【大紀元6月13日訊】開春了，李華和Larry在後院種花種菜。今天我們要學兩個常用語：cut out for和fruit.
LH: Larry, 我說的沒錯吧，種地就是好，既能回歸自然，又能有所收穫。
LL: Uh … I’m not sure about that. My back hurts from digging all these holes, and I think some ants have crawled into my pants.
LH: 腰疼？不要緊的，過兩天習慣就好了。而且，就算真有螞蟻爬到你的褲子裡也沒有關係，螞蟻不咬人，等一會兒，它自己就爬出來了。
LL: Thanks for the encouragement, Lihua, but I just don’t think I’m cut out for gardening.
LH: Cut out? 我們這才開始育苗，離修枝還遠著呢！
LL: Actually, Lihua, when you say that you’re not cut out for something, it means that you aren’t suited for it.
LH: 哦，我明白了， cut out for something，就是適合做某件事情。那你是說自己不適合種地嘍？
LL: Right. I’m more cut out for indoor activities, like watching TV in my air conditioned apartment..
LH: Larry, 別洩氣，你也不能因為腰疼那麼一小會兒，就徹底排斥室外活動啊。
LL: Well you know, I’m just not cut out for outdoor activities in the spring. There is so much pollen that my allergies get really bad.
LH: (Sneeze, sneeze again)哎，這倒是真的。不過，我們還是不能因噎廢食，快來幫我參考一下，這些花苗怎麼擺更好看。
LL: You can decide where to put them, Lihua. You know that I’m terrible at art, so I don’t think I’m cut out to be a landscape artist.
LH: 不會景觀設計沒關係，我可以教你！記不記得，當年的麻婆豆腐還是你這個老外教我做的呢！
LL: Oh right, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a cook either. That mapo doufu was terrible!
LH: 別忘了，熟能生巧，practice makes perfect. 我剛拿到駕照的時候開車簡直就是二把刀，可如今呢，早就是行家了。
LL: To be honest, Lihua, I’m not sure you’re cut out for driving. We get really lost every time you drive the car.
LH：Larry, 那不是迷路，我那是故意帶你轉一圈，欣賞沿途的美景。說到美景，咱們還是趕緊種花吧！
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MC：Larry和李華用了整個一個上午的時間，終於把花圃種好了。
LH: 好，Larry, 大功告成。
LL: Yeah … sure … I hope we can sell some of those tomatoes to pay for a masseuse for my back!
LH: 什麼？你要把這些西紅柿通通賣掉，用賺來的錢去做按摩？要我說，你快別抱怨了，還是好好欣賞一下我們工作的成果吧。
LL: You’re right, Lihua. I have to say, it is nice to look at this beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
LH: Fruits? 果實，那可要等上兩個月，才能吃到嘴裡呢！看來不是裝的，你還真對園藝一竅不通。
LL: Actually, Lihua, the fruits of your labor are the reward you receive from your hard work.
LH: 哦，the fruits of my labor就是指我的勞動成果，並不一定是吃到嘴裡的果實。是啊，忙了大半天，總算可以停下來，欣賞一下這麼美麗的園子了。
LL: Exactly! Or if I studied really hard for a test, I could say that the perfect score I received would be the fruits of my labor.
LH: 我以前好像也聽別人這麼用過fruit這個詞。
LL: Well, you can also say that something “bears fruit,” meaning that it produces good results. For instance, I just started working out last week, I will have to wait a few months for all my efforts to bear fruit.
LH: 我看也是，你剛才就挖了兩個樹坑，就累得喘噓噓的，好像跑了馬拉松似的，太缺練了！
LL: Well, Lihua, you will be able to enjoy the fruit of all my labor this summer when we go to the beach and I can show off my muscles.
LH: 好啊，就怕你一直待在屋裡，猛然脫下上衣，一身雪白的肌肉會刺得我睜不開眼睛。
LL: Very funny. Now come on, let’s go out to a restaurant. I may not be cut out for gardening, but I’m definitely cut out for eating!
今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是cut out for, 意思是適合做某事。另一個是fruit, 意思是努力的成果。 (http://www.dajiyuan.com)
