流行美語: threads ; load up sth.

今天Larry和Li Hua下課以後一起去吃午飯，Li Hua會學到兩個常用語：threads和load up。

(campus noise)

LL: Hey, Li Hua, those are nice threads you're wearing.

LH: Threads? - 那不是"縫衣服用的線"嗎？哎喲，Larry, 你是說我的連衣裙開線了嗎？

LL: No, no. Threads, when used in plural, is another word for clothes. I was just telling you that you are wearing nice clothes.

LH: 噢，原來thread用作複數--threads，就可以代表"衣服"。這倒挺合理的，因為衣服就是用線織成的嘛！你剛才說these are nice threads, 原來是誇我的連衣裙漂亮啊！

LL: That's right!

LH: 謝謝你，Larry, 其實，這件連衣裙挺舊的了。 Larry，要是我說一件衣服，是不是要用單數thread?

LL: No. It's always threads. I think that's because even one piece of clothing is made of many threads.

LH: 說得也是，即使一件衣服，也是用很多很多線做成的，所以，還是要用複數 - threads.

LL: So, Li Hua, let me test you. If I say, "I went shopping yesterday and bought lots of threads", what does that mean?

LH: 這麽簡單的句子，還要考我。你是說"我昨天買了很多衣服"。Larry，你真的買了好多衣服呀？

LL：No, I was just giving you an example. I don't go shopping for threads.

LH：你老是穿牛仔褲加T恤衫，怎麽也不換換樣子嘛？

LL: What's wrong with the threads I'm wearing? Oh, please, Li Hua, my threads are just fine -- Jeans and T-shirt are comfortable.

******

(cafeteria sound)

LL：Hey, not many people in the cafeteria. That's the benefit of coming late.

LH: 來晚了人少是沒錯，但是好東西可能也都給吃完了。哎，Larry, 我知道你餓了，可是你也不能一下子拿那麽多嘛，你吃得完嗎？

LL: I won't have time to eat dinner until late, so I'm trying to load up on food now.

LH: 噢，今天你晚飯要很晚才能吃，可是，你說什麽 - load up on food? 那是什麽意思啊？

LL: To load, load up on something is to get a lot of it, usually so that you can store some of it for later.

LH: 噢，我明白了。你是想午飯多吃點，晚上就不會太餓了。哎，Larry, 除了說吃的東西，load up on還可以用在別的地方嗎?

LL: Of course. Do you remember the storm we had last summer? Well, people were worried about losing power, so they loaded up on batteries before the storm.

LH: 去年夏天的那場暴風雨呀？我當然記得。就是啊，當時大家特別擔心停電，所以買了好多電池 - We loaded up on batteries.

LL: Yup. Also, Li Hua, we can load up on sleep, too.

LH: 噢，除了可以說load up on food, load up on batteries, 我們還可以說load up on sleep, 意思是多睡覺、多休息。

LL: If you load up on sleep and vitamins, you shouldn't get sick very easily.

LH: 是沒錯，多休息、多吃維生素，我們就不容易生病了，哇，Larry, 我看你裝了整整兩盤菜啊，要是我像你這樣load up on food，我肯定早就發胖了。

LL: All right, Li Hua, what are you trying to say? You know I don't load up on food like this everyday!

LH：那倒也是！

今天李華從Larry那兒學到兩個常用語。一個是threads, 在口語裏表示"衣服"。另一個是load up on something, 意思是"大量儲存某樣東西"，比如load up on food, 就表示"吃得很多"。

(ZT)