例句-1: I"m sorry to tell you our client has turned down the ads we did for him. Let"s meet at 2 o"clock and brainstorm ideas for a new set of commercials.
这个经理说：我很抱歉我得告诉你们，我们的顾客不喜欢我们替他录制的广告。让我们两点开个会，一起出主意再重新替他做广告。
这里的brainstorm是作为动词用的。下面说话的人把brainstorm当做名词用，它的意思是：好主意。他说：
例句-2: Say, I just had a brainstorm! In our ads for these new cars, why don"t we talk about their safety features and not how fast they go. A lot of people are worried about safety these days.
这人说：咳，我有了个好主意！在介绍这些新车的广告里，我们不如不要说它们跑多快，而着重介绍这些车的安全设施。现在许多人都为安全担心。
******
大多数人都很尊敬那些脑子灵活聪明的人。可是，有些聪明的人总觉得自己比周围的人强，处处要表现自己。美国人把这种人称为：egghead。Egg就是鸡蛋，head就是头。Egghead作为一个字是在1952年美国总统大选时开始用的。当时，共和党的候选人是二次世界大战联军的最高司令员艾森豪威尔将军。艾森豪威尔的竞选对手是伊利诺伊州州长、民主党候选人史蒂文森。史蒂文森是个知识分子，他在竞选过程中发表了一系列精心撰写的讲话。可是，这些讲话只有知识分子才感兴趣，所以共和党人就取笑他说：
例句-3: Sure, all the eggheads love Stevenson. But how many eggheads do you think there are?
这句话的意思是：当然罗，所有知识分子都喜欢史蒂文森。可是你想想，知识分子一共才有多少呀？
最后艾森豪威尔当选为美国总统。不管地位高低，大大小小的eggheads们似乎都是书生气十足。下面是一个人在说他的哥哥：
例句-4: I have to tell you that since he went off to college, Bill has turned into a real egghead. He"d rather read a book on physics than see a movie or a good football game on TV.
他说：我得告诉你，比尔上了大学后，他真是变成了一个书生气十足的人。他宁可看物理书也不愿去看电影，或看电视上精彩的足球赛。
流行美语第104课
今天李华和Larry在图书馆看书。Larry注意到 Li Hua和平时有点儿不一样。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：out of whack和goofy。
(Library SFX)
LL: Hey, Li Hua, what"s wrong? You"re acting a little out of whack.
LH: 我什么事也没有啊！你说我怎么了 - acting a little out of whack? 那是什么意思啊？
LL: Out of Whack - means to be different from usual or abnormal. You"re acting different from usual, so you seem a little out of whack.
LH: 噢，原来out of whack意思就是“和平时不太一样”。你觉得我有点儿反常啊？你还真说对了，我明天晚上有个约会，是我第一次要和这个人见面。心里有点儿紧张，我连穿什么衣服都还没想好呢！
LL: You have a date and you didn"t tell me? That"s out of whack! But, at least now I understand why you"re acting out of whack. First dates make everyone nervous.
LH: 就是啊，第一次约会总是让人紧张的。就是，我平常的活动你都知道，这次约会我没告诉你，确实是不寻常，难怪你会说out of whack。 这么说，Larry，out of whack, 可以指人，也可以指事情，是吗？
LL: That"s right. For instance, I think it"s really out of whack that my best friend has a date tomorrow and she didn"t tell me about it.
LH: 对不起，Larry. 我其实本来想告诉你的，大概就是因为我太紧张了，心里没准，所以我就给忘了。
LL: Okay, well, I suppose that I can forgive you. Hey, you know what makes me feel all out of whack?
LH: 有什么东西会让你反常啊？我不知道，赶快赶快，告诉我啊！
LL: The fact that I haven"t slept more than three hours every night this week. I"ve been so busy.
LH: 什么？你这个星期每天睡眠还不到三个小时啊？再忙也不至于这样吧！
******
(Campus SFX)
LL: Li Hua, how was your date last night? Did it go well or was the guy really goofy?
LH: 哎呀，别提了！昨晚的约会简直糟透了。那家伙也不知怎么搞的，第一次见面就忘了带钱包，结果还是我付的帐呢。哎，Larry, 你刚才说was the guy really goofy - "goofy" 是什么意思啊？
LL: Goofy means several things. It can mean silly, funny, crazy or stupid. Or a little bit of all of those things combined. It sounds like your date was goofy.
LH: 要是你说goofy是指“愚蠢、可笑、怪怪的、傻傻的”，或者是这些因素都有点儿的话，我那个 date 可真是goofy。他真的是傻到让人觉得可笑了呢，要不是那顿晚餐花了我那么多钱，我真的说不定会笑出来呢！
LL: Yeah, he sounds pretty goofy to me. Was he goofy-looking, too?
LH: Goofy-looking? 你是问他长的样子是不是也怪怪的、傻傻的啊？
LL: Yep, goofy-looking means silly looking, like a clown.
LH: 噢，他长得倒不错，看上去一点也不傻，更不像个小丑。哎，Larry, 你也不想想，我哪能找个样子傻傻的人去约会呢？得了得了，先别说我那个goofy date了。Goofy这个词我还可以怎么用呢？
LL: When kids act silly for attention, you can say that they are acting goofy.
LH: 对呀，小孩子为了让别人注意他，有的时候会干些傻事。这么说，goofy这个词也不见得都是指不好的事。
LL: Generally, it"s not very negative. You can call a person "goofy," too. For instance, I would call you goofy if you went on another date with that guy.
LH: 原来goofy这个词并不一定都是贬意。幸亏你告诉我，不然要是我听见你说我goofy, 我说不定会生你的气呢！再说了，Larry, 和那个家伙出去一次已经够了。我才不会再和他约第二次呢 - I wouldn"t do something that out of whack!
今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语。一个是out of whack, 意思是“反常、和平时不一样”。李华学到的另一个常用语是goofy, 意思是“愚蠢可笑，傻傻的”。
流行美语第104课
今天李华和Larry在图书馆看书。Larry注意到 Li Hua和平时有点儿不一样。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：out of whack和goofy。
(Library SFX)
LL: Hey, Li Hua, what"s wrong? You"re acting a little out of whack.
LH: 我什么事也没有啊！你说我怎么了 - acting a little out of whack? 那是什么意思啊？
LL: Out of Whack - means to be different from usual or abnormal. You"re acting different from usual, so you seem a little out of whack.
LH: 噢，原来out of whack意思就是“和平时不太一样”。你觉得我有点儿反常啊？你还真说对了，我明天晚上有个约会，是我第一次要和这个人见面。心里有点儿紧张，我连穿什么衣服都还没想好呢！
LL: You have a date and you didn"t tell me? That"s out of whack! But, at least now I understand why you"re acting out of whack. First dates make everyone nervous.
LH: 就是啊，第一次约会总是让人紧张的。就是，我平常的活动你都知道，这次约会我没告诉你，确实是不寻常，难怪你会说out of whack。 这么说，Larry，out of whack, 可以指人，也可以指事情，是吗？
LL: That"s right. For instance, I think it"s really out of whack that my best friend has a date tomorrow and she didn"t tell me about it.
LH: 对不起，Larry. 我其实本来想告诉你的，大概就是因为我太紧张了，心里没准，所以我就给忘了。
LL: Okay, well, I suppose that I can forgive you. Hey, you know what makes me feel all out of whack?
LH: 有什么东西会让你反常啊？我不知道，赶快赶快，告诉我啊！
LL: The fact that I haven"t slept more than three hours every night this week. I"ve been so busy.
LH: 什么？你这个星期每天睡眠还不到三个小时啊？再忙也不至于这样吧！
******
(Campus SFX)
LL: Li Hua, how was your date last night? Did it go well or was the guy really goofy?
LH: 哎呀，别提了！昨晚的约会简直糟透了。那家伙也不知怎么搞的，第一次见面就忘了带钱包，结果还是我付的帐呢。哎，Larry, 你刚才说was the guy really goofy - "goofy" 是什么意思啊？
LL: Goofy means several things. It can mean silly, funny, crazy or stupid. Or a little bit of all of those things combined. It sounds like your date was goofy.
LH: 要是你说goofy是指“愚蠢、可笑、怪怪的、傻傻的”，或者是这些因素都有点儿的话，我那个 date 可真是goofy。他真的是傻到让人觉得可笑了呢，要不是那顿晚餐花了我那么多钱，我真的说不定会笑出来呢！
LL: Yeah, he sounds pretty goofy to me. Was he goofy-looking, too?
LH: Goofy-looking? 你是问他长的样子是不是也怪怪的、傻傻的啊？
LL: Yep, goofy-looking means silly looking, like a clown.