【大纪元12月28日讯】
Larry去李华家吃饭。他告诉李华说，自己今天特别倒霉。李华今天要学两个常用语：nightmare和group hug.
LL: I had the worst day at work today. It was an absolute nightmare!
LH: 上班做恶梦？Larry, 你可要小心点儿，上班睡觉是要被老板炒鱿鱼的！
LL: No, no. I didn’t HAVE a nightmare at work…Being at work today was LIKE a nightmare.
LH: 噢，你是说今天上班很痛苦，就像是做了一场恶梦啊，听起来挺吓人的。
LL: It wasn’t so much scary as it was unpleasant. Any situation that is really bad or unpleasant can be called a nightmare – even a really angry person can be a nightmare.
LH: 我知道了，nightmare是指令人不愉快的人或者事。那你今天上班出什么事了？
LL: It all started with my boss. He is usually a nice guy, but today he was really angry with his staff – me, included. He was a total nightmare.
LH: 我记得你老板人挺随和的，今天怎么会突然发脾气呢？
LL: Well, he wasn’t happy that we hadn’t finished a project by the deadline. When he came into the office this morning, he told everyone we better have it finished by the end of the day – or he was going to become our worst nightmare!
LH: Your worst nightmare? Yikes! 你们不是一直都在赶着完成那个项目吗？老板这么生气，大家一定很沮丧吧？
LL: That is exactly what happened, Li Hua. After work, my day didn’t get better. On my way over to your house, the traffic was a nightmare.
LH: 我也从新闻里看到堵车的消息了。你今天可真够倒霉的。我特别理解你现在的心情，还记得我博士生资格考试那天吗？
LL: I do remember. As I recall that day was a total nightmare for you.
LH: 是呀，我当时论文打到一半，电脑突然死机了。What a nightmare.
LL: But the nightmare turned out okay in the end, didn’t it?
LH: 我只好从头再来。还好，我的论文最后还是得了优秀。
LL: Then maybe my nightmare will have a good ending, too.
******
LL: You know, Li Hua, when my co-workers and me were feeling down after the boss yelled at us, we had a “Group Hug” and all felt better.
LH: A “group hug”? 在办公室里集体拥抱？
LL: Well, I know it sounds kind of strange, but sometimes when a group of people or a team is down and they need to cheer themselves up they have a “group hug.”
LH: 你的意思是，大家情绪低落的时候，group hug一下，感觉就会好起来？
LL: Well, after my boss left and everyone was feeling down, one of my co-workers said aloud, “Group Hug!” We all stood up, hugged in a circle one time, and then felt much better.
LH: 真有意思，group hug能让你们提高工作效率吗？
LL: It really did. The group hug reduced the tension, and we all were able to get back to working on the project.
LH: 我可以在我的中文课上试试看。中文很难学，所以学生们有时会因为进步慢而感到气馁。
LL: A “group hug” could help lighten the mood in class, especially after a really hard test.
LH: Larry, group hug是怎么做的呢？
LL: Well, usually someone says, “Group Hug” or “Let’s have a group hug.” Then the group forms a circle and each participant puts their arms over their neighbors’ shoulders.
LH: 大家站成一圈，胳膊搭在旁边人的肩膀上，是这样吗？那下次我发考卷的时候，如果学生们考得不好，我就可以说，不要灰心，Let’s have a group hug.
LL: Yes, that’s it! In my family, when my brothers and sisters would have an argument, my mom would say, ”Let’s stop fighting and have a group hug.” It was like magic – we’d all stop fighting.
LH: Larry, 我知道你今天情绪不好，但是我们两个人不能说是group hug吧？
LL: No, you are right, Li Hua. To have a true group hug, you need three or more people. But I’d be happy with just a regular hug from you, Li Hua!
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是nightmare, 是令人不愉快的人或事。另一个是 group hug，是集体拥抱。(http://www.dajiyuan.com)
