Michael是一個在紐約上大學的美國年輕人，他經(jīng)常跟中國學生李華一起玩。Michael向李華學中文，李華向Michael 學英文。Michael 正在準備考試，有很多功課要做，但是李華要他出去休息休息，兩人約好下午在動物園見面。他們在對話中會用這兩個詞：all-nighter和cram。
L：嗨，Michael. 我在這兒！
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look.
L：噢，那是大象館?。亢?，進去看看。不行，不行，這兒太臭了。走吧！
M: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter.
L：我知道你有很多功課，但是你在準備考試的時候也總得休息休息嘛。我聽說這次考試會很難。你剛才說 all-nighter 是不是開夜車的意思呀？
M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!
L：我是猜出來的，all的意思是整個，全部，nighter和night 很像。我想一個人要整夜學習，那不就是開夜車嗎？但是，有一點我不太懂，你說：to pull an all-nighter，什么是pull ?
M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time.
L：噢，pull an all-nighter，就是迫使自己整夜念書，因為要這樣做是很辛苦的。
M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.
L：這你可說對了。我不需要開夜車，因為我整個一學期都在學習。你要開夜車，因為你平時不學習。
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.
L：Michael, 我真喜歡紐約的秋天，空氣很清新。你要是能跟我一起玩，不用回去念書，那該多好??！
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should.
L：對啊，你要是上星期多花點時間念書不就好了嘛?，F(xiàn)在你得臨時抱佛腳了。
M: I perform better on tests when I cram.
L：Cram? Cram是把什么東西塞進去的意思，跟學習有什么關(guān)系呢？
M: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram.
L：意思差不多？噢，我知道了！Cram就是我們中文里說的填鴨式方法，就是硬把食品塞給鴨子吃，這樣鴨子就長得肥。北京烤鴨 就是用這種鴨子做的。你說的cram是臨時抱佛腳，在考試前猛記猛背，把知識往腦子里塞。你還認為這是好辦法？
M: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me.
L：你認為臨時抱佛腳對你來說行得通。可是，Michael，想把半學期的內(nèi)容在一個晚上記住，這樣做可真傻。
M: Stop being my mother, Li Hua!
L：我才不想當你媽呢，你不聽我的話，那就算了。Michael，cram這個詞是否還能用在別的場合呢？
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level.
L：噢，只能指大學生或中學生在考試前開夜車，臨時抱佛腳。
M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter.
L：好吧，我明天早上給你打電話。
M: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.
L：喲，你還準備開夜車開到天亮吶？Ok, well, good luck!
今天李華向Michael學了兩個常用語，一個是：all-nighter，意思是開夜車；另一個是：cram，這是指中學生或大學生在考試前臨時抱佛腳。
L：嗨，Michael. 我在這兒！
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look.
L：噢，那是大象館?。亢?，進去看看。不行，不行，這兒太臭了。走吧！
M: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter.
L：我知道你有很多功課，但是你在準備考試的時候也總得休息休息嘛。我聽說這次考試會很難。你剛才說 all-nighter 是不是開夜車的意思呀？
M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!
L：我是猜出來的，all的意思是整個，全部，nighter和night 很像。我想一個人要整夜學習，那不就是開夜車嗎？但是，有一點我不太懂，你說：to pull an all-nighter，什么是pull ?
M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time.
L：噢，pull an all-nighter，就是迫使自己整夜念書，因為要這樣做是很辛苦的。
M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all semester, I haven't been.
L：這你可說對了。我不需要開夜車，因為我整個一學期都在學習。你要開夜車，因為你平時不學習。
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.
L：Michael, 我真喜歡紐約的秋天，空氣很清新。你要是能跟我一起玩，不用回去念書，那該多好??！
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should.
L：對啊，你要是上星期多花點時間念書不就好了嘛?，F(xiàn)在你得臨時抱佛腳了。
M: I perform better on tests when I cram.
L：Cram? Cram是把什么東西塞進去的意思，跟學習有什么關(guān)系呢？
M: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram.
L：意思差不多？噢，我知道了！Cram就是我們中文里說的填鴨式方法，就是硬把食品塞給鴨子吃，這樣鴨子就長得肥。北京烤鴨 就是用這種鴨子做的。你說的cram是臨時抱佛腳，在考試前猛記猛背，把知識往腦子里塞。你還認為這是好辦法？
M: Well, everyone's different. Cramming works for me.
L：你認為臨時抱佛腳對你來說行得通。可是，Michael，想把半學期的內(nèi)容在一個晚上記住，這樣做可真傻。
M: Stop being my mother, Li Hua!
L：我才不想當你媽呢，你不聽我的話，那就算了。Michael，cram這個詞是否還能用在別的場合呢？
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level.
L：噢，只能指大學生或中學生在考試前開夜車，臨時抱佛腳。
M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter.
L：好吧，我明天早上給你打電話。
M: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.
L：喲，你還準備開夜車開到天亮吶？Ok, well, good luck!
今天李華向Michael學了兩個常用語，一個是：all-nighter，意思是開夜車；另一個是：cram，這是指中學生或大學生在考試前臨時抱佛腳。