美国之音《流行美语》 364

　　一天晚上，Larry给李华打电话，他们会用到两个常用语： not have the heart to do something和get on someone's nerves¹。
LH: (Ringing) (in soft voice) Ha lou?
Larry: Hey, Lihua, what are you up to?
LH: (still in soft voice) Larry, 我在图书馆呢!
Larry: Still? It's already 10pm! Is everything alright?
LH: 等一下，我到外面去......好了，Larry, 我在这里帮一个同学做作业呢，我答应他帮忙的，可没想到会搞到这么晚，我好想回家啊!
Larry: You don't have the heart to tell him so?
LH: Don't have the heart? 什么意思？
Larry: To "not have the heart" to do something means that you don't want to be mean or rude to someone. You don't have the heart to tell your classmate that you want to go home instead of helping² him.
LH: 哦，not have the heart to do something就是不忍心做某事。没错! 我就是不忍心跟那位同学说，天太晚了，他应该自己做作业，我要回家了！而且，我这个礼拜每天晚上都在帮他写作业，实在有点烦！
Larry: I know you may not have the heart to say no to him, but you have things to do, too. It's OK if you tell him you don't have time to help him every night.
LH: 的确是这样。可他真的很担心自己的成绩，看着怪可怜的，我实在不忍心拒绝他。我该怎么办呢？
Larry: It's alright, Lihua - just be honest with him. He'll understand. Remember last year when the Chinese Culture Club asked us to bake 100 cookies for their fundraiser?
LH: 对！他们让我们帮忙烤100个饼干，可当时我正在准备期末考试，差点就同意了，幸好你帮我拒绝了。
Larry: I knew you wouldn't have the heart to refuse, so I did it for you. And remember, they completely understood that you didn't have time to bake during finals.
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LH: 不过Larry，我总觉得对别人能帮就帮，这样大家都高兴。比如上次你侄子让我去参加他们小学的足球野餐，我虽然知道那是小孩子的活动，没什么意思，可还是去了啊！
Larry: Well, this is a little bit different. It seems your classmate is being pretty demanding... and he's starting to get on your nerves with all the help he's asking of you.
LH: Get on my nerves? 你说他走上了我的神经? 什么意思啊？
Larry: Yes, get on your nerves. I mean, he's really starting to annoy you. He's getting on your nerves.
LH: 哦， to get on my nerves就是让我觉得烦! 唉，说起来，现在我的烦心事儿多着呢。
Larry: Like what?
LH: 坏天气啊，作业啊，老师啊，有时候，甚至连你都让我看着不顺眼!
Larry: OK, don't drag me into this....
LH: 你还说呢！上礼拜在书店买书，排队的时候，你也不帮我拿那些书，多沉啊，我一个人拿得手都酸了!
Larry: That got on your nerves? Why didn't you say something? I would have happily helped you carry them.
LH: 这种事情还要我说啊！你可真是 get on my nerves!
Larry: (A little exasperated) OK, I give up. I know you are a little frustrated³ right now because of the situation with your classmate. Let's just focus on that.
LH: Larry, 你不会生气了吧？ 我开玩笑的啦!
Larry: It's OK, Lihua. Look, just be honest with your classmate. You don't have to tell him that he's getting on your nerves, but you can be very direct and honest with him - this is American culture, it's OK!
LH: 可是，这个同学是中国人啊!
Larry: Well, just try to be honest with him. And if you really don't have the heart to do that...just tell him you're getting a cold.
LH: 装病？好了好了，我得进去了，又下雨了，这鬼天气! It is really getting on my nerves! 真叫我心烦！对了，一会儿你能开车来接我么？
Larry: Sure - as long as you don't make me go into library looking for you. Last time the librarian was really getting on my nerves. She wouldn't let me in without a student ID.
LH: 好吧，你到了给我打电话，我就出来。对了！ Larry, 既然我不好意思跟同学说我要回家，不如你替我跟他说？
Larry: You can do it, Lihua. I'll see you soon.
LH: 那好吧! 待会儿见!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是not have the heart to do something，表示“不忍心做某事”。另一个是get on someone's nerves, 意思是“惹某人厌烦”。

1 nerves   

n.神经紧张 vt.鼓起勇气

参考例句：

• What he said at the meeting strung her nerves up. 他在会议上的发言使她的神经很紧张。
• At the end of a day's teaching, her nerves were absolutely shattered. 教了一天课，她精疲力竭。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》