李華結束了在中國的短期研究，返回美國，跟Larry 一起在公園里散步。今
天我們要學兩個常用語：deal和let it go.

    LL： Wow， Lihua. Not only am I glad that you are back， I'm grateful
that we can spend some time together in this warm weather ！

    LH：是啊，今天天氣真是太好了。你看，對面快餐店門口的那個不是小燕嗎？
我們過去打個招呼吧！

    LL： Ummmm. We can meet up with her later ， but I'd rather stay here
and talk with you.

    LH：怎么啦？你好象顯得很不自在。

    LL： Ok Lihua ， it's best that we don't go over there. She's - well
- it's best you don't know what her deal is ， you know ？

    LH： Her deal ？你說小燕走私毒品？那怎么可能！

    LL： 'The deal' refers to someone's situation ， mental state ， or
attitude problem. So， it's best that you not know what happened with
her. But I should tell you.

    LH：我知道了，the deal是說一個人有問題。Tell me what her deal is.
還有啊，你也得好好解釋解釋，What YOUR deal is ！這次回來，你好象老是遮
遮掩掩的。

    LL： I'm sorry， but here's the deal： She took me out several times
for dinner， and I -

    LH：真的嗎？你們倆人沒有怎么樣吧？

    LL： Please let me finish. The deal is - she wanted to try to start
dating， and I tried the most polite way possible to let her know what
MY deal was - which was that I'm not interested ， but -

    LH： So THAT's the deal ！我真沒想到小燕會做出這種事來！What's her
deal？你干嘛不早告訴我！

    LL： Ok ， so the deal is - I was hoping to avoid this whole situation
- to avoid this whole deal - but it's best that you know now.

    LH：我確實不太高興，但我相信你。我也很了解小燕，I know her deal.

    LL：If only I had known ， I could have avoided the whole deal altogether！

    LH：算了，不說這些，我做了些三明治，還有茶，我們去野餐。

    ******

    LH：怎么樣，我做的三明治好吃嗎？

    LL： Delicious， Lihua！ Where did you learn to make these…… during
your time in China？ Hahah！

    LH：別逗了，小燕那樁事，還是讓我心煩意亂的。她畢竟是我的好朋友，如
今，她一定是傷透了心。

    LL： Don't worry. She just needs some time to let it go.

    LH： let what go？放手？你難道有什么東西在小燕那里嗎？

    LL： 'To let it go' means to forgive and continue with your life after
something bad happens. She is upset about what happened. After some time，
she will let it go.

    LH：我明白了，let it go 是忘記不愉快的事情，向前走的意思。你是說，
只要待以時日，小燕就會把這段感情忘掉？你要知道，Larry ，心靈的傷痛可是
很難愈合的。

    LL： I agree， but everyone is different. Sometimes it takes a long
time for people to let things go. And sometimes ， people never let things
go.

    LH：沒錯，很多人都有過類似的經歷。

    LL： I recall the first time I was rejected for a job that I applied
for in college. It took me years before I could let it go ！

    LH：還看不出來，你原來這么容易受到傷害。

    LL： So ， was there anything that took you a long time to let go ？

    LH：那可能要算結束我的初戀了。

    LL： Your first breakup ？ Who took longer to let it go ？ You or
him ？

    LH：當然是他了。說實話，我們兩個本來就不是一路人。分手后，我的第一
任男友整整給我打了一年的電話，希望能破鏡重圓。He just recently let it
go.

    LL： Letting go can be the key to moving on with one's life. Sometimes
people need to see a mental health specialist to help overcome such a
difficult thing.

    LH：看心理醫生？有那么嚴重？對了，你要不要再加點茶？

    LL： Ah ， great. Thanks， Lihua！ I won't let go.

    LH： Let go ？你在說什么呀？

    LL： Nothing. I mean I won't let go of the tea cup. It's very expensive！
Haha！

    LH：你又鬧！有時候，我真搞不懂你。正經事說到一半，你就開玩笑。一點
沒正經。

    LL： You know that's not true. I think we should let it go.

    LH： What ？？？ Let WHAT go？

    LL： This topic ， of course！

    今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是deal，意思是某個人的狀況和問題。還
有一個是let it go ，意思是忘記不愉快的往事，走出陰影。