Larry 告訴李華他連續幾天給他哥哥打電話，可是總也找不到他。李華會學
到兩個常用語：phone tag 和chit chat.

    LL： Argh ！ I just got my brother's answering machine AGAIN. I've
been playing phone tag with him for days.

    LH：你和你哥哥playing phone tag ？那是玩什么？有電話有關的游戲嗎？

    LL： Well ， not exactly， but it is like a game of tag.

    LH： Game of tag不就是小孩子們玩的捉人游戲嗎？就是，大家跑，一個人
追。被追到的人再接著去追別人。我們小時候都玩過這個游戲的。

    LL： Right. I'll give you an example of how phone tag works. On Monday，
I called my brother and left a message on his answering machine. On Monday
night ， he called me back， but I was out so HE left a message.

    LH：我也碰到過這種情況，上星期我打電話給一個朋友，他不在，我就留了
言。他給我回電話的時候，我又不在，所以他留了言。這樣互相留言好幾次，誰
也找不到對方，真是像捉迷藏一樣。Phone tag 這個詞太生動了。

    LL： Yes， and this game of phone tag with my brother has been going
on for three days ！ I'm getting pretty tired of it.

    LH：你們這樣phone tag 已經三天了，你為什么不給他寫email ，發電子郵
件呢？

    LL： I know ， Li Hua. Next time I call ， if I get his answering
machine again ， I am going to tell him exactly when I am at home. That
should solve the phone tag problem.

    LH：對，你告訴他你什么時候在家，讓他到時候打過來就行了。你還可以給
他寫email 發電子郵件呀。這可比打電話要省事多了。

    LL： That is a good idea， but I like hearing his voice. It makes
me feel closer to him ， and I really don't mind the phone tag too much.

    LH：那倒也是。通話和寫信畢竟不一樣。我雖然也用email ，可還是常給我
爸爸媽媽打電話。

    LL： I guess it would be pretty frustrating and expensive to play
a game of long distance phone tag from China.

    LH：一般都是我每個星期在固定的時間打電話回家，因為從中國打到美國價
錢比較貴。 So I don't play phone tag with my family.

    LL： Maybe I should try that with my brother. I'm sure he is tired
of playing phone tag， too.

    *****

    LH： Larry，你那么急著找你哥哥，有要緊的事嗎？

    LL： No ， not really. I just want to chit chat.

    LH： Chit chat是什么意思��？

    LL： To Chit Chat is to talk about general things that aren't very
important. I don't really have anything specific or urgent to talk about.

    LH： Chit Chat就是閑聊。那你和你哥哥平時都閑聊些什么呢？

    LL： We chit chat about what is going on at work， what we've been
doing for fun lately， and even about the weather.

    LH：嗯，聊工作，生活和天氣，看來你們哥倆的關系很不錯嘛。我也喜歡和
家人聊天，特別是和我媽媽。

    LL： Chit chatting can be pleasant， but some times it can be annoying.

    LH：是啊，有時候聊天不僅沒有樂趣反而令人煩惱，就好像昨天我正忙著寫
論文，我的朋友 Rachel 打電話來和我聊天。

    LL： So ， did you tell her you didn't have time to chit chat ？

    LH：一開始我沒好意思告訴他我很忙。然后聊了一會兒以后我對她說我在忙
著寫論文呢。

    LL： I know Rachel. She really likes to chit chat. Did she get off
the phone right away， when you told her you need to work ？

    LH： Rachel 的確很喜歡聊天。我說我要趕快寫論文，她還是不掛電話。真
拿她沒辦法。

    LL： Well ， I have to say， Li Hua ， I don't mind chit chatting
with you.

    LH：你也喜歡和我聊天？其實我也喜歡和朋友聊天。像現在這樣，邊喝茶邊
聊，很放松也很有意思。當然要作功課的時候就不能chit chat 了。

    LL： That's right ！ I think it's time for you to work on your paper，
and I need to try to call my brother again.

    今天李華學到了兩個常用語。一個是phone tag ，意思是打電話找人，可是
來回好幾次，雙方還是沒講上話。還有一個常用語是chit chat ，意思是閑聊。