今天李华到Larry的宿舍里去串门儿，李华会学到两个常用语：on the fritz和to hog.

    Li Hua：Hey， Larry， 我昨天晚上给你打电话，在你手机上留了言，你怎么没给我回电话啊？

    Larry：I didn't get your message. My cell phone has been on the fritz. I don't know what's wrong with it.

    Li Hua：你没收到我的留言？还说你的手机怎么啦？On the fritz - 那是什么意思啊？

    Larry：I said my cell phone is on the fritz. If something is on the fritz， that means something is wrong with it and it is not working properly. Li Hua：噢，要是说什么东西on the fritz， 意思就是“出了毛病，不能正常工作了”。哎呀，我的手机有时候也会on the fritz. Larry， 除了电话以外，还有什么东西也可以说是on the fritz呢？

    Larry：Well， usually it is machines that are on the fritz. For instance， sometimes my computer does not respond to my commands， so it's on the fritz. Li Hua：原来on the fritz通常是用在机器设备上，比方说像你说的电脑。就是啊，有的时候电脑会出故障，不听指令，那就是on the fritz了。

    Larry：Now Li Hua， can you give me an example？

    Li Hua：有了。昨天我在学校的食品零售机买coke，我明明塞进去一块美元，可是零售机一点反应都没有。It must have been on the fritz.

    Larry：Oh， some of the vending machines are often on the fritz. Li Hua：哎，Larry， 除了说机器，我能不能说一个人on the fritz呢？

    Larry：Not really. However， the exception is that you can say that your stomach is on the fritz if it is uncomfortable. Li Hua：噢，我们不能直接说一个人on the fritz， 但是，要是我的胃感到难受，我就可以说：My stomach is on the fritz.

    Larry：All right， Li Hua， forget about things that are on the fritz. You want to watch this DVD？

    Li Hua：Sure！ 但愿你的DVD player is not on the fritz.

    Larry：Oh， come on， Li Hua！

    Larry：Hey， Li Hua， stop hogging all the popcorn！ I want some too. Li Hua：得了得了，想吃爆米花就说话呀，给你！你说我什么？Hogging all the popcorn？ 好像不是什么好意思，你可得给我解释清楚！

    Larry：Well， to hog something is to keep it for yourself and not share it with others. Just now you were eating all of the popcorn without sharing it with me. Therefore， I said you were hogging the popcorn. Li Hua：To hog something就是霸占着某样东西，不给别人。嘿，Larry， 你怎么能说我霸着爆米花不给你呢？我又不知道你也想吃，再说，我现在不是分给你了吗？

    Larry：Okay， I suppose you aren't hogging it anymore. Li Hua：对了，Larry， 除了说食物以外，这种说法还可以用在别的地方吗？

    Larry：Well， we are now watching a DVD， if I don't let you use the remote control， then I'm hogging the remote. Li Hua：噢，要是你一个人拿着遥控器，不让我用，那你就是hogging the remote. 那可比hogging the popcorn更气人了！

    Larry：Okay， now it's your turn to give me an example. Li Hua：让我也举个例子啊？想起来了。我那个同屋啊，她有的时候用洗手间用好长时间，进去了就不出来，我真应该告诉她 - stop hogging the bathroom.

    Larry：That's a very good example. Hey， Li Hua， look at me - if I lie down on the couch and don't give you any room to sit down， then I am hogging the couch. Li Hua：哎哟，Larry， 你干什么呀？你干嘛一个人把整个沙发都占了，一点儿地方都不给我留，你想让我坐地板啊？Stop hogging the couch， Larry！

    Larry：Calm down， Li Hua， I was just giving you an example.

    今天李华从Larry那儿学到两个常用语。一个是on the fritz， 意思是“出了故障”。另外一个是to hog something， 意思是“把某样东西据为己有，不给别人”。