Larry 和李華打算乘火車去Larry 家玩。Larry 家住在紐約郊區。 Larry和
李華還打算去紐約市旅游。李華會學到兩個常用語：do the math 和know the drill.

    LL： Okay ， Li Hua ， I don't know how we are going to do the sightseeing
and also spend time with my family. I mean， you do the math - how is
it going to work？

    LH： Do the math？這很好算嘛。我們有四天時間，24小時乘以4 等于96個
小時 .我們總共有96個小時。

    LL： Oh ， Li Hua ， I guess I didn't mean for you to actually do
the math. When I said "you do the math，" I meant something like "you
think about it."

    LH：原來你說"do the math" ，意思是考慮一下，不是真的要我算。Larry ，
是你請我到你家去，還要到紐約玩，你應該考慮呀 - You should do the math.
另外，去紐約玩要花多少錢呢？我這個當老師的可沒有很多錢啊。

    LL： Don't worry， Li Hua. I've done the math. We'll save a lot of
money by staying at my parent's house. Plus they will feed us.

    LH：能住在你父母家就太好了，可以省很多錢。 Larry，你知道我是窮學生，
凡事都要精打細算才行。I have to do the math all the time.

    LL： You know that is very smart. My younger brother could really
have learned something from you.

    LH：你弟弟向我學習？我有什么好學的呢？

    LL： Well ， when he moved out and got his first job， he really didn't
do the math. He ended up needing help from my parents ， because he wasn't
making enough money.

    LH：你弟弟真傻，第一次拿到工資就覺得自己很有錢，要搬出去住。他肯定
沒想到房租那么貴。你弟弟現在怎么樣了？

    LL： Yes， he is now making very good money waiting tables at a restaurant.

    LH：我也聽說餐館服務員收入不少。

    LL： In one hour he might wait on ten tables. If each table tips him
between five and ten dollars.Well ， you do the math.

    LH：每小時服務十桌客人，每桌客人給5 塊或是10塊美元的小費。喲，你弟
弟一個小時就能掙50到100 美元�？磥恚�我也改行作服務員算了。

    LL： No ， Li Hua. You are definitely meant to be a teacher. He's
making what seems like a lot now， but in the long term - if you do the
math - I think you'll be doing better in the end.

    LH：從長遠來看，我以后會掙得比你弟弟多？但愿如此。

    ******

    LL： Okay ， Li Hua ， we're now at the subway station. You know the
drill. Have your ticket ready ……

    LH：地鐵票？我有呀。 Larry，你剛才說： You know the drill ，這是什
么意思啊？ Drill不是一種工具嗎？

    LL： Well ， a drill is a tool.But a drill can also be a routine.
Knowing the drill is knowing a routine - it is knowing how things are
done.

    LH：噢，to know the drill 就是知道一件事該怎么作。我當然知道怎么坐
紐約地鐵了。先要買票，然后把票放進自動檢票機，否則就進不去。對嗎？

    LL： That's good. But do you know the drill when it comes to taking
a taxi in the city？ We have to do that next.

    LH：什么？我們下了地鐵還要打的？我可沒有在紐約打過的，我是隨時攔車
呢，還是要到指定的街口等呀？ I really don't know the drill.

    LL： That's OK， Li Hua. I'll teach you what you need to do - then
you'll know the drill.

    LH：我是得學學。我在紐約人生地不熟的。沒有你，我一定很緊張。

    LL： Yeah ， it can be very disconcerting when you are in an unfamiliar
place and don't know the drill.

    LH：是呀，在不熟悉的地方有時心里是很不安。我剛來的時候不知道怎么乘
公共汽車，有一次差點走丟了。

    LL： But now you are an expert. No one would say you don't know the
drill now ！

    LH：當然了，不過我也不是什么都知道，還要向你多多請教。Larry ，我們
這是去哪里呀？

    LL： Oh ， the usual places in New York City. You know the drill：
go see the Statue of Liberty， go see a play on Broadway， and then go
eat in Chinatown.

    LH：對，到紐約來玩的人都是去這幾個地方， I know the drill.先去自由
女神像，然后接著去百老匯看戲，然后去唐人街吃飯。

    LL： I'm glad you are excited about eating in Chinatown. Because when
it comes to ordering in Chinese ， I really don't know the drill.

    LH：這你放心，Larry.你不會點菜，我來點。 I know the drill .

    今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是do the math ，意思是考慮、算計一下。
另一個是know the drill，也就是說知道怎么作某件事情。