李華正在幫Larry為面試做準備。今天我們要學兩個常用語：shot in the arm和off the cuff。

LH: Larry, 明天早上求職面試，你現在心里是不是特別激動？

LL: Actually, I'm pretty nervous about this job interview. I really want to work at this company, so I need to make a good impression.

LH: 別緊張，你一定沒問題。再說了，不錄用你是他們的損失，象你這么出色的人才，想要你的公司多的是。

LL: Thanks Li Hua. That encouragement is a real shot in the arm for me.

LH: A shot in the arm?

LL: You can say that something is a shot in the arm if it gives you a lot more confidence and energy.

LH: 哦，就是中文里說的強心針。你是說我剛才鼓勵你的話大大地增強了你的信心嗎？

LL: Right. For example, I could say that Joe was thinking of dropping out of his economics class because it was so hard. But when he got an A on the midterm, it was a real shot in the arm and he decided not to quit.

LH: 就是說，期中考試得了A，極大增強了Joe對自己修完經濟學這門課程的信心。

LL: Exactly. You know, Li Hua, my career hasn't been going well lately, but I think this job could give it a real shot in the arm.

LH: 你現在的工作確實沒什么發展潛力，換個新工作一定會對你今后的事業發展有好處。對了，我還沒問你，你明天準備面試的那家公司是做什么的？

LL: Well Li Hua, it's a small company that sells Chia Pets.

LH: 什么？是一家賣草頭娃娃的零售商？

LL: Yeah, but it hasn't been doing well lately. I hope that with my business experience and passion for Chia Pets, I could give this company a real shot in the arm.

LH: 你當真?。浚浚苦?，不管怎么說，我支持你去追求自己的夢想。

LL: Thanks, Li Hua. Did you know that Chia Pets cost about $15 each? If everybody went out and bought one, it would give the economy a real shot in the arm.

LH: 好，為支持你，只要你得到這份工作，我保證一定去買一個草頭娃娃。

LH: 言歸正傳，Larry，你有沒有想好他們可能會問你哪些問題呢？

LL: Well, just a little. But it would probably be good to practice a little bit.

LH: 那好，我假裝考官，我們來模擬一下怎么樣？

LL: Sounds good! It's important for me to prepare beforehand, because I'm not good at speaking off the cuff.

LH: Speaking off the cuff? 這是什么意思??？

LL: You can say that someone speaks off the cuff when he talks spontaneously without any preparation.

LH: 噢，就是在沒有事先準備的情況下即興發言。

LL: Right. For example, some politicians can speak very well when they have a speech prepared, but don't do well when they have to respond to questions off the cuff.

LH: 我明白了，你還記得上個周末我們一起去看電影，我穿了一件白色大衣，看上去圓滾滾的嗎？你還說我象個大白兔奶糖。

LL: Oh come on Li Hua, it was just an off-the-cuff remark! You know I didn't mean it.

LH: 我一點都沒生氣，反而覺得很好笑。Your off-the-cuff jokes are so funny. 對了，我以前聽人說過 "off-hand," Off-hand跟off-the-cuff是同一個意思嗎？

LL: It's very similar. An off-hand comment is something you didn't think about or consider very seriously before you said it.

LH: 忘記告訴你了Larry, 你帶著這副厚厚的黑邊眼鏡活像一只眼鏡猴。

LL: What? No I don't. I look very smart, like a scholar.

LH: 別生氣啊，It was just an "off-hand" joke. 我是隨便開玩笑的。

LL: Alright Li Hua, I understand your point. I won't make any more off-hand jokes about your fashion sense. Now can we please get back to practicing for my interview?

LH: 那好，面試現在正式開始。 Larry, 你想加入我們公司來賣草頭娃娃嗎？

LL: Of course. I really love Chia Pets.

LH: 這我信，看你留的發型，就知道你是個草頭娃娃的忠實愛好者。

LL: Another off-hand joke, Li Hua?

LH: 哈哈哈.....對不起，你的發型跟草頭娃娃實在是太象了。

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是shot in the arm，意思是強心針。另一個是off the cuff，或是off-hand，意思是即興的。