李華收到了媽媽從中國寄來的包裹，迫不及待地把里面的東西拿給Larry看。他們會用到兩個常用語： tacky和swallow one's pride。

LH: Larry, 你看，這是我媽送你的禮物!

Larry: Interesting....Is....Is that a rug?

LH: 什么啊？這是毛衣! 多好看啊!

Larry: That's a sweater? Oh, my....

LH: 你看！我媽還在這兒別了張紙條，上面說，這是她親手給你織的。我媽真有兩下子，是不是啊Larry?

Larry: .....Oh my.

LH: 怎么？你不喜歡？

Larry: Umm...Look, Lihua. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but...It's just a little tacky for what I'd normally wear.

LH: Tacky? 什么意思？

Larry: Well...basically....not fashionable.

LH: 不時髦？俗氣？這毛衣怎么俗氣了？！

Larry: Well, look at this design...there are pine trees and little people knit into it.

LH: 那怎么了，有松樹有小人兒就俗氣？

Larry: Well, a little bit, no? And look at these colors...bright green and red on black? It's so tacky it almost hurts my eyes... and plus, look at the...

LH: 你還嫌顏色太鮮艷，俗氣得讓你眼睛難受？! 行了行了! I don't think they're tacky at all. 我覺得一點兒都不俗! 我媽親手織的，看你敢不穿!

Larry: Listen, I know you like tacky clothing, and that's fine. But I'm not wearing it.

LH: 什么？你說我喜歡俗氣的衣服？! 我哪有!

Larry: OK, for example, your pink Hello Kitty tennis shoes are quite tacky.

LH: 粉色的hello kitty網球鞋不是tacky，是可愛! 可愛!

Larry: They would be cute on an 8-year old girl, not a college-aged young woman...And how about that jacket you have with all the extra zippers all over it?

LH: 哼! 咱倆眼光不同，我不跟你爭了。反正我媽的這件愛心毛衣，你非穿不可。

Larry: Lihua, I don't think you understand. There is no way I'm going out in public with that thing on!

LH: 你不穿我就要生氣了!

Larry: Forget about it! (a second passes) Lihua, come on. Don't be angry. Lihua?

LH: 別理我。我正生氣呢。

******

Larry: (Begrudgingly, sighs) OK, fine. I guess I'll have to swallow my pride and wear the sweater.

LH: Swallow your pride? 你說什么呢？

Larry: To swallow your pride means to begrudgingly do something that you are embarrassed to do.

LH: Swallow one's pride 就是忍氣吞聲，勉強去做不愿做的事兒。這么說......你是要穿這件毛衣嘍？

Larry: Yes, if it will make you happy, I will swallow my pride and wear your mother's tacky sweater.

LH: OH YEAH! Larry你真好!

Larry: Well, it's only because I know you have to swallow your pride and do many things on my behalf as well.

LH: 啊？我也為了你忍氣吞聲過？

Larry: Well, remember when my boss accidentally called you his "Japanese friend"? You just smiled and nodded, but I'm sure you wanted to correct him.

LH: 哦，想起來了。那次，你老板的確把我當成了日本人，不過沒關系啦，美國人把中國、韓國、日本人搞混是常事。我不介意，我們中國人也常常覺得只要金頭發藍眼睛就都是美國人！

Larry: Well, do you remember when you swallowed your pride last Halloween? I made you wear that tacky French maid costume to my friend's party!

LH: 對！那次萬圣節，你非讓我穿那件難看得要命的法國女仆裝！

Larry: Right. And I want to thank you for swallowing your pride and wearing that tacky costume.

LH: 等等！你是說這件愛心毛衣和那件女仆裝一樣俗氣難看？

Larry: Why not? I think the sweater is tacky, just like you thought the costume was tacky.

LH: 可是.....我穿的那件女仆裝還特別曝露，別扭死了!

Larry: Oh, come on. Wearing a sexy costume is normal on Halloween!

LH: 可我不喜歡穿這種衣服！穿女仆裝在你一大堆朋友前走來走去，I really had to swallow my pride! 我犧牲了多少自尊啊!

Larry: Gee, I didn't realize it was so embarrassing for you. You win, ok? I'll wear the tacky sweater. But that's all I can do.

LH:你想得美! 你看，這里還有一個 Hello Kitty的手套，也是我媽織給你的！戴上吧！

Larry: Oh good grief. How does your mother know how to make all of this stuff?

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是tacky，表示“俗氣難看”。另一個是swallow one's pride, 意思是“忍氣吞聲”。