Larry 開車接李華去看醫生，路上堵車遲到了。李華今天要學兩個常用語，
meltdown和make up.

    LL： I'm really sorry I am late ， Li Hua. But there is no need for
you to have ameltdownabout it. LH ：（生氣地）如果meltdown是生氣的意思，
那沒錯，I am having a meltdown.

    LL：（Sheepishly） Well ， Li Hua ， perhaps now isn't the best time
for an English lesson ， but a meltdown is an excessively emotional response
to a disappointment or a crisis. LH ：（還是有點生氣）meltdown是融化的
意思，跟遇到挫敗或是危機，情緒過分激動有什么關系呢？

    LL： Well ， the term meltdown refers to the melting of the coreof
a nuclear reactor. When that happens， the nuclear reactor becomes unstable
and may explode. LH ：噢，原來是從核反應堆來的。Well， I guess I did have
a meltdown. 你今天遲到，我確實很生氣。

    LL： I must say ， it is very unlike you to have a meltdown. You are
usually so calm and understanding. LH ：我生氣可是有理由的。你遲到了不
是一會兒，而是整整半個小時。看來我去看醫生也要遲到了。

    LL： I understand why you had a meltdown， Li Hua. But honestly ，
there is nothing I could do about it. You know how unpredictable the traffic
is in New York City. LH ：也是，我剛才太急了，沒有給你解釋的機會。你在
路上遇到什么狀況了嗎？

    LL： Well ， there was a car accident that blocked traffic for a long
time. It wasn't very serious accident ， but when the two drivers got
out of their cars ， there was a total meltdown in communication. LH：
你為什么說這兩個司機之間發生了total meltdown呢？

    LL： Well ， one driver was really angry. He was all red in the face
and was yelling loudly. I could tell he was having a meltdown. LH ：啊，
臉紅脖子粗的大吵大鬧，真是夠嚇人的。那另外一個司機呢？他們倆沒打起來吧？

    LL： The other driver ended up having a meltdown， too - but in a
different way. When the first driver started yelling at her ， she started
to cry. LH：原來還是個女的，真可憐。警察來了嗎？

    LL： By the time the police arrived ， the two drivers had recovered
from their meltdowns and were calm. The police officers were very professional.
LH：還好最后得到了圓滿解決，最重要的是沒有人受傷。對不起，Larry ，我剛
才不問青紅皂白就對你大發脾氣。

    LL： Don't worry about it ， Li Hua. Everyone has a meltdown every
once in a while.

    ******

    LL： Well ， after that meltdown， don't you think it is time for
you and me to make up ， Li Hua ？

    LH： Make up？吵完架為什么要化妝呢？

    LL： No ， no. To "Make Up" means to get back to being friends after
a fight. LH ：我已經向你道歉，你也接受了，這就等于是和好了吧？

    LL： Yes， I think we have made up. We are still friends， right，
Li Hua？

    LH：我們當然是朋友，你也知道，我不會真跟你生氣的。I am glad we've
made up.真希望Janet 也能跟她的男朋友Tom 和好。他們上星期吵架，到現在都
不說話。Janet 痛苦極了。

    LL： Well ， sometimes it is hard to make up with some one - especially
when the argument is over something serious or someone is really stubbornand
won't listen to the other person. LH： Janet倒并不固執，她很想跟Tom 和
好，可是Tom 好像沒有和好的意思。他們是因為Tom 跟另外一個女孩子很接近才
吵架的。

    LL： Hmmm ……Well， if Tom hasn't tried to make up with Janet in
a week， maybe he is more interested in that other girl. LH ： Larry，
快別說了，我們還得趕去看醫生呢！

    LL： Don't have another meltdown， Li Hua. I'll get you to the doctor's
appointment. I think it was worth taking the time to make up and be friends
again ， don't you， Li Hua ？

    今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是meltdown，是情緒過分激動的意思。另
一個是make up ，是和好的意思。