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今天Michael 和Li Hua 在一起做功课。Li Hua 会学到两个常用语：bail 和call it
quits。
M: Agghh! Come on, Li Hua. We've been studying for five hours. I'm ready to bail!
L: 是啊，我们做了5 个小时的功课，我也想干点儿别的了。可是Michael, 你说
你准备做什么？You're ready to bail。bail, 那是一种游戏吗？
M: No, silly. I said "I'm ready to bail". "To bail" as in "to leave".
L: 噢，To bail 在这里是"离开"的意思。可是明天就要考试了，我们还没复习完呢！
M: Please, Li Hua. I already know the material. I'm ready for tomorrow's test. Let's bail
and get something to eat!
L: 好吧，我肚子也饿了，Let's bail and get something to eat! Michael, 你对明天的
考试这么有把握，你是不是昨天晚上就开始复习啦？
M: Not really. I went to a movie with some friends last night. After the movie, they
wanted to go to a dance club, but I bailed on them and went home to get some sleep.
L: 噢，你昨天晚上和朋友去看电影，然后你的朋友们去跳舞，可是you bailed on
them, 意思就是你没和他们一起去，对不对？
M: That's right. I bailed on my friends and went home.
L: 噢，那Michael, 除了可以说bail on someone, 还可不可以说bail on something
呢？
M: Of course! For instance, last week I had a dentist appointment, so I had to bail on
history class.
L: 对啊，上星期，你因为要去看牙，所以没有上历史课，You bailed on history class.
M: Come on, Li Hua. I'm starving. Let's bail and get something to eat!
(Door open and the two leave...)
* *****
M: (in restaurant) By the way, Li Hua, I heard that Jack isn't going to be in school next
term. Is he really calling it quits?
L: 什么？Jack 下学期就不来上学啦？你说他calling it quits, quit 不就是"放弃"的
意思吗？你是说Jack 下学期就要退学啦？
M: Ya, that's right. "To call it quits" means to quit doing something. I heard that Jack is
calling it quits.
L: 噢，to call it quits 意思就是"停止做某件事"，可是，我听说Jack 只不过是想先
打半年工，多挣点钱，明年他还会回来继续上学，He's not really calling it quits.
M: That's good to hear.
L: Michael, 那这个to call it quits 还可以用在别的地方吗？
M: Sometimes "to call it quits" means to break up a relationship between a boyfriend
and girlfriend.
L: 噢，原来to call it quits 还可以用来表示男女朋友分手，这就让我想到啦，不久
前好莱坞电影明星Ben Afleck 和Jennifer Lopez, 他们俩本来都订婚了，可是后来
又推迟了婚礼，大家就觉得很奇怪啊：Are Ben and J-Lo calling it quits?
M: (sighs) I can't stand those two. I hope that this time they are calling it quits for real,
so I never have to hear about them again.
L: 你倒希望他们俩真分手，这样你再也不会听到他们的消息啦。嗨，Michael 你
也真是的，他们写他们的，你不看不就得了。你不是老说功课太多吗？对了，你
还说选修的阿拉伯语课太难 - Are you going to call it quits?
M: No, I'm not going to call it quits! I am going to finish it.
L: 哇，从来没见过你这么大的决心呐！我还记得你学中文的时候有好几次都想call
it quits 呢！
M: Whatever.
今天李华学到了两个常用语，一个是bail, 表示"离开"。另一个是call it quits, 意
思是"停止做某件事"。 |