LH: 我知道应该去争取， 可是那个工作在外州， 一想到搬家我就头痛。
LL: But if you don"t go for it, you may never know if the job is good or not.
LH: 这我也知道， 要不做那个工作就永远也不知道这工作好不好。不过，我也不想搬到外州后，万一不理想再搬回来。
LL: That is just one of the chances you have to take when you go for it.
LH: 当然任何事情都有风险，找工作也一样。
LL: Li Hua, sometimes when you go for it, good things happen.
LH: 积极找工作有时会有好的结果？万一工作不满意怎么办？
LL: Well, my friend Bob saw a posting for a job he was interested in and decided to go for it. But his boss didn"t want to see him go and gave him a really big raise.
LH: Bob真走运。 老板听见他要走就给他加工资。 我要碰到这种老板，那该多好呀！
LL: I think you should apply for that teaching job. You really should go for it!
LH: 让我想想再说。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是classic, 意思是优秀的、一流的。还有一个是go for it意思是不犹豫、全力争取。
美国习惯用语第218讲
当一个人正在做坏事的时候被人家发现，这个人就会感到很难堪。今天我们要给大家介绍的两个习惯用语都是形容这种局面的。我们先来讲第一个：To get caught with one"s hand in the cookie jar. Cookie就是饼乾，甜点心。Cookie jar就是放这些饼乾点心的罐子。To be caught with one"s hand in the cookie jar从字面上来解释，它的意思就是：当一个人的手正在点心罐子里的时候被人发现了。
以前许多美国妇女总是为孩子们做一些点心放在罐子里。但是，为了不让孩子吃的太多，妈妈往往把罐子藏在柜子顶上。这样孩子就不容易拿到。可是，有的孩子会爬到椅子上，去罐子里偷点心。要是妈妈突然走进厨房，那就被当场发现。这就是to be caught with one"s hand in the cookie jar。现在，这个俗语已经用得非常普遍，只要是一个人在做不该做的事的时候被人当场抓到都可以用这个习惯用语来形容。我们来举一个例子。这是一个人在说某个邮局的雇员。
例句-1: It"s too bad what happened to her, but it"s her own fault. One day they caught her with her hand in the cookie jar; she was stealing stamps for personal use and she was fired on the spot.
这个人说：这件事对她来说是太不幸了，但是这也是她自己不好。有一天，正当她在偷邮票给她自己用的时候被人当场抓着。她立即就被解雇了。
******
美国的电脑非常普遍。许多家庭也都有个人用的电脑。在办公室里，每个人都有自己的暗号，用了暗号才能打开自己的电脑。下面这个例子是一个人说他的同事偷看他的电脑。
例句2: Tom was caught with his hand in the cookie jar when he was sitting at my computer desk reading my files last night. He admitted he stole my code a month ago and tried to find out what I wrote in the outline for the new project.
这人说：昨天晚上，汤姆坐在我的电脑桌子前偷看我电脑里的材料的时候被我当场抓到。他承认，他一个月前偷了我的暗号，想知道我为那个新的工程写的大纲里有些什么内容。
******
下面我们要讲的习惯用语所描写的情况要比小偷小摸被人发现更严重。这从字面上就可以显示出来。这个习惯用语就是：To be caught with one"s pants down. Pants就是人们穿的裤子。因此，按字面来解释，to be caught with one"s pants down就是一个人在裤子掉下来的情况下被人发现。作为俗语，它的意思就是当一个人正在做坏事，做可耻的事的时候被人发现了。下面这个例子是一个电台新闻记者报导有关一个市政府官员在做坏事的时候被人发现。这位记者说：
例句3: The road commissioner was arrested today for taking a bribe from the contractor he hired to build the new highway. He was caught with his pants down, on video tape showing him accepting the money.
他说：那个负责公路的专员今天被逮捕，因为他接受一名营造商的贿赂。那是他雇用来建造那条新公路的营造商。他在接受钱的时候被人录像录了下来，当场抓住。
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英国电影男明星休.格兰特最近发生的一件事最能说明to be caught with one"s pants down这个俗语的意思。这是一个人在谈论这件事。
例句4: Actor Hugh Grant was caught with his pants down when he was having sex with a prostitute in the back of his car. He was arrested by Los Angeles police and the media made a fuss of it. I really feel sorry for him.
这人说：当英国电影演员休.格兰特跟一个**在他的汽车后座发生性关系的时候当场被人抓住。洛山矶的丨警丨察逮捕了他，新闻界大肆宣扬。
流行美语第218课
夏天的时候，Larry和李华开车去海边玩。李华会学到两个常用语：jazzed和to catch some waves。
LL: Li Hua, I am really jazzed about this trip to the beach.
LH: Jazz不是爵士乐吗？我们去海边跟爵士乐有什么关系呢？
LL: You are right, but by Jazzed I mean to be really excited. I am really looking forward to spending some time at the beach today.
LH: 我知道了，Jazzed的意思是很兴奋。其实我也挺高兴的，不过我想知道有什么事情让你这么兴奋呢？
LL: There are three reasons. First, I am really jazzed to not be working! I have been working really hard on a project for my boss, and it is really nice to have some time off.
LH: 对，你为你老板的那个项目花了一个月的时间，现在完成了当然要放松一下喽。不用上班，这个理由很成立，另外两个理由呢？
LL: Second, I am very jazzed about trying out my new surf board and riding some waves.
LH: 你想试试你新买的冲浪板。那也合理，你那新的冲浪板真是很漂亮。要我是你，I would be very jazzed, too. 不过呢，我只想躲在阳伞下面看书。
LL: I don"t see how you can get jazzed about reading a book, Li Hua.
LH: Oh, Larry, 你喜欢冲浪，我喜欢看书。各人的兴趣不同嘛。
LL: I guess that is what makes the world interesting! I get really jazzed about playing Frisbee at the beach, too.
LH: 在沙滩上扔飞盘，那有什么好玩的？那是小孩玩的东西。
LL: Remember what you said, Li Hua? Different people get jazzed about different things.
LH: 没错，没错，我是说过。
LL: Remember, the guy in our English class really get jazzed about flying kites. We should have asked him to come to the beach with us today.
LH: 对了，忘了邀请他一起来了。你不是说有三个理由让你兴奋吗？
LL: Yes, the third reason is that I am jazzed to be spending some time with one of my favorite friends. And that would be you, Li Hua.
LH: 第三个理由是跟像我这样的好朋友一起出游让你感到兴奋。Larry，你的嘴可真甜呐。不过，我还是谢谢你的好意。
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LL: Well, now that I"ve put on some sun screen, Li Hua, I am going to go catch some waves.
LH: Catch some waves? 你能抓到海浪吗？
LL: Ha, ha. I don"t mean with my arms. To catch some waves- WAVES, means to ride some waves on your surfboard.
LH: Oh, 我明白了， 你是要去冲浪。 不过，今天的浪不太，即使是用新的冲浪板也不好冲哟。
LL: You are right, Li Hua. It isn"t the best day to catch waves. The waves aren"t very big, but I can at least try out my new surfboard by catching some little waves.
LH: 不管是大浪还是小浪， 反正有浪就行了。Go and catch your waves。我在这里看我的书。
LL: Oh, come on Li Hua, why don"t you come out and catch some waves with me?
LH: 我不知道怎么冲浪，我从来没有试过。
LL: Catching waves isn"t hard, Li Hua. I can show you how.
LH: Okay, 那我去试试。不过， 你知道我有点紧张。
LL: Oh, it will be fine, Li Hua. Let"s go catch some waves.
(Ocean/splashing sounds)
LH: 我们已经在水里了，那怎么冲浪呢？
LL: First, you hold on to the surfboard like this. And then you wait for a wave to catch. When a big wave comes along, you stand up on the surfboard and ride it.
LH: 我来试试。 把冲浪板拿好， 然后海浪一来，就站到冲浪板上。噢，我的天啊， 大浪来了！
LL: Okay, Li Hua, try to stand up. Good job, you caught your first wave!
LH: Wheeeee, 我第一次冲浪成功了！
LL: See, I told you catching some waves isn"t hard.
LH: 冲浪是不难。 Larry，我们再来一次吧。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是jazzed, 意思是令人兴奋，还有一个是catch some waves, 意思是海上冲浪。