【大紀元2011年03月03日訊】 一天晚上，Larry給李華打電話，他們會用到兩個常用語： not have the heart to do something和get on someone’s nerves。
LH: (Ringing) (in soft voice) Ha lou?
Larry: Hey, Lihua, what are you up to?
LH: (still in soft voice) Larry, 我在圖書館呢!
Larry: Still? It’s already 10pm! Is everything alright?
LH: 等一下，我到外面去……好了，Larry, 我在這裡幫一個同學做作業呢，我答應他幫忙的，可沒想到會搞到這麼晚，我好想回家啊!
Larry: You don’t have the heart to tell him so?
LH: Don’t have the heart? 甚麼意思？
Larry: To “not have the heart” to do something means that you don’t want to be mean or rude to someone. You don’t have the heart to tell your classmate that you want to go home instead of helping him.
LH: 哦，not have the heart to do something就是不忍心做某事。沒錯! 我就是不忍心跟那位同學說，天太晚了，他應該自己做作業，我要回家了！而且，我這個禮拜每天晚上都在幫他寫作業，實在有點煩！
Larry: I know you may not have the heart to say no to him, but you have things to do, too. It’s OK if you tell him you don’t have time to help him every night.
LH: 的確是這樣。可他真的很擔心自己的成績，看著怪可憐的，我實在不忍心拒絕他。我該怎麼辦呢？
Larry: It’s alright, Lihua – just be honest with him. He’ll understand. Remember last year when the Chinese Culture Club asked us to bake 100 cookies for their fundraiser?
LH: 對！他們讓我們幫忙烤100個餅乾，可當時我正在準備期末考試，差點就同意了，幸好你幫我拒絕了。
Larry: I knew you wouldn’t have the heart to refuse, so I did it for you. And remember, they completely understood that you didn’t have time to bake during finals.
******
LH: 不過Larry，我總覺得對別人能幫就幫，這樣大家都高興。比如上次你侄子讓我去參加他們小學的足球野餐，我雖然知道那是小孩子的活動，沒甚麼意思，可還是去了啊！
Larry: Well, this is a little bit different. It seems your classmate is being pretty demanding… and he’s starting to get on your nerves with all the help he’s asking of you.
LH: Get on my nerves? 你說他走上了我的神經? 甚麼意思啊？
Larry: Yes, get on your nerves. I mean, he’s really starting to annoy you. He’s getting on your nerves.
LH: 哦， to get on my nerves就是讓我覺得煩! 唉，說起來，現在我的煩心事兒多著呢。
Larry: Like what?
LH: 壞天氣啊，作業啊，老師啊，有時候，甚至連你都讓我看著不順眼!
Larry: OK, don’t drag me into this….
LH: 你還說呢！上禮拜在書店買書，排隊的時候，你也不幫我拿那些書，多沉啊，我一個人拿得手都酸了!
Larry: That got on your nerves? Why didn’t you say something? I would have happily helped you carry them.
LH: 這種事情還要我說啊！你可真是 get on my nerves!
Larry: (A little exasperated) OK, I give up. I know you are a little frustrated right now because of the situation with your classmate. Let’s just focus on that.
LH: Larry, 你不會生氣了吧？ 我開玩笑的啦!
Larry: It’s OK, Lihua. Look, just be honest with your classmate. You don’t have to tell him that he’s getting on your nerves, but you can be very direct and honest with him – this is American culture, it’s OK!
LH: 可是，這個同學是中國人啊!
Larry: Well, just try to be honest with him. And if you really don’t have the heart to do that…just tell him you’re getting a cold.
LH: 裝病？好了好了，我得進去了，又下雨了，這鬼天氣! It is really getting on my nerves! 真叫我心煩！對了，一會兒你能開車來接我麼？
Larry: Sure – as long as you don’t make me go into library looking for you. Last time the librarian was really getting on my nerves. She wouldn’t let me in without a student ID.
LH: 好吧，你到了給我打電話，我就出來。對了！ Larry, 既然我不好意思跟同學說我要回家，不如你替我跟他說？
Larry: You can do it, Lihua. I’ll see you soon.
LH: 那好吧! 待會兒見!
今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是not have the heart to do something，表示「不忍心做某事」。另一個是get on someone’s nerves, 意思是「惹某人厭煩」。
──轉自《美國之音》