩。今天我们要学两个常用语： the ball is in your court和happy hour.

LL: Hi Lihua, How's it going?

LH: 还不错，就是特别忙，一整天都在寄简历找工作。

LL: Oh yeah? How's that going?

LH: 挺烦的，不过今天终于有公司给我回电话了。

LL: That's great Li Hua, what did they say?

LH: 我当时正在上课，所以没接到，听的也是留言。

LL: Ah, it sounds like the ball is in your court now.

LH: 找工作可不是闹着玩的，什么球不球的。

LL: No, Li Hua, the ball is in your court means that it's your responsibility now to call them back.

LH: 哦，原来你是这个意思，那倒没错，the ball is in my court. 不过我心里特紧张，又想要这份工作，又害怕打电话。

LL: Why is that Lihua?

LH: 我不知道拿起电话来要怎么说。

LL: Well the important thing is to research the company before calling and remember what position you applied for.

LH: 好主意，打电话之前先要了解一下这家公司的情况。

LL: Well, the ball's in your court, so you can call them back when you feel comfortable. At least now they aren't catching you off guard.

LH: 这倒是真的，我可以做好充分准备后，再给他们回电话。不说我了，你最近工作还顺心吗？

LL: Well the boss just told me that a large client just dropped their old advertising agency, so they might go with us. Now the ball's in my court to come up with a good proposal and win them over.

LH: 太好了，你又有表现的机会了，一定要写好这个广告创意，把这个大客户争取过来。

LL: It sure is a good opportunity, but to be honest I'm pretty nervous about this. It's the first time I've gotten this much responsibility.

LH: 你一定没问题。

LL: Thanks Lihua.

LH: 对了，那家公司是做什么生意的？

LL: It's an ad for sneakers. Their sales have been down lately.

******

李华给Larry打电话，问他下班后要不要一起去酒吧。

(Ring...)

LL: Hello, Larry London speaking.

LH: Hi Larry!

LL: Oh hi Lihua, how's it going?

LH: 没什么事。就是想问你下班后要不要一起去喝点东西。

LL: You mean go to happy hour together?

LH: Happy? 跟你出去，我当然高兴了。

LL: Right, but happy hour means the hour after work when people often go out for a drink or some snacks.Usually the bar or restaurant will have some sort of discount.

LH: 哦，原来happy hour是说同事下班后一起去酒吧喝酒，而且酒吧为了促销，这段时间酒水往往比一般价格便宜。我以前好象听过这种说法。

LL: Yes, it is a pretty common phrase.

LH: 那你到底要不要跟我一起去happy hour呢？

LL: Sounds good to me.

LH: 我们去哪儿Happy hour?

LL: Wherever you want is fine with me.

LH: 我去找你怎么样？你公司附近有什么可以去happy hour的酒吧吗？

LL: There are a few places that have a happy hour, and that would be very convenient for me.

LH: 那好，一言为定。你几点钟下班？

LL: Well I get out of work at five. We can go to the place across the street where they have a happy hour. Does that sound alright to you?

LH: 没问题，那我们就在酒吧里见！

LL: Excellent. I will see you for happy hour.

LH: 我今天有重要的事情告诉你。

LL: Important news? What sort of news?

LH: 天机不可泄露。You will just have to wait until we meet at the happy hour.

LL: Oh come on, you can't call me up and tell me you have news and then leave me hanging all afternoon. We're not meeting for a happy hour until 5:00, that's a long time from now.

LH: 哈哈，我就是要调调你的胃口。

LL: It's cruel! What about the topic at least?

LH: 跟我有关。

LL: You and ....?

LH: 跟我和学校有关，我只能告诉你这么多了。

LL: Ok, that's fine. I'll see you for happy hour at five?

LH: See you then!

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是the ball is in your court意思是现在该你采取行动了。另一个是happy hour意思是酒吧傍晚前后的减价时段，同事朋友可以一起去喝东西。

流行美语

李华打电话给Larry，提醒他说好了晚上一起看电影。 今天我们要学两个常用语： space cadet和running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

LL: (Pick up phone) Hello?

LH: Hi, Larry.

LL: How are you, Lihua?

LH: 我挺好。你别忘了，说好了一起看电影，还有半个小时开演。

LL: Oh shoot. I'm so sorry Li Hua. It completely slipped my mind. I feel like such a space cadet.

LH: Space cadet? 太空学员？太空学员常忘事儿吗？

LL: Well not real space cadets, but as a saying "space cadet" means someone who is off in space, or often forgets things that they need to do.

LH: 噢，Space Cadet原来是说心不在焉，爱忘事儿的人。那你绝对合格！不然怎么会忘记约好跟我一起看电影呢。

LL: I guess I just got caught up with this project for work. My space cadet coworker forgot to save it earlier, so we are back to square one.

LH: 啊？你们的项目白做了，要从头开始？我以前写论文也出过忘记存盘的事。I've acted like a space cadet before. 那你们要怎么办呢？

LL: It hopefully won't be too big of a problem, but because he was a space cadet we will have to work a bit late tonight.

LH: 就算是这样，你也不能忘了陪我看电影的事儿啊？This is no excuse for you being a space cadet!

LL: I know. I am sorry.

LH: 没关系，谁都有这种时候，我们教授星期一来上课，居然说把我们的作文落在了地铁上。Talk about a space cadet!

LL: I'll say! What did he do?

LH: 最后他找到地铁总站才找到。

LL: Wow, he is lucky that he was able to find them again.

LH: 可他还是很不好意思，所以给我们所有人一律加分。

LL: That sounds like a pretty good trade off to me.

LH: 是不错。看来有个做"space cadet"的教授，也不一定是坏事。言归正传，电影到底还看不看？

LL: Let's shoot for the 8:30 showing. I think I will have the work done by then. Meet you at the theater?

LH: 好，一言为定。

******

Larry和李华在电影院大厅里碰头。

LH: Larry, 你来得正好，电影马上就要开演了。

LL: Yes, though I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

LH: What? 你为什么要说自己象没头公鸡一样跑来呢？

LL: Running around like a chicken with its head cut off means I have been running around frantically all over the place.

LH: 噢，你是说自己忙得跑来跑去，中文里我们说，象没头的苍蝇一样，英文里说象没头的鸡，真有意思。你忙什么？

LL: It turned out that there was more to the project than I originally thought, but I really wanted to come see this movie. I had to rush and wound up running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

LH: 那Larry, 你说鸡真的会砍掉脑袋还跑来跑去吗？

LL: I am not sure Li Hua. But the point is that if they do run around, it is chaotic. Similarly I was running all over the place at my office to try and get this project done.

LH: 这倒让我想起我同学Carrie. 她星期天才知道星期一有项目展示，所以一整天都忙得昏天暗地。She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off!

LL: What do you mean, Lihua?

LH: 她一直在自习室和图书馆之间跑来跑去，手忙脚乱的。

LL: That certainly does sound right. After running around like a chicken with its head cut off, I feel pretty flustered too! How did Carrie's presentation turn out?

LH: 说实话，我还真不知道，整个过程，我都在开小差儿。

LL: It sounds like you were a total space cadet. What about you, have you ever had to run around like a chicken with its head cut off because you left something to the last minute?

LH: 我？怎么可能！我做事从来都是井井有条，绝不会临时抱佛脚。

LL: Sure. Well let's get our tickets and watch this movie.

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是space cadet, 指心不在焉，爱忘事的人。另一个是running around like a chicken with its head cut off, 意思是忙得象没头的苍蝇一样。