李華和Larry在討論晚飯吃什么。他們會用到兩個常用語:turn a new leaf和take baby steps.
Larry: I'm starving, Lihua! What should we eat for dinner today?
LH: 晚飯?只要不吃你的最愛 - 漢堡包和薯條 - 就行!
Larry: What are you talking about? I wasn't planning on eating fast food!
LH: 我才不信呢。不是漢堡包,那一定是炸雞!
Larry: Nope. Lihua, I know I used to eat a lot of unhealthy fast food in the past, but now I've turned a new leaf - I'm never going to eat fast food again!
LH: You turned a leaf? 什么意思?
Larry: To turn a new leaf means to start over fresh - to totally get rid of bad habits and start over new again.
LH: 哦,to turn a new leaf,就是甩掉壞習(xí)慣,從頭開始,
Larry: Right. Lately, my bad eating habits have been making me feel just awful. So, I decided to turn a new leaf and start eating only fresh, healthy foods - starting today.
LH: 你說,因為你一直吃垃圾食品,感覺身體狀態(tài)很差,所以你要痛改前非,從今天開始吃健康食品!太好了, Larry!
Larry: Lihua, I have been gaining a little weight lately... But, that will all change now that I turned a new leaf and started living a healthy lifestyle!
LH: 哈,你要從頭開始,過健康生活! Larry, 你真能做到么?
Larry: No problem, Lihua! When I make a decision, I stay with it!
LH: 是么?我昨天剛買了一大袋你最喜歡的薯片,既然你已經(jīng)走上了健康生活之路。這些薯片,就由我替你消滅吧!
Larry: Ah? You mean, you bought some Lays Double - Cheese and Sour Cream Potato Chips?
LH: 對啊,就是你最喜歡吃的,雙層奶酪加酸奶油口味! 好可惜啊,早知道你turned a new leaf, 我就不浪費錢了。
Larry: Well, wait a minute, Lihua. We can't just let your money go to waste. Maybe I can just eat a little bit now to hold me over until we have dinner...
LH: 什么?你想在吃飯前先來些薯片墊墊底?你剛才還說從今天起再也不吃垃圾食品了呢!
Larry: Oh, Lihua! But I can't just turn a whole new leaf all at once - that would be too difficult. Maybe I can just take baby steps towards my goal.
LH: 你是說,你不可能一下子把生活方式全改變,所以得take baby steps。我猜,這就是慢慢來,循序漸進,對么?
Larry: Yes! I could make slow progress towards my goal. You know, like taking small baby steps.
LH: 可你的“慢慢來”是指多慢?不會要10年吧!
Larry: Lihua, if I take baby steps, even though the whole process will take a lot more time, it will be a lot less difficult. It's like getting into a swimming pool. First, you have to put your foot in to see if the water is cold. Then, put both legs in. Then, slowly...
LH: 這也太慢了!直接跳進游泳池,多痛快!
Larry: I don't know how to swim!
LH: 行啦,Larry! 我看你不用慢慢來,拖拖拉拉地更難受!
Larry: With that bag of chips calling my name over there, I'm already in pain, Lihua! I gotta have some!
LH: ???Larry, 你的健康生活呢?這么快就放棄啦?
(搶薯片袋的聲音)
Larry: Give me that bag! I promise I'll only eat a little bit! I'm making baby steps towards my goal of eating healthy!
LH: 哼,給你給你!
Larry: Thank you very much! Man, I haven't had these in so long - hey, wait a minute. These are...dried banana chips?
LH: 沒錯,這些是干香蕉片! Larry, I've turned a new leaf in my live as well.
Larry: Huh? What leaf?
LH: 我以前總是縱容你,給你買垃圾食品,現(xiàn)在,我也要從新來過。我發(fā)誓:以后再也不給你買這些不健康的吃的了。咱們就一起努力吧!
今天李華學(xué)了兩個常用語,一個是to turn a new leaf,意思是“從新開始,痛改前非”。另一個是take baby steps,意思是“慢慢來,循序漸進”。