这是一个星期五的晚上，Larry和李华两人经过一个星期紧张学习后都很累，现在正在一起吃晚饭。今天李华会学到两个常用语：let off steam和oops。
LL: Wow, it’s nice to relax and let off some steam after a long week at work.
LH: 就是啊，放松一下，感觉真好！Larry，你说要let off steam？Steam是蒸气，你还会放气呀？
LL: No, not literally. To let off steam can mean to relax or it can mean to express pent-up feelings, usually of anger.
LH: 原来如此。To let off steam就是放松，也可以是发泄积压在心里的感情，通常是火气。所以你是说一个星期紧张地学习和工作后放松一下，感觉很好。Larry，这个常用语跟steam， 蒸气有什么关系呢？
LL: It’s a metaphor. One has to ease the pressure in a steam engine by releasing – or letting off – steam. Otherwise the engine might overheat and explode.
LH: 原来是从蒸汽机的原理来的。没错，蒸汽机如果不定时释放一下的蒸气，那就可能会爆炸。 Larry，如果你一直不放松的话，你该不会爆炸吧？
LL: No, I’m not going to explode. However, letting off steam is important to a person’s mental health.
LH: 嗯，我同意，一个人如果没有放松的机会，那对心理健康有很大影响。我通常就是用跑步运动来让自己放松的。
LL: A lot of people exercise to let off steam. Other people prefer quiet activities like reading.
LH: 对，每个人疏解压力的方法都不一样。所以Larry，你是通过看书来让自己放松的？
LL: I like to do exactly what we’re doing now. I let off steam by relaxing and having a nice meal with a friend.
LH: 和朋友吃吃饭，聊聊天是挺放松的。可是如果你真的很生气，非常生气，那你怎么发泄你的怒气呢？
LL: Sometimes it helps to talk to someone. It’s usually better to let off some steam before dealing with the issue directly.
LH: 那倒是，先跟别人谈谈。火气很大的时候，最好别去处理那事。
LL: Oops! I forgot that I have to work on Sunday. That just ruins my whole weekend.
LH: Oops? 我常听到人们这么说，Larry，这是什么意思啊？
LL: People usually say oops to acknowledge that they have made a mistake or have had a minor accident. I mistakenly thought I had the whole weekend off, when I actually have to work on Sunday. Oops.
LH: 原来oops就是发现自己犯了小错误或出了一点没有意料的小插曲时说的，有点像中文里的“哎呀，糟了”。所以你是说，你差点儿忘了星期天还得上班。还好现在是星期五，你要到星期一再想起来，那可真是糟了。恐怕说Oops都太晚了。
LL: That’s true. Oops! I just dropped my fork on the floor.
LH: 叉子掉在地上不是什么大事，叫服务员再拿个干净的就是啦。
LL: That’s okay. There’s an extra one on the next table. I’ll just take that one.
LH: 拿那个桌上的叉子也行，反正哪儿没人坐。Oh no, 这回轮到我要说oops了。我想起来了，今天晚上我该给我妈妈打电话了。
LL: You still have time. We should be finished here soon and you can go right home to call your mom.
LH: Oops! 吃完饭赶回家也没用，我忘了买电话卡了。没电话卡，我怎么打电话呢？
LL: I have a calling card. You can use it to call your mom. I don’t mind at all.
LH: 啊，幸好你有张电话卡，Larry，真是太谢谢你喽！
今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是let off steam，是指发泄怒气或其他情绪。另一个常用语是oops，这是一种语气词，通常是在当一个人犯了小错误时会说的。