VOA流行美語 Unit 387:精於園藝&做事太過分

今天李華穿着沾滿泥土的裙子來找Larry。Larry覺得奇怪，問李華爲什麼今天裙子這麼髒。 李華會學到兩個常用語：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? 怎麼這麼髒! 噢, 一定是今天早上幫媽媽整理花園，沾到泥土了都沒發現。

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

LH: 你可別這麼說，別看我照顧不好自己，但整理花園我倒是很在行呢！

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

LH: 你真會開玩笑，雖然我很會整理花園，但還沒到手指變綠的地步。

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

LH: 喔，是嗎...那你是在誇獎我嘍！真不好意思。

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

LH: 嗯，也還好。只是最近媽媽想把花園改成跟英國皇室的花園一樣，所以每天早上都要我幫忙。

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? 這你就不懂了吧，園藝關鍵不是挖得多深，而是設計得有多好。

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? 不過你剛不是說什麼go off... 什麼deep end...

LL: To go off the deep end?

LH: 對呀！就是那個，那是什麼意思呢？

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

LH: 所以你說my mom is going off the deep end是指我媽想得太美，不切實際啦!

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

LH: 其實我也這樣覺得。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: 其實我也不知道這花園能做得多成功，不過我媽是下定了決心要做一個皇室花園了。

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

LH: 不過Larry, go off the deep end說一個人做得過頭，你能再舉個例子嗎？

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. 你每次都用一些我聽不懂的英文俚語，太過了啦。

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，都是託你的福，我才知道自己有green thumb"綠拇指"呢，哈哈。

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

LH: 今天回家得好好讀書了，再過幾天就是期末考了。

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

LH: Katy Perry的演唱會?! 是今天晚上嗎? 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: 可是今天晚上還要幫我媽裝她新買的噴泉...可能真的去不了。

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

LH: 是啊，真希望我媽didn't have to go off the deep end. 害我現在分身乏術！

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

今天李華從 Larry 那兒學到兩個常用語。一個是 green thumb, 表示一個人“精於園藝”。另一個是 go off the deep end, 是說一個人做事太過分，到了瘋狂的地步。