李華教Larry做中國(guó)飯。今天我們要學(xué)兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)：up in smoke和burst somebody's bubble.

LH: Larry, 你想學(xué)做什么菜，盡管說(shuō)！我最拿手的是麻婆豆腐，如果你想學(xué)難點(diǎn)的，我可以做你烤北京烤鴨。

LL: No no, Li Hua. I want to learn how to make REAL Chinese food. You know, like fortune cookies. How do you keep the paper inside from getting burned in the oven?

LH: 告訴你可別失望，其實(shí)中國(guó)根本沒(méi)有什么fortune cookie幸運(yùn)簽餅。這是美國(guó)的原創(chuàng)。

LL: What? All these years I've dreamed of going to China to have a real Chinese fortune cookie, and you're telling me they don't exist? All my dreams are going up in smoke!

LH: Up in smoke? 我還沒(méi)燒菜呢，哪來(lái)的煙啊？

LL: When you say that something goes up in smoke, it means that it disappears or is no longer possible.

LH: 我明白了，up in smoke是說(shuō)一件事情希望破滅。換句話說(shuō)，你想到中國(guó)吃正宗幸運(yùn)簽餅的夢(mèng)想已經(jīng)成了泡影，your dream went up in smoke.

LL: That's right. Usually you use this expression for something you have been planning for a long time. For example, I always wanted to go to Harvard, but that dream went up in smoke when I found out how much it costs.

LH: 你原來(lái)夢(mèng)想去哈佛上學(xué)？這我還是第一次聽(tīng)說(shuō)。那我一直夢(mèng)想去巴黎工作，結(jié)果拿不到簽證，也可以說(shuō)my plan went up in smoke嘍？

LL: That's right.

LH: 雖說(shuō)“幸運(yùn)簽餅”不是中國(guó)的產(chǎn)物，可你也不用讓自己去中國(guó)的夢(mèng)想破滅啊！

LL: I know, it's just disappointing. Last week I got a fortune cookie that told me that all my dreams would come true. I thought it was a sign from heaven.

LH: 你還真信，簽餅里紙條上的話可不是上蒼的“意思”，而是簽餅公司的“意思”。

LL: This is no time for jokes, Li Hua. My life has just come tumbling down around me. No fortune cookies in China! Who would have known?

LH: Poor Larry. 為了不讓你的夢(mèng)想徹底破滅，我一定毫不保留地把自己的廚藝全教給你。說(shuō)吧，你要學(xué)什么！

LL: Well, I really want to learn how to make the little white boxes that you put the food in.

LL: Wow, Li Hua. I can't believe that I made such great Mapo Dofu on my first try! Isn't it great?

LH: Yeah, it's... umm... 可以說(shuō)是你的獨(dú)創(chuàng)。正宗的麻婆豆腐里面是不放意大利面條和花生醬的。

LL: Oh c'mon, Li Hua, don't burst my bubble. I think you're just jealous that I'm such a natural cook.

LH: Burst your what?

LL: Burst my bubble. When someone is really excited or confident about something, you burst their bubble when you say something to disappoint them.

LH: 你是說(shuō)，burst your bubble，捅破你的肥皂泡，就是讓你希望破滅。你本來(lái)對(duì)自己做的麻婆豆腐特驕傲，結(jié)果我卻給你潑冷水。So I burst your bubble.

LL: Exactly. Or for example, I have a friend who really wants to be a famous singer. I should tell her to give up that dream because she has a really bad voice, but I don't want to burst her bubble.

LH: 如果你朋友真的沒(méi)有唱歌的天份，即使你不去burst her bubble, 到頭來(lái)，her plan will go up in smoke，她的夢(mèng)想最終也會(huì)成為泡影。

LL: That's true.You know, to thank you for teaching me how to make Mapo Dofu, I'm going to teach you how to make my special recipe: a deep-fried hot dog topped with chocolate sauce and broccoli.

LH: I hate to burst your bubble, 不過(guò)你這個(gè)獨(dú)家菜還是自己留著享用吧，油炸熱狗，加上花菜和巧克力醬，聽(tīng)上去就沒(méi)胃口。

LL: Are you crazy? It's delicious! You know, I hate to burst YOUR bubble Li Hua, but I don't think you are such a cooking expert as you think.

LH: 你怎么說(shuō)都可以，我本來(lái)也沒(méi)自稱是什么烹調(diào)專家。但起碼我知道，麻婆豆腐里不能放薯?xiàng)l。

LL: Well, maybe we should just agree to disagree.

LH: 不過(guò)，火腿肉炒花菜倒可以說(shuō)是一道中國(guó)菜，但是不能放巧克力醬。

LL: See! I knew I was a natural Chinese chef. I've been making a traditional Chinese dish without even knowing it!

今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是up in smoke意思是希望破滅。另一個(gè)是burst somebody's bubble，意思是打破某人的幻想。