Michael和李华刚在外面吃完晚饭。李华会学到两个常用语：shoot和shot。
L: 嗨，这顿饭吃得真不错。Michael, 快付帐，我们走吧。这次该你付了吧？
M: Yeah yeah, I know. I’ll just charge it to my credit card…. oh shoot! I forgot my wallet!
L: 你忘了带钱包？没有信用卡你就要shoot. Shoot不是开枪吗？
M: I said “Oh shoot!”. If you say “shoot” loudly and suddenly, it’s a way to express alarm or disappointment. If you say it slowly, and with a low tone of voice, it shows disgust or indifference.
L: 噢，shoot在这里不是开枪的意思呀？你说，突然大声地说shoot，就表示惊吓或者是失望。如果是低声地说，那就表示讨厌或者是不在乎。Michael, 你先给我举个大声说的例子吧。
M: Well, if I close my car door and realize that I just locked my keys inside, I might yell “Aw, shoot!”
L: 关了车门才发现车钥匙给锁在车里了，那是很烦人的，在中文里我们就会说：啊呀，真糟糕！那Michael, 可不可以再给我举一个低声说的例子呢？
M: If someone tells me a story about a scar on their little finger, I might say “Shoot, that’s nothing. Look at this big scar on my back.”
L: 你的意思是，如果小手指上一个疤跟你背上的大疤比算不了什么。在中文里我们是说：嗨，那算什么！ 对了，Michael, 这个shoot是不是骂人的话？
M: (slowly) Li Hua, the word “shoot” isn’t vulgar! Actually, it’s a word people use when they want to avoid cursing. A little kid could say it, and no one would care.
L: 噢，shoot是心里很火，可是又不想骂人的时候说的。所以不是什么难听的话。得了，你忘了钱包，那看来只能我来付钱了！Oh shoot! I don’t believe it. 我也没带信用卡。那我们怎么办哪？
M: (slowly) Shoot, it’s nothing to worry about， Li Hua. My house is close by. I can walk home and get my wallet.
L: Michael, 你怎么那么快就回来了？
M: (panting) I ran as fast as I could. (pants some more) Boy, am I shot!
L: 你从家里跑来的！ 你那么紧张干什么呀！ 对了，你刚才说：I am shot! 在路上有人对你开枪，所以你才跑那么快啊？
M: What? No, of course not! “To be shot” means to have no energy, to feel weak and tired. I really tired myself out running so fast: I’m really shot now!
L: 噢，to be shot是累了，觉得没劲的意思。哎哟，你跑那么快当然会累咯。对不起，本来我也可以走回家去拿信用卡的，可是我昨晚只睡了五个小时，所以我今天也感到很累 – so I’m shot too.
M: I used to stay up late studying too, and sometimes I’d be so shot that I’d fall asleep in class.
L: 我也跟你一样，老是开夜车念书，结果上课的时候悃得打瞌睡。以前在国内念书的时候好象都没有这么紧张呢！
M: (slowly) Shoot, Li Hua. If you feel that way, you might as well stay in China.
L: 哼，要是我这么想，我就最好呆在中国！你说这话是什么意思呀！那你老觉得累，你干脆呆在家里算了。
M: Shoot! Don’t be mad! I was just kidding.
L: Shoot, 我也是跟你开玩笑嘛。
李华学到了两个常用语，一个是shoot，这是一个惊叹词，表示讨厌，失望或者是烦恼，也就是有的时候心里不高兴，但是又不想用脏话骂人的时候用的词。李华还学到了to be shot，这是很累的意思。