Larry 和李華在談論州長競選的問題。李華會學到兩個常用語toast 和wiggle
room.

    LL： If the Governor doesn't change his education policies， Li Hua，
I think he is toast.

    LH：你說什么？要是州長不改變他的教育政策，他就會怎么吶？Toast 不是
烤面包嗎？我想這肯定是一種比喻，不過，He is toast 究竟是什么意思呢？

    LL： When I said "toast" I meant that he would be finished or done
for. Basically， I think he will lose the election.

    LH：噢， He is toast就是他沒有希望了，完了。 Toast這個說法很生動。
就像烤面包一樣，面包烤好了就會被彈出來，政府官員落選就像面包被彈出來一
樣。

    LL： That is exactly right.

    LH：我們州的這位州長政績不錯，希望他能當選連任。 I hope he's not toast.

    LL： Well ， I'll agree with you that the Governor is very effective
in many ways. But after he decided to raise taxes ， most Americans were
pretty dissatisfied. He's toast ， I tell you.

    LH：我認為他不會落選。你不是也認為州長在各方面都很有效率嗎？增加稅
收也是為了改善教育呀。我倒覺得他的競選對手不行，他既不誠實，也稅收方面
也沒有什么好主意。

    LL： I can see you and I aren't going to agree on this. Good friends
shouldn't talk about politics. We don't want our friendship to be toast！

    LH： Larry，你說的沒錯，再談政治我們兩個非成為仇人不可。我們換個話
題吧。你最近好像很忙，在忙什么呢？

    LL： Well ， since you asked， Li Hua ， if I don't finish the budget
report I am working on by Thursday， then I am toast！

    LH：什么？你要在星期四以前完成預算報告。今天已經星期三了。看來你是
要完了。我要是你，今天無論如何不睡覺也要把報告寫出來。

    LL： That is the best way to avoid being toast. Say ， Li Hua ， what
about you ？Don't you need to turn in a chapter from your dissertation
to your advisor ？

    LH：沒錯，瓊斯教授說了我非得在月底以前把我論文的第一章交給他，不然
就算我這學期不及格。那我就完了。Then I'm toast.

    LL： You *will* be toast， Li Hua. You won't be able to look for a
job next year ， and I know your parents will be very unhappy.

    LH：就是呀，書沒念好，父母不高興，我就真的完了。I will be toast ！

    ******

    LL： Did you see the candidates' debate last night， Li Hua ？ The
Governor really didn't leave himself any wiggle room on the tax issue.

    LH： Wiggle room？ Wiggle 有搖動，擺動的意思。 Room 是房間。你說州
長在房間里說話的時候搖來擺去？

    LL： No ， I meant that on the issue of taxes he left himself very
little room to shift his position later.

    LH：你是說他在辯論稅收問題的時候沒有給自己留下回旋的余地。他都說了
什么呢？

    LL： He promised during the debate that if he was reelected he would
not raise taxes.

    LH：他說當選后不會提高稅收？他實在不應當作出這個承諾。如果遇到自然
災害、戰爭或是經濟惡化，政府怎么能不提高稅收呢？

    LL： You are exactly right. I can see he didn't leave himself any
wiggle room there. Say， Li Hua ， how is your dissertation chapter coming？

    LH：我的博士論文寫得怎么樣了？哎，說起來很慚愧，我一直沒有時間寫。
時間表排得滿滿的，沒有一點回旋的余地。

    LL： I know how that is ， Li Hua. I am going to be working on my
budget project right up until the last minute. I haven't left myself much
wiggle room ， either.

    LH：我看你是得趕緊寫那預算報告，要能在最后一分鐘寫出來就算你運氣。
我這星期一定得寫完論文第一章。下學期我想減少教書的時間，這樣就會有多一
點的時間來寫論文了。

    LL： While having some wiggle room in your schedule is a good thing，
are you worried about losing some of your income？

    LH：是啊，少教些書是會讓我有更多時間，不過我也擔心收入就會減少。

    LL： I'm not very good at sticking to a budget. I always like to have
some wiggle room in my budget for extra expenses.

    LH：我知道，規定自己一個月花多少錢是很難遵守的，總有要額外買些東西
的時候。所以我總給自己留一些余地，免得到時候沒有沒辦法。

    LL： Yeah ， I guess we can skip going out for ice cream for a while.

    LH：吃冰淇淋花得了多少錢！We have a lot of wiggle room for ice cream.

    今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是toast ，意思是失敗，或是俗話說完蛋。
另一個是wiggle room ，意思是回旋或調整的余地。