今天Larry和Li Hua在商店里给朋友买生日礼物。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：to horse around和jump the gun。
LH: 哎哟，Larry, 你看那边那两个小男孩在打架呢。他们家大人怎么也不管呐？
LL: Oh, don’t worry, they’re just horsing around. They won’t hurt each other.
LH: 你要我别担心，说他们只是在horsing around，HORSE这个词在英文里不是“马”吗？
LL: Yes, in “horse around”, “horse” is used as a verb, “to horse around” means “to play or joke with someone”. Those two kids were just playing, they were horsing around.
LH: 噢，horse在这里是用作动词，to horse around意思是“和别人开玩笑、闹着玩儿”。Larry, 你是说那两个男孩儿是在闹着玩儿啊！
LL: Hey! Why did you punch me in the arm?
LH: I’m just horsing around! 嘿Larry, 这个horsing around还可以用在什么地方呢？
LL: Well, sometimes it means the same as “just kidding” or “just joking.” Hey, Li Hua, you have something on your shirt…
LH: 什么？我衣服上沾了东西啊？在哪儿呢？我怎么看不见呢？
LL: That’s because I’m just horsing around. There isn’t anything on your shirt. I just wanted to see if you would look.
LH: 噢，原来你又在跟我开玩笑啊。这么说，和别人开玩笑或者是恶作剧，也可以算是horsing around. Hey, Larry, 你看你的鞋带松了。
LL: Nice try, Li Hua, but I know you’re just horsing around.
LH: 哎哟，我们别光顾开玩笑了，赶快给我朋友挑挑生日礼物吧！
LL: Hey, how about this shirt?
LH: What?! 这衬衫多难看呀！You must be horsing around.
LL: Hey, Li Hua. You know what happened to my friend George?
LH: 你的朋友George？他最近不是在找工作吗？听说他接受了一家大公司的面试。
LL: Yeah, and he was so sure that he would get the job that he quit his old job. Unfortunately, he really jumped the gun. He just found out yesterday that he didn’t get the job after all.
LH: 噢，George以为那个公司肯定会要他，所以把以前的工作给辞了。可是，他昨天才知道那个公司没有聘他，哎，Larry, 那你说George “jumped the gun”, 那是什么意思啊？
LL: To jump the gun is to do something too soon. For instance, if a runner starts running before the race starts, he’s jumping the gun.
LH: 噢，to jump the gun就是过早采取行动的意思！对了，像赛跑的时候，有些运动员信号枪还没响就提前跑了。所以叫jump the gun，这个说法挺形象的。George在不知道是不是有新工作以前就把旧工作给辞了，那可不是操之过急了嘛！
LL: Okay, Li Hua, now that you understand what “jump the gun” means, can you give me an example?
LH: 嗯，让我想一想…我有一个朋友前不久要来美国，她还没拿到签证就先买了飞机票。这也可以说是jumped the gun吧?
LL: Definitely, because if she doesn’t get a visa, then she won’t be able to use the plane ticket.
LH: 那可不是，要是签证领不到，那飞机票就白买了。哎，Larry, 那你给我举个例子吧。
LL: I have a good one: Once I brought a girlfriend home to meet my parents. My mom really jumped the gun and assumed that we were going to get married.
LH: 什么？你带女朋友回家，你妈妈就误以为你们要结婚呐？哎哟，她可真是jumped the gun了, 当时一定挺尴尬的。
LL: You bet. It was embarrassing!
今天李华从Larry那儿学到了两个常用语。一个是horse around, 意思是“闹着玩儿、开玩笑”。另外一个是jump the gun, 就相当于中文里所说的“操之过急”。