李華和Larry 討論情人節(jié)的安排。今天我們要學(xué)兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)：born yesterday
和head over heels.

    LL： So ， Lihua， I know you said that you didn't want me to buy
a Valentine's Day gift for you， but I wasn't born yesterday. I can tell
you're expecting something romantic.

    LH：我情人節(jié)唯一的愿望就是能跟你一起渡過(guò)！我們可以一起做晚飯，然后
去看電影。你剛才說(shuō)自己wasn't born yesterday 是什么意思�。�

    LL： Saying someone was born yesterday， means that they are very
easy to fool. I said that I wasn't "born yesterday" because you can't
fool me.

    LH：我知道了，說(shuō)什么人was born yesterday意思就是說(shuō)這個(gè)人容易受騙，
有點(diǎn)象中文里說(shuō)的“三歲小孩。”

    LL： That's right. Even though you won't admit it ， I think you would
love to receive some flowers or chocolates for Valentine's Day.

    LH：你心真細(xì)！不過(guò)，我確實(shí)不想要什么禮物，跟你在一起就足夠了。不過(guò)
你別生氣，我可不是說(shuō)你傻。

    LL： No ， you didn't call me foolish. In the US， stating that you
"weren't born yesterday" is a way to joke around with friends. If you
say that you "weren't born yesterday，" you're expressing that you aren't
gullible.

    LH：我明白了，you said you weren't born yesterday ，是因?yàn)槟阌X(jué)得我
肯定想要你送情人節(jié)禮物給我。

    LL： We both know I wasn't really born yesterday. What I meant was
that I have known you for so long that I can tell you are looking forward
to a romantic Valentine's Day gift.

    LH：你可真夠固執(zhí)的。那你說(shuō)，born yesterday什么時(shí)候才會(huì)帶有貶義呢？

    LL： If you are speaking with someone ， for example one of your students，
who don't know who Zhang Ziyi is， and you say 'Were you born yesterday？

    She's a famous Chinese movie star ！'

    LH：那別人肯定會(huì)不高興。這就等于是說(shuō)，你怎么連這都不知道！

    LL： That's right. Asking someone if they were "born yesterday" implies
that they misunderstood a subject that is rather simple to understand
or that is common knowledge.

    ******

    LL： Lihua， did you get the flowers I sent to you for Valentine's
Day ？ You know I'm head over heels for you ， so tonight when we make
dinner together I have another special gift to give you.

    LH：你真是太浪漫了。我早就說(shuō)過(guò)，情人節(jié)最好的禮物就是能跟你在一起。

    你剛才說(shuō)head over heals ？你摔到哪里了嗎？

    LL： No ， that's not what I meant to say. I didn't literally fall
down. I said I'm "head over heels" for you， because you are very special
and I like you a lot.

    LH：我也很喜歡你，粉紅色的玫瑰花是我最喜歡的，不過(guò)我還是不明白，head
over heels怎么能用來(lái)形容愛(ài)慕之情呢？

    LL： In the US， it is most common to say that you have fallen "head
over heels" in love for a person. This is an exaggerated way to say that
you have fallen in love.

    LH：真有意思，中文里說(shuō)，一下子陷入愛(ài)河不能自拔，叫“神魂顛倒”，可
是英語(yǔ)里卻用頭和腳來(lái)形容， head over heels. 可是這也講不通啊，頭明明是
在腳上面啊。

    LL： It is obvious that the term "head over heels" doesn't make literal
sense ， but it still communicates a state of being so smitten with a
person that one could jump and flip for joy.

    LH：沒(méi)想到，Larry ，你在這方面還挺在行的。那你知道這種說(shuō)法是什么時(shí)
候出現(xiàn)的嗎？

    LL： This phrase actually originated in the 1400's as "heels over
head，" and didn't have anything to do with expressing love-struck devotion.
But over the years it became "head over heels ，" and is only used to
express feeling suddenly smitten for a boyfriend or girlfriend.

    LH：不管怎么說(shuō)，head over heels 這種說(shuō)法用在情人節(jié)，簡(jiǎn)直是太恰當(dāng)不
過(guò)了。Larry ，你送的玫瑰太美了，You've really shown that you are "head
over heels" for me. 這是我渡過(guò)的最浪漫的情人節(jié)。

    今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是born yesterday，意思是三歲小孩。還有
一個(gè)是head over heels ，意思是為某人神魂顛倒。