Dialogue 1

Jingjing: Mark, can I ask you for some advice?

京晶：馬克，我能向你征求一點建議嗎？

Mark: Sure, I hope I can help.

馬克：當然，希望我能幫上忙。

Jingjing: Well, you remember Meili and her husband, Gaofeng, right?

京晶：是這樣的，你記得美麗和她先生高峰吧？

Mark: Sure. How could I forget the story of their romance?

馬克：當然，我怎會忘記他們這段羅曼史。

Jingjing: Right, well Gaofeng is pretty stressed out at work. And Meili feels like she can't get through to him about it.

京晶：好，高峰現在因為工作的事壓力很大，美麗感覺自己似乎不太能明白他心里在想什么。

Mark: They don't work together, do they?

馬克：他們不在一起工作吧，在嗎？

Jingjing: No. But Meili tries to ask him about his day, and he just says “fine, fine.”

京晶：不在。但是美麗總是嘗試問問他白天工作的事，他總是回答說：還好，還好。

Mark: That's typical for a guy. He probably doesn't think she can help him. So, there's no point in talking about problems from work.

馬克：對一個男人來說這樣回答很正常，他可能認為美麗也幫不上他什么，所以談論工作上的麻煩也沒什么意義。

Jingjing: I don't think she planned on giving any advice. She probably just wanted to comfort him.

京晶：我倒不認為她是準備要給他建議什么的，她可能只是想要安慰一下他吧。

Mark: Yeah, but guys always give each other advice about problems.

馬克：是啊，男人們總是互相給彼此遇到的問題支招。

Jingjing: I'm Don't you think he knows her already? They've been together for more than a year.

京晶：我是說你不認為高峰已經很了解美麗了嗎？他們在一起都快一年多了。

Mark: That may be. But if she asked him about work after he got off, he was probably too tired to think about the difference between men and women.

馬克：那也有可能。但如果她在他下班后詢問他工作的事，他可能太疲倦而無法再去想男人和女人處事的差別。

Jingjing: Hmm. I guess so. So, what do guys do when one of them has had a rough day or a rough week?

京晶：嗯，我想可能是這樣吧。那，男人們這方面怎么做，如果其中一個度過了糟糕的一天或者一周？

Mark: They just walk together silently, or go play sports. Guys will give advice when they think it's useful. And the other guy can say he doesn't want to hear it.

馬克：他們只是一起靜靜地走會兒路，或者一起去玩體育運動，男人們覺得建議有用時他們才會給，然后另一個男人會說他可不想聽到這些。

Jingjing: Well, I guess the differences between men and women explains why men and women have so much trouble seeing eye to eye when they get into relationships.

京晶：嗯，我猜男女有別這事解釋了為什么男人和女人在進入一段關系時總是在相互理解這樣事上有如此多的麻煩。

Mark: You said it!

馬克：可不是嗎！

New words : 習語短語

get through to (someone) 理解某人內心所想

understand someone, help them

there's no point in (doing something) 沒必要做某事

it's not worthwhile to do something

see eye to eye 相互理解，理解對方

understand each other

Dialogue 2

Jingjing: So, Mark, don't you think a lot of people should change their attitude about getting help and advice?

京晶：那，馬克，你不覺得許多人都應該改變他們關于獲取幫助接受建議的態度嗎？

Mark: Definitely. But it's easier said than done. Kinda like giving advice is easier than applying it.

馬克：當然當然。但是說著容易做著難啊。就有點像給建議簡單實施難啊。

Jingjing: Do you think it's a good idea for someone to ask for help when there's something they can't do for themselves?

京晶：難道你不覺得對有些人來說當他們自己搞不定事情的時候尋求幫助是個好辦法嗎？

Mark: It sounds like a good idea. If people can't get past their pride, it might not be so bad for them to struggle through problems on their own, especially if they're their own problems.

馬克：聽上去是個好主意。如果人們不能放下面子自尊什么，讓他們自己熬過困難也不是壞事，尤其是他們自己成為了自己的難題。

Jingjing: I think people should be more humble, and not be afraid to ask for help.

京晶：我覺得人應該更謙虛，以及不懼怕尋求幫助。

Mark: I couldn't agree more. It's good for friends to ask each other for help on a regular basis. Since it's so hard to ask for help when there's a huge problem, it's good to ask for help in little ways.

馬克：太贊同了。朋友之間時常找對方幫忙是挺好的。因為如果遇到一個大難題很難去張口尋求幫助，在小事情上求個幫忙倒是好事。

Jingjing: That keeps the relationship going, doesn't it?

京晶：這樣也能維持關系，不是嗎？

Mark: Yeah, it helps people to get along and get used to cooperating.

馬克：是的，這能幫助人們學會相處，并習慣于互助合作。

Jingjing: So, someone could ask their friend to play piano at their sister's wedding, then later ask that same friend for financial advice, right?

京晶：所以，某人可以請他朋友去他妹妹婚禮彈鋼琴，晚些時候再問同一個人給點財務建議？對嗎

Mark: Right, it would probably feel easier to ask for help the second time. And friends who ask each other for help a lot have a good sense of each others' talent.

馬克：對呢。第二次請人幫忙時可能要感覺更容易些，而且互相找對方幫忙的朋友對彼此的特長天賦都很有數。

Jingjing: Exactly. Friends shouldn't shy away from each other in times of need.

京晶：就是這樣。朋友之間不應該在需要幫忙的時候不好意思找彼此。

Mark: That reminds me of the old saying: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

馬克：這讓我想起來一句老話：患難見真情。

Jingjing: Do you think that's about the friend needing something or the friend who helps when needed?

京晶：你覺得這句話是關于朋友需要幫忙還是總是伸出援手的朋友？

Mark: The saying is about both friends, isn't it? I think that's what makes it so catchy.

京晶：這句古話是關于朋友雙方的，不是嗎？

我想這就是它容易上口的原因。

Jingjing: That and it rhymes.

京晶：是呢，還押韻。

Mark: Right, and that. Ha ha.

馬克：是，哈哈

New words : 習語短語

get past (an obstacle) 克服，放下

do something, even though there's a problem (Chou doufu is yummy, if you can get past the smell. Jack is a good guy to know, if you can get past how much he talks about himself.)

on a regular basis 經常地，常態地

(adverbial of frequency) often, usually

shy away from (something / doing something) 避免，猶豫，遲疑不做某事

avoid, feel reluctant to...