李华和Larry 在一家中餐馆吃饭。李华今天会学到两个常用语bite the bullet
和benchwarmer.

    LH： Larry，你点的陈皮牛肉真好吃。（Groans in pain） Oww！

    LL： Hey， what's wrong ？ Was there something in the beef？

    LH：不，是我的牙。我的一个牙齿坏了，早该去看牙医，可是一直不敢去。

    LL： Really ？ Well ， if it hurts that much， I guess you have to
bite the bullet and see a dentist ！

    LH： Bite the bullet！？咬子弹？Larry ，我咬肉都痛，还叫我咬子弹！

    LL： No ， no ， I'm not being mean. To bite the bullet means to resign
yourself to doing something that is difficult or unpleasant.

    LH：所以，你的意思是硬着头皮去难做的事，或不愉快的事。噢，我知道了，
以前打仗的时候有时没有麻药，伤员动手术时只好咬著子弹，忍住疼痛。这个习
惯用语就是这么来的吧？

    LL： I guess so. Anyway ， your painful tooth will affect your studying，
and it might get worse if you keep waiting. Just bite the bullet and see
a dentist ！

    LH：牙痛当然影响我的学习。我一会儿就打电话给牙医生约时间。对了， Larry，
你上星期因为停车而被罚款有没有去付啊？

    LL：（Sighs ） No ， I haven't paid them off yet. I guess I'd better
bite the bullet and pay them， otherwise the charges will be doubled.

    LH：还没有付呀！逾期不付会加倍罚款的。 Larry，今年你已经吃了好几张
罚单了，你平时很少用车，为什么不把它卖掉呢？

    LL： Hmm…… I like the freedom of having a car ， but owning one
is pretty expensive in this city. Maybe I should just bite the bullet
and sell my car.

    LH：有车是方便，可是要交停车费、保险费，车坏了还要修理费。你知道吗？
Ben 最近把他的车卖掉了。

    LL： Really ？ You know what else Ben did recently？ He finally bit
the bullet and asked his girlfriend to marry him！ She said yes ！

    LH：真的呀？那就是说Ben 和他的女朋友要结婚了。这是好事啊，可你为什
么你说He bit the bullet ？为什么要硬着头皮求婚呢？

    LL： No ！ It's just that a making a marriage proposal takes courage
sometimes. I'm sure Ben was nervous. That's why I say he had to bite the
bullet.

    LH：那倒是。求婚是要有勇气的，特别是对Ben 这么内向的人来说。

    ******

    （Sounds of indoor court basketball ）

    LH： Hey， Larry！没想到你还会打篮球。

    LL： Hey！ I've been a part of this recreational league here at the
gym for a few months. Years ago I played in high school ， but I was just
a benchwarmer ， really.

    LH：你参加这体育馆的球队已经好几个月了？我怎么不知道呀？你说你在中
学时只是个benchwarmer ，那是什么位置呀？我只知道有前锋，中锋和后卫。

    LL：（Chuckles） It's not really a position ， Li Hua. A benchwarmer
is a reserve player on a team. They aren't as good as the starting players，
so they have to sit on the bench and wait.

    LH：原来benchwarmer 就是我们中国人常说的板凳队员。因为他们的技术比
较差，入场打球的机会比较少，老坐在板凳上等教练的命令，把板凳都坐暖了。
Benchwarmer ，这很有意思。

    LL： Yeah ， well ， being a benchwarmer on my high school basketball
team was not funny， for me at least. That's why I quit the team after
one season.

    LH：这我完全理解。我以前在大学也参加过蓝球队，也是老坐板凳，所以不
久就退出了。

    LL： That's too bad ！ If I was forced to be a benchwarmer on this
team， I'd probably quit too. It's not worth my time if I can't play.

    LH：光坐在那里看而没机会打球的确不值得。 Larry，你现在差不多每场比
赛都参加，球技一定很棒噢。

    LL： Heh， not really ， this team only has seven players ， and everyone
always gets a chance to play. No one has to be a benchwarmer on this team.

    LH：你们只有七名队员，那是没有人坐板凳了。我也想打篮球，不过我谁都
不认识，不知道怎么报名。

    LL： Oh ， what are you worried about ， Li Hua. Just bite the bullet
and ask someone about joining ！

    LH：好吧，我明天就去问问。

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是bite the bullet ，意思是硬着头皮、
鼓起勇气去做不想作或是很难做的事。还有一个是benchwarmer ，意思是指球队
的后备队员。他们老是坐在板凳上，打球的机会不多。