LL: Right. I"ll give you an example of how phone tag works. On Monday, I called my brother and left a message on his answering machine. On Monday night, he called me back, but I was out so HE left a message.

LH: 我也碰到过这种情况，上星期我打电话给一个朋友，他不在，我就留了言。他给我回电话的时候，我又不在，所以他留了言。 这样互相留言好几次，谁也找不到对方， 真是像捉迷藏一样。Phone tag这个词太生动了。

LL: Yes, and this game of phone tag with my brother has been going on for three days! I"m getting pretty tired of it.

LH: 你们这样phone tag已经三天了， 你为什么不给他写email，发电子邮件呢？

LL: I know, Li Hua. Next time I call, if I get his answering machine again, I am going to tell him exactly when I am at home. That should solve the phone tag problem.

LH: 对，你告诉他你什么时候在家，让他到时候 打过来就行了。 你还可以给他写email发电子邮件呀。 这可比打电话要省事多了。

LL: That is a good idea, but I like hearing his voice. It makes me feel closer to him, and I really don"t mind the phone tag too much.

LH: 那倒也是。通话和写信毕竟不一样。 我虽然也用email，可还是常给我爸爸妈妈打电话。

LL: I guess it would be pretty frustrating and expensive to play a game of long distance phone tag from China.

LH: 一般都是我每个星期在固定的时间打电话回家，因为从中国打到美国价钱比较贵。 So I don"t play phone tag with my family.

LL: Maybe I should try that with my brother. I"m sure he is tired of playing phone tag, too.

*****

LH: Larry， 你那么急着找你哥哥，有要紧的事吗?

LL: No, not really. I just want to chit chat.

LH: Chit chat是什么意思啊？

LL: To Chit Chat is to talk about general things that aren"t very important. I don"t really have anything specific or urgent to talk about.

LH: Chit Chat就是闲聊。那你和你哥哥平时都闲聊些什么呢？

LL: We chit chat about what is going on at work, what we"ve been doing for fun lately, and even about the weather.

LH: 嗯，聊工作，生活和天气，看来你们哥俩的关系很不错嘛。 我也喜欢和家人聊天，特别是和我妈妈。

LL: Chit chatting can be pleasant, but some times it can be annoying.

LH: 是啊，有时候聊天不仅没有乐趣反而令人烦恼，就好像昨天我正忙着写论文，我的朋友 Rachel 打电话来和我聊天。

LL: So, did you tell her you didn"t have time to chit chat?

LH: 一开始我没好意思告诉他我很忙。 然后聊了一会儿以后我对她说我在忙着写论文呢。

LL: I know Rachel. She really likes to chit chat. Did she get off the phone right away, when you told her you need to work?

LH: Rachel的确很喜欢聊天。我说我要赶快写论文，她还是不挂电话。真拿她没办法。

LL: Well, I have to say, Li Hua, I don"t mind chit chatting with you.

LH: 你也喜欢和我聊天？其实我也喜欢和朋友聊天。像现在这样，边喝茶边聊，很放松也很有意思。 当然要作功课的时候就不能chit chat了。

LL: That"s right! I think it"s time for you to work on your paper, and I need to try to call my brother again.

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是phone tag，意思是打电话找人，可是来回好几次，双方还是没讲上话。还有一个常用语是chit chat，意思是闲聊。

日期：2008-2-4 7:52:36

美国习惯用语第216讲

我们在这次节目里要给大家介绍的两个习惯用语都是指真实，可靠。我们已经讲过两个具有同样含义的习惯用语，它们是: On the level and kosher. 我们先来给大家介绍一个非常普遍的习惯用语。有的听众可能已经学过。

这个习惯用语就是: Open and aboveboard. Open这个字用处很多，在这里的意思是公开，aboveboard实际上可以分成两个字来理解，above就是在上面的意思，board是一块板，aboveboard就是在板上。所以，open and aboveboard就是一切都很公开，都放在桌面上，是大家都能看得清楚的。也可以说是一切都是光明正大的。我们来举一个例子吧。

这个例子里说话的人在告诉别人为什么他同意把钱投资在某一个公司。他说:

例句-1： I looked at a lot of places to invest my money. But I decided to invest it in the Jones company. They have a reputation for being open and aboveboard, and I feel my money will be safe in their hands.

这个人说: 为了拿我的钱去进行投资，我查看了好多地方。但是，我决定投资到琼斯公司。他们的名声很好，大家都知道这个公司是光明正大的。我觉得把钱交给他们是安全的。

下面是一个公司股员在说新近参加公司的那位经理。他说:

例句-2： We"re very pleased with this new manager. He handles everything open and aboveboard, so we know exactly what he"s trying to do. Besides, he listens to our opinions and adopts our suggestions. I think we"ll have more drive under him.

这个人说: 我们都很喜欢这个新来的经理。他处理事情总是很清楚、很公开；一切都是光明磊落，所以他想干什么我们都很清楚。另外，他也听取我们的意见、采纳我们的建议。我认为，在他的领导下我们会更有劲头。

我们现在再给大家讲一个形容老实可靠的习惯用语。这个习惯用语就是：On the up and up. On the up and up跟on the level以及kosher的含义都差不多的。我们现在来举一个例子。这是一个选民在说他准备投谁的票。

例句-3： I think I"ll vote for senator Blank again. He"s always been on the up and up with us voters - when he makes a promise he does his best to live up to it and men like that are hard to find.

女: 这个选民说：我想我还是会再投布兰克参议员一票的。他对我们这些选民总是很坦诚。凡是他做的保证，他总是尽力做到。像这样的人还很难找。

有些美国人现在对一些当选的政府官员也产生了不满情绪。这是因为在竞选的时候，每个候选人都针对选民的心理和他们所关系的问题做出种种保证。但是，一旦当选，他们就把自己在竞选时做的保证抛在脑后，不顾选民的利益了。当然有的是因为受到某些方面的压力无法实现自己的诺言。

有的人生来就比较轻信别人，容易上当。下面这个例子是一个哥哥在告诉他妹妹不要把每个人看作是正派的、诚实的。这是因为他妹妹受了她男朋友的骗。这个哥哥说：

例句-4： You trust every word of what he said. Then you found out he"s already married. He used up all your savings and now he"s gone. Mary， don"t think everyone is on the up and up with you. There"re dishonest people around， got to be careful!

这个哥哥说： 他说的话每个字你都信。然后，你发

日期：2008-2-4 7:53:29

流行美语第216课

李华和Larry今天要和在他们的朋友Jenny一起去钓鱼。李华会学到两个常用语：go ballistic和get a move on。

LH: Jenny怎么这么还不来啊。 我们已经等了20分钟了。 看见她我非和她算账不可。

LL: Hey, calm down Li Hua. Don"t go ballistic on Jenny when she gets here, there might be a good reason for her being late.

LH: 你说不要对Jenny怎么样？Ballistic? 我就知道ballistic missile，弹道导弹。

LL: That"s different. I said, don"t go ballistic. To go ballistic on someone means to get really angry, lose control and start screaming at this person.

LH: 原来你是说不要对Jenny大发脾气， 我当然不会了。我确实讨厌别人迟到，但是我决不会对人大声嚷嚷，礼貌还是要的。

LL: Oh really? What about that time you went ballistic on one of your students in Chinese class?

LH: 那个学生作弊，我当然得训斥了他两句呀！但是，我也没有对他大发雷霆， I didn"t go ballistic on him。 要是你，恐怕就会go ballistic了。

LL: Ok, then, what about the time that guy almost hit you with his car, and you were so angry - you definitely went ballistic on him.

LH: 那个人边开车边打电话，差点撞到我和一位老太太。我当然非常生气了。你可以说，我是发脾气了，I did go ballistic on him。 不过那是特别情况。我差一点命都没了。

LL: Didn"t you tell me before that you used to go ballistic on your old roommate all the time?

LH: 没错，我以前常跟我的同屋发脾气。 可是你知道，每天我要作功课了，她总是大声放那种摇滚乐，我跟她说了还不听。过了一个月，我实在受不了才对她发脾气的。

LL: Well, I definitely remember I heard you talking to someone in Chinese on the phone the other day, and it sounded to me like you really went ballistic on them.

LH: 你听到我在电话上跟人发火了？那是我表姐。 不过我并没有跟她发脾气呀。你今天是怎么了， 你老是指责我，不断地翻老账。 你要是再没完没了，我就对你不客气了。 I"ll be going ballistic on you.