李華來(lái)laundromat洗衣服,正巧碰上也在那兒洗衣服的Michael. 在他們二人一起洗衣服的時(shí)候,Michael教給了李華兩個(gè)流行的美語(yǔ):Flip out和 off my back。
L: Michael,最近你跟鄰居處的如何?他們每天晚上還是吵的很厲害嗎?
M: It’s funny you should mention that. Last night they had their music turned on so loud that I finally just flipped out and went over and yelled at them.
L: 你做的對(duì),你終于去吼他們了。可是你剛才說(shuō)你flipped out,那是什么意思啊? 是不是指你氣瘋了的意思?
M:Yeah, to flip out means to go crazy because you are very angry about something. People sometimes flip out because they just can't stand something anymore.
L: 你在忍了好多個(gè)星期整日震天價(jià)響的吵聲之后,終于忍無(wú)可忍對(duì)他們大發(fā)雷霆了。
M: Yes. I really don’t like to complain to my neighbors, but it was so loud that my windows were shaking.
L: 我真不敢相信在昨晚之前你早沒(méi)有氣瘋。你怎么能夠讀書(shū)呢?更別說(shuō)晚上睡覺(jué)了。
M: Well, it is pretty difficult.
L: 我要是你的話,早在八百年前就發(fā)火了。對(duì)了,你能不能再給我舉個(gè)例子來(lái)說(shuō)明怎么用 flip out?
M: Let me see. Well, do you remember I told you about the time I left my keys in the door of my apartment overnight? When my roommate found the keys in the morning, he totally flipped out.
L:你是不是說(shuō)他因?yàn)樽蛲砟惆谚€匙整夜忘在公寓門(mén)外的鎖上使他大為光火了?
M: Yeah, he was so angry that I thought he was going to kill me. He said that, since we don’t live in a very good neighborhood, I should be more careful. He said I had put both of our lives in danger.
L: 他我想你該更小心點(diǎn),不過(guò)我認(rèn)為你是無(wú)心之失,他實(shí)在不必生那么大氣flipped out。
M: Well, my roommate was always getting angry at me for one thing or another. I am glad he doesn’t live with me anymore.
L: Hey, Michael, 你的衣服是不是洗好了?
M: Yeah, I have to put my clothes in the dryer.
L: So, Michael, 你告訴我你怒氣沖天地對(duì)你鄰居大吼大叫,可是你沒(méi)告訴我他們的反應(yīng)是什么。
M: Not very well. The girl just yelled at me and said “get off my back”. I think I’m going to have to talk to the apartment company.
L: 我的老天,他們非但沒(méi)向你道歉,居然還朝著你吼。不過(guò)那個(gè)女孩說(shuō)“get off my back”是什么意思???
M: To “get off my back” means to leave me alone or stop bugging me about something.
L: Oh,要是你說(shuō)“get off my back”, 就是表示:別管我閑事或是說(shuō)別為了什么事來(lái)煩我。
M: She told me to get off her back, because they were just having some friends over and listening to some music.
L: 說(shuō)所以當(dāng)你告訴別人get off your back, 也就是要他別來(lái)煩你的時(shí)候,同時(shí)表示你認(rèn)為你根本沒(méi)做甚么錯(cuò)事。
M: That’s right, Li Hua. Well, her roommate was a little more polite to me. She said they would turn down the music a little bit. But a couple hours later, they turned it back up again.
L:現(xiàn)在你要怎么辦?。?span lang="EN-US"> Michael?
M: I think I’ve got to talk to the apartment company now. I don’t care if that girl told me to get off her back.
L: 我想既然你的鄰居根本不理會(huì)你,那就是唯一可行的辦法了。有了什么結(jié)果再告訴我, Michael!
今天在洗衣時(shí),Michael告訴李華說(shuō)他的鄰居實(shí)在太吵了,以致他因?yàn)樘珣嵟?/span>flip out而去吼罵鄰居,但是他的鄰居惱羞成怒,要他get off her back,也就是要 Michael別管她閑事,別再煩她。