开春了，李华和Larry在后院种花种菜。今天我们要学两个常用语：cut out for和fruit.
LH: Larry, 我说的没错吧，种地就是好，既能回归自然，又能有所收获。
LL: Uh … I’m not sure about that. My back hurts from digging all these holes, and I think some ants have crawled into my pants.
LH: 腰疼？不要紧的，过两天习惯就好了。而且，就算真有蚂蚁爬到你的裤子里也没有关系，蚂蚁不咬人，等一会儿，它自己就爬出来了。
LL: Thanks for the encouragement, Lihua, but I just don’t think I’m cut out for gardening.
LH: Cut out? 我们这才开始育苗，离修枝还远着呢！
LL: Actually, Lihua, when you say that you’re not cut out for something, it means that you aren’t suited for it.
LH: 哦，我明白了， cut out for something，就是适合做某件事情。那你是说自己不适合种地喽？
LL: Right. I’m more cut out for indoor activities, like watching TV in my air conditioned apartment..
LH: Larry, 别泄气，你也不能因为腰疼那么一小会儿，就彻底排斥室外活动啊。
LL: Well you know, I’m just not cut out for outdoor activities in the spring. There is so much pollen that my allergies get really bad.
LH: (Sneeze, sneeze again)哎，这倒是真的。不过，我们还是不能因噎废食，快来帮我参考一下，这些花苗怎么摆更好看。
LL: You can decide where to put them, Lihua. You know that I’m terrible at art, so I don’t think I’m cut out to be a landscape artist.
LH: 不会景观设计没关系，我可以教你！记不记得，当年的麻婆豆腐还是你这个老外教我做的呢！
LL: Oh right, but I don’t think I’m cut out to be a cook either. That mapo doufu was terrible!
LH: 别忘了，熟能生巧，practice makes perfect. 我刚拿到驾照的时候开车简直就是二把刀，可如今呢，早就是行家了。
LL: To be honest, Lihua, I’m not sure you’re cut out for driving. We get really lost every time you drive the car.
LH：Larry, 那不是迷路，我那是故意带你转一圈，欣赏沿途的美景。说到美景，咱们还是赶紧种花吧！
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MC：Larry和李华用了整个一个上午的时间，终于把花圃种好了。
LH: 好，Larry, 大功告成。
LL: Yeah … sure … I hope we can sell some of those tomatoes to pay for a masseuse for my back!
LH: 什么？你要把这些西红柿通通卖掉，用赚来的钱去做按摩？要我说，你快别抱怨了，还是好好欣赏一下我们工作的成果吧。
LL: You’re right, Lihua. I have to say, it is nice to look at this beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
LH: Fruits? 果实，那可要等上两个月，才能吃到嘴里呢！看来不是装的，你还真对园艺一窍不通。
LL: Actually, Lihua, the fruits of your labor are the reward you receive from your hard work.
LH: 哦，the fruits of my labor就是指我的劳动成果，并不一定是吃到嘴里的果实。是啊，忙了大半天，总算可以停下来，欣赏一下这么美丽的园子了。
LL: Exactly! Or if I studied really hard for a test, I could say that the perfect score I received would be the fruits of my labor.
LH: 我以前好象也听别人这么用过fruit这个词。
LL: Well, you can also say that something “bears fruit,” meaning that it produces good results. For instance, I just started working out last week, I will have to wait a few months for all my efforts to bear fruit.
LH: 我看也是，你刚才就挖了两个树坑，就累得喘嘘嘘的，好象跑了马拉松似的，太缺练了！
LL: Well, Lihua, you will be able to enjoy the fruit of all my labor this summer when we go to the beach and I can show off my muscles.
LH: 好啊，就怕你一直待在屋里，猛然脱下上衣，一身雪白的肌肉会刺得我睁不开眼睛。
LL: Very funny. Now come on, let’s go out to a restaurant. I may not be cut out for gardening, but I’m definitely cut out for eating!
今天李华学了两个常用语。一个是cut out for, 意思是适合做某事。另一个是fruit, 意思是努力的成果。