李华跟Larry去参加Larry公司举办的野餐会，结果迷路了。今天我们要学两个常用语：wild goose chase和face the music.
LH: Larry, 你能肯定我们没走错吗？按理说早该到了啊？
LL: I’m just following the directions my boss gave me – although, we should have been there a half hour ago. Let me turn around…again.
LH: 你就该听我的，在刚才那个加油站停下来问问路。
LL: We already asked for directions three times…I don’t know why he wanted to have the party so far out of the city. It looks like this is nothing but a wild goose chase.
LH: A wild goose chase? 追野鹅？我们找路还来不及呢，哪还有时间去追野鹅？
LL: Oh, that’s just a phrase people say when they are looking for something they will never find. And I don’t think we are going to find this picnic ground.
LH: 哦，原来a wild goose chase，意思是徒劳无功的寻找，白费劲。你老板不是告诉你路了吗？
LL: Maybe he gave me the wrong directions? Or maybe I wrote them down incorrectly. I don’t know, but I don’t think he would send me on a wild goose chase on purpose.
LH: 那上星期我们转了半天也没有找到你表弟足球比赛的赛场，也可以说是a wild goose chase了？
LL: Yep, that was a wild goose chase too. No one told me that the game was canceled! I was looking for hours…
LH: 这么说，你上上个周末说要带我去一片新听别人介绍的沙滩，结果怎么也找不到，也是a wild goose chase!
LL: Lihua, you have such a good memory. Yes, we’ve been on many wild goose chases together. But, keep in mind that you have taken me on a wild goose chase or two in the past as well.
LH: 我也带你做过这种无用功吗？我怎么不记得？
LL: Like last Wednesday when you sent me to get sushi from a restaurant that was still under construction.
LH: Oh, yea…
LL: Or the time we went to three different subway stations looking for your friend when she was actually waiting at the airport…
LH：Oh, right…
LL: Or, the time when..
LH: 好了好了，我承认，咱俩找路的本事都不怎么样！不过这次可既不是你的责任，也不是我的责任。
LL: That’s right. Today, I’m going to blame the wild goose chase on my boss giving me the wrong directions.
******
十分钟过后，Larry和李华又绕了回来。
LH: Larry, 我看今天没希望了，如果你不到，老板会不会一气之下，炒你的鱿鱼？
LL: We were supposed to be celebrating his birthday today at the picnic…If I don’t show up at this party, he won’t be happy when he sees me in the office. I guess I have no choice but to go face the music at work on Monday.
LH: face the music?难道说你老板生气的时候喜欢听音乐吗？
LL: No quite. To have to face the music means having to accept the negative consequences of something you have done.
LH: 哦，to face the music就是为自己的所作所为承担后果，你是说星期一只好硬着头皮去见老板喽？
LL: That is unfortunately the case. I have no choice but to see him on Monday, so I guess I will have to face the music.
LH: 哎，我更惨，为了跟你来野餐, 我把复习的时间都搭进去了，明天考试，I will have to face the music when I take the exam.
LL: What? Oh, no! I didn’t know you had a test on Monday. I would hate for you to have to face the music because of my boss’ mistake.
LH: 怎么样？够哥们吧？为了陪你，我连功课都不顾了。
LL: Oh, we are definitely ending this wild goose chase immediately. Maybe you will have some time to study if we head home now.
LH: Larry, 你看, 快没油了，得赶紧找个加油站。
LL: Find a gas station out here in the countryside? I don’t know…sounds like another wild goose chase to me.
LH: 再偏僻的地方也得有加油站啊，我们还是快找吧，一旦真没油了，我们就必须得face the music and walk home，走回家了。
LL: (Sign) I’ll face the music anyway once I get my gas bill at the end of the month. All these wild goose chases sure waste a lot of gas!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是wild goose chase, 意思是徒劳无功地寻觅。另一个是face the music, 意思是承担后果。