流行美语 (Popular American) 339

李华和Larry在夏威夷渡假。俩人今天去冲浪。今天我们要学两个常用语：make light of something和in over one's head.

LH: Larry, 我早就想学冲浪了，听说夏威夷是世界上最适合冲浪的地方。

LL: Really? I've also heard that the waters have big sharks. Are you sure you wouldn't rather build sand castles?

LH: 在海边用沙子堆城堡？哈，Larry, 你是不是害怕了？放心，鲨鱼看见咱俩，一定会选择我。

LL: I wouldn't make light of the situation, Lihua. There really are sharks!

LH: Make light of the situation? 那是什么意思啊？

LL: You can say that you make light of a situation when you joke about something that is actually very serious.

LH: 哦， to make light of 一件事情就是拿正经事当儿戏。那你是说海水里真的有鲨鱼，我不应该拿咱俩谁的肉更香开玩笑喽？

LL: Right! Now, Lihua, you're a good swimmer, right? The ocean is pretty strong here.

LH: 我以前上中学的时候还是游泳校队的呢。这点海浪难不倒我，Larry, 你怎么今天好象特别的婆婆妈妈。

LL: Well, I just wouldn't make light of the fact that the currents can be very dangerous.

LH: 看，这么多孩子在水里玩，如果你有什么事，他们一定会去救你的。

LL: Haha, very funny. You know, you can also say that you take something lightly when you don't treat it as seriously as you should.

LH: 哦，就是不把正经事当回事儿的意思。Larry, 我是来渡假的，不是来学英语的，咱们还是赶快下水吧！

LL: Wait! First we should put on some sunscreen. Getting a sun burn is really unhealthy, so we don't want to take that lightly.

LH: 对对对，被太阳晒脱皮可非同小可。

LL: Yeah, we shouldn't take skin cancer lightly, so I always try not to get a tan¹.

LH: 怎么样，现在可以让教练带我们下水了吧？

LL: Sure. You go in first and make sure the sharks aren't hungry. I'll follow once I know it's safe.

LH: 真够绅士的。

******

李华和Larry结束了冲浪课程，回到岸上。

LH: Wow, Larry, 太过瘾了。我准备辞掉工作，留下来做职业冲浪运动员。

LL: Not me. I think half the water in the ocean went up my nose.

LH: 别灰心，只要坚持练习，一定会熟能生巧，到时候，别人看到你冲浪就会惊呼，WOW...

LL: I don't know, Lihua. I think I might be in over my head.

LH: 你说什么？In over your head? 你意思是站在深水里，水快要没过头了吗？

LL: Right! You can say that you are in over your head when you are facing a challenge that you aren't able to handle.

LH: 哦，我明白了，in over one's head意思是太难了，难以驾驭。你是说自己学不会冲浪吗？

LL: Right. For another example, in college, I once tried to take a physics class, but I soon realized I was in over my head because I'm really bad at math.

LH: 这我太能理解了，我数学也不好，所以物理课一直是我的弱项。你说Larry, 咱们明天到底干嘛？去爬山如何？

LL: You want to hike on one of the volcanoes²?

LH: 当然了，如果能在上面宿营就更棒了。

LL: Well Lihua, neither of us is an experienced³ hiker. I don't want to go far out in the forest and realize we are in over our heads.

LH: 要不找个导游？对了，Larry, 我有个更好的主意。我们可以骑车环岛游！

LL: I don't know....I'm not in good shape, and that is a really long bike ride. I think I would be in over my head.

LH: 那你说，咱们干点什么才能不让你in over your head呢？

LL: Well you know, our hotel offers an all-day massage⁴ and spa treatment. I think I could handle that.

LH: 什么，你想一整天都待在旅馆里，休息按摩？那我们来夏威夷干嘛？我公寓旁边就有按摩院啊。

LL: Well, it's important to rest on vacation. I don't take relaxation⁵ lightly.

LH: 我有个折中方案，既好玩，又不会太累。

LL: Really? What's that?

LH: Sailing! 坐船出海去。

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是make light of, 意思是不认真，当儿戏。另一个是in over one's head, 意思是太难。

　

 

1 tan   

n.鞣制革，黄褐色；adj.黄褐色的，鞣皮的；vt.晒黑，鞣(革)，鞭打；vi.晒成棕褐色

参考例句：

• She had gotten a good tan after the holiday at the sea.在海边度假之后，她的皮肤晒得黑黑的。
• His arms and legs had a dark tan.他的手臂和腿晒得黑黑的。

2 volcanoes   

n.火山( volcano的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Volcanoes and geysers erupt. 火山和间歇喷泉均能喷发。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has been able to tell us more about active volcanoes than any man alive. 他现在比任何人都能更多地向我们讲述有关活火山的情况。 来自《用法词典》

3 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

4 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

5 relaxation   

n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐

参考例句：

• The minister has consistently opposed any relaxation in the law.部长一向反对法律上的任何放宽。
• She listens to classical music for relaxation.她听古典音乐放松。