流行美语 (Popular American) 322

Larry正在帮李华填税表。今天我们要学两个常用语：playing with fire和do it for me.

LH: Jeez, Larry. 美国报税怎么这么麻烦。要我说，定个25%什么的，所有人的收入都按这个税率交，那多简单。

LL: But Lihua, if it were so simple, all those accountants¹ wouldn't have jobs. Wouldn't that be terrible?

LH: 我可管不了那么多。对了，Larry, 你说，如果我把猫算做抚养对象来抵税的话，税务局会不会发现？

LL: Mr. Cuddles is very smart for a cat, but I don't think he counts as a child. Even though you might not get caught, it would still be playing with fire.

LH: Playing with fire? 玩火，我报税不老实，跟玩火有关系吗？

LL: Actually, Li Hua, when you say someone is playing with fire, it means² that she is doing something risky³.

LH: 哦，我明白了。 Playing with fire不是说真去玩火，而是指做某些危险的事情。

LL: Bingo. For example, say I noticed that you've been putting on weight lately. I could suggest you try to lose some weight, but if I know anything about women, that would definitely⁴ be playing with fire.

LH: 算你聪明。劝女孩子减肥，那你可是引火烧身。不过，Larry, 报税实在太无聊了。不如别报了，咱们去看电影吧。

LL: But Lihua, the deadline is coming up soon! If we wait until the last minute to send it in, we'll really be playing with fire.

LH: 这倒也是。如果报税过了最后期限，那可是自找麻烦。有了，不如我们花点钱，在网上找家报税公司，让他们去做吧！

LL: I don't know, Lihua. Lots of those Web⁵ sites don't seem trustworthy. If you gave them a lot of your personal information, you would really be playing with fire.

LH: 有道理。如果个人信息在网上被骇客偷走，那才真是玩火呢。看来，还是要求你帮忙。

LL: No problem. That's what I'm here for.

LH: 你说，如果把我的婚姻状况填成已婚，能不能少交点税？

LL: Lihua, you are definitely playing with fire.

******

三个小时过后。

LH: 啊... 终于填完了。我现在最大的愿望就是搬到Cayman Island去，每天都是明媚的阳光和温暖的沙滩，而且不用交税。

LL: Yeah, but what about Mr. Cuddles? I think he would be really hot, and he would get lots of sand in his fur.

LH: 那不行。我们家Cuddles可不能受半点委屈。要不，我把他寄养在你家吧？

LL: I don't think so, Lihua. Cats don't do it for me.

LH: Cats don't do what for you, Larry? 我们家Mr. Cuddles能做不少把戏呢！不信你试试看！

LL: Actually, when you say that something doesn't do it for you, it means you don't really like it.

LH: 哦，我知道了，说一件事情do not do it for me, 就是说不合我的口味，我不喜欢。

LL: Exactly! Or for example, do you know how lots of men think Angelina Jolie is really beautiful?

LH: Larry, 你最好小心！如果你是哪个女明星的粉丝的话，最好不要说出来，否则的话....

LL: Actually, what I was going to say is that although lots of men think Angelina Jolie is really beautiful, she doesn't really do it for me.

LH: 哦，原来Angelina Jolie不是你喜欢的类型。She is not your type.

LL: You got it. But now that we're finished with your taxes, let's go out and have some fun. Do you want to go out to a restaurant for dinner?

LH: 好啊。还去上个月去过的那家墨西哥餐馆怎么样？我太喜欢吃墨西哥菜了！

LL: Yeah...it wasn't too bad, but to be honest, it didn't really do it for me. Let's go somewhere that we both really love.

LH: It didn't do it for you? 你竟然觉得一般？好吧，今天听你的，谁让你帮我报税呢！

LL: Hmm ... Say, you know what restaurant really did it for me? The Italian restaurant downtown we went to last week.

LH: 慢着慢着，那次吃完意大利菜，你不是闹肚子来着吗？I think going there might be playing with fire. 你再去不是“玩火”吗？

LL: Yeah, it made me sick later, but the food was so delicious it was worth it.

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是playing with fire, 意思是做危险的事情，玩火。另一个是do it for me意思是合乎我的口味和爱好。
 

1 accountants   

n.会计人员，会计师( accountant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a firm of accountants 会计事务所
• the Institute of Chartered Accountants （英国皇家）特许会计师协会

2 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

5 web   

n.网，蛛丝，蹼，织物，圈套，卷筒纸；vi.生蹼，形成网；vt.织蜘蛛网于，使落入圈套

参考例句：

• The spider weaves a web.蜘蛛织网。
• You mean the World Wide Web?你是说国际互联网？