Larry 和李華一起去Larry 的老板家，參加公司同事派對。他們會用到兩個
常用語：out of place和show your true colors.

    Larry ： Lihua， are you feeling OK ？ You're so quiet tonight.

    LH：哦，我沒事兒。不過，和這么多辦公室白領(lǐng)在一起，有點不自在。

    Larry ： Ah ， I see. You're always surrounded by young students when
you're on campus. I can see why you feel a little out of place here.

    LH： Out of place ，是什么意思？

    Larry ： "Out of place" - It's an English phrase. If you're feeling
out of place， you don't feel like you belong. You're not used to your
current surroundings.

    LH： Out of place ，就是覺得和周圍的環(huán)境格格不入，不自在。我現(xiàn)在的
確感覺out of place，因為我平時都是和同學在一起，現(xiàn)在突然和這些上班族在
一起，不知道該和他們聊些什么。

    Larry ： It's OK， Lihua. It's a natural reaction. Everyone feels
that way when in unfamiliar places.

    LH：是嘛？你也會覺得out of place -不自在？

    Larry ： No ， I work with these people every day ， so I'm pretty
comfortable in this kind of setting. But， there are some places where
I do feel out of place - like when I go to parties with your friends on
campus.

    LH：��？ You feel out of place at student parties ？你參加我同學的
派對時覺得不自在？你才畢業(yè)沒多久��！已經(jīng)不習慣校園生活了么？

    Larry ： I was a student……a couple years ago. To be honest， whenever
I go back to campus now ， I feel really old - and all the students look
so young！ I hate to admit it ， but I feel out of place when I'm surrounded
by students.

    LH：原來，你一回學校就覺得自己老，哈哈，沒關(guān)系，你看，現(xiàn)在這一屋子
的人里，除了我，你是最年輕的了！不過，你和這些中年人在一起倒不感覺feel
out of place，真奇怪！我可是渾身不自在！ I feel so out of place ！

    Larry ： I'm not used to seeing you acting so shy. You're usually
so outgoing and friendly. Don't be afraid to show your true colors.

    LH： Show my true colors？給他們點顏色看看？！

    Larry ：（Chuckle ） No ！ To show your true colors means to be how
you truly are. You know ， to just be your normal self.

    LH： To show my true colors ，就是作我自己，本色流露。你剛才說，我
自自然然作自己，是個非常outgoing -外向的人？

    Larry ： Sure ！ I'm always amazed by how easily you can make new
friends at a party. When you are relaxed and your true colors are showing，
you are very friendly - and fun ！

    LH：呵呵，你夸得我真不好意思！不過，和你的這些同事在一塊兒，我不知
說些什么好。我擔心，my true colors -我的本色，會讓他們不喜歡。

    Larry ： Lihua， eventually you will be out in the work force ， too.
Maybe if you try interacting with these people now， you won't feel so
out of place later after you get a real job. Just show your true colors
and be your friendly self.

    LH：你說得對。我早晚要參加工作，所以現(xiàn)在就應(yīng)該試著和上班族相處。我
應(yīng)該輕松地和他們聊天。

    Larry ： Right！ Just follow my lead. I will introduce you to my colleague
Annie over there. And when you get the chance ， ask her something about
her job - like how long she has been working here and what she does.

    LH：問問Annie 在這個公司工作了多久，都干些什么。好！沒問題！

    Larry ： See？ I think you're feeling less out of place already.

    LH：是啊，我沒有剛才那么不自在了。我覺得，我已經(jīng)開始放松，作自己了！
I'm already showing my true colors！

    Larry ： Great. Let's go！ Oh ！ One more thing. Don't ask her age，
her income or how much she paid for her clothes. Oh ， and don't ask if
that's her real hair color， either.

    LH：��？不能問年齡，收入，衣服的價錢，也不能問她有沒有染發(fā)？這么多
地雷，我又開始覺得緊張了！

    Larry ： Just relax. You'll do fine ！ Just show your true colors
……without any offensive questions.

    今天李華學了兩個常用語，一個是out of place，意思是“格格不入，不自
在”。另一個是show your true colors ，意思是“流露本色，作自己”。