李华教Larry做中国饭。今天我们要学两个常用语：up in smoke和burst somebody’s bubble.
LH: Larry, 你想学做什么菜，尽管说！我最拿手的是麻婆豆腐，如果你想学难点的，我可以做你烤北京烤鸭。
LL: No no, Lihua. I want to learn how to make REAL Chinese food. You know, like fortune cookies. How do you keep the paper inside from getting burned in the oven?
LH: 告诉你可别失望，其实中国根本没有什么fortune cookie幸运签饼。这是美国的原创。
LL: What? All these years I’ve dreamed of going to China to have a real Chinese fortune cookie, and you’re telling me they don’t exist? All my dreams are going up in smoke!
LH: Up in smoke? 我还没烧菜呢，哪来的烟啊？
LL: When you say that something goes up in smoke, it means that it disappears or is no longer possible.
LH: 我明白了，up in smoke是说一件事情希望破灭。换句话说，你想到中国吃正宗幸运签饼的梦想已经成了泡影，your dream went up in smoke.
LL: That’s right. Usually you use this expression for something you have been planning for a long time. For example, I always wanted to go to Harvard, but that dream went up in smoke when I found out how much it costs.
LH: 你原来梦想去哈佛上学？这我还是第一次听说。那我一直梦想去巴黎工作，结果拿不到签证，也可以说my plan went up in smoke喽？
LL: That’s right.
LH: 虽说“幸运签饼”不是中国的产物，可你也不用让自己去中国的梦想破灭啊！
LL: I know, it’s just disappointing. Last week I got a fortune cookie that told me that all my dreams would come true. I thought it was a sign from heaven.
LH: 你还真信，签饼里纸条上的话可不是上苍的“意思”，而是签饼公司的“意思”。
LL: This is no time for jokes, Lihua. My life has just come tumbling down around me. No fortune cookies in China! Who would have known?
LH: Poor Larry. 为了不让你的梦想彻底破灭，我一定毫不保留地把自己的厨艺全教给你。说吧，你要学什么！
LL: Well, I really want to learn how to make the little white boxes that you put the food in.
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LL: Wow, Lihua. I can’t believe that I made such great Mapo Dofu on my first try! Isn’t it great?
LH: Yeah, it’s … umm … 可以说是你的独创。正宗的麻婆豆腐里面是不放意大利面条和花生酱的。
LL: Oh c’mon, Lihua, don’t burst my bubble. I think you’re just jealous that I’m such a natural cook.
LH: Burst your what?
LL: Burst my bubble. When someone is really excited or confident about something, you burst their bubble when you say something to disappoint them.
LH: 你是说，burst your bubble，捅破你的肥皂泡，就是让你希望破灭。你本来对自己做的麻婆豆腐特骄傲，结果我却给你泼冷水。So I burst your bubble.
LL: Exactly. Or for example, I have a friend who really wants to be a famous singer. I should tell her to give up that dream because she has a really bad voice, but I don’t want to burst her bubble.
LH: 如果你朋友真的没有唱歌的天份，即使你不去burst her bubble, 到头来，her plan will go up in smoke，她的梦想最终也会成为泡影。
LL: That’s true.You know, to thank you for teaching me how to make Mapo Dofu, I’m going to teach you how to make my special recipe: a deep-fried hot dog topped with chocolate sauce and broccoli.
LH: I hate to burst your bubble, 不过你这个独家菜还是自己留着享用吧，油炸热狗，加上花菜和巧克力酱，听上去就没胃口。
LL: Are you crazy? It’s delicious! You know, I hate to burst YOUR bubble Lihua, but I don’t think you are such a cooking expert as you think.
LH: 你怎么说都可以，我本来也没自称是什么烹调专家。但起码我知道，麻婆豆腐里不能放薯条。
LL: Well, maybe we should just agree to disagree.
LH: 不过，火腿肉炒花菜倒可以说是一道中国菜，但是不能放巧克力酱。
LL: See! I knew I was a natural Chinese chef. I’ve been making a traditional Chinese dish without even knowing it!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是up in smoke意思是希望破灭。另一个是burst somebody’s bubble，意思是打破某人的幻想。