Lesson2

流行美语
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Larry到李华住的地方去接她出去吃晚餐，可是发现李华正焦急地到处找什么东西。今天李华会学到两个常用语：downer和baby.

LH: Larry，我的钱包不见了。找了半天也没找到。我肯定是放在家里的，你说现在怎么办呢？

LL: That's a real downer. Let me help you look for it. What does it look like?

LH: 嗯，我的钱包是红颜色的，上面还镶有蓝色的边。你刚才说downer，那是什么意思？

LL: Oh, a "downer" is something that makes you feel "down" or depressed. Losing your wallet is definitely a downer.

LH: Downer就是让人不高兴的事情。嗯，丢钱包真的是很倒霉。丢了钱还不算，还得重新申请驾驶执照、身份证件，还得打电话给信用卡公司取消我的信用卡，想到这些我就头疼。

LH: Hey, don't get all upset yet. We still haven't finished looking for it.

LL: 我知道。这样吧，我到厨房去找，你帮我找一找沙发底下。

LL: Sure. Hey, you know what else is a downer? Julia can't go out with us tonight. Her boyfriend is sick and she went over to his house to take care of him.

LH: 噢，Julia今晚不能和我们去吃饭啦？真让人失望。That is a downer! 自从她交了男朋友以后，我已经好久没见到她了。

LL: I know what you mean. I haven't seen her in at least two months.

LH: 我找到了！我找到我的钱包了。你看，在冰箱下面，一定是今天早上我买菜回来时掉下去的。

LL: Great! Let's go. I'm so hungry that I can eat a whole horse. It would be a real downer if we have to wait for a table at the restaurant.

LH: 餐厅里等不到位子，那还不是什么大问题。我要是真找不到我的钱包，那才真是a real downer。

LL: Yeah, then I'd have to pay!

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LH: (Whiny) 什么！还得等一个小时才有座位啊？啊，我不行了，我快要饿死了！

LL: Oh, don't be such a big baby. You'll survive. Besides, it might not take that long.

LH: Larry, 你说我像个baby 。Baby 就是婴儿，娃娃。我饿了还不行吗？大人也会肚子饿哪！

LL: Well, then don't act so immature and whiny. You're too old to whine like a baby.

LH: 你说我表现得象个孩子一样，所以叫我baby。我饿了还不能说呀？

LL: Saying that you're going to starve to death is a little dramatic, don't you think?

LH: 我说快要饿死了。这是强调，夸张！为了找钱包，我中午饭都没有来得及吃。所以我真的是很饿啊！

LL: All right, don't get so upset. I was just teasing you. You don't need to be such a big baby about it.

LH: 你怎么你又叫我baby了！

LL: I'm sorry. It's just fun to tease you.

LH: 噢，你就喜欢逗我。你觉得这样很好玩啊？好啊！你不也是经常抱怨没有时间看球赛，没有时间出去玩吗。那下回我也叫你a big baby!

LL: I really was just kidding, Li Hua. You're not a big baby. You don't need to start thinking of ways to get even with me.

LH: 你惹急了我就说是开玩笑。我当然要想办法报复了。

LL：Hey, look our table's ready.

LH：谢天谢地。我们终于等到位子了。现在你再叫我big baby， 我也无所谓了。吃饭要紧，快点菜吧。

今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是downer, 就是指让人非常失望，非常不高兴的事。另一个常用语是baby, 是形容一个人表现得像小孩一样幼稚。

美国习惯用语
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今天我们再来给大家讲解两个以steam为主的常用语。我们先来讲第一个。To go full steam ahead. Full就是全部，steam是蒸汽，ahead就是向前。To go full steam ahead的意思是：全力以赴。

原来，to go full steam ahead是一艘船的船长给手下人发的命令。意思是：以最快的速度向前行驶。现在，to go full steam ahead已经不局限在船上使用了。它可以用在任何场合。意思是以快速完成一项工作。我们来引用美国报纸曾经登过的一篇文章里的一段，来看看to go full steam ahead是怎么用的。

例句-1: White House sources tell us that President Clinton has told his staff to go full steam ahead to draft a new health care bill to send to Congress before the end of the month.

这句话的意思是：来自白宫的消息告诉我们，克林顿总统已经命令他手下的工作人员要用最快的速度来完成有关起草保健改革新提案的工作，以便在这个月月底前送交国会。

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我们再来举一个例子。这是一个公司的经理在埋怨手下工作人员工作无效。

例句-2: I assigned the team two weeks ago to study the problem and find a solution. But I was told nothing has been done so far. So I called the team leader in today and told him to go full steam ahead and send me a report by the end of the week.

这个经理：我在两个星期前就指派这个小组研究这个问题，找出解决方案。但是，有人告诉我，他们到目前为止什么也没做。所以，今天我把那个组长叫来了。我告诉他要以最快的速度完成这个任务，并在这个周末前把报告交给我。

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下面我们在来给大家介绍一个以steam这个字为主的习惯用语。To blow off steam. To blow在这里很明显是一个动词。它的意思是:吹，或者是喷气。To blow off steam从字面来解释就是排除蒸气，但是做为习惯用语，它的意思就是发泄心里的火气。

蒸气机是靠锅炉提供的热气来运作的。在锅炉内，蒸气逐渐使压力增高。锅炉有一个安全活门，在锅炉内压力高到危险程度的时候，蒸气就从安全活门里喷出去以减低压力。可是，要是安全活门坏了，锅炉就会像炸弹那样爆炸。作为习惯用语，to blow off steam就是说：要是你心里有火，你就让火发出来，不要闷在心里。下面是一个例子。这是一个人对他的同事发过脾气后在向他们道歉。

例句-3: I'm sorry I yelled at you people. What happened wasn't your fault - I know that. But things have gone wrong all day, and I had to blow off steam at somebody!

这个人说：我对你们大声嚷嚷，非常抱歉。这件事不是你们的错。这我也知道。但是，这一天里，什么事都不顺当。我总得拿某个人出出气。

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美国人也跟其他国家的人一样有不少家庭纠纷。当然，清官难断家务事；每家都有一本经。下面是一个人在劝自己的弟弟。

例句-4: Jack, I know you have a lot of troubles in your office. But you can't always blow steam off at your wife and kids if you want to maintain your marriage. If you go on like this, one day your family will be ruined.

这个哥哥说：杰克，我知道你在办公室有很多问题。但是，你要是想维持你的婚姻的话，你就不能老是把气出在你太太和孩子身上。要是你继续这样的话，总会有一天你会把你的家也毁了。