LL: Well, there"s an outdoor rock concert this evening not far from my place and the museum is showing a new exhibit of ancient bronze work today.
LH: Hmm, 我不想听什么摇滚音乐会，博物馆的古青铜器展览可能会更有意思。Larry, 我还是有点糊涂，bazillion这个词可以像使用具体数字一样来使用它吗？
LL: Yeah, pretty much. For instance, I"m not sure that today is a good day to visit the museum. There will be a bazillion people there on the opening day of that exhibit.
LH: 没错，开展第一天，人肯定很多。那我们改天再去吧。你不是说有a bazillion other things to do 吗？
LL: There"s a bazillion bars along this street. We could go hang out in one while we decide what to do next.
LH: 这条街上的酒吧是挺多的，可是现在才下午3点多，我不想去酒吧。
LL: Hmm... well, let me think... sometimes when you have a bazillion choices, it"s hard to make a decision.
LH: 哎哟，得了得了，说什么选择多了反而不好决定。我说还是看电影吧。Troy 还有几分钟就要开始了，你肯定不想看吗？
LL: Look, we"ve discussed this a bazillion times. That movie is nothing but eye candy for girls.
LH: 哎哟，你真是的，你不要看，那我自己去看啦！
今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语，一个是eye candy。意思是“华而不实的东西”。李华学到的另一个常用语是bazillion, 就相当于中文里面所说的“多得数都数不清”。
「美国习惯用语」第一百零二讲
brainchild
to pick one"s brain
今天我们要讲两个和人的脑子有关的习惯用语。“脑子”这个名词翻成英文就是"brain"。我们首先要给大家介绍的一个常用语是：brainchild。Brainchild是一个字。大家已经知道，brain是指脑子，child就是孩子的意思。在一般口语里，brain和child这两个字合在一起的意思就是：脑子里产生的一个想法。例如，我们可以说：
例句-1: The electric light bulb is the brainchild of Thomas Edison, the telephone is the brainchild of Alexander Graham Bell, two 19th-century American inventors.
这句话翻成中文就是：电灯泡是爱迪生发明的，电话是贝尔发明的。这两人都是美国十九世纪的发明家。
Brainchild不一定要像那些伟大发明家的发明创造。一般人都会有brainchild。下面是一个学生在谈他的老师：
例句-2: To set up a foundation in our college to help poor students was the brainchild of our sociology professor.
这个学生说：在我们学校里成立一个帮助贫困学生的基金会，这是我们社会学教授想出来的主意。
******
Brainchild是某人头脑里主动产生的产物。那么，要是我们想利用别人的智慧，那该怎么说呢？在这种情况下，美国人经常说：to pick one"s brain。Pick这个字的意思就是拣什么东西的“拣”。To pick one"s brain就是向别人了解情况，或是徵求精通某个问题的专家的意见。我们来举个例子。一个报馆的记者正在写一篇报道，介绍新发明的一种特效药。他说：
例句-3: I don"t understand all this scientific language. I"d better go see Doctor Rogers at the medical school and pick his brain; maybe he can make it clear to me.
这位记者说：我是不懂这些科学名词。我还是到医学院去请教罗杰斯大夫吧，没准他能把问题给我解释清楚。
在美国，to pick one"s brain是非常普遍的一种现象，因为美国人喜欢各述己见，进行辩论，然后看看谁的意见更合理。不管世界其他地方上或是在美国发生了什么事，电台和电视台都会请一些专家来谈谈他们对问题的看法，这实际上也是to pick their brains。我们再来举个例子吧：
例句-4: People all say that Mary is very smart. Yes, she is. But you have to know the reason why she is smart is because she always picks other people"s brains.
这句话是说：人们都说玛丽这个人非常聪明。是的，她确实非常聪明。但是，你们得知道她之所以聪明是因为她老是听取别人的意见
流行美语第102课
现在播送流行美语。Larry正准备去食品店买东西。他打了个电话给Li Hua问她要不要带什么东西。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：hook something up和buzz off。
(Telephone rings...)
LH: Hello?
LL: Hi, Li Hua. This is Larry. I"m going to the grocery store and I was wondering if you needed anything.
LH: Larry! 你要去商店买东西呀？我正好牛奶喝光了，你可不可以帮我买点牛奶呢？回头我再给你钱。
LL: Sure, no problem. I can hook you up with some milk.
LH: Hook me up with some milk? 哎，我知道hook是“钩子”的意思。那hook up就是把东西用钩子钩住， 你想把我和牛奶钩在一起？噢，我猜就是给我带牛奶的意思，对不对？
LL: Yes, you"re right. To hook somebody up with something means to get something for him. I meant that I will get the milk for you.
LH: 你看，我猜得不错吧！To hook me up with some milk就是“给我带点牛奶”。对了，我差点忘了， Larry, 你能不能再给我带包土豆片呢？
LL: Sure, I can hook you up with some potato chips, too. Is there anything else you"d like me to hook you up with?
LH: 还有什么呀？对了，你能不能帮我买一张这个周末的音乐会票子呢？
LL: Well, they don"t sell those at the grocery store, but I have a friend who can hook you up with some tickets.
LH: 噢，对不起，我忘了你是要去食品店。那儿是不卖音乐会的票。你朋友可以帮我买票啊，那太好了！哎，Larry, 除了说hook somebody up with something以外，我能不能说hook somebody up with someone呢？
LL: Of course you can, but it means "to introduce the person". For example, if you want to meet my friend, then I can hook you up with him.
LH: 噢，原来to hook somebody up with someone的意思就是“把某人介绍给另一个人”。哎，Larry, 你还记不记得上次历史课上那个很有意思的男孩呢 - Can you hook me up with him?
LL: I would if I knew him, but I"ve never talked to him before. Sorry.
LH: 你从来没跟他说过话呀？那就算了。对了，Larry，每次我写学术报告，我总是对自己的英文不太有信心，你能不能给我介绍一个能帮我改英文的人？
LL: Of course, I can hook you up. I"ll help you myself.
LH: 你愿意帮我改我的英文报告啊？你真是太好了！哎哟，还是你先去买东西吧，别忘了hook me up with milk and potato chips!
LL: I won"t forget.
******
(Knocking on the door. Door opens)
LL: Hey, Li Hua. Here"s your milk and potato chips. See, I didn"t forget to hook you up.
LH: Thank you, Larry. 我正忙着复习功课。 I"ll see you later.
LL: Hey, you aren"t even going to invite me in? You"re just telling me to buzz off? That"s a little rude!
LH: 对不起，Larry, 我不是不想请你进来坐，可是我实在太忙了。哎，对了，什么是buzz off 啊？
LL: Buzz off is a way of telling someone to leave. You were trying to tell me to leave, so that"s like saying "Buzz off!"
LH: 噢，buzz off就是叫某人离开，哎哟，Larry。我可没有要赶你走的意思，我只不过是心里着急，我星期五要考试，到现在还没准备好呢！
LL: Well, then instead of telling me to buzz off, you should ask me if I can help you?
LH: 对呀，那Larry, 你先别走，你现在有时间帮我复习吗？
LL: I have about an hour before I have to go home.
LH: 你大概一个小时后要回家？那你等会儿吧 - You can buzz off later.
LL: Thanks, Li Hua, (sarcastically) You make me feel so important.
今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语。一个是hook somebody up, hook somebody up with something意思是“给某人带某样东西”；hook somebody up with someone意思是“把这个人介绍给某人”。李华学到的另一个常用语buzz off. Tell someone to buzz off意思是“叫某个人离开”。
「美国习惯用语」第一百零三讲
To give up the ghost
ghost town
世界上到底有没有鬼？真正看见过鬼的人似乎也不多，可是几千年来，许多人一听鬼的故事就毛骨悚然。今天我们要讲两个和“鬼”这个字有关的俗语，可是你们千万别害怕，你绝不会见到鬼的。“鬼”这个字在英文里就是：ghost。Ghost就是看不见的幽灵。今天要讲的两个俗语就是这个意思。我们先来介绍：to give up the ghost。To give up就是“放弃”。一个人放弃了灵魂不就是死了吗？To give up the ghost的意思也就是：“ 死”。下面我们来举个例子：
例句-1: My poor old aunt was in bed with cancer for six months before she finally gave up the ghost.
这个人说：我那可怜的老阿姨得了癌，在床上躺了半年后终于去世了。