Larry 和他妹妹吵架，來(lái)找李華訴苦。他們會(huì)提到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)：talk to a
brick wall和get the picture.

    Larry ：（Sounding frustrated ） Hey， Lihua.

    LH： Larry，你怎么不高興啊？

    Larry ： I just got off the phone with my sister. She is about to
graduate from high school and she is not serious about applying to college.
No matter what I say， she just won't take my advice. （Sigh）。 Sometimes
talking to her is like talking to a brick wall.

    LH：哦。你妹妹高中畢業(yè)不想考大學(xué)，不論你怎么勸她，她就是不聽(tīng)。對(duì)了，
你剛才說(shuō)talking to a brick wall ，你干嘛要對(duì)著磚墻說(shuō)話呢？

    Larry ： Not literally talk to a brick wall. I'm saying talking to
my sister is like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall doesn't listen，
doesn't respond and doesn't care. And that's what it's like to talk to
my sister about college.

    LH：我明白了！ talk to a brick wall 就是對(duì)牛彈琴。你跟你妹妹苦口婆
心說(shuō)了半天，可她根本連一句話也聽(tīng)不進(jìn)去。你呀，就好像對(duì)著一面墻說(shuō)話一樣。

    Larry ： Right.

    LH： Larry，你別太擔(dān)心。你說(shuō)了那么半天，我想多多少少還是會(huì)有點(diǎn)用的。

    Larry ： I suppose you're right. I guess she's just at that age where
she doesn't like to hear advice from other people. My parents have lately
been feeling the same way when they speak to her， too.

    LH：其實(shí)也不光是青春期的孩子才這么固執(zhí)，有時(shí)候我跟我媽說(shuō)話，也覺(jué)得
I'm talking to a brick wall ！她怎么都聽(tīng)不進(jìn)我的話！

    Larry ： Your mother？ But she's such a sweet lady.

    LH： Larry，你可不知道！每次我跟她說(shuō)我畢業(yè)后要留在美國(guó)找工作，她都
一萬(wàn)個(gè)不行。我無(wú)論說(shuō)什么，她非要我回國(guó)不可，我感覺(jué)自己真像talking to a
brick wall一樣！

    Larry ： Oh ， that does sound frustrating. So what are you going
to do ？

    LH：我？我才不管她說(shuō)什么。我的人生我作主！

    Larry ：（Laughter） I bet your mother feels like she's talking to
a brick wall when she speaks with you - the same way you feel about speaking
with her！

    LH： Larry，你別笑了。你想想，媽媽不理解我，不支持我，我有多難受！

    Larry ： Yea， I get the picture.

    LH： You got a picture？什么照片啊，給我看看。

    Larry ： Not a picture - the picture. To say that you get the picture
means that you understand something.

    LH： Oh ， I get the picture，就是說(shuō)我明白。

    Larry ： Right. You can imagine that knowing about something creates
a picture in your mind.

    LH：對(duì)，get the picture 就好像看到了別人頭腦中所想的畫(huà)面，也就是了
解了別人的想法。

    Larry ： Sometimes it's hard for people to understand exactly why
other people want what they want， and it may seem talking to them is
like talking to a brick wall. But you have to have patience - hopefully
someday your mother will get the picture.

    LH：對(duì)，要想讓別人了解自己的想法，有時(shí)得多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間和耐心。我想，你
妹妹早晚也能了解你的想法。She will get the picture！

    Larry ： You don't understand ， Lihua. If my sister doesn't get the
picture now ， it might be too late ！ What if she doesn't get into a
good college？

    LH：你別光想你妹了，想想我吧。我媽非讓我一畢業(yè)就回國(guó)，我怎么辦？我
必須得找個(gè)能一直留在美國(guó)的原因，說(shuō)服我媽。這個(gè)，你可以幫我，You get the
picture ， Larry？

    Larry ：（Larry thought Lihua wanted to get married. gulps） Umm，
I think so.

    LH：你可以幫我找工作啊！

    Larry ： OH �。╤appily ） Right！ I get the picture now. I will certainly
try my hardest to find you a great job.

    LH： Larry，你真好，總能猜透我的心思！

    Larry ： Well ， I almost got the wrong picture a second ago.

    LH：啊？你差點(diǎn)猜錯(cuò)了？你以為我在說(shuō)什么？難道是說(shuō)讓我嫁給你？！你想
得倒美！

    Larry ：（Nervous ）， Ah ， Lihua， Let's not worry about that. Let
me think how we can make your mother happy. She's always nice to me. Maybe
if I talk to her， it wouldn't be like talking to a brick wall.

    LH：你愿意的話就去試試看，不過(guò)我媽耳朵根子硬得很呢！

    今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是talk to a brick wall，意思是“對(duì)牛彈
琴”。另一個(gè)是get the picture ，意思是“理解別人的心思”。