LL: Ok Lihua, it"s best that we don"t go over there. She"s - well - it"s best you don"t know what her deal is, you know?
LH: Her deal? 你说小燕走私丨毒丨品？那怎么可能！
LL: "The deal" refers to someone"s situation, mental state, or attitude problem. So, it"s best that you not know what happened with her. But I should tell you.
LH: 我知道了，the deal是说一个人有问题。Tell me what her deal is. 还有啊，你也得好好解释解释，What YOUR deal is! 这次回来，你好象老是遮遮掩掩的。
LL: I"m sorry, but here"s the deal: She took me out several times for dinner, and I -
LH: 真的吗？你们俩人没有怎么样吧？
LL: Please let me finish. The deal is - she wanted to try to start dating, and I tried the most polite way possible to let her know what MY deal was - which was that I"m not interested, but -
LH: So THAT"s the deal! 我真没想到小燕会做出这种事来！What"s her deal? 你干嘛不早告诉我！
LL: Ok, so the deal is - I was hoping to avoid this whole situation - to avoid this whole deal - but it"s best that you know now.
LH: 我确实不太高兴，但我相信你。我也很了解小燕，I know her deal.
LL：If only I had known, I could have avoided the whole deal altogether!
LH：算了，不说这些，我做了些三明治，还有茶，我们去野餐。
******
LH: 怎么样，我做的三明治好吃吗？
LL: Delicious, Lihua! Where did you learn to make these... during your time in China? Hahah!
LH: 别逗了，小燕那桩事，还是让我心烦意乱的。她毕竟是我的好朋友，如今，她一定是伤透了心。
LL: Don"t worry. She just needs some time to let it go.
LH: let what go? 放手？你难道有什么东西在小燕那里吗？
LL: "To let it go" means to forgive and continue with your life after something bad happens. She is upset about what happened. After some time, she will let it go.
LH: 我明白了，let it go是忘记不愉快的事情，向前走的意思。你是说，只要待以时日，小燕就会把这段感情忘掉？你要知道，Larry, 心灵的伤痛可是很难愈合的。
LL: I agree, but everyone is different. Sometimes it takes a long time for people to let things go. And sometimes, people never let things go.
LH: 没错，很多人都有过类似的经历。
LL: I recall the first time I was rejected for a job that I applied for in college. It took me years before I could let it go!
LH: 还看不出来，你原来这么容易受到伤害。
LL: So, was there anything that took you a long time to let go?
LH: 那可能要算结束我的初恋了。
LL: Your first breakup? Who took longer to let it go? You or him?
LH: 当然是他了。说实话，我们两个本来就不是一路人。分手后，我的第一任男友整整给我打了一年的电话，希望能破镜重圆。He just recently let it go.
LL: Letting go can be the key to moving on with one"s life. Sometimes people need to see a mental health specialist to help overcome such a difficult thing.
LH: 看心理医生？有那么严重？对了，你要不要再加点茶？
LL: Ah, great. Thanks, Lihua! I won"t let go.
LH: Let go? 你在说什么呀？
LL: Nothing. I mean I won"t let go of the tea cup. It"s very expensive! Haha!
LH: 你又闹！有时候，我真搞不懂你。正经事说到一半，你就开玩笑。一点没正经。
LL: You know that"s not true. I think we should let it go.
LH: What??? Let WHAT go?
LL: This topic, of course!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是deal, 意思是某个人的状况和问题。还有一个是let it go ， 意思是忘记不愉快的往事，走出阴影。
礼节美语045讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作。他在去吃午饭的路上遇到了美国同事Amy。
(Office ambience)
C：Hi Amy，你也去吃饭吗？
A：As a matter of fact, I am. Would you like to join me?
C：好啊。Amy, 圣诞节马上就要到了，你说我是不是应该对客户表示表示呀？
A：Time is short for the American holidays, but it"s not too late if you start on it now.
C：我该做些什么呢？
A：You should send holiday cards to all your clients and colleagues.
C：我那天在文具专卖店里看到有卖贺卡的，还能把自己的名字印在上面，然后用电脑把地址一打，就齐了。
A：Before you get too carried way with relief, it"s not that simple. You need to personalize your cards or you have wasted your time and money.
C：我怎么样才能让客户觉得贺卡是专门寄给他们的呢？
A：By writing a short note on each one and signing your name.
C：啊？还要自己写祝词！卡上不是已经有“节日快乐”了吗，而且还印了我的名字。
A：Here we are at the restaurant. Let"s continue our conversation over lunch.
******
Amy和陈豪在餐馆里买了午饭坐下一起来吃。
C：刚才你说我还是应该在贺卡上写点儿祝词，然后再签上名字，这是为什么呢？
A：Because you want each client to feel special. You do that by taking the time to write a few words, and by adding your name in your own handwriting.
C：我要写点儿什么呢？
A：You can say, "Thank you for your business this past year" or "I look forward to working with you again in 2008."
C：我知道了，大致上就是说去年合作很愉快，希望来年继续合作。
A：You can be more creative or specific, like saying, "It was great to work with you on the project in Washington DC" or whatever is special in your dealings with your client...
C：不过幸好有电脑，至少我不用手写客户的地址了。
A：Sorry to tell you this, but computer-generated labels would ruin the effect and your effort to personalize your cards. Believe me, it"s worth the effort.
C：没想到这么麻烦。看起来我得加班赶写贺卡了！
A：Good point. Holiday cards that arrive after the fact are detrimental to your professional image.
C：Amy, 你能不能再重复一下寄贺卡的注意事项呢？
A：Of course. Buy the best quality that your budget allows. Write a few words by hand and sign your name. Make sure your greeting arrives at least a week before the holiday.
C：谢谢你，Amy, 看来我得赶紧动手了。
美国习惯用语第438讲
今天我们要讲的习惯用语都包含这个词，hold。 Hold通常解释为“拿住，握住，” 但是也有把守的意思。例如在我们要学的第一个习惯用语里: hold down the fort。 Fort是堡垒，要寨。Hold down the fort从字面上看是个军事用语: 把守要寨，但是现在这个短语却被广泛应用在军队以外的各种场合，像办公室、商店、企业、学校的课堂等。
这个习惯用语用在非军事场合是什么意思呢? 我们听个例子来琢磨。一家百货公司的经理周末得了感冒，觉得自己会有几天去不了办公室，于是他往副经理Sally家里打电话，他请Sally帮什么忙呢?
例句-1：Sorry to call you on Sunday, Sally. But I have the flu and won"t be able to work tomorrow. Could you hold down the fort for me a couple of days? You will? Great - thanks!
这位经理说： Sally，对不起，星期天还打电话来打扰，只是我得了感冒，明天上不了班了。你能帮我顶几天吗? 你行？好极了，谢谢。
这位经理要请几天病假，要求他的副手hold down the fort for him，显然是要副手暂时为他掌管一下业务。这就是这个习惯用语的意思。
******
再听个例子，这回是个大学老师在跟同事Ben交谈。
例句-2：Ben, I"m really busy this week. Ann Green is off at an academic conference in Chicago so I"m holding down the fort for her and teaching her freshman English classes on top of my own.
他说：Ben，我这星期真是忙。 Ann Green去芝加哥参加学术会议了，所以我得为她顶班，除了教我自己的课，还得去上她的大学一年级英文课。
这段话里还有个短语on top of my own，用在这儿的意思是除了我自己的工作以外。这里的习惯用语hold down the fort也是指暂时承担他人的工作。这个习惯用语也可以说成hold the fort，少了down这个词，但是意思不变。
******
再学个带有hold这个词的习惯用语: left holding the bag。 Left holding the bag是相当古老的习惯用语，少说也是从1760年起就流传了，但奇怪的是没人能说出它的确切出典。有一种猜测是这里的bag可能是装赃款，赃物的袋子。