李华通过了博士生的资格考试。Larry 涨了工资。两人一起去吃饭庆祝。李
华今天要学两个常用语，go out和more than friends.

    LL： It is so nice to be celebrating such happy events with you ，
Li Hua！ And on such a wonderful evening， I have an important question
to ask you.

    LH：重要问题？好，有什么问题尽管问！

    LL：（Nervously ） Uh ……Well……I was wondering if you wanted to
……go out with me.

    LH：出去干嘛？我们还没吃完饭呢？再说，外面又那么闷热。

    LL：（A little embarrassed） Uhhh ……Noooo. I don't actually mean
for us to go outside *right now*， Li Hua. By asking if you wanted to
go out with me， I meant： Would you date me？

    LH：哦，原来go out with you 是约会的意思。

    LL：（Hopefully ） Yes……So， would you like to go out with me ，
Li Hua？

    LH： Larry，我们做朋友这么久了，你现在要跟我谈恋爱，我还真觉得有些
突然。

    LL： We *have* been friends for a long time ， Li Hua ， and I realized
that there isn't anyone else I enjoy doing things with as much as you.
That's why I decided to ask you to go out with me.

    LH：我得考虑一下，因为这样一来，我们的关系就全变了。

    LL： Well ， it wouldn't change things that much. If we are going
out ， we will still do all the things we do now： go to restaurants，
see movies， and take trips to fun places.

    LH：你说得没错，那我们就不能跟别人约会了吧？

    LL： That is generally the idea ， Li Hua. When you go out with someone，
you don't usually date other people.

    LH：我现在倒是没跟什么人约会，可是……

    LL： What ？ Is it that you don't want to go out with me， Li Hua ？

    LH：不是。我很喜欢你，我就是希望我们永远能象现在这么好。

    LL： So ， you will go out with me？

    LH：好，我愿意！

    ******

    LL： This is so great ！ You've made me so happy， Li Hua. I was worried
you were going to say you wanted to be "just friends."

    LH：我知道，如果女孩子不接受男子的追求，就可以说She wants to be "just
friends." 只做普通朋友。

    LL： How do you know about being "just friends" ， Li Hua ？

    LH：以前我跟两个室友住在一起，经常说起交男朋友的事。

    LL： So ， what did your roommates tell you ？

    LH：有个男孩约Nancy 出去，可Nancy 并不喜欢他，所以她就打电话给那个
男孩，说更愿意做普通朋友。

    LL： Well ， Li Hua ， it takes a lot of courage for a guy to ask
a girl out on a date - and there is nothing worse than hearing a girl
say she wants to be "just friends."

    LH：这我可不信。

    LL： I guess you are right， Li Hua. A girl could say worse things！

    LH：不过我可以想象，被谢绝的男孩子的自尊心肯定会受到打击。

    LL： That's right. And that is why I am so glad you didn't say you
wanted to be "just friends" ， Li Hua ， just a moment ago. I would have
been sad.

    LH：如果不是"just friends"普通朋友，那我们是什么呢？

    LL： Well ， when a girl says she would like to go out with a guy ，
she and the guy become "more than friends."

    LH：也就是说我们原来是普通朋友，那现在开始约会，所以我们的关系已经
不只是朋友，超越了朋友的界限了？

    LL： Right， being "more than friends" is a way of saying you are
dating someone. So now we are "more than friends."

    LH：两个"more than friends" 的人做的事情，一定跟"just friends"的人
做的不一样喽？

    LL： Like date each other.

    LH：还有拉手，拥抱……

    LL： Oh ， look ！ It's the waiter with our bill， Li Hua. Maybe we
can continue this conversation later……

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是go out，是约会的意思。另一个是just
friends 做普通朋友，和more than friends ，恋爱的关系。