美国之音《流行美语》 387 green thumb

　　今天李华穿着沾满泥土的裙子来找Larry。Larry觉得奇怪，问李华为什么今天裙子这么脏。 李华会学到两个常用语：green thumb和go off the deep end。

LL: Li Hua, why is there dirt all over your dress?

(Li Hua looks down at her dress)

LH: 咦? 怎么这么脏! 噢, 一定是今天早上帮妈妈整理花园，沾到泥土了都没发现。

LL: You were helping 1 out with the garden? I didn't know you could be helpful.

LH: 你可别这么说，别看我照顾不好自己，但整理花园我倒是很在行呢！

LL: Really?! Are you saying you have a green thumb?

LH: 你真会开玩笑，虽然我很会整理花园，但还没到手指变绿的地步。

LL: Haha. Don't take everything so literally 2, Li Hua. To have a green thumb means to have a special talent for gardening, the ability to make anything grow.

LH: 喔，是吗...那你是在夸奖我喽！真不好意思。

LL: You're welcome. Do you work in the garden often?

LH: 嗯，也还好。只是最近妈妈想把花园改成跟英国皇室的花园一样，所以每天早上都要我帮忙。

LL: Your mom wants to build a garden just like that of Britain's royal family? She must be going off the deep end!

LH: Deep? 这你就不懂了吧，园艺关键不是挖得多深，而是设计得有多好。

LL: I meant your mom is going way too far if she wants to rebuild the Royal Family's garden in her own backyard. That's just too much.

LH: 喔? 不过你刚不是说什么go off... 什么deep end...

LL: To go off the deep end?

LH: 对呀！就是那个，那是什么意思呢？

LL: To go off the deep end is to go too far with something or to do something crazy.

LH: 所以你说my mom is going off the deep end是指我妈想得太美，不切实际啦!

LL: Yes. That's what I meant to say.

LH: 其实我也这样觉得。No matter how many green thumbs she has, she can only do so much with a garden in our backyard.

LL: Right. So how is this going to work out?

LH: 其实我也不知道这花园能做得多成功，不过我妈是下定了决心要做一个皇室花园了。

LL: Wow, I definitely want to see how it's going to turn out.

LH: 不过Larry, go off the deep end说一个人做得过头，你能再举个例子吗？

LL: For example, my mom really likes to buy clothes. But during last week's sale, she bought 10 pairs of shoes. She really went off the deep end there!

LH: 喔，我懂了，就好像Larry really goes off the deep end when it comes to using American slang 3. 你每次都用一些我听不懂的英文俚语，太过了啦。

LL: Haha. That's a good sentence. But how will you ever learn American slang if I don't use it all the time? You should thank me for going off the deep end.

LH: 是啊，都是托你的福，我才知道自己有green thumb"绿拇指"呢，哈哈。

LL: So, what are you going to do when you get home today?

LH: 今天回家得好好读书了，再过几天就是期末考了。

LL: John and I are going to the Katy Perry concert tonight, do you want to come?

LH: Katy Perry的演唱会?! 是今天晚上吗? 可是...

LL: It's okay. You should relax a bit before you go off the deep end with studying.

LH: 可是...

LL: I mean, finals are in five days. You have plenty of time. And I know you already study a lot everyday. There should be no problem.

LH: 可是今天晚上还要帮我妈装她新买的喷泉...可能真的去不了。

LL: Your mom is putting a fountain in your backyard?! Wow, she really wants a replica 4 of the Royal Family's garden huh...

LH: 是啊，真希望我妈didn't have to go off the deep end. 害我现在分身乏术！

LL: Well, you're missing out on your favorite singer's concert. Oh! I have to go, see you tomorrow Li Hua!

今天李华从 Larry 那儿学到两个常用语。一个是 green thumb, 表示一个人“精于园艺”。另一个是 go off the deep end, 是说一个人做事太过分，到了疯狂的地步。