李华和Michael正坐在咖啡馆里喝咖啡。李华在看报。今天李华会学到两个常用语： check something out和to call something。
M: What’s in the news today, Li Hua? (sound of newspaper rustling)
L: 有些什么新闻啊？噢，我没有在看新闻。我在看招聘人的广告，想找个临时工，赚点钱。
M: Hmm, let me take a look. Hey, check this one out!
L: 等等，让我看看。(read slowly) 招聘辅导两个孩子，要母语是中文的家庭教师。对了，Michael, 你刚才说什么：check this one out, 你是叫我把这报纸借出去啊？这儿又不是图书馆，而且，这报纸是我自己买的！
M: No, I said “Check this one out!” “To check something out” means “to look at something closely”.
L: 噢，check something out就是“仔细看一看”的意思！那不就是“从图书馆里借书”的意思吗？
M: Well, that ‘s the formal meaning of “to check something out.” However, the informal meaning is to have a look at something.
L: 原来to check something out可以指从图书馆借书，可是在不正式的场合就是“仔细看一看”的意思。那，这大概是非常口语的说法，对不对？
M: Right! Ok, check this advertisement out.
L: 看这个广告呀？ Hmmm, 不行，不行，他们要找的家庭教师必须住在他们的地下室，还得要带孩子。算了算了吧！
M: You know, Li Hua, you can also use “check it out” when you want someone to notice something, or pay attention. It pretty much means, “Whoa, look at that!”
L: 噢，所以，你要让人注意什么事的时候也可以用check it out。是不是就象我们中文里说的：“你看哪！你看哪”的意思啊？
M: That’s right. Whoa, check it out, Li Hua! That building across the street is on fire.
M: 什么？马路对面哪栋楼着火啦？哎，对呀，你看，那儿来了三辆救火车。哎哟，但愿没有人在那房子里。
M: Hey, check this out! Oh, I call this one!
L: 让我看看！ (sound of paper rustling) 招聘一位研究生，带几个孩子去参观纽约的博物馆和参加文艺活动。报酬优厚！嗨，这个工作太好了！
M: No way, Li Hua! I already called this job!
L: Michael, 你说什么？你已经给他们打过电话啦？
M: No, that’s not what I mean. I said, “I call this job.” Whoever says “I call something” first has the first claim on whatever they called.
L: 噢，Call something就是谁先说要这样东西，那这样东西就归谁？你先说你要这份工作，所以这工作就是你的！嗨，Michael, 你可别忘了，你是在帮我找工作！
M: Actually, no one can call this job. We can both apply and see who gets it.
L: 就是嘛，没有人可以call this job. 谁都能申请这份工作的！
M: I know, I was just teasing you.
L: 哎，好了，Michael, 你再给我举一个to call something的例子好不好？
M: Heheh, Ok. When I was little, before my family went somewhere in the car, I would always yell, “I call the front seat!” My brother and I would always fight over who got to sit in the front seat.
L: 啊，你小时候还和你弟弟抢汽车座位呀！ 你呀，要是call the front seat, 你就可以坐在前面。吓，你还真好意思呢！
今天李华又从Michael那儿学到两个常用语。 一个是to check something out, 在非常口语的情况下， to check something out是“仔细看看”的意思；另一个是to call something, 意思是：“谁先说，谁就有优先权得到某样东西”。