李华和Larry 排队买票看电影。今天我们要学两个常用语：rope somebody
into something和spot.

    LH：我真是太想看这部电影了，自从Sex and City《欲望都市》电视系列结
束以后，我就一直眼巴巴地等着电影版上映。

    LL： Yes， I remember. I think you were addicted to that show. In
fact， I might even call it an unhealthy obsession.

    LH： Unhealthy obsession？你才病态呢！你每天都看Oprah 的脱口秀，雷
打不动，居然还说我病态。不过话说回来，你能陪我看这么女性化的电影，我还
真没想到。

    LL： Actually ， you didn't have to rope me in at all. I love Sex
and the City even more than Oprah.

    LH：你说的rope you in 是什么意思啊？

    LL： When you rope someone into something ， it means that you convince
them to do something they don't want to do.

    LH：也就是说，如果你本来不想看这个电影，但是经不起我软磨硬泡，最后
只好同意，就是被我rope into it.

    LL： Yup. But even if I didn't want to see this movie ， I would have
gone anyway. I owed you a favor after I roped you into going to the national
Chia Pet convention with me.

    LH：一个人情？我陪你去参加草头娃娃展览大会，你至少欠我五个人情。我
到现在都不知道自己为什么会同意干这么傻的事！

    LL： Well what about the time you roped me into house-sitting your
dog ？ I knew that was going to be a bad idea.

    LH：你帮我照看snoopy难道不开心吗？它那么可爱！

    LL： He would have been more adorable if he were house trained.

    LH：我正在加紧训练它不要随地大小便，下星期还要麻烦你照顾它。

    LL： No way ， you're not roping me into that again. But you know ，
you can also use that phrase when you play a trick on somebody.

    LH： Oh really？

    LL： Yes. For example ……Wait a minute. Oh no！ There's a sign that
say Sex and the City is sold out！

    LH： Oh No！我今天晚上看不成一定会急死的。

    LL： Wow. You are really gullible. I can't believe I roped you into
that joke so easily. It's not sold out.

    ******

    LL： Uh oh Lihua， I think I forgot my wallet.

    LH：不会吧？为什么我们每次出来你都“忘记”带钱包呢？

    LL： I'm sorry. I was just so excited to find out what happens with
Carrie， Samantha ， Charlotte and Miranda that I completely forgot. Can
you spot me ？

    LH： Spot you ？ Spot you 是什么意思啊？哦，我知道了，你一定是在请
求我的原谅。

    LL： Actually ， no. Spotting somebody is like loaning somebody something，
usually money.

    LH：所以你是要跟我借钱买电影票？

    LL： Er …… yes. But I think you owe me that favor. Remember last
week when you were going to the store to buy some Chia Pets and I spotted
you the money ？

    LH：那不算，因为草头娃娃本来就是买给你的。那你说，spotting somebody
跟picking up the tab意思一样吗？

    LL： "Picking up the tab" is usually only used to refer to paying
the bill at a restaurant. "Spotting" is used mostly for small things and
favors. You wouldn't use it for something big.

    LH：你说spot只能用在小事上，那什么样的事才算小事呢？

    LL： Well ， for example， since my car is broken ， I might need
you to spot me a ride home after the movie.

    LH：你是说我不仅要买票请你看电影，看完电影还要开车送你回家，你这个
男朋友还真挺难伺候的。

    LL： Maybe， but it's worth it. You know， if you want to get really
colloquial， you can also "bum" something off somebody.

    LH：那bum 可以用在什么事情上呢？大事还是小事？

    LL： "Bum" is only for little things. If I smoked and was out of cigarettes，
I could ask to bum a cigarette off someone. But since my only addiction
is gummy bears， I will need to bum a dollar off you to buy some candy
in the theatre.

    LH：什么？你还要买糖吃。你看人家《欲望都市》里的男人多绅士，从来不
让女人花钱。你得好好学学。

    LL： Well ， you can't believe everything you see on TV ， Lihua.

    今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是rope somebody into something，意思是
说服某人去干本来不愿意干的事。另一个是spot，意思是借东西，往往是借钱。