李華正為了完成一項作業而焦頭爛額。她和Larry要用到兩個常用語：Do something till you're blue in the face和run a tight ship.

Larry: Hey, Lihua, are you ready to go to dinner? I'm starving.

LH: 吃飯？我可沒心情吃飯。我沒想出這作業要怎么寫。我們小組的組長肯定饒不了我!

Larry: You've been sitting there for almost four hours! Let's go get something to eat, and then you can come back and think about it some more.

LH: 不行，我發誓，不寫出個提綱我就絕食!

Larry: Look, Lihua, if you don't eat anything, you can sit there and think about your project till you're blue in the face and you still won't get any good ideas.

LH: 啊？我的臉變成藍色？這怎么可能？

Larry: That's just an expression, Lihua. If you do something till you're blue in the face, you're doing something over and over again for a very long time - and making no progress.

LH: 哦，Do something till you're blue in the face，就是說反復做一件事，但一直不成功。你是說我癟了半天也寫不出論文，可還拼命地想。但是，我不管，我非寫出來不可!

Larry: But, Lihua, I'm starving!

LH: Larry, 別嚷嚷了，就算你一直抱怨到you're blue in the face! 我是不會理你的。

Larry: OK, OK. I get the point. Maybe I can help you. What's the project about?

LH: 這就對了! 這個作業是美國歷史課的。我們小組的每個人都要介紹一個美國歷史人物，可是別的組員都是美國人，他們的歷史知識當然比我豐富啊!

Larry: Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Why don't you ask your group for some help? That would be more productive than sitting here until you're blue in the face.

LH: 可是，我們組長兇巴巴的，特別不好說話，還讓我們明天都要交一份提綱出來!

Larry: Hmm...I think I have an idea, Lihua. Why don't you do your report on George Washington! He was a military leader who ran a very tight ship in the American Revolution.

LH: A tight ship? 一艘很緊的船？喬治華盛頓不是美國第一任總統嗎？難道他還在美國獨立戰爭期間當過船長？？

Larry: No, he wasn't the captain of a ship; he was the Commander in Chief of the entire army! And he ran a very tight ship with his soldiers - meaning, he was a very strict leader.

LH: 原來如此! To run a tight ship就是指紀律嚴明的領導風格，嚴格管理。

Larry: That's right. He ran such a tight ship, in fact, that he was able to lead an army of largely untrained soldiers through a very harsh winter during the war.

LH: 率領沒受過什么訓練的士兵在寒冬作戰，這可不簡單!

Larry: Well, Lihua, a good leader can run a tight ship no matter how bad the situation is.

LH: Larry, 這倒讓想起了我們的組長。她對我們特別嚴格。

Larry: It certainly sounds like your group leader runs quite a tight ship, but a good leader can command the respect of his soldiers by setting a good example, not yelling. Without that respect, you could yell until you're blue in the face and you still wouldn't be able to lead effectively.

LH: 沒錯! 嚴格管理并不等于每天沖手下人大喊大叫。我們這個小組的組長人特別厲害，可說實話沒什么威信。我真希望下次分到別的組，不要再待在她的tight ship上。

Larry: I hope so, too. Now, since you have your topic, let's go eat pizza!

LH: Pizza?? 不行! 我在減肥!

Larry: Oh, Lihua, you're so skinny already! You could diet until you're blue in the face and it won't make any difference. Don't be so hard on yourself!

LH: 啊？你說我已經很瘦了，所以再怎么減肥也不會變更瘦？得了! 我現在比在中國時胖了好多，我要看牢自己的嘴，I'm going to run a tight ship，只吃健康食品!

Larry: Not another tight ship! I think I'm getting sea-sick.

今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是 Do something till you're blue in the face，意思是“重復做某事，但是不成功”。另一個是run a tight ship，意思是“嚴格管理”。