李华收到了妈妈从中国寄来的包裹，迫不及待地把里面的东西拿给Larry看。他们会用到两个常用语： tacky和swallow one’s pride。
LH: Larry, 你看，这是我妈送你的礼物!
Larry: Interesting….Is….Is that a rug?
LH: 什么啊？这是毛衣! 多好看啊!
Larry: That’s a sweater? Oh, my….
LH: 你看！我妈还在这儿别了张纸条，上面说，这是她亲手给你织的。我妈真有两下子，是不是啊Larry?
Larry: …..Oh my.
LH: 怎么？你不喜欢？
Larry: Umm…Look, Lihua. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great, but…It’s just a little tacky for what I’d normally wear.
LH: Tacky? 什么意思？
Larry: Well…basically….not fashionable.
LH: 不时髦？俗气？这毛衣怎么俗气了？！
Larry: Well, look at this design…there are pine trees and little people knit into it.
LH: 那怎么了，有松树有小人儿就俗气？
Larry: Well, a little bit, no? And look at these colors…bright green and red on black? It’s so tacky it almost hurts my eyes… and plus, look at the…
LH: 你还嫌颜色太鲜艳，俗气得让你眼睛难受？! 行了行了! I don’t think they’re tacky at all. 我觉得一点儿都不俗! 我妈亲手织的，看你敢不穿!
Larry: Listen, I know you like tacky clothing, and that’s fine. But I’m not wearing it.
LH: 什么？你说我喜欢俗气的衣服？! 我哪有!
Larry: OK, for example, your pink Hello Kitty tennis shoes are quite tacky.
LH: 粉色的hello kitty网球鞋不是tacky，是可爱! 可爱!
Larry: They would be cute on an 8-year old girl, not a college-aged young woman…And how about that jacket you have with all the extra zippers all over it?
LH: 哼! 咱俩眼光不同，我不跟你争了。反正我妈的这件爱心毛衣，你非穿不可。
Larry: Lihua, I don’t think you understand. There is no way I’m going out in public with that thing on!
LH: 你不穿我就要生气了!
Larry: Forget about it! (a second passes) Lihua, come on. Don’t be angry. Lihua?
LH: 别理我。我正生气呢。
******
Larry: (Begrudgingly, sighs) OK, fine. I guess I’ll have to swallow my pride and wear the sweater.
LH: Swallow your pride? 你说什么呢？
Larry: To swallow your pride means to begrudgingly do something that you are embarrassed to do.
LH: Swallow one’s pride 就是忍气吞声，勉强去做不愿做的事儿。这么说……你是要穿这件毛衣喽？
Larry: Yes, if it will make you happy, I will swallow my pride and wear your mother’s tacky sweater.
LH: OH YEAH! Larry你真好!
Larry: Well, it’s only because I know you have to swallow your pride and do many things on my behalf as well.
LH: 啊？我也为了你忍气吞声过？
Larry: Well, remember when my boss accidentally called you his “Japanese friend”? You just smiled and nodded, but I’m sure you wanted to correct him.
LH: 哦，想起来了。那次，你老板的确把我当成了日本人，不过没关系啦，美国人把中国、韩国、日本人搞混是常事。我不介意，我们中国人也常常觉得只要金头发蓝眼睛就都是美国人！
Larry: Well, do you remember when you swallowed your pride last Halloween? I made you wear that tacky French maid costume to my friend’s party!
LH: 对！那次万圣节，你非让我穿那件难看得要命的法国女仆装！
Larry: Right. And I want to thank you for swallowing your pride and wearing that tacky costume.
LH: 等等！你是说这件爱心毛衣和那件女仆装一样俗气难看？
Larry: Why not? I think the sweater is tacky, just like you thought the costume was tacky.
LH: 可是…..我穿的那件女仆装还特别曝露，别扭死了!
Larry: Oh, come on. Wearing a sexy costume is normal on Halloween!
LH: 可我不喜欢穿这种衣服！穿女仆装在你一大堆朋友前走来走去，I really had to swallow my pride! 我牺牲了多少自尊啊!
Larry: Gee, I didn’t realize it was so embarrassing for you. You win, ok? I’ll wear the tacky sweater. But that’s all I can do.
LH:你想得美! 你看，这里还有一个 Hello Kitty的手套，也是我妈织给你的！戴上吧！
Larry: Oh good grief. How does your mother know how to make all of this stuff?
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是tacky，表示“俗气难看”。另一个是swallow one’s pride, 意思是“忍气吞声”。