流行美语第240课
Larry和李华刚刚在餐馆吃完饭。李华今天要学两个常用语doggie bag和back burner。
LL: This is waaaay too much food for me to finish. I guess I"d better ask for a doggie bag.
LH: 怎么啦，你不会是想吐吧。
LL: Huh? No! I said I am going to ask for a doggie bag. That"s a bag that you use to take home leftover food from a restaurant.
LH: 我知道了，就是中国人说的打包。你们叫"doggie bag"，是因为美国人一般都把剩下的饭菜喂狗吧？可你没有狗呀。
LL: It"s just a figure of speech. I "m asking for a doggie bag because I plan on eating the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
LH: 原来是你自己吃啊。美国人这种习惯真好。在中国，大家出去吃饭总要点好多菜，根本吃不了，剩下的，有的就扔了。
LL: The U.S. isn"t so different. People originally used the phrase "doggie bag" because they were embarrassed to admit they were saving food.
LH: 怪不得叫 "doggie bag"，原来开始的时候美国人也不好意思承认自己节俭，所以说是要喂狗。美国人真觉得这样做丢人吗？
LL: Hmm...well, in the U.S. you wouldn"t ask for a doggie bag at a really nice restaurant, or on a formal occasion. But otherwise most people would rather ask for a doggie bag than waste food.
LH: 所以说，在高级饭店和正式场合一般不打包，但除此之外，打包就很正常了。中国现在也差不多，打包越来越普遍，不过我们用的是饭盒。
LL: Yeah, same here. But even though the food usually goes in a box, people still use the term "doggie bag".
LH: 美国人真把剩饭剩菜喂狗吗？
LL: (Chuckles) The food from doggie bags can make a dog fat!
LH: 不光是狗，经常在外面吃，人也会变胖的。账单来了。你得要 "doggie bag" 了。
LL: (To the waiter) Excuse me, could I get a doggie bag for this please?
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LH: Larry, 刚才说了半天 "doggie bag"。我还真想养只小狗。
LL: I know, you"ve mentioned that before. But you"d better just put that on the back burner for now.
LH: 把什么放在炉子上？你在说什么呀？
LL: I said put it on the back burner. That means, you should give your idea of owning a dog low priority, and wait until it is more practical or convenient.
LH: 你是说我养狗不现实，所以不要着急，应该暂时放一放。其实，我要是真的养条狗也没有什么不可以，就是要做出一些牺牲罢了。
LL: Really, you should just put it on the back burner. Taking care of a pet requires money and time.
LH: 你说得也对，养狗又花时间，又费钱，确实应该等毕业有工作了再说。我真恨不得马上毕业。
LL: I know! I have to put so many things on the back burner while I"m in school... I feel like I have no life!
LH: Larry, 你都想干些什么呢？
LL: Well, for instance, Jack and I were working together on an online business, but I am too busy with school to work on it often. I had to put that on the back burner.
LH: 你和Jack要合作在网上做生意，真有两下子呀！
LL: It"s on the back burner right now. You know, I was in a rock band for a while, but I put that on the back burner as well.
LH: (Laughs) 摇滚乐队？不会吧。Larry, 我听过你唱歌，你不会真想当摇滚歌星吧？(Cell Phone Rings) 是你的电话。
LL: Whoa, it"s Angie. I"ll talk to you later, Li Hua. I"ve got to answer this. I"m going to ask Angie out this weekend.
LH: 谁？你不是要跟Cindy约会吗？怎么又变成Angie了。你可不能脚踏两条船啊。
LL: Cindy? Well, earlier this week, she left for study abroad in Europe, so I had to put her on the back burner.
LH: (Groans) Whatever, Larry!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是Doggie bag, 意思是在外面吃完饭打包用的盒子。还有一个是back burner，意思是暂时不考虑。
美国习惯用语第241讲
每当一年消逝，新年来临的时候，人们都纷纷举行庆祝活动送旧迎新。这都跟时光的流逝有关。在这次节目里，我们要讲两个跟时间有关的习惯用语。时间这个字在英文里就是：Time. Time也正是每年新年开始的时候，许多人下定决心要在新的一年里完成某些计划。也就是美国人所说的new year resolutions。
在美国，有的人在一年开始时下定决心要在新的一年中减肥，有的则保证要在新的一年里戒烟等。由于圣诞节，美国的节日气氛其实从十二月中就开始了。男女老少纷纷出动购买圣诞礼物，购物中心人群拥挤。各单位，各公司也都一个接着一个举办圣诞晚会。人们一般都抱着快乐的心情来欢渡节日。
我们要讲的一个习惯用语正是这个意思。The time of one"s life. 当一个人经历到the time of his life，那他就是经历了非常高兴的事情，也可能是他一辈子最高兴的事。我们来举一个例子，这是一个老人在说为什么每当新年来临的时候，他总是感到心情激动。
例句-1: It was New Year"s eve in 1941, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. I went to this party and had the time of my life because I met the beautiful girl I"ve been married to for fifty years!
这位老先生说：那是1941年的新年除夕，但是在我记忆里就好像昨天发生的事一样。那一天，我去参加一个聚会，我真是高兴得不得了，因为我在聚会上遇到了一个美丽的女孩。就是这个女孩，我跟她结婚已经五十年了。
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美国人经常喜欢开着汽车出去旅行，沿着一条线路到各地去玩。下面是一个年轻人在说他跟女朋友一起出去旅行的感受。
例句2: Linda and I drove to Yellow Stone Park last summer. The scenery there was fantastic and we were so much in love. I had the time of my life and wished I could stay there forever.
这个年轻人说：我跟林达今年夏天开车到黄石公园去玩。那儿的风景简直漂亮极了。我们两又在狂热地恋爱。这是我一辈子最高兴的时候了。我真是希望能永远呆在那里。
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我们往往会遇到一种情况。那就是一件我们正在做的事好像马上就会失败，做不成了，但是到了最后一分钟突然出现了转机。这种情况在电影里也很多。比如说，英雄人物总是要到最后一分钟才出现，然后把那马上要被人杀死的朋友解救出来。这最后一分钟在英文里就是：In the nick of time. In the nick of time就是最后一刻。这最后一刻有时几乎是来得太晚了。下面是一个人在说他去参加新年晚会的路上所发生的事。
例句3: We had a flat tire on our way to Henry"s party. But we still got there in the nick of time, five minutes to twelve, just in time to raise a glass and say hello to the new year.
这个人说：我们去参加亨利举办的聚会，可是在路上，我们的轮胎暴了。不过我们仍然在最后一刻，也就是十二点差五分的时候到了亨利的家，正好举起玻璃杯，迎接新年的到来。
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刚才我们讲到电影里经常出现危险的镜头，然后到最后一刻，危机突然出现了转机，逢凶化吉，坏人被克制，好人得救。下面是一个人在发表评论。
例句4: My friend Jack likes to watch horror movies. But to me they seem to be all the same. There is always somebody coming to rescue the good guys in the nick of time.
这个人说：我的朋友杰克喜欢看恐怖电影。可是，在我看来，它们似乎都是千篇一律。每到最后一刻，总是有人会来解救好人的。
流行美语第241课
Larry和李华正在一起吃午饭。李华今天要学两个常用语a Cuppa Joe和Guilty Pleasure。
LL: I am so sleepy! What I need right now, Li Hua, is a cuppa joe.
LH: A cuppa joe ? 我确实有个朋友叫Joe，他怎么能帮你提神呢？
LL: No, I don"t need your friend Joe. "I need a cuppa joe" is a way of saying "I need a cup of coffee."
LH: 我知道了，"cuppa"是"cup of"的缩写，可我还是不明白"Joe"怎么会是咖啡呢？
LL: You wouldn"t be alone in that, Li Hua. Most Americans don"t know why we call coffee "Joe", but we have for a long time, and we still say it today.
LH: 对呀，只要说起来方便，大家都知道是什么意思就好了。Larry, 你干嘛急着要喝咖啡呀？
LL: I stayed up too late watching a movie on television last night, and today I am so tired. Having a cuppa joe would really help me get through my work day.
LH: 原来是你自己晚上看电视，不好好睡觉，怪不得会那么困，要靠"a cuppa joe"里的咖啡因来提神。
LL: So I am definitely ordering a cuppa joe with lunch. How about you, Li Hua? Would you like a cuppa joe?
LH: 我才不要"a cuppa joe", 我又不爱喝咖啡。