Larry在家里和朋友們聯網打游戲，李華則在書房里寫作業，他們會用到兩個常用語：epic fail和learn your lesson.

    （網絡游戲聲音）

    Larry： OK， guys. There are only two enemies left. Everybody stay calm！ We almost have this round won.

    LH： Larry，你在跟我說話么？

    Larry： Oh wait， there's an enemy sneaking up behind Mike. Mike！ Watch out！ He's gonna kill you！！ Noooooo！！！

    LH： Larry！怎么啦？

    Larry： Epic Fail. We almost won.

    LH： Epic fail？ 什么意思？

    Larry： "Epic fail" means an unfortunate occurrence. People say that when something bad unexpectedly happens - especially in video games. In this case， we had almost beaten the other team， until someone sneaked up on my friend Mike at the last minute…… it was such an epic fail.

    LH： 哦，epic fail就是慘敗。你是說，你和朋友們本來在游戲中要贏了，結果卻遭到對方的突襲，結果慘敗。 不過，你說話的聲音太大了吧？我作業都寫不下去了！

    Larry： I'm sorry， Lihua. I just get so involved with these video games……

    LH： （嘆氣） 算了，是我自己太緊張這篇論文了。要是明天交不上去，我就完了，it will be an epic fail！

    Larry： Here， sit down. Let me show you one of my favorite websites. It's a collection of epic fails.

    LH： 好吧，我也放松一下。

    Larry： Look - here's a video of a guy trying to jump over a car on his bicycle. Look， there he goes……and at the last second， he misses the ramp and - （撞碎的聲音） - he broke the car's window with his bike.

    LH： 我的天！表演飛車最后卻被車撞！還好這個人沒有受重傷！

    Larry： but I'm sure he's embarrassed after that epic fail.

    LH：是啊，這么丟臉的失敗，好窘啊！ 為什么要干這么危險的事嘛！

    *******

    Larry： You would be surprised how many people are willing to try dangerous things like that. Hopefully， after that epic fail， he learned his lesson.

    LH： Learned his lesson？你是說，他撞了車還要去上學？

    Larry： No， not quite. I don't mean lesson as in something a teacher tells you at school. That phrase can also mean something you learn in life after making a mistake.

    LH： 我明白了，learn his lesson就是吸取教訓的意思。嗯，這個人的確應該長點記性，以后別干這種事兒了。我就不會像他一樣，明知道最后結果是個epic fail，大失敗，何必還要做呢？

    Larry： Oh really？ I can remember an epic fail you had just last week.

    LH： 不會吧？

    Larry： Remember last Friday when it was really windy outside and you were carrying that briefcase full of papers？

    LH： 呵呵，那倒是，我公文包沒鎖好，結果里面的論文全飛出來，被風刮得滿地都是，我當時都快瘋了！這算是個epic fail！ 大失策！

    Larry： And did you learn your lesson？

    LH： 那當然！ 我可是吸取教訓了！ 每次都會檢查公文包鎖好了沒有。Larry， 你看！ 網站上又有個視頻，還是剛才那個飛車男！ 這回他要騎車從房頂飛到游泳池里去！

    Larry： Wow， looks like he didn't learn his lesson. I'm almost afraid to watch……

    LH： 是啊！ 哎呀！ 游泳池旁邊有堆樹杈，他可別摔在那上面！（撞在樹杈上的聲音，水花飛濺的聲音）。 還是撞上了！

    Larry： Yea. It was also an epic， epic fail. And look - this kid has 15 more videos！

    LH： 啊？還有15個視頻？I guess he'll never learn his lesson. 真是不長記性！ 好了，我要回去寫作業了！

    Larry： Sounds good. I should get back into the game； my team is probably waiting for me. I'll try to be quieter this time.

    LH： 沒關系，我會戴著耳機，邊聽音樂邊寫。你不會吵到我的！

    Larry： Smart idea. ……Hey， wait a minute. Where's my headphones？ Lihua！

    LH： Larry， 我把你的耳機拿走了，你就湊合一下，別用了。

    Larry： No headphones？ But then I won't be able to hear my teammates.

    LH： 啊……不管，我先拿到的！ 你就認倒霉吧！ This is an epic fail for you， 你失算了， 哈哈！

    Larry： An epic fail indeed.

    今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是epic fail，表示“慘敗，非常失策”。另一個是learn your lesson， 意思是“吸取教訓”。