LL: I am so frustrated! The Financial Aid Office is giving me a real runaround!
LH: Larry,你说资助办公室给你什么? Runaround是什么呀?
LL: To give someone a runaround means to be deceptive and evasive to someone. They sent me from office to office,but no one can give me the right answers.
LH: 噢, to give someone a runaround意思是对某人很虚假,躲躲闪闪的。你是说资助办公室打发你到这个办公室那个办公室,可就没有人给你一个明确的回答。Larry,那现在怎么办呢?
LL: They are still giving me the runaround. They say I didn't turn in my application on time, but I know I did.
LH: 他们说你没有交申请表?瞎说,你肯定交了,我还跟你一起去的。你知道, Larry,每次我申请延长学生签证,他们也是把我象皮球那样踢来踢去,gave me a runaround。
LL: That's too bad. Since being given the runaround is no fun, what do you say we go for ice cream somewhere?
LH: 去吃冰淇淋?我不知道能不能去。我今天下午很忙, 要批改很多作文。
LL: How about after you grade your papers?
LH: 批改卷子后,我还要写论文。
LL: Li Hua, are you giving me the runaround?
LH: Larry,看你说的,我怎么是在找借口呢?我看你有点多疑吧。
LL: Well, you aren't giving me a direct answer for one.
LH: 没有明确回答你。 好吧, Larry, 我的回答是不能去,对不起我不能跟你去吃冰淇淋。这行了吧?
LL:That's OK! Just don't give me the runaround anymore. I've had enough of that!
LL: I've been so frustrated by this whole financial aid mess. I really need to take a chill pill.
LH: 吃什么药片?吃了这药片就能解决资助问题了吗?
LL: Ha-Ha, very funny. No, to take a chill pill means to calm down. I need to calm down, forget my problems and do something else.
LH: 原来是这个意思。 To take a chill pill是设法平静下来。我看也是,最好的办法是平静下来,做些别的事,先把这事阁一边。Larry,Rick的车给人撞坏了,他气死了。我看他也该平静下来,take a chill pill。
LL: No, Rick did have good reason to be upset. I wouldn't have told him to take a chill pill in that case.
LH: 是,他有理由生气。在这种情况下就不能叫他take a chill pill? 那你再举个例子给我听听,什么情况下可以说take a chill pill呢?
LL: Sometimes when you get so worried before a test, Li Hua, I just want to tell you to take a chill pill.
LH: 每次考试前,我是特别紧张。以后你看见我考试前太紧张,你尽管对我说take a chill pill。我不会生气的。我也不知道自己为什么会那么紧张。
LL: You always study so hard. There is no need to be worried. You should just take a chill pill and relax. You know you'll do fine.
LH: 我也这么想呀!我是很用功,每次考试成绩也都很好,本来我就不该紧张。不过,有的时候我觉得考试前心情紧张一点反而考的好。
LL:In that case, you don't have to take a chill pill. But if I were too nervous before a test, I would be unable to think clearly and would certainly fail the test.
LH: 那倒是可能的。每个人不一样嘛。不过, Larry, 你要是考糊了,你就会非常不高兴。到那时,你就得take a chill pill。 我看哪,你还是应该更用功一点,这样你的成绩会更好。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, take a chill pill!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是give someone a runaround, 意思是找借口,躲闪,拖延,特别是对提出要求的人。另一个常用语是take a chill pill, 意思是平静下来。