美国之音《流行美语》 368 keep your shirt on

　　李华和Larry要去朋友家聚餐，俩人正在包饺子。他们会用到两个常用语：keep your shirt on和to walk all over someone.
LH: Larry! 你那个饺子里放的馅儿太多了! 肯定得破!
Larry: Sorry, Lihua, I'm trying my best here. Look, I've already made half a dozen dumplings - see?
LH: 啊？都快半个小时了，你才包了六个饺子？?
Larry: Keep your shirt on! You know I've never made Chinese dumplings before, Lihua.
LH: Larry, 你在说什么啊？ keep my shirt on?! 我又没脱衣服!
Larry: (Sigh) OK, let's both relax. What I mean is, try to be more patient. "Keep your shirt on" means¹ "be patient."
LH: "Keep your shirt on"是“耐心点儿”的意思？那好吧，I will try to keep my shirt on.
Larry: And I'll try to work more quickly. (Pause) Here - is this how to close the dumpling?
LH: 天啊, Larry, 你这个饺子包得太难看了! 在包饺子的时候，You need to keep your shirt on, too - 你也得有点耐心，慢慢包!
Larry: Why don't you help me? The work will go twice as fast - and you can show me how to properly make a Chinese dumpling.
LH: 好吧，听我说。包饺子最怕饺子皮按不紧，我有个笨办法，就是在皮的四周抹上一圈水，然后再按紧。你看，这样，饺子就不会“张嘴”啦!
Larry: Hey, not so fast! How did you do that so quickly? Why can't I make dumplings like that?
LH: 熟能生巧啊，慢慢练习，keep your shirt on! 不过，今天没时间让你慢慢练了，咱们得快点包，聚餐快开始了! 哎？刚才让你烧开水，水开了没有？
Larry: Keep your shirt on, Lihua! It should be boiling in a minute.
(手机铃声响)
LH: 啊呀，来电话催了! (接起电话) 喂？... 啊，对不起，还没有做好，就快好了! 我知道! 好好，对不起了啊，恩，好拜拜. (挂电话) 唉! 我朋友着急了!
Larry: Geez, she seems really rude! You shouldn't let her walk all over you like that.
LH: Walk... over me? 什么意思？
Larry: I mean you need to stand up for yourself. To let someone walk all over you means that you are allowing someone to be very rude to you.
LH: 哦，to walk all over someone就是对某人蛮横无理。
Larry: That's right, and you shouldn't let your friend walk all over you like that.
LH: 你说得对。不过，这个女生是我师姐，我应该尊重她。她说两句就说两句吧!
Larry: Respecting her and letting her walk all over you are two different things. For example, I definitely² need to respect my boss when he tells me I did something wrong. However, if he made me stay late every night at work, that's walking all over me, and I don't have to accept that.
LH: 对，要是老板天天让你加班，就没有道理了，明显是在欺负人，你没必要照做。
Larry: Exactly. Respect between two people should be mutual³ - regardless⁴ of how old they are.
LH: 你说得对! 哎？水开了没有，咱们快点把饺子做好吧!
Larry: Let's take our time. I don't want to hurry just to make your rude friend happy.
LH: 她要是再打电话来催我，我一定会让她keep her shirt on - 耐心点! 不过咱们也得加快速度，再包它二十个!
Larry: Keep your shirt on, Lihua! I'll go as fast as I can!
LH: Larry, 包完饺子你还得赶快去趟中国超市!
Larry: The store? For what?
LH: 买腊八蒜啊! 吃饺子哪能没有腊八蒜! 另外，你最好再额外买点小菜，点心什么的......
Larry: I'm beginning to think you are walking all over me, too!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是 Keep your shirt on，意思是“保持耐心”。另一个是 to walk all over someone 意思是“对某人蛮横无理”。

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

3 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

4 regardless   

adj.不留心的，不注意的；不管，不顾；adv.无论如何，不管怎样

参考例句：

• I protested,but she carried on regardless.我极力反对，但她仍一意孤行。
• I shall go regardless of the weather.无论天气好坏我都要去。