My two sister and I were all away at various colleges at the same time. One day, after facing one crisis too many and tired of being treated like just another undergraduate, I phoned home for some consolation and understanding of my unique problems.
When my dad answered, I immediately launched into my litany of frustrations with college life. As I paused to catch my breath, he said, “O.K., honey…now, first of all, who is this?”
翻译;
我和两个妹妹同时离开家去不同的大学读书。经历了太多的危机,也厌倦了受到与其他大学生相同的对待之后,有一天我给家里打了个电话,就我独有的问题寻求安慰和理解。
爸爸接起电话后,我立刻开始历数我大学生活中的挫折。当我停下来歇口气时,爸爸说:“好啦,亲爱的…现在,首先告诉我,你是哪一个?”
litany(连祷,冗长故事)
Two Pieces of Cake
Tom: Mom, can I have two pieces of cake, please?
Mom: Certainly — take this piece and cut it two!
翻译;
两块蛋糕
汤姆:妈妈,我可以吃两块蛋糕吗?
妈妈:当然可以—-拿这块蛋糕把它切成两块吧!