【大紀元11月12日訊】

今天是星期六，Larry和李華要和另外一個同學Jim一塊兒去吃午飯，然後再去看電影。今天李華會學到兩個常用語：to dump someone和babe magnet.

　　LL: Li Hua, Jim sounded really bummed on the phone. His girlfriend just dumped him and I don’t think he’s handling it very well.
　　LH: Jim在電話上聽起來情緒很壞？他女朋友把他怎麼啦？Dumped him？甚麼是dump？
　　LL: Well, first they had a fight and then she dumped him. To dump is to break up with someone.
　　LH: 噢，原來dump someone就是不要和某人在一起了。也就是Jim的女朋友把他給甩了。是呀，男女朋友分手是挺難受的。
　　LL: Yeah, I can’t believe she dumped him after they’d been together for two years. It’s really a shock.
　　LH: 我聽了也很驚奇。他們在一起已經兩年了，Jim脾氣又那麼好，為甚麼他女朋友要把他甩了？為甚麼要dump him?
　　LL: I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me the reason why she dumped him.
　　LH: 他不原意告訴你為甚麼。對，有的人是不原意跟別人談這種細節。會不會Jim的女朋友愛上別人了？
　　LL: That’s possible, but it’s not really any of our business. We should just try and cheer him up while we’re with him.
　　LH: 對，這是他們之間的事。我們不必過問。我們今天就想辦法讓他高興一點就好了。哎，Larry，你有沒有被女朋友甩過？ Have you ever been dumped?
　　LL: I really don’t want to talk about that, Li Hua. If I have been dumped, it’s not something I’m proud of.
　　LH: 你不想告訴我。我能理解，被別人甩了確實不是甚麼值得驕傲的事。這麼說，你被甩過。You have been dumped. 為甚麼？
　　LL: Li Hua! I told you that I don’t want to talk about it.
　　LH: 對不起，對不起。我只是好奇。你人那麼好，為甚麼你的女朋友會甩了你。我只是覺得很難想像而已。
　　LL: Don’t worry about it. Hey, look, we’re almost at Jim’s place.

***

　　LH: 嘿，Larry, 剛才吃飯的時候，你說Jim是個babe magnet，他聽了好像開心一點。Babe magnet到底是甚麼意思啊？
　　LL: A babe magnet is a man who attracts lots of women, the way a magnet attracts metal. I was trying to make him feel better.
　　LH: 噢，我懂了，babe就是指女孩子，而magnet就是磁鐵，所以一個babe magnet就是很能吸引女孩的人。你這麼說是為了安慰Jim。意思是他很快就會找到新女朋友了，是不是？
　　LL: Exactly. If he feels good about himself and thinks about future possibilities, then he won’t be so depressed about getting dumped.
　　LH: 沒錯。只要Jim對自己有信心，覺得前途有希望，他就不會太難過了。而且Jim真的是一個babe magnet啊！他長的一表人才，又聰明，對人也好。我想很多女孩都會喜歡他！
　　LL: Hey, Li Hua, if you think he’s such a babe magnet, then why don’t you go out with him?
　　LH: Larry! 你在說甚麼嘛！我說Jim是個好人並不意味著我就要和他談戀愛啊。
　　LL: I know; I’m just teasing you. Besides, even if Jim is an irresistible babe magnet, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go out with him right now.
　　LH: 我同意。他現在情緒不好。最好等一段時間再開始談戀愛。Larry，有沒有人告訴你，你也算得上是個babe magnet?
　　LL: I don’t need anyone to tell me I’m a babe magnet. I already know it.
　　LH: 是嗎？口氣還真不小嘛，你早知道自己是個babe magnet啊?
　　LL: Yep. Women love me. They told me I’m a babe magnet.
　　LH: (Giggling) 你要真是個babe-magnet，那你怎麼會被甩的呢？
　　LL: Li Hua, I told you…
　　LH: 開個玩笑嘛！
　　今天李華學到兩個常用語。一個是to dump someone，就是把某人甩了，和這個人分手的意思。另一個常用語是babe magnet。這是指一個能吸引女孩的男人。(//www.dajiyuan.com)