Larry和李华在谈论州长竞选的问题。 李华会学到两个常用语toast和wiggle room。
LL: If the Governor doesn’t change his education policies, Li Hua, I think he is toast.
LH: 你说什么？ 要是州长不改变他的教育政策，他就会怎么呐？Toast不是烤面包吗？我想这肯定是一种比喻， 不过，He is toast究竟是什么意思呢？
LL: When I said “toast” I meant that he would be finished or done for. Basically, I think he will lose the election.
LH: 噢， He is toast就是他没有希望了，完了。 Toast这个说法很生动。就像烤面包一样， 面包烤好了就会被弹出来， 政府官员落选就像面包被弹出来一样。
LL: That is exactly right.
LH: 我们州的这位州长政绩不错，希望他能当选连任。 I hope he’s not toast.
LL: Well, I’ll agree with you that the Governor is very effective in many ways. But after he decided to raise taxes, most Americans were pretty dissatisfied. He’s toast, I tell you.
LH: 我认为他不会落选。你不是也认为州长在各方面都很有效率吗？增加税收也是为了改善教育呀。我倒觉得他的竞选对手不行，他既不诚实，也税收方面也没有什么好主意。
LL: I can see you and I aren’t going to agree on this. Good friends shouldn’t talk about politics. We don’t want our friendship to be toast!
LH: Larry， 你说的没错，再谈政治我们两个非成为仇人不可。 我们换个话题吧。你最近好像很忙， 在忙什么呢？
LL: Well, since you asked, Li Hua, if I don’t finish the budget report I am working on by Thursday, then I am toast!
LH: 什么？你要在星期四以前完成预算报告。今天已经星期三了。看来你是要完了。我要是你，今天无论如何不睡觉也要把报告写出来。
LL: That is the best way to avoid being toast. Say, Li Hua, what about you？Don’t you need to turn in a chapter from your dissertation to your advisor?
LH: 没错，琼斯教授说了我非得在月底以前把我论文的第一章交给他，不然就算我这学期不及格。那我就完了。Then I’m toast.
LL: You *will* be toast, Li Hua. You won’t be able to look for a job next year, and I know your parents will be very unhappy.
LH: 就是呀，书没念好，父母不高兴，我就真的完了。I will be toast!
LL: Did you see the candidates’ debate last night, Li Hua? The Governor really didn’t leave himself any wiggle room on the tax issue.
LH: Wiggle room? Wiggle有摇动，摆动的意思。 Room是房间。你说州长在房间里说话的时候摇来摆去？
LL: No, I meant that on the issue of taxes he left himself very little room to shift his position later.
LH: 你是说他在辩论税收问题的时候没有给自己留下回旋的余地。他都说了什么呢？
LL: He promised during the debate that if he was reelected he would not raise taxes.
LH: 他说当选后不会提高税收？他实在不应当作出这个承诺。 如果遇到自然灾害、战争或是经济恶化，政府怎么能不提高税收呢？
LL: You are exactly right. I can see he didn’t leave himself any wiggle room there. Say, Li Hua, how is your dissertation chapter coming?
LH: 我的博士论文写得怎么样了？哎，说起来很惭愧，我一直没有时间写。 时间表排得满满的，没有一点回旋的余地。
LL: I know how that is, Li Hua. I am going to be working on my budget project right up until the last minute. I haven’t left myself much wiggle room, either.
LH: 我看你是得赶紧写那预算报告，要能在最后一分钟写出来就算你运气。 我这星期一定得写完论文第一章。下学期我想减少教书的时间，这样就会有多一点的时间来写论文了。
LL: While having some wiggle room in your schedule is a good thing, are you worried about losing some of your income?
LH: 是啊，少教些书是会让我有更多时间，不过我也担心收入就会减少。
LL: I’m not very good at sticking to a budget. I always like to have some wiggle room in my budget for extra expenses.
LH: 我知道，规定自己一个月花多少钱是很难遵守的，总有要额外买些东西的时候。所以我总给自己留一些余地，免得到时候没有没办法。
LL: Yeah, I guess we can skip going out for ice cream for a while.
LH: 吃冰淇淋花得了多少钱！We have a lot of wiggle room for ice cream.
今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是toast，意思是失败，或是俗话说完蛋。另一个是wiggle room，意思是回旋或调整的余地。