Larry和李華在一個大商場里買東西，那里非常擁擠。李華今天學會兩個常用語my bad 和back in the day。

LL: My bad! I didn't mean to step on your foot, Li Hua. It's just that there are so many people at the mall today.

LH: My bad? Bad不是壞的意思嗎？這兒人確實很多，你不小心踩到我的腳，為什么說my bad? My bad是什么意思呀？

LL: Oh, That's my bad, too. I should have explained what "my bad" means. It is a very informal way of apologizing without actually saying "I'm sorry."

LH: 原來my bad是表示道歉，但是是很不正式的道歉。 什么時候用my bad，什么時候用I'm sorry呢？

LL: Because you are my friend, and stepping on your foot was a pretty minor thing, I said "my bad." I'd say "I'm sorry" for something more serious - or if you were my boss.

LH: 明白了，my bad是對很熟的朋友說的，而且發生的事也不是太嚴重，就像不小心踩了腳這類小事。要我是你的老板，你就不能說my bad!

LL: Yeah, that's right. Say, would you like to get out of the crowd and stop for a cup of coffee in that shop over there?

LH: 你要去那邊那個店里喝咖啡？好呀！ 可是My bad我沒有帶現金。

LL: Don't worry, Li Hua. I've got some cash. You can pay me back later.

LH: 謝謝你。 我在這里占著位子，你去買咖啡吧。我要一杯摩卡拿鐵咖啡。

(Sounds of busy restaurant/cash register transaction as Larry gets coffee)

LH: Okay, Li Hua, here is your latte. Oh-My bad! I now remember you wanted a mocha latte. I got the wrong drink.

LH: 沒關系，不是摩卡拿鐵也沒關系。 Larry，遞我一張餐巾紙，好不好？

LL: Sure, here's a napkin.

LH: Oops， My bad! 對不起， 我把咖啡撒了！

LL: Here let me help you clean that up.

LH: 謝謝你，幸虧你拿了好多餐巾紙，否則還真沒法收拾。

LL: Agh! Now it's my bad! I've spilled my coffee, too. (laughs)

LH: (Also laughing) 你的咖啡也撒了。Larry， 我們趕快走吧， 不然不知又會出什么事，那樣我們就會沒完沒了地說my bad !

******

LL: I can't believe how rude people are at the mall. I know it is crowded, but back in the day people were much more polite.

LH: 沒錯，有的人真是沒有禮貌。Larry，你說back in the day人們都很有禮貌，back in the day是指哪一天呢？

LL: No, no, Li Hua. "Back in the day" is a general expression referring to a time in the past when things were better than they are now.

LH: 噢，back in the day就是指過去，而不是指哪一天。你是說過去美國人都很有禮貌？

LL: Yes, back in the day a man would have taken the time to open a door for a lady, especially if she was carrying packages.

LH: 我遇到過這種情況。上次我去看牙，進大樓的時候，前面那個男子看見我也是進那大樓，就把門開開，等著讓我先進去。Larry，你是說以前都是這樣的嗎？

LL: Yes, and life was much simpler. There were no computers and cell phones back in the day. Now it is rush, rush, rush.

LH: 沒錯，過去生活是比較簡單，別說沒有電腦和手機，我們小時候連彩色電視也很少。現在每個人都好像匆匆忙忙，不知道怎么回事。

LL: And can you believe it? Before e-mail, back in the day people wrote letters with their own hands!!!

LH: 自從有了電子郵件后，現在拿起筆來寫信的人恐怕是很少了，可是我很喜歡收到別人親筆寫給我的信，因為那讓我感到很親切。

LL: I agree with you. But, then again, I guess not everything back in the day was so great.

LH: 是啊， 過去也不是樣樣都好。 我父親常對我說， 他小時候上學要走很遠的路。現在的孩子們就幸福多了，可以坐校車。

LL: You know, my dad says the same thing. He would tell me I was so lucky, because back in the day he had to walk five miles to school.

LH: 你爸爸上學要走五里路。我爸爸更苦，他不僅走路還要背著幾十斤重的課本呢。

LL：I agree. Li Hua, let's take the bus and go home. Oh, let me open the door for you.

LH: 謝謝你， Larry， 你真希望有更多像你這樣有禮貌的年輕人。

今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是my bad, 意思是對不起起。還有一個是back in the day， 意思是過去。