今天Larry和Li Hua一起去医院看望一个生病的朋友Laura。Li Hua会学到两个常用语：pick-me-up和lay off。
(street noise)
LH: 哎，Larry, 我觉得Laura生病以后一直情绪不好 – 我真的很替她担心。
LL: Well, this visit should be a nice pick-me-up for her. I’m sure she’ll like the flowers you bought her.
LH: 我也希望她会喜欢我买的这些花。可是，Larry, 你说我们去医院看她，对她是个 “pick-me-up”, 什么是”pick-me-up” 啊？
LL: A pick-me-up as one word is something that makes someone feel better or gives them energy.
LH: 噢，原来”pick-me-up” 合起来是一个词，表示“能让人振作起来、让人心情好起来的东西”。所以你说我们去医院看Laura会让她心情好起来啊！
LL: That’s right. Here is another example – If you receive a birthday card from your best friend, you must feel good. So, the card for you is a “pick-me-up”.
LH: 对呀，好朋友送我生日卡片，那肯定会让我很高兴。只可惜生日一年只有一次。Larry, 我如果情绪低落，你猜我会怎么办？我吃巧克力。Chocolate is a good pick-me-up.
LL: I don’t really like chocolate, so when I need a pick-me-up, I usually eat ice cream.
LH: 我也喜欢吃冰淇淋，不过，和冰淇淋比起来，我还是觉得“逛街买东西”更容易帮我调节心情。
LL: Well, that’s a good pick-me-up for girls, but most guys don’t enjoy shopping that much.
LH: 你说得太对了。“逛街买东西”常常能让女孩子一下子心情就好起来，可是对男生来说恐怕就不那么灵了。唉，真可惜Laura现在在医院里，要不然我可以约她出来逛街呢！
LL: Well, I’m sure that seeing her friends and getting such pretty flowers will be a great pick-me-up for her.
LH: 就是啊，见到我们还有这些好看的花她一定会高兴起来的。前面就是医院了。哎，Larry, 走了一路，我有点儿累了。我们先到这家咖啡馆喝杯咖啡怎么样？
LL: Yeah, I’m kind of tired, too. I could use a little pick-me-up.
LL: Laura seemed so spacey. I think that maybe the doctors should lay off the painkillers.
LH: 就是啊，Laura好像显得昏昏沉沉的，所以你觉得医生应该给她开止疼药 – painkiller 啊？
LL: No, I meant they should STOP giving her painkillers. To lay off something is to stop using it or to stop doing it, and to lay off someone is to stop bothering him or her…
LH: 噢，原来Lay off something的意思就是“停止用某种东西”或者“停止做某件事”。那lay off someone的意思就是“别再烦某个人”。原来你说的是医生应该给Laura停用止疼药吗？
LL: You got it! You see – Painkillers tend to make the person spacey. That’s why I think the doctors should lay off the painkillers for Laura.
LH: 说得也是，止疼药是会让人晕晕乎乎的。哎，Larry, 我们能不能再到那个咖啡馆买杯咖啡呀？我看了Laura那么难受的样子，我也得提提神了- I need another pick-me-up.
LL: Hey, Li Hua, you ought to lay off the caffeine. You’re going to become addicted!
LH: 你要我别喝那么多咖啡，不然会上瘾？嗨，Larry, 别管我的事， lay off me, 我啊，就是想喝这杯咖啡！
LL: Alright, alright. Don’t be mad at me.
LH: 哎哟，我也不是真的和你急嘛。我只不过是想用”lay off someone” 来举个例子， 哎，你说我用得对吗?
LL: Yes, you sure used it correctly. Now, shall we lay off the English lessons for a while? I think I will have some ice cream as a pick-ME-up.
LH: 好啊，我们俩这个“英语课”要先告一段落，你吃冰淇淋。我呢，还是喝我的咖啡！
今天李华从Larry那儿学到两个常用语，一个是pick-me-up, 意思是“给人提神、让人心情一下子好起来的东西”；李华学到的另外一个常用语是lay off, lay off something意思是“停止做某件事”， lay off someone意思是“别烦某个人”。