Larry正在幫李華填稅表。今天我們要學(xué)兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ):playing with fire和do it for me.
LH: Jeez, Larry. 美國(guó)報(bào)稅怎么這么麻煩。要我說(shuō),定個(gè)25%什么的,所有人的收入都按這個(gè)稅率交,那多簡(jiǎn)單。
LL: But Lihua, if it were so simple, all those accountants wouldn't have jobs. Wouldn't that be terrible?
LH: 我可管不了那么多。對(duì)了,Larry, 你說(shuō),如果我把貓算做撫養(yǎng)對(duì)象來(lái)抵稅的話,稅務(wù)局會(huì)不會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)?
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,我報(bào)稅不老實(shí),跟玩火有關(guān)系嗎?
LL: Actually, Li Hua, when you say someone is playing with fire, it means that she is doing something risky.
LH: 哦,我明白了。 Playing with fire不是說(shuō)真去玩火,而是指做某些危險(xiǎn)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 definitely be playing with fire.
LH: 算你聰明。勸女孩子減肥,那你可是引火燒身。不過(guò),Larry, 報(bào)稅實(shí)在太無(wú)聊了。不如別報(bào)了,咱們?nèi)タ措娪鞍伞?
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: 這倒也是。如果報(bào)稅過(guò)了最后期限,那可是自找麻煩。有了,不如我們花點(diǎn)錢,在網(wǎng)上找家報(bào)稅公司,讓他們?nèi)プ霭桑?
LL: I don't know, Lihua. Lots of those Web 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。如果個(gè)人信息在網(wǎng)上被駭客偷走,那才真是玩火呢??磥?lái),還是要求你幫忙。
LL: No problem. That's what I'm here for.
LH: 你說(shuō),如果把我的婚姻狀況填成已婚,能不能少交點(diǎn)稅?
LL: Lihua, you are definitely playing with fire.
******
三個(gè)小時(shí)過(guò)后。
LH: 啊... 終于填完了。我現(xiàn)在最大的愿望就是搬到Cayman Island去,每天都是明媚的陽(yáng)光和溫暖的沙灘,而且不用交稅。
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。我們家Cuddles可不能受半點(diǎn)委屈。要不,我把他寄養(yǎng)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? 我們家Mr. Cuddles能做不少把戲呢!不信你試試看!
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,說(shuō)一件事情do not do it for me, 就是說(shuō)不合我的口味,我不喜歡。
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!如果你是哪個(gè)女明星的粉絲的話,最好不要說(shuō)出來(lái),否則的話....
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,原來(lái)Angelina Jolie不是你喜歡的類型。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。還去上個(gè)月去過(guò)的那家墨西哥餐館怎么樣?我太喜歡吃墨西哥菜了!
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? 你竟然覺得一般?好吧,今天聽你的,誰(shuí)讓你幫我報(bào)稅呢!
LL: Hmm ... Say, you know what restaurant really did it for me? The Italian restaurant downtown we went to last week.
LH: 慢著慢著,那次吃完意大利菜,你不是鬧肚子來(lái)著嗎?I think going there might be playing with fire. 你再去不是“玩火”嗎?
LL: Yeah, it made me sick later, but the food was so delicious it was worth it.
今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是playing with fire, 意思是做危險(xiǎn)的事情,玩火。另一個(gè)是do it for me意思是合乎我的口味和愛好。