M: No, I don"t really feel like getting turned down. I"m sure she has a boyfriend anyway.
　　L: 哎哟，你真是的！你怎么能肯定她已经有男朋友了呢？你说什么不想被turned down？你是说，怕这个女孩的男朋友找你算帐，把你打翻在地呀？
　　M: No, no. "To get turned down" means to get rejected. I"m afraid of getting turned down means I"m afraid of being rejected.
　　L: 原来，to get turned down就是“遭到拒绝”的意思，也就是说，你想和她交往，如果她不愿意，那你就是被turned down了。你是怕遭到她的拒绝，让你下不了台呀！
　　M: Exactly. Nobody likes to get turned down.

　　L: 我也知道，谁都不想被拒绝。可是，你怎么能肯定这个女生就一定会turn you down呢？你不试一试，永远也不知道她到底是不是真的会turn you down啊！
　　M: You"re right. My fear of getting turned down is making it difficult to find a girlfriend. I suppose I"ll survive even if she turns me down. Maybe I"ll ask her out to coffee next time I see her.
　　L: 就是啊，你老怕被拒绝，怎么能找到女朋友嘛！而且，即使被turned down, 也没什么大不了的。Michael, 你要是戴着这副新买的墨镜，我肯定她不会turn you down。
　　M: Are you sure she won"t turn me down if I wear these shades?
　　L: 我肯定她不会拒绝你，可是，她要是已经有男朋友了，那我就不知道你这副新买的shades有多大威力了。
　　M: Ok, I"ll make sure if she has a boyfriend before I ask her out.

　　今天李华学到两个常用语，一个是：shades, 相当于 sunglasses, 也就是“太阳眼镜”、“墨镜”；另一个是：to get turned down, 意思是“遭到拒绝”。

日期：2007-9-4　10:09:57

　　「美国习惯用语」第七十二讲
　　nerd
　　jock
　　girl jock
　　近年来，美国学生常常用一些词汇来形容那些不太受其他学生欢迎的人。他们最常用的一个字是：nerd。这个字恐怕在有的字典上都找不到。它的意思和“书呆子”很相似。被称为nerd的学生一般都很聪敏，对学习也很严肃，他们大多数时间都花在学习上。他们的毛病在于他们看起来很软弱，和其他同学的关系也很别扭。这些所谓nerd衣服也穿得比别的学生保守，在社交场合表现的不知所从。由于他们一般都比较害羞，因此和这些nerd在一起不像和其他人在一起那么有趣。让我们来听听一个名字叫萨利的女学生对她的朋友说的话：

　　例句-1: Today George Miller actually had the nerve to ask me to go the the Christmas dance with him! Sure, he"s getting straight A"s in all his classes, but look at those thick classes, and those dull clothes he wears. I"d rather be caught dead than to out with a nerd like him.
　　萨利说：“今天乔治米勒居然敢来邀我和他一起去参加圣诞节的舞会。是啊，他每门课都得A，但是看看他那眼镜片有多厚，还穿那些老古董衣服。我要和这么一个书呆子一起去跳舞，我宁可去死。”
　　下面这个例子是一个刚去参加中学同学毕业二十年聚会的人说的话。
　　例句-2: The big surprise was seeing Bill Green. He was such a nerd 20 years ago--too busy studying instead of having a good time like most of us. But maybe he had the right idea; he owns his own computer company and is worth ten million bucks.
　　他说：“这次聚会最惊人的是看到比尔格林。二十年前他可是个书呆子，忙于学习，没有时间像我们那样去玩。可是，也许他当时的想法是对的，他现在自己开一个电脑公司，值一千万美元。”
　　******
　　要是nerd在学校里被人看不起，那么谁受人欢迎呢？受人欢迎的是：jock。Jock就是那种身材魁梧，长得很帅，很富有男子汉气概的运动员。下面是一个很妒忌的nerd在发表他的看法。他为什么妒忌呢？他说：
　　例句-3: You may call me a nerd, but I think it"s more important to study hard than to be a jock and play football or basketball. The trouble is, though, the girls all want to go with jocks, the guys with the muscles and team sweaters.

　　这个书呆子说：“你可以叫我书呆子，但是我认为用功念书要比做一个漂亮男子和踢足球、打垒球更重要。可是，问题是那些女孩子都要和那些长得帅的男学生和那些身体很强壮的球队队员出去玩。”
　　现在美国学校里好些女学生也积极参加各种体育运动，她们被称为：girl jock。我们来举个girl jock的例子吧：
　　例句-4: My kid sister is only six but it looks like she"ll turn out to be a girl jock. Instead of staying in the house, she loves to go outside and play baseball with the boys. And you know something--she"s better at it than most of the boys.
　　这个人说：“我的小妹妹只有六岁，可是看起来她会成为一个很强壮的女运动员。她不愿在家呆着，她喜欢出去和男孩一起打垒球。你要知道，她比大多数男孩都打得好。”

日期：2007-9-4　10:11:29

　　流行美语第72课
　　今天李华碰到了倒霉的事，Michael大力相助，真够朋友的。李华会学到两个常用语：a drag和to start from scratch。
　　M: Hey, Li Hua. How is your history project going?
　　L: 你还要问我历史课的事。唉，我可真倒霉呀！我的电脑坏了，把我写的东西全丢了。可报告明天就要交呢。
　　M: Your computer crashed? Wow, that"s a drag. Is there anything I can do to help?
　　L: 哎哟，你说什么？什么是drag啊?

　　M: If something is a "drag," that means it is negative or depressing. The fact that you lost your history project and will probably have to do it again is definitely a drag.
　　L: 原来a drag就是倒霉的、让人不高兴的事。我电脑坏了，把我明天要交的历史课报告全丢了。这可真是倒霉事。It"s really a drag。
　　M: That"s right. You want to know what else is a drag?
　　L: 还有什么倒霉事呀？
　　M: My computer is broken, too, so I can"t let you use it to re-write your project. I sent it in to be fixed and I won"t get it back until next week.

　　L: 你的电脑也坏啦！哎哟，本来还真想先借你的用呢！没事，我可以用我同屋的电脑。可是，我得先到图书馆里去把我写报告用过的书全找回来，重新看这些书，找材料。我能不能在明天完成这个报告还是个问题呐，真是倒霉！
　　M: Maybe if you explain your situation to the professor, he"ll give you some extra time. I"m sure he knows what a drag it is when your computer breaks down. It doesn"t hurt to ask.
　　L: 对，我得去跟教授解释一下。他肯定明白电脑坏了，丢了材料有多倒霉。你说得对，也许他会让我延期交卷。我马上就去找他。
　　******
　　M: Li Hua, what did your professor say? Will he give you extra time to do the project over again?

　　L: 对呀，教授让我延期三天交卷。可是我怕重头开始再做一遍时间还是不够！What a drag!
　　M: Yeah, you do have to start from scratch. I"ll help you as much as I can.
　　L: Start from what? 什么是start from scratch?
　　M: To start something from scratch means to start from the very beginning. You lost your entire project when your computer crashed, including your research, so now you have to start from scratch.
　　L: 噢， to start from scratch就是从头开始。我电脑坏了，所做的一切东西都丢了，所以，I have to start from scratch -- 从头开始啦！
　　M: That"s right. You have to start your project from scratch. How can I help?

　　L: Michael, 你能帮我忙，那真是太好了。既然我得从头开始，那我得先去图书馆。你能帮我找书吗？
　　M: Sure. I"m happy to help. While we are walking, why don"t you try and give me another example of "to start something from scratch".
　　L: 一面走路还要我给你举例子。你可抓得真紧哎！ 好吧，让我想想。要是我家房子被烧了，那我们不得不重新盖房子-- to build a new house from scratch. Right?
　　M: Yeah, that"s right. That"s not a very happy example though. It would be a real drag if your house burned down!
　　L: 对，这个例子倒有点倒霉了！好，再给你一个例子。要是我学画画，可是我从来没有学过，我就说：I am going to start from scratch。

　　M: Yes, you could. Hey, look, there"s the library. I suppose we had better focus on your project now. You do have to start from scratch after all.
　　L: 对，我得集中力量从头来起。唉，真倒霉，it"s such a drag!
　　今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是：a drag, 意思是倒霉，不好的事。另一个是：to start something from scratch, 这是指从头开始。

日期：2007-9-5　9:16:04

　　美国习惯用语 第七十三讲