LL: I said I’m at my wit’s end. When you are at your wit’s end, it means that you are completely overwhelmed with problems, or you are experiencing a lot of stress.
LH: 哦，我知道了，at my wit’s end意思就是因为压力太大，事情太多，而毫无头绪，不知所措。Larry, 你别急，深呼吸... 再来一次，吃饭晚几分钟不要紧。你刚说，要帮邻居喂狗，她又出差了吗？
LL: Tonight she’s going to the hospital to visit her sick father. On top of that, she just lost her job and her boyfriend broke up with her. She’s really at her wit’s end, so I’m trying to help out.
LH: 怎么这么可怜。爸爸生病住院不说、同时又被炒鱿鱼，还跟男朋友分手。难怪她会at her wit’s end. 跟她比，你这点困难简直就是小巫见大巫。
LL: It’s not just that I’m missing my wallet. I’m also at my wit’s end at work. My boss has given me five new projects to do next week, and I haven’t even finished the old ones yet.
LH: 啊？老板分配给你五个新项目，难怪你会一脸官司。我也一样，每次周末去看我父母，他们都没完没了地叮嘱我，该穿什么衣服，如何待人接物，赶紧换个更好的男朋友。一天下来，I feel like I’m at my wit’s end.
LL: Wait, what is that last thing that they tell you?
LH: Huh? ...没什么重要的。告诉你个诀窍，每次我事情多得忙不过来的时候，我就会列个单子，把所有要干的事情都写下来。
LL: That’s a good idea, but I have a better one. Since I can’t find my wallet I’ll just let you pay for dinner, and we can just bring back some leftovers to feed to my neighbor’s dog. OK?
LH: Hmm ... 也就是说，如果我花钱把你和邻居家的狗喂饱，你的问题就迎刃而解了，you won’t be at your wit’s end anymore? 听起来好象不太划算。不过算了，请客就请客，我都快饿疯了。
******
Larry和李华在餐馆里。
LH: 怎么这么久还不上菜？我们都点了一个小时了。饿死我了。
LL: Me too. If it doesn’t come soon, I’m going to find the manager and give him a piece of my mind.
LH: Give him a piece of what? 向经理投诉我支持，给他东西就不必了吧。
LL: Actually, when you give someone a piece of your mind, it means that you tell them how angry you are at them.
LH: 原来你是说，给餐馆经理a piece of your mind意思就是让他知道我们对他们的服务有多么的不满意。
LL: Exactly. And if after this long wait the food is really bad, I just might go back into the kitchen and give the cook a piece of my mind too.
LH: Wow, Larry, 看来你真是需要好好休息一下了。来，深呼吸，再吃块面包。
LL: You’re right Lihua. I would love to go on vacation, but my boss just gave me a lot of work to do, remember? I’d like to give her a piece of my mind, but I don’t want to get fired.
LH: 你可千万不能跟老板发火。万一被炒了鱿鱼，You would really be at your wit’s end.
LL: Well at least then I could take a vacation.
LH: 菜怎么还不来！都是因为你说喜欢在这家餐馆的儿童菜单上画画，我们才会到这儿来。幸好我现在心情还不错，否则，I might give you a piece of my mind.
LL: Lihua, I would rather wrestle a tiger than face your anger.
LH: 你是说我比熊还凶吗？
LL: Haha ... Look, the waiter is coming over with our food.
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是at my wit’s end，意思是束手无策，黔驴技穷.另一个是give somebody a piece of your mind，意思是直言不讳地指责别人。
礼节美语057讲
陈豪在北京的ABC美国公司工作，他到办公室去找美国同事Amy。
(Office ambience)
C：Amy, 今天晚上的表演你去吗？
A：Yes, I’m looking forward to it. Our new boss, Mr. Brown, is being kind to take us all to celebrate the success on our last project. Are you going?
C：去。可我从来没去过剧院。你给我讲讲要注意些什么。我可不想在老板面前丢人。
A：The first thing you should know is to be on time. Mr. Brown is picking up our tickets and will meet us in front of the theater at 7 o’clock.
C：我本来约好了跟朋友吃饭，然后再去。既然老板已经买了票，我们为什么还要提前到呢？
A：First of all, you do as the boss requests. Secondly, it is inconsiderate to arrive just as the curtain goes up.
C：反正已经有票了，表演开始前到不就行了吗？
A：That is exactly the point. If your seat happens to be in the middle of the row, you will have to climb over everyone else.
C：如果我坐在边上，里面的人后到，我该怎么做呢？
A：You might want to remain standing until those people turn up. Once the lights go down to signal that the show is beginning, take your seat.
C：如果表演开始后，坐在里面的人才到呢？
A：Ushers generally will not seat people after the performance has begun until there is an appropriate break. Be courteous and stand to make it easier for them to get by.
C：谢谢你，Amy, 我们晚上见。
******
晚上表演中场休息。
C：Amy, 你觉得今天的表演怎么样？
A：The play is excellent, but I am having trouble seeing and hearing.
C：为什么？
A：Well, the woman in front of me has on a big hat. I am having trouble seeing. She wasn’t being thoughtful when she decided to wear that monstrosity.
C： 什么叫monstrosity?
A：The word relates to monster. I suppose she wanted to dress up, but she overdid it. And by the way, what were you thinking when you decided to dress casually?
C：去剧院看表演还要穿西装打领带吗？
A：Absolutely, the theater is a special event and people should dress up for the occasion. You should at least have worn a coat and tie.
C：可我去看电影的时候，从来都穿得很随便的呀！
A：This isn’t the movies. It is a sign of respect to the actors and the other theater goers to look your best.
C：其实，我去之前也犹豫了一下。
A：I wish you had asked me. Since you didn’t, keep in mind that it is always better to dress up rather than dress down.
美国习惯用语第450讲
今天我们要学的习惯用语有共同的关键词，happy。大家也许早就知道happy意思是“快乐的。”我们要学的第一个习惯用语是: happy-go-lucky。 Lucky是“幸运的。” Happy-go-lucky是个相当古老的习惯用语，沿用至今有三百来年了。听到这个习惯用语包含happy和lucky这两个词，你也许在揣摩它一定用来描绘一个无忧无虑的幸运儿。你这是只猜对了一半。
我们听个例子来进一步体会happy-go-lucky，这个习惯用语的含义究竟是什么吧。他要告诉我们他朋友Bob的事儿。Bob可不是什么幸运儿。恰恰相反，Bob刚丢了工作，女朋友又跟他吹了，如今连房租都付不起，到处欠人的钱。然而他却说Bob is happy-go-lucky，你听听他为什么这样说。
例句-1：In Bob’s place I’d never get out of bed. But he’s happy-go-lucky as ever, greets you with that big smile, tells a few jokes, then invites you for a drink. What a guy!
他说：要是我处在Bob的地位我管保消沉得都不想起床了。但是Bob仍然是一如既往的乐天派。他满面笑容地跟你打招呼，说说笑笑，再请你喝上一杯。 可真有他的!
刚才说过Bob遇上了一连串的倒霉事儿，但是他却还是兴高采烈的，可见他是个乐天派。这种人即使在困境中也无忧无虑，因为老确信自己会时来运转。所以happy-go-lucky这个习惯用语的意思就是乐天知命，随遇而安的。
******
当然一个人要是happy-go-lucky，他难免会是盲目乐观。我们再学个用来描绘另一种乐呵呵的人的习惯用语: slap-happy。 Slap是用巴掌拍击。Slap happy原来出自拳击运动，说脑袋多次遭到打击因而晕头转向的那种人。Slap happy现在也常用来指人昏头昏脑的，但是却不是因为受到某种打击。是什么原因呢? 我们来听个例子，这段话说的是Mark，他太太刚为他生下了第一个宝贝。注意里面用到的习惯用语slap happy。
例句-2：The baby was born a month ago but Mark is still slap-happy about it. He keeps telling everybody all the smart things his kid does - to tell the truth, he’s getting pretty annoying.
他说：小宝宝是一个月前生的，但是Mark至今还乐得晕呼呼地。他逢人就谈孩子的那些聪明举动。 老实说吧，他可真叫人腻烦。
Mark为自己有了小宝贝而乐得忘乎所以，老跟人谈才一个月大的小孩有多聪明，叫人不胜其烦，可见Mark是给自己的幸福冲昏头脑了。所以slap-happy用来描绘被幸福或者胜利冲昏头脑的人，是高兴得晕头转向的意思。
******
再学个由happy发展而来的习惯用语: happy-camper。 Camper是野外露营的人，每年夏天成千上万美国人都爱带上孩子去野外山林间露营。露营是老少咸宜的度假方式。它既给爸妈一个休闲轻松的机会，也让孩子能跟小伙伴朝夕相处玩耍。
多数去露营的人回家时都兴致勃勃，觉得山河田野间的大自然生活多么清新宜人。从八十年代起happy camper开始成为习惯用语，用来描绘对自己的日常生活状况心满意足的老老少少。
奇怪的是如今人们常常会在否定句中用习惯用语happy camper。下面就是个典型例子。它描绘一次糟糕的飞越美国的旅行。
例句-3：It was an awful trip! We took off late, the air was bumpy, the plane was jammed, the toilets got stopped up, the food was terrible - we sure weren’t happy campers when we landed.
他说：这次旅行糟糕透了！我们起飞就晚点，空中气流不稳飞机因而颠簸得厉害。这次航班挤满了乘客，抽水马桶偏又阻塞不通，而且机上供应的饭食难以下咽。到着陆时我们都怨气冲天。
这里的weren’t happy campers含义是对所处的境遇非常不满意。