流行美語 第242課

李华告诉Larry说，她跟一个学生约好，十点在她的办公室见面，谈谈这个学生的成绩，可以这个学生没有赴约。李华今天要学两个常用语no show和lala land。

LL: So, you made an appointment¹ with this student to talk about his grades, and he was a no show?

LH: A no show? 对呀，他没来，没有出现，所以叫no show。这种说法简洁明了。

LL: Right, a no show is some one who doesn't show up when they have agreed to. But, it is really rude to be a no show.

LH: 确实不礼貌。我专门跑到办公室来，等了他好长时间，谁知道他却是个no show。

LL: So, he didn't even call you to tell you that he wasn't going to come? It is even ruder to be a no show and not have called to let the person know you can't come.

LH: 对呀，不来就已经很不礼貌了，连个电话都不打，就更不礼貌了。说实话，我挺意外的，因为这个学生看起来不象是那么不懂事的人。

LL: Well, maybe something unexpected² happened to him. There might be a good reason why he was a no show.

LH: 失约还有什么好理由吗？

LL: Well, maybe he was a no show because his car broke down, or he got lost, or even worse maybe he had an accident.

LH: 是呀，我怎么就没想到呢。他的车可能会在半路抛锚。还有他可能会迷路。更可怕的是，还可能会出车祸。我本来挺生气的，让你这么一说，我反而开始替他担心了。

LL: I remember one time when I was in college I made an appointment with a professor³ and ended up being⁴ a no show because my car ran out of gas.

LH: 什么，车跑到半路没油了？你那个教授肯定火冒三丈。那后来呢？

LL: I felt so bad about being a no show, the first thing I did when I got to a phone was call the professor and apologize⁵.

LH: 打电话道歉？那我们再等等吧，也许过一会儿我的学生就会打电话来了。

LL: Have you ever been a no show for anything, Li Hua?

LH: 倒是有一次，我的闹钟没响，所以睡过了头，结果没去上课。

LL: That's not so bad. Lots of students are no shows for classes.

LH: 不好意思的是，那是我教的一门课。(Phone rings) 等等，我接一下电话。

******

LL: Hey, was that your student? Did he have a good reason for being a no show or was he just in lala land?

LH: 打电话的就是那个学生。你为什么会觉得他在lala land呢？Lala land在哪呀？

LL: Lala land isn't a real place. It is a state of mind. It is where you go when you are day dreaming and not paying attention to the things going on in the real world.

LH: 我明白了，lala land不是一个地方，而是仙境、幻境的意思，做白日梦就是去了 "lala land"。这样说来，那个学生确实是去了lala land。

LL: Really?! He was off in lala land when he forgot his appointment with you?

LH: 没错，他当时正在跟朋友吃饭，完全忘记了跟我约好要见面。

LL: Yes, it sounds like he was in lala land. So what did you say when he told you this?

LH: 虽然我知道“忘了”不能算是失约的理由，但我还是很高兴他能打电话来道歉，谁都有忘事的时候。换句话说，大家可能都到过lala land。

LL: That's right. Just last week I was a no show for a haircut⁶ appointment because I was off in Lala land.

LH: 还有更好笑的。昨天我监考，有个学生走过来问我问题。

LL: Let me guess, you were so far off in lala land, you didn't even know the student was there!

LH: 你怎么知道的！我当时确实有点儿心不在焉，那个学生碰了一下我的肩膀才让我醒过神来。

今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是no show，意思是失约。另外一个是lala land，意思是身处幻境，心不在焉。
 

1 appointment   

n.约会，指定

参考例句：

• I have an appointment with him at four o'clock.我和他四点钟有个约会。
• They made an appointment for the second day of May.他们在五月二号有个约会。

2 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。

3 professor   

n.教授，公开表示信仰的人

参考例句：

• He is famous as a professor.他作为教授享有盛名。
• I happen to know that professor.我正好认识那位教授。

4 being   

n.存在；生存；生命存在，生命，人， 本质；art.在，有，是

参考例句：

• Can you explain to me the purpose of being?你能对我解释一下存在的目的吗？
• What is the purpose of our being?我们生存的目的是什么？

5 apologize   

vi.道歉，谢罪；vt.道歉，谢罪，辩白

参考例句：

• You must apologize to her for having kept her waiting.让她等了这么久，你应该为此向她表示歉意。
• I must apologize for calling so late.我真是抱歉这么晚了才打电话给你。

6 haircut   

n.理发，剪发的方式

参考例句：

• Get yourself a haircut!快去理个发吧！
• He is going to have a haircut.他要去理发。