開春了，李華和Larry 在后院種花種菜。今天我們要學兩個常用語：cut out
for 和 fruit.

    LH： Larry，我說的沒錯吧，種地就是好，既能回歸自然，又能有所收獲。

    LL： Uh …… I'm not sure about that. My back hurts from digging all
these holes ， and I think some ants have crawled into my pants.

    LH：腰疼？不要緊的，過兩天習慣就好了。而且，就算真有螞蟻爬到你的褲
子里也沒有關(guān)系，螞蟻不咬人，等一會兒，它自己就爬出來了。

    LL： Thanks for the encouragement ， Lihua， but I just don't think
I'm cut out for gardening.

    LH： Cut out？我們這才開始育苗，離修枝還遠著呢！

    LL： Actually ， Lihua， when you say that you're not cut out for
something ， it means that you aren't suited for it.

    LH：哦，我明白了，cut out for something ，就是適合做某件事情。那你
是說自己不適合種地嘍？

    LL： Right. I'm more cut out for indoor activities， like watching
TV in my air conditioned apartment.

    LH： Larry，別泄氣，你也不能因為腰疼那么一小會兒，就徹底排斥室外活
動啊。

    LL： Well you know， I'm just not cut out for outdoor activities in
the spring. There is so much pollen that my allergies get really bad.

    LH：（Sneeze， sneeze again ）哎，這倒是真的。不過，我們還是不能因
噎廢食，快來幫我參考一下，這些花苗怎么擺更好看。

    LL： You can decide where to put them ， Lihua. You know that I'm
terrible at art ， so I don't think I'm cut out to be a landscape artist.

    LH：不會景觀設(shè)計沒關(guān)系，我可以教你！記不記得，當年的麻婆豆腐還是你
這個老外教我做的呢！

    LL： Oh right ， but I don't think I'm cut out to be a cook either.
That mapo doufu was terrible！

    LH：別忘了，熟能生巧，practice makes perfect. 我剛拿到駕照的時候開
車簡直就是二把刀，可如今呢，早就是行家了。

    LL： To be honest ， Lihua， I'm not sure you're cut out for driving.
We get really lost every time you drive the car.

    LH：Larry ，那不是迷路，我那是故意帶你轉(zhuǎn)一圈，欣賞沿途的美景。說到
美景，咱們還是趕緊種花吧！

    ******

    MC：Larry 和李華用了整個一個上午的時間，終于把花圃種好了。

    LH：好，Larry ，大功告成。

    LL： Yeah …… sure …… I hope we can sell some of those tomatoes
to pay for a masseuse for my back ！

    LH：什么？你要把這些西紅柿通通賣掉，用賺來的錢去做按摩？要我說，你
快別抱怨了，還是好好欣賞一下我們工作的成果吧。

    LL： You're right ， Lihua. I have to say ， it is nice to look at
this beautiful garden and enjoy the fruits of our labor.

    LH： Fruits ？果實，那可要等上兩個月，才能吃到嘴里呢！看來不是裝的，
你還真對園藝一竅不通。

    LL： Actually ， Lihua， the fruits of your labor are the reward you
receive from your hard work.

    LH：哦，the fruits of my labor就是指我的勞動成果，并不一定是吃到嘴
里的果實。是啊，忙了大半天，總算可以停下來，欣賞一下這么美麗的園子了。

    LL： Exactly！ Or if I studied really hard for a test ， I could say
that the perfect score I received would be the fruits of my labor.

    LH：我以前好象也聽別人這么用過fruit 這個詞。

    LL： Well ， you can also say that something "bears fruit ，" meaning
that it produces good results. For instance ， I just started working
out last week ， I will have to wait a few months for all my efforts to
bear fruit.

    LH：我看也是，你剛才就挖了兩個樹坑，就累得喘噓噓的，好象跑了馬拉松
似的，太缺練了！

    LL： Well ， Lihua， you will be able to enjoy the fruit of all my
labor this summer when we go to the beach and I can show off my muscles.

    LH：好啊，就怕你一直待在屋里，猛然脫下上衣，一身雪白的肌肉會刺得我
睜不開眼睛。

    LL： Very funny. Now come on， let's go out to a restaurant. I may
not be cut out for gardening， but I'm definitely cut out for eating！

    今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是cut out for ，意思是適合做某事。另一
個是fruit ，意思是努力的成果。