Michael是个美国学生，在纽约上大学。他的一个要好同学是从中国大陆来的李华。今天Michael刚好在校园里碰到李华。李华会在谈话中学到两个常用语：couch potato和nuts。

L：嗨，Michael，你上哪儿去呀？

M: I'm going to meet Jon at the subway. You've met Jon, haven't you?

L：嗯，是不是上次在一次party上你给我介绍的那个带眼镜的人？

M: Yes. I want to drag him out to do something. You know, he's such a couch¹ potato.

L：他是什么？Couch potato? 什么是couch potato? 他爱吃土豆？

M: No, couch potato is an expression used to describe someone who sits in front of the TV all the time eating junk food, such as potato chips.

L：噢，原来coach potato是指一个人老坐在电视机前吃零食。这个常用语挺有趣。那couch potato是不是只能指人呀？

M: Yes, it is only used to describe people, those who are lazy and unmotivated.

L：噢，只能指人，指那些懒懒散散，没有动力的人。好，下回我就叫我哥哥couch potato。他老是看电视，一看就看到三更半夜，吃的东西撒在地毯上，沙发上，到处都是。

M: My father's like that too. My mother is always angry with him. But he doesn't care.

L：哟，你爸爸也是这样呀！要我是你妈，我也会生气的。

M: But sometimes, after a really hard week at school, I also just want to collapse² and be a couch potato.

L：一个星期在学校念书实在很累了，回家当一回couch potato，我想这还是可以的，只要不是每天这样就行了。

M: Yes, I agree. Li Hua, would you like to join us? Jon and I are going to play tennis.

L：你们要打网球呀，那太好了，我正在学打网球呐。

M: That's wonderful. You know, some people think I'm nuts to have a friend like Jon.

L：有的人认为你是什么？ Nuts，Nuts不是花生，杏仁那样的果仁吗？你跟Jon交朋友跟吃花生有什么关系呀？

M: No, nuts here means someone who is crazy.

L：原来nuts在这里是说一个人做的事很怪。大概就象中文里说的：你疯啦！对吗？

M: That's right. Jon can be rude, and he also argues a lot. Sometimes he does drive me nuts.

L：他看起来不象会对别人无礼，爱跟人争论的人哪！你刚才说drives me nuts是什么意思啊？

M: Drives me nuts means he makes me crazy.

L：噢，还可以说drive me nuts，或者是drive someone nuts。嗨，Michael，那天我上移民局去办手续，排队好长，我站了一小时，我真是火死了。我能说：They drove me nuts 吗？

M: Of course. You know, my mother used to make me clean my room every night when I was in high school and that drove me nuts.

L：你念中学的时候你妈妈每天晚上要你打扫房间？那是有点受不了。嗨，Michael，你认识我的朋友张红吗？

M: Oh, yes, she is nuts. She spent $200 for a dress, and it's ugly.

L：对，张红这个人是有点问题，化两百美元买件难看的衣服。不过，Michael，你总是批评别人买的东西。 You sometimes drive me nuts too.

M: Li Hua, I think you are learning³ these words too fast.

　　今天李华学了两个常用语，一个是：couch potato，指那些常坐着看电视，吃零食的人；另一个是：nuts，就是说一个人不正常，做的事很怪。

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