Larry 开车接李华去看医生，路上堵车迟到了。李华今天要学两个常用语，
meltdown和make up.

    LL： I'm really sorry I am late ， Li Hua. But there is no need for
you to have ameltdownabout it. LH ：（生气地）如果meltdown是生气的意思，
那没错，I am having a meltdown.

    LL：（Sheepishly） Well ， Li Hua ， perhaps now isn't the best time
for an English lesson ， but a meltdown is an excessively emotional response
to a disappointment or a crisis. LH ：（还是有点生气）meltdown是融化的
意思，跟遇到挫败或是危机，情绪过分激动有什么关系呢？

    LL： Well ， the term meltdown refers to the melting of the coreof
a nuclear reactor. When that happens， the nuclear reactor becomes unstable
and may explode. LH ：噢，原来是从核反应堆来的。Well， I guess I did have
a meltdown. 你今天迟到，我确实很生气。

    LL： I must say ， it is very unlike you to have a meltdown. You are
usually so calm and understanding. LH ：我生气可是有理由的。你迟到了不
是一会儿，而是整整半个小时。看来我去看医生也要迟到了。

    LL： I understand why you had a meltdown， Li Hua. But honestly ，
there is nothing I could do about it. You know how unpredictable the traffic
is in New York City. LH ：也是，我刚才太急了，没有给你解释的机会。你在
路上遇到什么状况了吗？

    LL： Well ， there was a car accident that blocked traffic for a long
time. It wasn't very serious accident ， but when the two drivers got
out of their cars ， there was a total meltdown in communication. LH：
你为什么说这两个司机之间发生了total meltdown呢？

    LL： Well ， one driver was really angry. He was all red in the face
and was yelling loudly. I could tell he was having a meltdown. LH ：啊，
脸红脖子粗的大吵大闹，真是够吓人的。那另外一个司机呢？他们俩没打起来吧？

    LL： The other driver ended up having a meltdown， too - but in a
different way. When the first driver started yelling at her ， she started
to cry. LH：原来还是个女的，真可怜。警察来了吗？

    LL： By the time the police arrived ， the two drivers had recovered
from their meltdowns and were calm. The police officers were very professional.
LH：还好最后得到了圆满解决，最重要的是没有人受伤。对不起，Larry ，我刚
才不问青红皂白就对你大发脾气。

    LL： Don't worry about it ， Li Hua. Everyone has a meltdown every
once in a while.

    ******

    LL： Well ， after that meltdown， don't you think it is time for
you and me to make up ， Li Hua ？

    LH： Make up？吵完架为什么要化妆呢？

    LL： No ， no. To "Make Up" means to get back to being friends after
a fight. LH ：我已经向你道歉，你也接受了，这就等于是和好了吧？

    LL： Yes， I think we have made up. We are still friends， right，
Li Hua？

    LH：我们当然是朋友，你也知道，我不会真跟你生气的。I am glad we've
made up.真希望Janet 也能跟她的男朋友Tom 和好。他们上星期吵架，到现在都
不说话。Janet 痛苦极了。

    LL： Well ， sometimes it is hard to make up with some one - especially
when the argument is over something serious or someone is really stubbornand
won't listen to the other person. LH： Janet倒并不固执，她很想跟Tom 和
好，可是Tom 好像没有和好的意思。他们是因为Tom 跟另外一个女孩子很接近才
吵架的。

    LL： Hmmm ……Well， if Tom hasn't tried to make up with Janet in
a week， maybe he is more interested in that other girl. LH ： Larry，
快别说了，我们还得赶去看医生呢！

    LL： Don't have another meltdown， Li Hua. I'll get you to the doctor's
appointment. I think it was worth taking the time to make up and be friends
again ， don't you， Li Hua ？

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是meltdown，是情绪过分激动的意思。另
一个是make up ，是和好的意思。