李华和Larry 在夏威夷渡假。俩人今天去冲浪。今天我们要学两个常用语：
make light of something 和in over one's head.

    LH： Larry，我早就想学冲浪了，听说夏威夷是世界上最适合冲浪的地方。

    LL： Really ？ I've also heard that the waters have big sharks. Are
you sure you wouldn't rather build sand castles ？

    LH：在海边用沙子堆城堡？哈，Larry ，你是不是害怕了？放心，鲨鱼看见
咱俩，一定会选择我。

    LL： I wouldn't make light of the situation ， Lihua. There really
are sharks！

    LH： Make light of the situation？那是什么意思啊？

    LL： You can say that you make light of a situation when you joke
about something that is actually very serious.

    LH：哦， to make light of 一件事情就是拿正经事当儿戏。那你是说海水
里真的有鲨鱼，我不应该拿咱俩谁的肉更香开玩笑喽？

    LL： Right！ Now， Lihua， you're a good swimmer， right？ The ocean
is pretty strong here.

    LH：我以前上中学的时候还是游泳校队的呢。这点海浪难不倒我，Larry ，
你怎么今天好象特别的婆婆妈妈。

    LL： Well ， I just wouldn't make light of the fact that the currents
can be very dangerous.

    LH：看，这么多孩子在水里玩，如果你有什么事，他们一定会去救你的。

    LL： Haha ， very funny. You know ， you can also say that you take
something lightly when you don't treat it as seriously as you should.

    LH：哦，就是不把正经事当回事儿的意思。Larry ，我是来渡假的，不是来
学英语的，咱们还是赶快下水吧！

    LL： Wait ！ First we should put on some sunscreen. Getting a sun
burn is really unhealthy， so we don't want to take that lightly.

    LH：对对对，被太阳晒脱皮可非同小可。

    LL： Yeah ， we shouldn't take skin cancer lightly， so I always try
not to get a tan.

    LH：怎么样，现在可以让教练带我们下水了吧？

    LL： Sure. You go in first and make sure the sharks aren't hungry.
I'll follow once I know it's safe.

    LH：真够绅士的。

    ******

    李华和Larry 结束了冲浪课程，回到岸上。

    LH： Wow， Larry，太过瘾了。我准备辞掉工作，留下来做职业冲浪运动员。

    LL： Not me. I think half the water in the ocean went up my nose.

    LH：别灰心，只要坚持练习，一定会熟能生巧，到时候，别人看到你冲浪就
会惊呼，WOW ……

    LL： I don't know ， Lihua. I think I might be in over my head.

    LH：你说什么？In over your head ？你意思是站在深水里，水快要没过头
了吗？

    LL： Right！ You can say that you are in over your head when you are
facing a challenge that you aren't able to handle.

    LH：哦，我明白了，in over one's head意思是太难了，难以驾驭。你是说
自己学不会冲浪吗？

    LL： Right. For another example ， in college ， I once tried to take
a physics class ， but I soon realized I was in over my head because I'm
really bad at math.

    LH：这我太能理解了，我数学也不好，所以物理课一直是我的弱项。你说Larry，
咱们明天到底干嘛？去爬山如何？

    LL： You want to hike on one of the volcanoes ？

    LH：当然了，如果能在上面宿营就更棒了。

    LL： Well Lihua ， neither of us is an experienced hiker. I don't
want to go far out in the forest and realize we are in over our heads.

    LH：要不找个导游？对了，Larry ，我有个更好的主意。我们可以骑车环岛
游！

    LL： I don't know ……I'm not in good shape ， and that is a really
long bike ride. I think I would be in over my head.

    LH：那你说，咱们干点什么才能不让你in over your head 呢？

    LL： Well you know， our hotel offers an all-day massage and spa treatment.
I think I could handle that.

    LH：什么，你想一整天都待在旅馆里，休息按摩？那我们来夏威夷干嘛？我
公寓旁边就有按摩院啊。

    LL： Well ， it's important to rest on vacation. I don't take relaxation
lightly.

    LH：我有个折中方案，既好玩，又不会太累。

    LL： Really ？ What's that？

    LH： Sailing！坐船出海去。

    今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是make light of ，意思是不认真，当儿戏。
另一个是in over one's head，意思是太难。