Larry 和李华刚上完课，现在在一面喝咖啡，一面聊天。今天李华会学到两
个常用语：off one's rocker和silent treatment.

    （Bar noise ）

    LH： Larry，我看你一直盯着那边那个女孩。你为什么不走过去跟她聊一聊
呢？

    LL： Are you kidding？ She'll think I'm off my rockerif I just walk
over and start talking to her.

    LH：你走过去跟她讲话，她会认为你是什么？Off your rocker ，那是什么
意思啊？

    LL： To be "off one's rocker" means to be crazy. I'm afraid she'll
think I'm crazy ， or at least really weird ， if I start talking to her
for no reason.

    LH：噢！所以off one's rocker就是指一个人特别怪，行为反常。嗨，你要
是觉得和陌生人说话很奇怪，那你才真的是off your rocker 呢！

    LL： I don't know ， I guess I'm just a little shy about it ， okay？

    LH：你这么害羞，难怪总是错失良机！算了，你要胆子那么小，我也没办法。
哎，Larry ，你看那边那个人才真的有点不正常。

    LL： Who？

    LH：就是坐在角落里的那个人，你看他还在唱歌呢！

    LL： Yeah ， he looks like he's a bit off his rocker， but he's probably
just really drunk.

    LH：就是，也许他是喝醉了。Larry ，我今天不能玩太晚。明天早上9 点钟，
历史课的教授要给大家补课。

    LL： 9：00 am on a Saturday morning ？ Your professor is either completely
off his rocker or he just likes to torture his students.

    LH：星期六早上给大家补课不是挺好吗？你认为这教授是疯啦！我看你才是
off your rocker.Larry ，班上没有一个同学认为那教授这样做有什么不正常，
更没有人认为他是为了要折磨学生。

    LL： Ok ， ok. But to me， anyone who likes to go to class on Saturday
morning is off his rocker.

    ******

    LL： Hey， I forgot to tell you that my sister is giving me the silent
treatment. She's mad at me for telling our mom about her new boyfriend.
LH：你把你妹妹交男朋友的事告诉你妈，难怪你妹妹对你发火。你说她还给你silent
treatment ，那是什么意思？

    LL： To give someone "the silent treatment" is to refuse to talk to
that person. My sister is refusing to talk to me because she's mad at
me. LH：噢，我懂了。Silent treatment就是不理你，不跟你说话。这么说，你
妹妹也不接你电话咯？

    LL： No ， she wouldn't even speak to me when I was home last weekend.
LH：我最讨厌这种态度了。不讲话，能解决问题吗？

    LL： Exactly. If my sister is giving me the silent treatment， then
how are we supposed to talk over the problem？

    LH：我还记得，当我告诉我妈我决定要来美国念书时，她气得一个月不和我
说话。

    LL： She probably wasn't really mad at you. She was just upset that
you would be so far away. LH：我知道，她不是真的生我的气，而是不舍得我
到这么远的地方来念书。可是不说话有什么用啊！

    LL： Sometimes giving someone the silent treatment is a good idea ，
though. There are a couple of people I avoid talking to because I know
that they like to gossip. LH：那倒也是。碰上那种喜欢嚼舌头的人，最好不
和他们说话。去年我的同屋就是这样的人，所以我一个学期都不跟她说话，给她
silent treatment.

    LL： Hey， Li Hua ， you learn fast ！