【大紀元11月6日訊】今天Larry和Li Hua一起去醫院看望一個生病的朋友Laura。Li Hua會學到兩個常用語：pick-me-up和lay off。
(Street noises)
LH: 哎，Larry, 我覺得Laura生病以後一直情緒不好 – 我真的很替她擔心。
LL: Well, this visit should be a nice pick-me-up for her. I’m sure she’ll like the flowers you bought her.
LH: 我也希望她會喜歡我買的這些花。可是，Larry, 你說我們去醫院看她，對她是個 “pick-me-up”, 什麼是”pick-me-up” 啊？
LL: A pick-me-up as one word is something that makes someone feel better or gives them energy.
LH: 噢，原來”pick-me-up” 合起來是一個詞，表示「能讓人振作起來、讓人心情好起來的東西」。所以你說我們去醫院看Laura會讓她心情好起來啊！
LL: That’s right. Here is another example – If you receive a birthday card from your best friend, you must feel good. So, the card for you is a “pick-me-up”.
LH: 對呀，好朋友送我生日卡片，那肯定會讓我很高興。只可惜生日一年只有一次。Larry, 我如果情緒低落，你猜我會怎麼辦？我吃巧克力。Chocolate is a good pick-me-up.
LL: I don’t really like chocolate, so when I need a pick-me-up, I usually eat ice cream.
LH: 我也喜歡吃冰淇淋，不過，和冰淇淋比起來，我還是覺得「逛街買東西」更容易幫我調節心情。
LL: Well, that’s a good pick-me-up for girls, but most guys don’t enjoy shopping that much.
LH: 你說得太對了。「逛街買東西」常常能讓女孩子一下子心情就好起來，可是對男生來說恐怕就不那麼靈了。唉，真可惜Laura現在在醫院裡，要不然我可以約她出來逛街呢！
LL: Well, I’m sure that seeing her friends and getting such pretty flowers will be a great pick-me-up for her.
LH: 就是啊，見到我們還有這些好看的花她一定會高興起來的。前面就是醫院了。哎，Larry, 走了一路，我有點兒累了。我們先到這家咖啡館喝杯咖啡怎麼樣？
LL: Yeah, I’m kind of tired, too. I could use a little pick-me-up.
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LL: Laura seemed so spacey. I think that maybe the doctors should lay off the painkillers.
LH: 就是啊，Laura好像顯得昏昏沉沉的，所以你覺得醫生應該給她開止疼藥 – painkiller 啊？
LL: No, I meant they should STOP giving her painkillers. To lay off something is to stop using it or to stop doing it, and to lay off someone is to stop bothering him or her…
LH: 噢，原來Lay off something的意思就是「停止用某種東西」或者「停止做某件事」。那lay off someone的意思就是「別再煩某個人」。原來你說的是醫生應該給Laura停用止疼藥嗎？
LL: You got it! You see – Painkillers tend to make the person spacey. That’s why I think the doctors should lay off the painkillers for Laura.
LH: 說得也是，止疼藥是會讓人暈暈乎乎的。哎，Larry, 我們能不能再到那個咖啡館買杯咖啡呀？我看了Laura那麼難受的樣子，我也得提提神了- I need another pick-me-up.
LL: Hey, Li Hua, you ought to lay off the caffeine. You’re going to become addicted!
LH: 你要我別喝那麼多咖啡，不然會上癮？嗨，Larry, 別管我的事， lay off me, 我啊，就是想喝這杯咖啡！
LL: Alright, alright. Don’t be mad at me.
LH: 哎喲，我也不是真的和你急嘛。我只不過是想用”lay off someone” 來舉個例子， 哎，你說我用得對嗎?
LL: Yes, you sure used it correctly. Now, shall we lay off the English lessons for a while? I think I will have some ice cream as a pick-ME-up.
LH: 好啊，我們倆這個「英語課」要先告一段落，你吃冰淇淋。我呢，還是喝我的咖啡！
今天李華從Larry那兒學到兩個常用語，一個是pick-me-up, 意思是「給人提神、讓人心情一下子好起來的東西」；李華學到的另外一個常用語是lay off, lay off something意思是「停止做某件事」， lay off someone意思是「別煩某個人」。(//www.dajiyuan.com)
