李华收到了妈妈从中国寄来的包裹，迫不及待地把里面的东西拿给Larry看。他们会用到两个常用语： tacky和swallow one's pride。

LH: Larry, 你看，这是我妈送你的礼物!

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

LH: 什么啊？这是毛衣! 多好看啊!

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

LH: 你看！我妈还在这儿别了张纸条，上面说，这是她亲手给你织的。我妈真有两下子，是不是啊Larry?

Larry: .....Oh my.

LH: 怎么？你不喜欢？

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: 不时髦？俗气？这毛衣怎么俗气了？！

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

LH: 那怎么了，有松树有小人儿就俗气？

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: 你还嫌颜色太鲜艳，俗气得让你眼睛难受？! 行了行了! I don't think they're tacky at all. 我觉得一点儿都不俗! 我妈亲手织的，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？你说我喜欢俗气的衣服？! 我哪有!

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

LH: 粉色的hello kitty网球鞋不是tacky，是可爱! 可爱!

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! 咱俩眼光不同，我不跟你争了。反正我妈的这件爱心毛衣，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: 你不穿我就要生气了!

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

LH: 别理我。我正生气呢。

******

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

LH: Swallow your pride? 你说什么呢？

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

LH: Swallow one's pride 就是忍气吞声，勉强去做不愿做的事儿。这么说......你是要穿这件毛衣喽？

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？我也为了你忍气吞声过？

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，想起来了。那次，你老板的确把我当成了日本人，不过没关系啦，美国人把中国、韩国、日本人搞混是常事。我不介意，我们中国人也常常觉得只要金头发蓝眼睛就都是美国人！

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: 对！那次万圣节，你非让我穿那件难看得要命的法国女仆装！

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

LH: 等等！你是说这件爱心毛衣和那件女仆装一样俗气难看？

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

LH: 可是.....我穿的那件女仆装还特别曝露，别扭死了!

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

LH: 可我不喜欢穿这种衣服！穿女仆装在你一大堆朋友前走来走去，I really had to swallow my pride! 我牺牲了多少自尊啊!

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，这里还有一个 Hello Kitty的手套，也是我妈织给你的！戴上吧！

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

今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是tacky，表示“俗气难看”。另一个是swallow one's pride, 意思是“忍气吞声”。