李華和Larry在夏威夷渡假，倆人出海釣魚。今天我們要學兩個常用語：off the hook和go overboard。

LH: Larry, 我總算明白你為什么這么喜歡釣魚了，撒下誘餌，就歇著了。

LL: Yeah, isn't fishing great? You get to just sit out in the boat and relax all day.

LH: 那好，如果一條魚都釣不到的話，你可得負責任。

LL: Believe me, Li Hua. If we don't catch anything and have to eat pizza for dinner, I know you won't let me off the hook.

LH: Let you off the hook? 你是指魚鉤嗎？

LL: Right! When you let someone off the hook, you forgive them for doing something wrong, or allow them to escape a difficult situation.

LH: 哦，off the hook就是不用承擔責任。 To let someone off the hook意思就是放過某人，就好象是讓魚脫鉤了一樣。

LL: Exactly. Here is another example: Even though I didn't do my homework, my teacher let me off the hook because I was sick the day before.

LH: 就是說老師因為體諒到你是因為生病而沒做作業，所以決定不追究你。

LL: Yeah. Or remember last year when I forgot your birthday? You still haven't let me off the hook for that.

LH: Larry, 你居然把我生日忘得一干二凈，我當然要記你一輩子。對了，Larry, 我們的船什么時候還啊？

LL: We have it until 2 in the afternoon.

LH: 那可沒剩多少時間了。我們稍微晚一點沒關系吧？

LL: Actually, I don't think the rental company will let us off the hook. They said we have to pay an extra fee if we return the boat late.

LH: 這么說，我們就要抓緊時間了。也不知道這些魚都跑到哪里去了！

LL: I don't know. The manager of our hotel said this is the best place for fishing. If he was wrong, I'm not going to let him off the hook.

LH: 就是啊，如果害我們白跑一趟的話... Wait! Larry，好象有魚咬鉤了。

LL: Quick, Li Hua, pull it in!

李華釣到了一條大魚。

LH: Wow, Larry, 看來我天生就是釣魚的材料. 你看第一次就戰果累累。這就叫不鳴則已，一鳴驚人！

LL: Yeah Li Hua, I'm really impressed! You must have a real talent for fishing.

LH: 你覺得，我是不是應該退掉回程的機票，索性留在夏威夷當漁民算了？否則我釣魚的才華豈不是白白浪費了嗎？

LL: Well, it's only one fish. I wouldn't go overboard.

LH: Go overboard? 你不會是叫我下到海水里去摸魚吧？

LL: Actually Li Hua, you can say that somebody goes overboard whenever they do or say something excessive.

LH: 哦，to go overboard就是采取過激行動的意思，你是勸我不要意氣用事、釣到一條魚就改行當漁民嗎？

LL: Exactly. Here's another example. When I was looking for a hotel in Hawaii, I know I wanted to stay somewhere nice. But I didn't want to go overboard and rent a room for $500 per night.

LH: 對，500塊錢一晚上的旅館對我們來說確實太奢侈了。說正經的，Larry, 你估計這條魚有多重？我猜得有100磅。

LL: It's a big fish, but I think 100 pounds is going a little overboard. It's probably 30 pounds.

LH: 反正是夠大個兒的。我準備把魚的頭骨帶回去做紀念。

LL: Li Hua, I think that's going a little overboard. Why don't we just take a picture so that you can remember your catch?

LH: 一點也不好玩。要不，我們多照幾張照片，寄給當地報社，看他們愿不愿意采訪我們。

LL: Li Hua, let's not go overboard. There are probably lots of other people who catch fish this big, so it isn't really a news story.

LH: 那我起碼要寄給我爸媽。好了，咱們快回去吃魚吧！

LL: But I haven't caught anything yet! Let's stay until I catch a fish too.

LH: 要不要我向你傳授一下我的經驗啊？第一堂課可以免費！

LL: Haha... Thanks Li Hua, In return, I will teach you one more vocabulary word: beginner's luck!

今天李華學了兩個常用。一個是off the hook，意思是逃脫責任。另一個是go overboard，意思是過份的，過激的。