流行美語: flip out ; get off my back

李華來laundromat洗衣服，正巧碰上也在那兒洗衣服的Michael. 在他們二人一起洗衣服的時候，Michael教給了李華兩個流行的美語：Flip out和 off my back。

L: Michael,最近你跟鄰居處的如何？他們每天晚上還是吵的很厲害嗎？

M: It’s funny you should mention that. Last night they had their music turned on so loud that I finally just flipped out and went over and yelled at them.

L: 你做的對，你終於去吼他們了。可是你剛才說你flipped out，那是什麽意思啊? 是不是指你氣瘋了的意思？

M：Yeah, to flip out means to go crazy because you are very angry about something. People sometimes flip out because they just can't stand something anymore.

L: 你在忍了好多個星期整日震天價響的吵聲之後，終於忍無可忍對他們大發雷霆了。

M: Yes. I really don’t like to complain to my neighbors, but it was so loud that my windows were shaking.

L: 我真不敢相信在昨晚之前你早沒有氣瘋。你怎麽能夠讀書呢？更別說晚上睡覺了。

M: Well, it is pretty difficult.

L: 我要是你的話，早在八百年前就發火了。對了，你能不能再給我舉個例子來說明怎麽用 flip out?

M: Let me see. Well, do you remember I told you about the time I left my keys in the door of my apartment overnight? When my roommate found the keys in the morning, he totally flipped out.

L:你是不是說他因為昨晚你把鑰匙整夜忘在公寓門外的鎖上使他大為光火了？

M: Yeah, he was so angry that I thought he was going to kill me. He said that, since we don’t live in a very good neighborhood, I should be more careful. He said I had put both of our lives in danger.

L: 他我想你該更小心點，不過我認為你是無心之失，他實在不必生那麽大氣flipped out。

M: Well, my roommate was always getting angry at me for one thing or another. I am glad he doesn’t live with me anymore.

L: Hey, Michael, 你的衣服是不是洗好了?

M: Yeah, I have to put my clothes in the dryer.

L: So, Michael, 你告訴我你怒氣衝天地對你鄰居大吼大叫，可是你沒告訴我他們的反應是什麽。

M: Not very well. The girl just yelled at me and said “get off my back”. I think I’m going to have to talk to the apartment company.

L: 我的老天，他們非但沒向你道歉，居然還朝著你吼。不過那個女孩說“get off my back”是什麽意思啊？

M: To “get off my back” means to leave me alone or stop bugging me about something.

L: Oh,要是你說“get off my back”, 就是表示：別管我閑事或是說別為了什麽事來煩我。

M: She told me to get off her back, because they were just having some friends over and listening to some music.

L: 說所以當你告訴別人get off your back, 也就是要他別來煩你的時候，同時表示你認為你根本沒做甚麽錯事。

M: That’s right, Li Hua. Well, her roommate was a little more polite to me. She said they would turn down the music a little bit. But a couple hours later, they turned it back up again.

L:現在你要怎麽辦啊？ Michael?

M: I think I’ve got to talk to the apartment company now. I don’t care if that girl told me to get off her back.

L: 我想既然你的鄰居根本不理會你，那就是唯一可行的辦法了。有了什麽結果再告訴我， Michael!

今天在洗衣時，Michael告訴李華說他的鄰居實在太吵了，以致他因為太憤怒flip out而去吼罵鄰居，但是他的鄰居惱羞成怒，要他get off her back，也就是要 Michael別管她閑事，別再煩她。

(ZT)