【大紀元11月06日訊】李華和Larry一起去逛農貿市場。今天我們要學兩個常用語：to eat one’s words和like night and day。
LH: Larry， 我特別喜歡逛農貿市場。這些蔬菜水果都是咱們這兒的農民自己種的，又新鮮又營養。
L: I guess that’s true, but they’re expensive too. I think we should just wait for our plants at home to produce fruit.
LH: 咱們種的那些菜？嗯….Larry, 說實話，你第一次種菜，真的能有收穫嗎？
L: You just watch Lihua. When we are eating tomatoes from our garden in a few weeks, you’re going to have to eat your words.
LH: 啊？Eat my words? Larry, 怎麼能這樣，你吃西紅柿，卻讓我吃words?
L: Actually, when someone eats her words, that means she has to accept that she was wrong about something.
LH: 哦，to eat my words就是認錯。你是說，等你種的西紅柿結出又大又甜的果實來，我就不得不承認自己小看了你種菜的本領！
L: Right! Here is another example. I told my friend Steve that he would never become a famous actor, but I had to eat my words when he won an Oscar.
LH: 甚麼？你的朋友Steve贏了奧斯卡獎？！ 快把他介紹給我！
L: Unfortunately that’s just an example sentence.
LH: 啊？是你胡說的啊！ 算了，咱們還是買點水果吧，我看也不會特別貴。
L: Trust me, Lihua, you’re going to eat your words when you see how expensive the prices are. Say, do you have cash in your wallet?
LH: 現金？沒有，我就帶了張信用卡。
L: Lihua, I doubt these small farmers brought credit card machines with them.
LH: 不會吧，現在大家都用信用卡。 你放心吧，這些賣菜的肯定收信用卡。
L: Well, you’re going to eat your words when you try to buy something with a credit card.
LH: 好啦， Larry，既然今天你這麼自信，乾脆你來挑蘋果吧。如果不甜，唯你是問！
L: Lihua, I am an expert at picking out the most delicious fruit at the market. And if they’re not good, I will eat my words.
LH: 哈，這你不必擔心，如果蘋果不甜，你不用承認自己看走眼，you don’t have to eat your words. I’ll make you eat the apples! 只要你把自己挑的酸蘋果都吃掉就行了！
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LH: Larry, 你快看這個大南瓜！ 肯定比超市賣的好吃！
L: I don’t know … it looks about the same. The only difference is that it costs twice as much.
LH: Larry，你相信我，晚上你一吃就知道我說得沒錯了。
L: Well, for twice as much money, it better be like night and day.
LH: 吃南瓜要像白天和黑夜？你說甚麼呢？
L: When you say that two things are like night and day, that means they are completely different, or that one is far better than the other.
LH: 哦，like night and day就是「天壤之別」。你是說，這裡南瓜比超市的貴那麼多，所以它們的味道也必須比超市的南瓜好吃幾百倍才對。
L: Right! Here is another example. I was used to working on my old, slow computer, so when I bought a really fast new computer, it was like night and day.
LH: 對，你的新電腦特別好用，跟原來那台又舊又慢的電腦相比，真的是天壤之別。
L: Exactly! So Lihua, should we get some red potatoes, or the yellow potatoes?
LH: 紅土豆還是黃土豆？隨便啦，土豆還不都一個味兒麼？
L: They don’t taste similar at all! The difference is like night and day.
LH: 怎麼可能有那麼大的區別？估計就你一個人能吃出不同來。
L: You know Lihua, there is one nice thing about the farmer’s market.
LH: 哦？是甚麼？
L: The employees at the supermarket aren’t very friendly or helpful, but the farmers here are so nice! It’s really like night and day.
LH: 那可不！ Larry，你開始喜歡農貿市場了吧？你看，東西貴一點，也是值得的！
L: Well, I’m not going to eat my words just yet. I’ll taste some of the fruit first, and then decide if it’s worth the extra money.
LH: Larry, 在吃上你得向我學習。雖然我平時很節儉，但是，一涉及到吃，我花多少錢都不心疼！
L: That’s true. Your attitude is like night and day.
今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是to eat one’s words, 意思是認錯，認輸。另一個是like night and day, 意思是天壤之別。
(美國之音)
