Larry去李華家吃飯。他告訴李華說，自己今天特別倒霉。李華今天要學兩個常用語：nightmare和group hug.

LL: I had the worst day at work today. It was an absolute nightmare!

LH: 上班做惡夢？Larry, 你可要小心點兒，上班睡覺是要被老板炒魷魚的！

LL: No, no. I didn't HAVE a nightmare at work...Being at work today was LIKE a nightmare.

LH: 噢，你是說今天上班很痛苦，就像是做了一場惡夢啊，聽起來挺嚇人的。

LL: It wasn't so much scary as it was unpleasant. Any situation that is really bad or unpleasant can be called a nightmare - even a really angry person can be a nightmare.

LH: 我知道了，nightmare是指令人不愉快的人或者事。那你今天上班出什么事了？

LL: It all started with my boss. He is usually a nice guy, but today he was really angry with his staff - me, included. He was a total nightmare.

LH: 我記得你老板人挺隨和的，今天怎么會突然發脾氣呢？

LL: Well, he wasn't happy that we hadn't finished a project by the deadline. When he came into the office this morning, he told everyone we better have it finished by the end of the day - or he was going to become our worst nightmare!

LH: Your worst nightmare? Yikes! 你們不是一直都在趕著完成那個項目嗎？老板這么生氣，大家一定很沮喪吧？

LL: That is exactly what happened, Li Hua. After work, my day didn't get better. On my way over to your house, the traffic was a nightmare.

LH: 我也從新聞里看到堵車的消息了。你今天可真夠倒霉的。我特別理解你現在的心情，還記得我博士生資格考試那天嗎？

LL: I do remember. As I recall that day was a total nightmare for you.

LH: 是呀，我當時論文打到一半，電腦突然死機了。What a nightmare.

LL: But the nightmare turned out okay in the end, didn't it?

LH: 我只好從頭再來。還好，我的論文最后還是得了優秀。

LL: Then maybe my nightmare will have a good ending, too.

******

LL: You know, Li Hua, when my co-workers and me were feeling down after the boss yelled at us, we had a "Group Hug" and all felt better.

LH: A "group hug"? 在辦公室里集體擁抱？

LL: Well, I know it sounds kind of strange, but sometimes when a group of people or a team is down and they need to cheer themselves up they have a "group hug."

LH: 你的意思是，大家情緒低落的時候，group hug一下，感覺就會好起來？

LL: Well, after my boss left and everyone was feeling down, one of my co-workers said aloud, "Group Hug!" We all stood up, hugged in a circle one time, and then felt much better.

LH: 真有意思，group hug能讓你們提高工作效率嗎？

LL: It really did. The group hug reduced the tension, and we all were able to get back to working on the project.

LH: 我可以在我的中文課上試試看。中文很難學，所以學生們有時會因為進步慢而感到氣餒。

LL: A "group hug" could help lighten the mood in class, especially after a really hard test.

LH: Larry, group hug是怎么做的呢？

LL: Well, usually someone says, "Group Hug" or "Let's have a group hug." Then the group forms a circle and each participant puts their arms over their neighbors' shoulders.

LH: 大家站成一圈，胳膊搭在旁邊人的肩膀上，是這樣嗎？那下次我發考卷的時候，如果學生們考得不好，我就可以說，不要灰心，Let's have a group hug.

LL: Yes, that's it! In my family, when my brothers and sisters would have an argument, my mom would say, ''Let's stop fighting and have a group hug.'' It was like magic - we'd all stop fighting.

LH: Larry, 我知道你今天情緒不好，但是我們兩個人不能說是group hug吧？

LL: No, you are right, Li Hua. To have a true group hug, you need three or more people. But I'd be happy with just a regular hug from you, Li Hua!

今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是nightmare, 是令人不愉快的人或事。另一個是 group hug，是集體擁抱。