Larry 告诉李华他连续几天给他哥哥打电话，可是总也找不到他。李华会学
到两个常用语：phone tag 和chit chat.

    LL： Argh ！ I just got my brother's answering machine AGAIN. I've
been playing phone tag with him for days.

    LH：你和你哥哥playing phone tag ？那是玩什么？有电话有关的游戏吗？

    LL： Well ， not exactly， but it is like a game of tag.

    LH： Game of tag不就是小孩子们玩的捉人游戏吗？就是，大家跑，一个人
追。被追到的人再接着去追别人。我们小时候都玩过这个游戏的。

    LL： Right. I'll give you an example of how phone tag works. On Monday，
I called my brother and left a message on his answering machine. On Monday
night ， he called me back， but I was out so HE left a message.

    LH：我也碰到过这种情况，上星期我打电话给一个朋友，他不在，我就留了
言。他给我回电话的时候，我又不在，所以他留了言。这样互相留言好几次，谁
也找不到对方，真是像捉迷藏一样。Phone tag 这个词太生动了。

    LL： Yes， and this game of phone tag with my brother has been going
on for three days ！ I'm getting pretty tired of it.

    LH：你们这样phone tag 已经三天了，你为什么不给他写email ，发电子邮
件呢？

    LL： I know ， Li Hua. Next time I call ， if I get his answering
machine again ， I am going to tell him exactly when I am at home. That
should solve the phone tag problem.

    LH：对，你告诉他你什么时候在家，让他到时候打过来就行了。你还可以给
他写email 发电子邮件呀。这可比打电话要省事多了。

    LL： That is a good idea， but I like hearing his voice. It makes
me feel closer to him ， and I really don't mind the phone tag too much.

    LH：那倒也是。通话和写信毕竟不一样。我虽然也用email ，可还是常给我
爸爸妈妈打电话。

    LL： I guess it would be pretty frustrating and expensive to play
a game of long distance phone tag from China.

    LH：一般都是我每个星期在固定的时间打电话回家，因为从中国打到美国价
钱比较贵。 So I don't play phone tag with my family.

    LL： Maybe I should try that with my brother. I'm sure he is tired
of playing phone tag， too.

    *****

    LH： Larry，你那么急着找你哥哥，有要紧的事吗？

    LL： No ， not really. I just want to chit chat.

    LH： Chit chat是什么意思啊？

    LL： To Chit Chat is to talk about general things that aren't very
important. I don't really have anything specific or urgent to talk about.

    LH： Chit Chat就是闲聊。那你和你哥哥平时都闲聊些什么呢？

    LL： We chit chat about what is going on at work， what we've been
doing for fun lately， and even about the weather.

    LH：嗯，聊工作，生活和天气，看来你们哥俩的关系很不错嘛。我也喜欢和
家人聊天，特别是和我妈妈。

    LL： Chit chatting can be pleasant， but some times it can be annoying.

    LH：是啊，有时候聊天不仅没有乐趣反而令人烦恼，就好像昨天我正忙着写
论文，我的朋友 Rachel 打电话来和我聊天。

    LL： So ， did you tell her you didn't have time to chit chat ？

    LH：一开始我没好意思告诉他我很忙。然后聊了一会儿以后我对她说我在忙
着写论文呢。

    LL： I know Rachel. She really likes to chit chat. Did she get off
the phone right away， when you told her you need to work ？

    LH： Rachel 的确很喜欢聊天。我说我要赶快写论文，她还是不挂电话。真
拿她没办法。

    LL： Well ， I have to say， Li Hua ， I don't mind chit chatting
with you.

    LH：你也喜欢和我聊天？其实我也喜欢和朋友聊天。像现在这样，边喝茶边
聊，很放松也很有意思。当然要作功课的时候就不能chit chat 了。

    LL： That's right ！ I think it's time for you to work on your paper，
and I need to try to call my brother again.

    今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是phone tag ，意思是打电话找人，可是
来回好几次，双方还是没讲上话。还有一个常用语是chit chat ，意思是闲聊。