L: 哟，beats me! 我把考试的日程忘在同学家里了！
　　M: You left the schedule at your classmate"s home? What"s wrong with you?
　　L: Beats me! 我也不知道我怎么会忘在他家里的。不过，没关系，我还有足够时间来准备。
　　M: You had better go and check the exam time. If the exam is tomorrow, you"re really going to be in trouble.
　　L: 行，行，行。我去查，要是明天就考试的话，那我可真是麻烦了。
　　******
　　M: Hey, Li Hua, did you find someone to help you with that history question?

　　L: 没有人知道罗斯福和斯大林第一次见面是什么时候。我也找不到这方面的材料。而且，考试是星期二，不是星期三。我这下可真麻烦了。
　　M: Wow, it sounds like you"re really in a bind.
　　L: 你说什么？我在什么东西里？什么是a bind?
　　M: To be in a bind -- B I N D -- means that you are in a very difficult situation. Your exam is tomorrow and you can"t find the material you need to study. Therefore, you are in a bind.
　　L: 噢，to be in a bind就是处境很难。唉，我真是处境艰难。Michael，我这次考试可能要不及格了。你能不能帮我摆脱这个困境呢？也就是 to get out of this bind I"m in.

　　M: Of course, I"m always willing to help a friend out of a bind. You can study your notes, and I can look up any questions you have in your text book. Will that help?
　　L: 我复习我的笔记，然后你帮我查课文里的问题。这是个好主意，这样我可以省好多时间。Michael, 谢谢你，谢谢你。哎，还有什么情况下我们可以用to be in a bind?
　　M: Well, if I have to pay my rent, but I don"t have any money, then I"m in a bind.
　　L: 你付房租的时候到了，可是你又没有钱，那可真是in a bind。我来举个例子。要是我在找工作，有个公司要和我面谈，可是我早就和朋友约好那天要一块儿吃饭，我可以说：I"m in a bind吗？
　　M: Yes, you would be in a bind. But you"re going to be in an even worse bind if we don"t start studying for your exam soon.
　　L: 你说得对，要是我们再不动手开始准备考试的话，那我就会处境更困难了-- in an even worse bind。好吧，那赶快念书吧！I don"t want to be in a bind anymore!

　　今天李华学到了一个用得非常普遍的说法：beats me, 意思是“不知道”。李华还学到了另一个常用语：to be in a bind, 意思是“处境困难”。

日期：2007-9-8 9:54:00

　　「美国习惯用语」第七十六讲
　　blame game
　　negative campaigning
　　美国选民每四年不仅要选举一位总统，而且还要选举四百三十五名国会议员、至少三十三名参议员以及在州一级和基层的许多官员。在竞选的过程中，每个候选人为了当选总是想方设法地抬高自己，贬低别人。他们用的策略之一就是：blame game。
　　Blame是责怪或指责的意思，game在这里是指策略或者是手法。Blame game是候选人把造成某些社会问题的责任推到竞选对手身上去的手法，那怕他明明知道这是他自己的责任。下面这位候选人对选民说的话就是一个例子：
　　例句-1:I"m not going to play the blame game and say who"s at fault that so many people are out of work. But I have to tell you my opponent did vote against three bills to create new jobs.
　　这句话是说：“我不会把造成那么多人失业的责任推给别人，我不会使用那种推卸责任的把戏。但是，我得告诉你们，在国会就三项有关创造新就业机会的提案投票时，我的对手投的是反对票。”

　　下面这个例子是对杜鲁门总统的评论：
　　例句-2:Harry Truman, who was President from 1945 to 1952, was one man who did not play the blame game. He had a sign on his desk: The Buck Stops Here.
　　这是说：“杜鲁门从1945到1952年担任美国总统。他是一个不推卸责任的人，他在桌子上放了一块牌子，上面写着‘我负责’这几个字。”
　　******
　　和blame game相似的一个俗语是：negative campaigning。Negative是反面的意思，campaigning就是竞选。那么，什么是negative campaigning呢？下面这句话就回答了这个问题：
　　例句-3: A listener just called in to ask what I mean by negative campaigning. Well, it means a candidate"s main strategy is to tell voters how bad the other guy is instead of talking about how good he is himself.
　　他说：“一位听众刚才打电话来问什么是negative campaigning。Negative campaigning它的意思就是一个候选人采用的主要策略是告诉选民他的对手是如何的坏，以避免说自己是如何如何的好。”

　　下面是另一个例子:
　　例句-3: Some political observers say that negative campaigning isn"t working this year - that voters want to hear positive ideas about how to create new jobs and give people better health care.
　　这句话是说：有些政治观察家说，尽力贬低对方的反面竞选方式今年行不通了。选民们要听积极的主意，像如何增加就业机会、为公众提供更好的保健措施等。”

日期：2007-9-8　9:58:47

　　流行美语第76课
　　Michael和李华正坐在教室里聊天，等着上课。今天李华会学到两个常用语：out of it和gung ho。
　　L: 嘿，Michael, 你今天看起来好象不太舒服...你是不是病了？
　　M: I"m O.K. I just have a small cold. I took some strong cold medicine, so I am a little out of it today.
　　L: 噢，你有点感冒，但是吃了几颗比较厉害的药。你说你out of it? 你是说你药没啦？
　　M: No, I said "I am out of it" "Out of it" mean"s that I am half-awake, not alert, or something like that.

　　L: 噢，原来是你吃的感冒药让你感到昏昏沉沉，晕呼呼的。这就是为什么我不喜欢吃那种感冒药。
　　M: Yeah, I know what you mean. But I had such a terrible headache, I had to take something. I just hope I"m not too out of it to pay attention in class.
　　L: 头痛太厉害倒也是得吃点药。可是，今天上课的内容对考试很重要。你要是昏沉沉的话，可能会漏掉重要的内容噢。
　　M: Well, you"ll let me look at your notes, right? Anyway, I"m not so out of it that I can"t pay attention at all. (yawns while speaking) I"m just a little sleepy, that"s all...
　　L: 你当然可以看我的笔记。不过，要是你只是有点困，不太厉害的话，你还是可以注意听讲的。其实，Michael, 只要喝一杯热热浓浓的咖啡你马上就会清醒的。
　　M: (yawns) Hmm... That"s a good idea, Li Hua. I was so out of it this morning that I forgot to make coffee.

　　L: 你早上连咖啡也忘了做？你真是够迷糊的了。我要是早上没喝咖啡的话，根本就醒不过来。
　　M: You mean if you don"t have coffee, you"ll be out of it for the whole morning? Wow, Li Hua, you"re starting to become more and more American.
　　L: 我要没有咖啡，真是一个早上都没精神。对，都是你们美国人传染给我的好习惯。快走吧，我们还有二十分钟，而且上课前得让你喝点咖啡才行呐。
　　******
　　L: 嗨，Michael, 我听说有的学生这个周末要去参加反战抗议活动，你去吗？

　　M: I"m not sure. I"m not very gung ho about this anti-war protest.
　　L: 你对这个抗议活动不太gung ho, 这是什么意思啊？
　　M: I said "I"m not very gung ho about this protests". Gung ho means to be very aggressive, enthusiastic or zealous about something. Believe it or not, Li Hua, it"s from Chinese.
　　L: Gung ho这个说法是来自中文？意思是非常热情，很有闯劲。我怎么从没听说过？
　　M: You don"t know that? Some say that in World War two, a U.S. marine commander taught a special marine unit the Chinese battle cry "gung ho".
　　L: 那是二战时一个美国海军陆战队的司令教他的士兵用的中国战斗口号？你真是越说越悬乎了。不过，你为什么对反战活动不积极呢？你不是讨厌这场战争吗？
　　M: I am not gung ho about this protests because I don"t like the organizers, I think they are too radical.

　　L: 你是不喜欢组织这次抗议活动的人，你认为他们太激进了。
　　M: Are you going to the protest? You have been very gung ho about protesting the war.
　　L: 是啊，我反对战争，这方面的活动我都积极参加。可是这个周末我得写论文。I am very gung ho about working on my thesis.
　　M: Good for you! I wish I was as gung ho about my studies as you are. But right now, I am so out of it I don"t have energy to do anything.
　　L: 说了那么多话，你还觉得困，那你赶快喝这杯咖啡啦!

　　李华今天学到两个常用语，一个是：out of it, 意思是“昏昏沉沉，有点晕乎”。另一个是：gung ho, 意思是“积极热情”。

日期：2007-9-9　10:56:22

　　「美国习惯用语」第七十七讲
　　swing voter
　　to come out swinging