VOA流行美語 Unit 195:runaround和take a chill pill
Larry正在申請下學期學校的資助，可是到處碰壁。李華今天會學到兩個常用語：runaround和take a chill pill。
LL: I am so frustrated! The Financial Aid Office is giving me a real runaround!
LH: Larry，你說資助辦公室給你什麼？ Runaround是什麼呀？
LL: To give someone a runaround means to be deceptive and evasive to someone. They sent me from office to office，but no one can give me the right answers.
LH: 噢， to give someone a runaround意思是對某人很虛假，躲躲閃閃的。你是說資助辦公室打發你到這個辦公室那個辦公室，可就沒有人給你一個明確的回答。Larry，那現在怎麼辦呢？
LL: They are still giving me the runaround. They say I didn't turn in my application on time, but I know I did.
LH: 他們說你沒有交申請表？瞎說，你肯定交了，我還跟你一起去的。你知道， Larry，每次我申請延長學生簽證，他們也是把我象皮球那樣踢來踢去，gave me a runaround。
LL: That's too bad. Since being given the runaround is no fun, what do you say we go for ice cream somewhere?
LH: 去吃冰淇淋？我不知道能不能去。我今天下午很忙， 要批改很多作文。
LL: How about after you grade your papers?
LH: 批改卷子後，我還要寫論文。
LL: Li Hua, are you giving me the runaround?
LH: Larry，看你說的，我怎麼是在找藉口呢？我看你有點多疑吧。
LL: Well, you aren't giving me a direct answer for one.
LH: 沒有明確回答你。 好吧， Larry， 我的回答是不能去，對不起我不能跟你去吃冰淇淋。這行了吧？
LL：That's OK! Just don't give me the runaround anymore. I've had enough of that!
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LL: I've been so frustrated by this whole financial aid mess. I really need to take a chill pill.
LH: 吃什麼藥片？吃了這藥片就能解決資助問題了嗎？
LL: Ha-Ha, very funny. No, to take a chill pill means to calm down. I need to calm down, forget my problems and do something else.
LH: 原來是這個意思。 To take a chill pill是設法平靜下來。我看也是，最好的辦法是平靜下來，做些別的事，先把這事閣一邊。Larry，Rick的車給人撞壞了，他氣死了。我看他也該平靜下來，take a chill pill。
LL: No, Rick did have good reason to be upset. I wouldn't have told him to take a chill pill in that case.
LH: 是，他有理由生氣。在這種情況下就不能叫他take a chill pill? 那你再舉個例子給我聽聽，什麼情況下可以說take a chill pill呢？
LL: Sometimes when you get so worried before a test, Li Hua, I just want to tell you to take a chill pill.
LH: 每次考試前，我是特別緊張。以後你看見我考試前太緊張，你儘管對我說take a chill pill。我不會生氣的。我也不知道自己爲什麼會那麼緊張。
LL: You always study so hard. There is no need to be worried. You should just take a chill pill and relax. You know you'll do fine.
LH: 我也這麼想呀！我是很用功，每次考試成績也都很好，本來我就不該緊張。不過，有的時候我覺得考試前心情緊張一點反而考的好。
LL：In that case, you don't have to take a chill pill. But if I were too nervous before a test, I would be unable to think clearly and would certainly fail the test.
LH: 那倒是可能的。每個人不一樣嘛。不過， Larry, 你要是考糊了，你就會非常不高興。到那時，你就得take a chill pill。 我看哪，你還是應該更用功一點，這樣你的成績會更好。
LL: Oh, Li Hua, take a chill pill!
今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是give someone a runaround， 意思是找藉口，躲閃，拖延，特別是對提出要求的人。另一個常用語是take a chill pill， 意思是平靜下來。
