LL: Really?! He was off in lala land when he forgot his appointment with you?
LH: 没错，他当时正在跟朋友吃饭，完全忘记了跟我约好要见面。
LL: Yes, it sounds like he was in lala land. So what did you say when he told you this?
LH: 虽然我知道“忘了”不能算是失约的理由，但我还是很高兴他能打电话来道歉，谁都有忘事的时候。换句话说，大家可能都到过lala land。
LL: That"s right. Just last week I was a no show for a haircut appointment because I was off in Lala land.
LH: 还有更好笑的。昨天我监考，有个学生走过来问我问题。
LL: Let me guess, you were so far off in lala land, you didn"t even know the student was there!
LH: 你怎么知道的！我当时确实有点儿心不在焉，那个学生碰了一下我的肩膀才让我醒过神来。
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是no show，意思是失约。另外一个是lala land，意思是身处幻境，心不在焉。
美国习惯用语第243讲
今天我们要讲的两个习惯用语里都有一个关键的字。这个字就是：Free. Free这个字有好几种解释。一种解释是：自由。也就是按照自己选择的方式生活，不受专制统治的约束。Free还可以解释为：不需要付任何代价而得到什么东西。在我们要讲的第一个习惯用语里，free的意思是独立自主，不受人控制。
这个习惯用语就是：Freelance.我们要先来讲一讲freelance里的lance这个字。你要是了解了 lance这个字，你就会明白 freelance这个常用语是从那儿来的。Lance就是长矛。它是古代武士随身带的一种武器。在那个时候，大多数武士都为一个国王或一个君主服务。但是，也有一些武士从一个城市迁移到另一个城市，谁付他的工资高他就为谁服务。因为他们不属于任何一个雇主，人们把这些武士称为freelances。
现在，武士已经没有了，那么free lance又是指什么呢？Free lance是一个非常普通的词汇。它主要是指那些从事自由职业的作家；他们不受任何一个雇主的雇用，而是把自己写的文章销售给不同的杂志和报纸。我们来举一个例子。
例句-1: Bill used to be editor of a magazine. But the magazine closed so now he works freelance selling his articles to any magazine or newspaper that will buy them.
这句话的中文意思就是：比尔以前是一家杂志的编辑。可是后来那家杂志关闭了，所以他现在是一个自由作家；把他写的文章出售给任何愿意买的杂志。
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美国还有一些专门从事翻译的自由职业者；他们没有一个固定的工作，而是在某些公司或政府机构需要他们的时候去做短期的工作。下面就是一个人在说他的朋友。
例句2: Maria met her husband John when he was studying in Moscow. John speaks fluent Russian and has worked as a freelance interpreter since they came back to the U.S. He tells people he likes the freedom of this profession.
这个人说：马丽亚是在她丈夫约翰在莫斯科念书时认识他的。约翰说一口流利的俄语。自从他们回到美国来以后，他一直是一个自由职业的翻译。他告诉别人说这个职业很自由，他非常喜欢。
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下面我们要讲的一个常用语是：Freeloader. Freeloader是一个字，但是它实际是由两个字组成的：free和loader。Freeloader里面的free是不收费，或者是没有代价的意思。一个freeloader就是一个人利用别人的慷慨，在人家里白吃白喝，甚至住在别人家里分文不付。这种人时间长了当然会让人讨厌。下面就是一个例子。
例句3: My brother-in-law has been living with us ever since he got mad at his boss and quit his job. Last night I told him to stop being a freeloader and get out and find another job.
这个人是在说他的妹夫。他说：自从我妹夫对他的老板生气辞职以来，他一直住在我们家里。昨天晚上，我告诉他不要继续白吃白住，到外面去再找一个工作。
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每个人在一生中总是有起伏的，总会遇到不顺利的时候。但是，有的人在困难的时候甘愿成为一个freeloader，依赖别人，而有的人则能够冲破困难，重新站起来。下面就是一个老板在说他手下的一个雇员。
例句4: The new office manager I"ve hired is someone we should all admire. After her husband died, it would have been easy to rely on her parents, who happen to be rich. But she refused to become a freeloader and tried very hard to find a job to support herself.
这个老板说：我新雇用的办公室经理是我们应该倾佩的人。她丈夫去世以后，她满可以依赖她的父母；他们很有钱。但是，她却不甘心做一个坐享其成的人，下了很大工夫去找工作来养活自己。
流行美语第243课
李华正在兴致勃勃地给Larry将她去看医生的经过，没想到被Larry泼了一盆冷水。李华今天要学两个常用语，TMI和PDQ 。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, that is really TMI. I"m sorry you had to go to the doctor, but I really don"t want to hear all about your infected toenail!
LH: 你不想知道医生是怎么帮我处理那个发炎的脚趾甲的吗？TMI? 什么是TMI呀？
LL: T-M-I is an abbreviation for "Too Much Information." I think you were giving me too much information about your doctor"s appointment.
LH: 我知道TMI是too much information的缩写，但我还是不明白，你为什么对我看医生漠不关心呢？
LL: Well, you were telling me very specific details about your trip to the doctor, like how he had to cut away part of your toenail, and I thought you gave me too much information. TMI!
LH: 噢，你是不想听医生是怎么把发炎的脚趾甲剪掉，又是怎么把里面的脓....
LL: (Urgently) Please, Li Hua, that really is TMI! Generally, Americans don"t like to talk about the specifics of personal matters like a doctor"s visit, especially when the details are disgusting!
LH: 原来是这样，就是说凡是像看医生这类的私事，美国人一般不会告诉别人，否则的话就是TMI。
LL: That"s right. But you should also not give too much information about your personal relationships.
LH: 我有个朋友叫Sharon，她最喜欢给我讲她跟自己男朋友交往的细节。我也觉得那些都是 TMI 。
LL: How so?
LH: 比如说，她会告诉我，她的男朋友是怎么亲她的。
LL: That is definitely TMI. You probably really don"t want to know how Sharon"s boyfriend kisses.
LH: 那当然了。我实在不想听，可又不知道该怎么告诉她。
LL: Well, now you do! The next time Sharon goes on and on about her boyfriend you can just say, "Please, Sharon, TMI!"
LH: 我下次一定试试。对不起，Larry, 我得赶紧找个厕所。我刚才喝了一大瓶水。憋死我了。
LL: (Urgently) Li Hua, that is another excellent example of TMI!
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LL: You are back, Li Hua. That was PDQ!
LH: 你刚才说TMI "too much information", 现在又说PDQ, PDQ是什么意思啊？
LL: PDQ stands for "Pretty Darn Quick." You came back from the restroom very quickly, you were PDQ!
LH: 噢，你是说我动作快啊，我是不想让你等，当然PDQ啦。
LL: Say, Li Hua, I am getting very hungry. Aren"t you? Let"s stop chatting and find a place to eat PDQ.
LH: 附近那个三明治的小吃店怎么样？
LL: That"s a good idea! The sandwiches are really good and they make them PDQ, which is good because I should really get back to work.
LH: 对呀，他们那里的三明治又好吃又不用等。Larry, 你下午干脆别上班了，我们好好吃一顿，然后去公园。这么好的天气，待在办公室里可惜了！
LL: I wish I could, Li Hua, but I really can"t. My boss assigned me a project this morning, and he really wants me to finish it PDQ.
LH: 那好吧，既然你要赶项目，那我们就快吃，你好get back to work PDQ.
LL: What about you, Li Hua? Do you have a relaxing afternoon planned?
LH: 其实我也有事。我的公寓有些地方需要修理，房东下午过来。所以吃完饭，我也要立刻赶回去。
LL: Well, it sounds like we both have things to do this afternoon. Here"s the sandwich place. Oh, No! It doesn"t look like our lunch is going to PDQ after all.
LH: 今天怎么这么多人，都排到门外了。
LL: Well, it doesn"t look like the service will be PDQ today. They must be short-handed.
LH: 我们改去麦当劳吧，快餐店应该不会等太久。
LL: And then we"ll need to eat them PDQ, too!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是TMI，意思是别人并不想知道的事。另一个是 PDQ, 意思是非常快。
美国习惯用语第244讲