| 李华打电话问Larry，想不想到动物园参观新的熊猫展览。今天李华会学到两个常用语：to putz around和worrywart。 LH: 嘿，Larry，你在做什么？忙不忙？ LL: Not really. I was just putzing around the apartment, cleaning up a little and putting some things away. Why? What do you have in mind? LH: 噢，你在家打扫，整理东西。你还在家干什么啦？什么是putzing around？那是什么意思？ LL: To putz around is to behave idly, without anything very urgent or important to do. I don't have anything special to do, so I'm just putzing around doing minor things. LH: To putz around就是没有什么迫切或重要的事做，只是在家东晃晃，西摸摸。嗨，既然你没什么重要事做，要不要一块儿去动物园。我想去看新来的熊猫。 LL: Sure. We can putz around the zoo and look at the animals. The weather is beautiful today, so it will be nice to go outside. LH: 就是啊，今天天气这么好，待在家里太可惜了，还不如到动物园去逛逛，看看动物。 LL: Yeah, it's much better to putz around outside in the sunshine. It's so great to have time to relax. LH: 没错。前一阵子我忙得连睡觉的时间都没有，更别说四处闲晃了。说实话，我还真喜欢闲逛，I like to putz around。 LL: When do you want to leave? LH: 嗯，你半小时内能出门吗？我听说熊猫在下午的时候比较活跃，这时候去最有意思！ LL: Sure. I'll meet you at the university gate in half an hour. LH: 没问题！一会儿见！ LH: Larry，快点！我怕我们会错过这班公共汽车，太晚了我们就看不到熊猫了！ LL: Calm down, Li Hua. Don't be such a worrywart. We have plenty of time to catch the bus and the pandas aren't going anywhere. LH: 嘿！你又说我什么了？什么是worrywart？ LL: A worrywart, very simply, is a person who worries too much. LH: A Worrywart，就是指一个人不是担心这事，就是担心那事，而这些都是一些微不足道的事情。那不就是我们中文里说的“杞人忧天”吗？Larry，我真的是这样的人吗？ LL: Sometimes, you can be a worrywart. For instance, you worry a lot about your grades. LH: 可是，担心成绩不好。这很正常啊！很多人都会担心他们的成绩，学习成绩可不是什么微不足道的事呢！ LL: Most people worry about their grades, but you worry more than most people. LH: 我比别人担心更多！我才不信呢。你自己也不是老担心工作，老担心你老板和同事对你印象不好。 LL: I don't worry too much about work! I have a healthy concern for what my boss and my co-workers think, but I don't think I'm a worrywart. LH: 噢，我担心就是过份。你担心就是正常的！你自己想想，你应该8点上班，可上星期你每天早上5点就起床，就怕迟到。这不是过份么？ LL: Yeah, I guess that is a little extreme. I think I'll get more relaxed at work once I've gotten more settled in. I'm still new. LH: 我知道。你是刚到那家公司去工作，所以特别紧张。等到你习惯以后就会放松一些的。得了，我们还是好好享受今天这么棒的天气，去看熊猫喽！ 今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是to putz around，就是四处闲晃，无所事事的意思。另外一个常用语是worrywart，是指一个人担心个没完，就像中文里所说的“杞人忧天”。 |
