Larry 有件事要告诉李华，但是他要李华保守秘密。李华今天会学到两个常
用语Hush-hush 和Blabbermouth.

    LL： So ， Li Hua ， I have some news I'd like to share with you，
but I'd like you to keep it hush-hush.

    LH： Hush-hush？我知道，hush-hush 是要人别出声，保持安静。Larry ，
你为什么要我别出声呢？

    LL： Something that is hush-hush means private and secret. It is something
you don't want other people to know about.

    LH：原来hush-hush 在这里是指秘密的，不能告诉别人。难道你有什么秘密
吗？

    LL： I got a new job！

    LH： Wow！你找到新工作了，太好了， Larry. 我还以为是什么不可告人的
事情呢。这么好的消息你为什么不告诉大家呢？

    LL： Well ， I am excited about it， and I do want to tell everyone，
but my new job won't start for several months. I want to keep it hush-hush
until I'm ready to tell people at my current job.

    LH：新工作要几个月以后才开始，你现在还不想让老板和同事们知道。那好，
我一定为你保密。不过这个秘密我们要保守多久呢？

    LL： About two months. Then I'll tell my boss and co-workers， and
you won't have to keep my news hush-hush any more.

    LH：两个月以后你就要告诉老板和同事了。我想他们一定会舍不得你走。 Larry，
我也要告诉你一个秘密。 It is all very hush-hush.

    LL： What's that？

    LH：我的一个学生最近在华盛顿申请了一份工作，听说是去一个秘密机构。

    LL： If it is so hush-hush， how do you know about it ？

    LH：因为我给她写了推荐信，那个单位还找我谈话，调查这位学生的情况。

    LL： Hmm， a hush-hush organization. Is she applying to become a secret
agent ？

    LH：你说她在申请作特工？这我可不能告诉你，你知道我必须保密。

    LL： Oh ， I know. I'm just curious. Sometimes it is hard to keep
things hush-hush. Like the fact that my friend Dave is dating your friend
Mary.

    LH： Dave 和Mary？他们在谈恋爱？我怎么没听说呢？

    LL： Dave asked me to keep it hush-hush for a while ， because he
wanted to be sure that Mary liked him and that it wasn't a one-time thing.

    LH： Dave 要确定Mary是否真的喜欢他后才公开。这我完全理解。

    ******

    LL： I thought about telling you， Li Hua. But I didn't want to be
a blabbermouth.

    LH： Blabbermouth 这个词我知道， Blabbermouth 指的是嘴快、不能保守
秘密的人。

    LL： Wow， you are *good* ， Li Hua. A blabbermouth is someone who
blabbers； they talk， talk ， talk and can't keep a secret.

    LH： Larry，在Dave这件事上，你可真是守口如瓶啊，You are not a blabbermouth.
有你这样忠实的朋友，Dave一定很放心。

    LL： Thanks ， Li Hua. Dave and Mary have been dating for several
weeks ， and he told me I could tell you and our other friends now.

    LH： Dave 让你告诉我啦？那他和Mary一定很合得来，太好了！Larry ， Dave
当时幸亏没有告诉Jennifer，全世界的人就都知道了。

    LL： Jennifer is a blabbermouth ？ What do you mean ？

    LH：她总喜欢打听和议论别人的私事，然后到处乱说。

    LL： Have you ever said anything about it to her？

    LH：我怎么好意思对她说：Don't be such a blabbermouth！

    LL： Well ， then I'll remember the next time I have something I want
to keep hush-hush ： Don't tell Jennifer the blabbermouth ！

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是hush-hush ，意思是不要公开的，是秘
密的。还有一个是blabbermouth，这是指那些嘴快，不能保守秘密的人。