M: I said I got carried away. "Got" is the past tense of "get" and "carried" is the past tense of "carry".
　　L： 好了，那"got carried away"到底是什么意思？
　　M: "To get carried away" means to be so focused on doing something that you don"t notice anything else, and lose track of time. It can also mean "to do something more than is necessary."
　　L: 噢，我懂了。这句话是说：因为你太专心做一件事上所以忘了其它的事，连不需要的也都做了。
　　M: You"ve got it. I was so absorbed in my work that I got carried away. I didn"t notice how long I had been working. When I finished, I saw that it was already three o"clock!
　　L: 嗯，我真希望我能你这样专心工作。我最恨刷油漆这种活了。对了，Michael, 这个"got carried away"除了用在工作上，我可不可以用在其它地方呢？
　　M: Sure! We can use it for a lot of things. For instance, the other day I went shopping for clothes. At first, I had only planned to spend 50 dollars to buy some pants and a shirt. But I got carried away and spent 250 dollars.　

　　L: 噢，所以当你got carried away的时候，表示你已经忘乎所以了，对不对?
　　M: That"s right. For instance, I was cooking spaghetti sauce the other day. I really like garlic, so I decided to put a lot in. But I got carried away, and put in way too much.
　　L: Phew, 我原来是不想说的，怪不得你嘴里一股大蒜味，真是呛人哪。这样说来，有的时候get carried away也有贬意啊，对不对？
　　M: Sure it can. Why don"t you give me an example of how being carried away can be used negatively?
　　L: 那还不简单，有一次我请我朋友帮我油漆卧房，结果他got carried away连客厅也一块儿给我 刷了。

　　M: Well, that sounds right. But why is that a bad thing?
　　L: 他因为太got carried away，结果忘记我的起居室原来是要漆蓝色，不是白色的。
　　M: D"oh!
　　音乐间隙
　　L: Michael, 你今天做的也真够多的了，我真的很谢谢你啦。

　　M: No problem. I think you are right. Let"s call it a day.
　　L: 啊，你说要我们做什么？今天你还想要做什么呢？
　　M: No no, I said "Let"s call it a day". That means: let"s stop working for today and go home.
　　L: 可是我已经在家了啊!
　　M: You know what I mean! To "call it a day" just means to decide it is time to quit working, and to relax or go home. Now I think we should call it a day and go get something to eat.
　　L: 我早就知道你一定会提到吃的。好吧，你想去那儿？

　　M: Hmm, why do you take me to your favorite restaurant in Chinatown.
　　L: 那真是好主意。我知道那里有个很好的饭店。我们可以叫只鸭子，然后呢，再来一些菜。这么样？
　　M: Whoa, don"t get carried away, Li Hua. You"re not that rich.
　　今天Michael为李华油漆房子，李华学到了两个新词儿: to get carried away和to call it a day。 To get carried away意思是：因为做事太专心忽略了其它的事。To call it a day指的是一天工作到此为止。

日期：2007-8-15　18:20:21

　　「美国习惯用语」第五十二讲
　　no holds barred
　　to let one"s hair down
　　对人坦率，无保留地说自己的看法，有的时候是以友好和轻松的态度出发的，但是在某种情况下也可能是语气强硬，情绪对立。我们今天要讲的两个习惯用语就反映了这两种不同的气氛。我们先来讲第一个：no holds barred。 No holds barred 这个说法是来自摔交运动。但是，在人们争论的时候， no holds barred 是指不顾对方的面子和情绪，毫不迟疑地把自己的想法说出来。比如说，一个美国朋友可能会对你说：

　　例句-1: My wife and I had a real no holds barred talk last night about all the things wrong with our marriage.
　　他说：“我和我的妻子昨晚可真是毫不留情地谈了一谈，把我们婚姻方面的所有问题不管三七二十一都说了出来。”
　　No holds barred也可以形容那些政客们之间进行的辩论。下面就是一个例子：
　　例句-2: That TV debate between those two guys running for senator was sure a no holds barred affair. They spent more time saying nasty things about each other than they did talking about their plans.
　　这句话的意思是：“那两个竞选参议员的人在电视上进行辩论时真是毫不留情。他们花在互相攻击方面的时间比介绍他们方针的时间还多。”

　　******
　　下面我们要介绍的一个习惯用语是：to let one"s hair down。 To let one"s hair down描绘出一幅可爱的画面。过去，西方女子很多都留长头发，出去应酬时把头发盘在头上梳出各种式样来。晚上回家后，她们就把发卡一个个地从头发里拿出来，让头发很自然地披在肩上。 To let one"s hair down的实质意思也就是解除表面的装饰，使一切显得很自然、真实和放松。 To let one"s hair down不一定用于女子，也可以用在男性。下面的例子就可以说明问题：

　　例句-3: The president has to make so many official appearances that he seldom gets a chance to let his hair down and enjoy life like ordinary people.
　　这句话是说：“总统要出席许多公开场合，因此他很少有机会像普通老百姓那样轻松地享受生活。”
　　To let one"s hair down 也可以用在朋友之间，就像下面这个例子一样：
　　例句-4: Sally, we"ve been good friends for a long time. But lately I get the idea you are very much upset with me. I wish you"d let your hair down and tell me what"s wrong to make you feel this way.
　　这个人对他的朋友说：“萨莉，我们多年来一直是好朋友，可是最近我感到你对我非常不高兴。我希望你能够坦率地告诉我，到底是哪些事让你这么不高兴。”
　　今天我们讲了两个表示坦率的习惯用语，虽然它们都具有坦率的意思，可以在含义方面有所不同。我们讲的第一个俗语是：no holds barred，这是指在争论或其他场合毫不客气地对别人说自己的想法。今天我们讲的第二个俗语是：to let one"s hair down。 To let one"s hair down是指轻松、自然，或把心里的话说出来。

日期：2007-8-15　18:24:50

　　流行美语 第52课
　　to be canned
　　to kiss up to
　　今天Michael和李华下了班以后就去逛街。他们边走边聊，李华会学到两个常用语：to be canned和to kiss up to。
　　M: Man, it was crazy at work today!

　　L: 真的？你们办公室今天发生什么事啦？
　　M: My friend George was late again, so the boss canned him!
　　L: 你的朋友George今天上班迟到，你们老板对他怎么了？对他大喊大叫吗？
　　M: No, it"s much worse than that. The boss canned him. In other words, the boss fired him!
　　L: 什么？你是说George被解雇了。所以To be canned就是被解雇的意思啊？
　　M: Yeah, here, "canned" is the past form of "to can," which means "to put something in a can," or slang for "to throw something in the trash can".

　　L: 噢，这里canned就是把什么东西扔到垃圾桶。可这跟解雇人有什么关系呢？
　　M: Hehheh, when your boss "cans" you, he"s getting rid of you. It is like he is throwing you in the trash can.
　　L: 原来这是一种比喻啊。不过这种说法听起来挺吓人的。Michael, 你觉得George应该被解雇 吗？
　　M: To tell the truth, George was not a very good employee. If I were the boss, I would have canned him too.
　　L： 哎呀，Michael，你这么说你的朋友未免太过份了吧！George又没做坏事，为什么要解雇他 啊？

　　M: Well, George was often very late to work. This month, he came in late a least four times. The boss warned George many times before he finally canned him.
　　L: 看来你一点也不同情George。要是我的朋友碰上这种倒霉事，我至少也会替他难过啊。
　　M: Hmph. When George was late, it caused me and the other employees a lot of trouble. No one is really sad that he was canned.
　　L: 也许你说得没错。如果每个人都象George这样老迟到，那会给其他人造成多大的麻烦啊。
　　M: Well, you are right and wrong. Because George was canned, we all have a lot more work to do right now.
　　L: 对，希望你们公司会赶快雇一个人来接替George的工作。

　　M: I"m sure they will.
　　音乐间隙
　　L： 哎，Michael，你有没有担心过自己有一天会被老板解雇呢？
　　M: Me? Not at all. I"m a good worker, and I kiss up to the boss all the time.
　　L: 你说你工作表现很好，而且你还经常亲你的老板。哎呀，Michael, 你好恶心哦，你的老板 不是男的吗？
　　M: No no no...I said I "kiss up to" my boss. To "kiss up to" someone is to try to be extra friendly to someone so they will treat you well.

　　L: 那你到底是怎么样“kiss up to”你的boss呢？