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 accountants 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 means that she is doing something risky.
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 definitely 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 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。