李華和Larry在討論晚飯吃什么。他們會(huì)用到兩個(gè)常用語：turn a new leaf和take baby steps.

Larry: I'm starving, Lihua! What should we eat for dinner today?

LH: 晚飯？只要不吃你的最愛 - 漢堡包和薯?xiàng)l - 就行!

Larry: What are you talking about? I wasn't planning on eating fast food!

LH: 我才不信呢。不是漢堡包，那一定是炸雞!

Larry: Nope. Lihua, I know I used to eat a lot of unhealthy fast food in the past, but now I've turned a new leaf - I'm never going to eat fast food again!

LH: You turned a leaf? 什么意思？

Larry: To turn a new leaf means to start over fresh - to totally get rid of bad habits and start over new again.

LH: 哦，to turn a new leaf，就是甩掉壞習(xí)慣，從頭開始，

Larry: Right. Lately, my bad eating habits have been making me feel just awful. So, I decided to turn a new leaf and start eating only fresh, healthy foods - starting today.

LH: 你說，因?yàn)槟阋恢背岳称罚杏X身體狀態(tài)很差，所以你要痛改前非，從今天開始吃健康食品！太好了， Larry!

Larry: Lihua, I have been gaining a little weight lately... But, that will all change now that I turned a new leaf and started living a healthy lifestyle!

LH: 哈，你要從頭開始，過健康生活! Larry, 你真能做到么？

Larry: No problem, Lihua! When I make a decision, I stay with it!

LH: 是么？我昨天剛買了一大袋你最喜歡的薯片，既然你已經(jīng)走上了健康生活之路。這些薯片，就由我替你消滅吧！

Larry: Ah? You mean, you bought some Lays Double - Cheese and Sour Cream Potato Chips?

LH: 對(duì)啊，就是你最喜歡吃的，雙層奶酪加酸奶油口味! 好可惜啊，早知道你turned a new leaf, 我就不浪費(fèi)錢了。

Larry: Well, wait a minute, Lihua. We can't just let your money go to waste. Maybe I can just eat a little bit now to hold me over until we have dinner...

LH: 什么？你想在吃飯前先來些薯片墊墊底？你剛才還說從今天起再也不吃垃圾食品了呢!

Larry: Oh, Lihua! But I can't just turn a whole new leaf all at once - that would be too difficult. Maybe I can just take baby steps towards my goal.

LH: 你是說，你不可能一下子把生活方式全改變，所以得take baby steps。我猜，這就是慢慢來，循序漸進(jìn)，對(duì)么？

Larry: Yes! I could make slow progress towards my goal. You know, like taking small baby steps.

LH: 可你的“慢慢來”是指多慢？不會(huì)要10年吧!

Larry: Lihua, if I take baby steps, even though the whole process will take a lot more time, it will be a lot less difficult. It's like getting into a swimming pool. First, you have to put your foot in to see if the water is cold. Then, put both legs in. Then, slowly...

LH: 這也太慢了!直接跳進(jìn)游泳池，多痛快!

Larry: I don't know how to swim!

LH: 行啦，Larry! 我看你不用慢慢來，拖拖拉拉地更難受!

Larry: With that bag of chips calling my name over there, I'm already in pain, Lihua! I gotta have some!

LH: 啊？Larry， 你的健康生活呢？這么快就放棄啦？

(搶薯片袋的聲音)

Larry: Give me that bag! I promise I'll only eat a little bit! I'm making baby steps towards my goal of eating healthy!

LH: 哼，給你給你!

Larry: Thank you very much! Man, I haven't had these in so long - hey, wait a minute. These are...dried banana chips?

LH: 沒錯(cuò)，這些是干香蕉片! Larry, I've turned a new leaf in my live as well.

Larry: Huh? What leaf?

LH: 我以前總是縱容你，給你買垃圾食品，現(xiàn)在，我也要從新來過。我發(fā)誓：以后再也不給你買這些不健康的吃的了。咱們就一起努力吧！

今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語，一個(gè)是to turn a new leaf，意思是“從新開始，痛改前非”。另一個(gè)是take baby steps，意思是“慢慢來，循序漸進(jìn)”。