李华和Larry 在看世界杯足球赛，美国队和阿尔及利亚队。我们要学两个常
用语：on the edge of your seat和down to the wire.

    LH： Larry，今天这场比赛可很重要！美国要是赢了，就进16强，要是输了
就得回家了。

    L ： I know ！ Who do you think will win？ The U.S. or Algeria？

    LH：这可说不好。

    L ： I agree， it's hard to predict who will win. All I know is that
I'm going to be on the edge of my seat the whole game.

    LH：什么？你要坐在椅子边儿上看比赛？这样坐着你一会儿就得累。

    L ： Actually ， when you are really excited or nervous about something，
you can say that you are on the edge of your seat.

    LH：哦，on the edge of your seat不是真的坐在椅子的边儿上，而是形容
紧张的样子。你是说，这场比赛让你感到特别紧张、兴奋，简直坐也不是站也不
是。

    L ： Right！ Or for another example ， my friend Eddie loved the new
Jack Nicholson suspense movie. He said it kept him on the edge of his
seat for two hours.

    LH：对！悬疑电影总是让人的心提在嗓子眼，紧张得不行！哎，Larry ，你
不是说你在网上买了一件美国队的球衣么？寄来了没有？

    L ： I've been waiting on the edge of my seat all week for it to come，
but it hasn't arrived yet. I hope it didn't get lost in the mail.

    LH：别急，没准今天球衣就到了。你看别的世界杯比赛了吗？

    L ： Yeah a few ， but for me ， none can keep me on the edge of my
seat like a U.S. match does.

    LH：这倒是！不过，足球比赛太紧张了！要不我们还是看“美国偶像”吧，
轻松一下。

    L ： No way ！ I'm always sitting on the edge of my seat whenever
they announce the winner of American Idol.

    LH：你怎么看什么都这么激动！对了，我还真没看出来，你也是美国偶像的
粉丝啊！

    L ： Well you never know when you might learn something surprising
about me， Lihua.

    LH：哈哈，那以后和你说话时我该紧张了，I'll be on the edge of my seat
when I talk to you！

    ******

    美国对阿尔及利亚的比赛结束了，Larry 和李华在谈论这场比赛。

    LH：真够悬的！双方一直是0 比0 ，我还以为美国队要被淘汰了呢！谁知美
国队居然在最后三分种里进了个球，这下就挺进16强啦！

    L ： I know ！ That was so amazing！ If I watch a few more games like
that， I'm going to have a heart attack ！

    LH：心脏病？不至于吧！不过，这场比赛最后几分钟确实挺刺激的。

    L ： You're right. That game really came down to the wire.

    LH： Down to the wire ？这是什么意思？

    L ： When something comes down to the wire， that means there isn't
much time left.

    LH：哦，down to the wire就是指到了最后关头。你是说这场比赛在快结束
的时候居然难分胜负。

    L ： Right. Here's another example. My big report for work is due
tomorrow and I still have a lot of work to do ， so it's really coming
down to the wire today.

    LH：你是说，明天有报告要交，可你还没怎么写呢，所以今天是你完成报告
的最后关头了！哎？既然要写报告，干嘛还看世界杯？

    L ： I'll just say that I know what's important in life. Say， how
is your summer job search going ？

    LH：还在找呢。我已经快没钱了，如果再找不到工作，我连房租也交不出来
了。

    L ： Gosh ， it sounds like it's really coming down to the wire. Have
you had any success ？

    LH：倒是有一份工作，我已经进入最后一轮面试了，公司说今天下午打电话
通知我结果。

    L ： Wow， it sounds like it's coming down to the wire. You must really
be on the edge of your seat.

    LH：是啊，已经快5 点了，还没来电话，我都要急死了！

    今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是on the edge of your seat，表示紧张兴
奋。另一是down to the wire，意思是到最后关头。