Part 1 The Pyromaniac 纵火狂 

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1 

Tom: Want to help me build a matchstick house?
Tina: Uh, where did you learn how to do that?
Tom: Some friends at school taught me.
Tina: It's amazing what you kids are learning in school these days.
Tom: It's really fun, and it'll look really cool when I set it on fire.
Tina: Are you crazy? It could burn the house down!
Tom: Don't worry. I wouldn't burn it inside.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Tina下班回到家发现儿子Tom在玩火柴，还想让她帮忙一起搭一个火柴棒屋，match表示“火柴”，而matchstick则是指“火柴杆，火柴棍”。

2. Tina觉得很奇怪，Tom这是从哪里学来的呀？原来是Tom在学校的一些朋友教他的。现在小孩子在学校学的东西还真叫人惊讶，竟然学怎么玩火柴。

3. Tom告诉Tina，搭火柴房子很好玩，特别是搭好后放火烧掉的时候，看起来很酷。set sth on fire 表示“点火，放火，纵火”，比如说，He set the whole apartment on fire. 他把整个屋子都点着了。

4. Tina吓坏了，难道儿子疯了吗？这样会把整个房子都给烧着的。burn down 表示“烧毁，烧为平地”。Tom说不要害怕，他不会在房子里面烧的。男孩子就是比较大胆。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Tina: Did you soak the match tips in water first?
Tom: No. Why would I want to do that?
Tina: They could catch on fire if you don't soak them!
Tom: I'm not going to strike them or anything.
Tina: But still, you could probably set them off if you weren't careful. Better safe than sorry.
Tom: So when are we going to set off all our old firecrackers?
Tina: When there's not a drought! We might get arrested if we did it now.

讲解：

1. Tina问Tom有没有先把火柴棍的头放在水里浸一下。Tom不明白为什么要这样做，Tina解释说如果不把火柴头弄湿，就可能会着火。catch on fire 表示“着火，起火”，比如说，How did the newspaper catch on fire? 报纸怎么着起火来了呢？

2. Tom觉得根本没有必要这么做，因为他又不会把火柴划着，strike a match表示“划火柴”。

3. 虽然是这样，也许一不小心就会点燃火柴，还是有备无患好。Tina说But still, you could probably set them off if you weren't careful. but still 表示“就算是这样”。 当你想要说服对方的时候，先说but still认同对方的观点，然后再陈述自己的观点来说服对方。我们用一个对话来作例子，---Louis only wants to go to Italy. ---I know, but still, maybe I could change his mind. ---Louis一心只想去意大利。---我知道，就算是这样，也许我会让他改变心意。

4. Tina还说了一句，Better safe than sorry. 有备无患。Better safe than sorry.这句话字面上来看是“小心总比后悔好”的意思，可以用来劝告对方及早准备，未雨绸缪，有备无患就不会有遗憾的事情发生。我们还是用一个对话来作例子，---Should I bring along the address? ---Better safe than sorry. ---我应该带上地址吗？---有备无患。这时Tom又拿出了一串鞭炮，问他们什么时候去放鞭炮呢？set off firecrackers 就表示“放鞭炮”。

5. Tina说只能在没有干旱的时候，如果现在放的话警察就会逮捕他们，可能现在正是干旱的季节，所以Tina才会这么说。Tom真是一刻也闲不下来。

Dialogue Script 3  对话原文 3 

Tom: We could go set them off on the beach. No one would mind.
Tina: But they could fly the wrong way and start a big blaze.
Tom: I guess so. But we could just call the fire department then.
Tina: Wouldn't it be better not to start the fire in the first place?
Tom: But a fire would be fun to watch.
Tina: My son, the pyromaniac. Well, just remember to be careful, OK? I have to go fix the dinner now.
Tom: Don't worry about me, Mommy.

讲解：

1. Tom说他们可以在海滩上放鞭炮，没有人会介意的，也不会有人发现，就不会逮到他们了。Tina害怕这些鞭炮会飞错方向，引起一场大火灾，start a big blaze，blaze表示“火焰，火灾”。

2. Tom说这也可能，不过到时候如果真的发生火灾，他们再打电话叫消防队不就行了。fire department 表示“消防队，消防部门”。这可让Tina哭笑不得，火灾可不是闹着玩的，一开始就别引起火灾不是更好吗？

3. in the first place 表示“在一开始的时候就...”，可以用来强调，告诉对方应该在最开始的时候就完成或者注意到某件事情。比如说，---The food here is terrible. ---Don't tell me. I didn't want to come here in the first place. ---这里的东西难吃死了。---别跟我说，我一开始就不想来这里。

4. 可是Tom觉得看火很好玩，气得Tina叫他纵火狂，pyromaniac，是“纵火狂”的意思。Tina得开始做晚饭了，让Tom玩的时候小心一点，Tom也让Tina不要担心他。可是他这样怎能不让人担心呢，不知道以后还会发生什么状况。

Part 2 The Fire Extinguisher 灭火器

Dialogue Script 1  对话原文 1

Lisa: Daddy, where's our fire extinguisher?
Jack: Oh. I lent it to the neighbor last week.
Lisa: You mean we don't have one around the house?
Jack: I'm going to go buy a new one any day now.
Lisa: You mean we don't have one right now?
Jack: No, not right now. Why are you asking about this anyway?
Lisa: We've been studying fire safety at school. My teacher would give you detention if she found out!
Jack: I guess it's a good thing I;m not in school anymore.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Lisa问Jack问家里有没有灭火器，灭火器的说法是 fire extinguisher。Jack上周把灭火器借给邻居了。Lisa说那就是家里现在没有灭火器了。

2. 这可把Jack给问住了，他只好说很快就会去买一个新的。I'm going to go buy a new one any day now. any day now表示“随时”。字面的意思看是“从现在开始的任何一天”。实际上是用委婉的方式表达“不是今天，不是现在”，而是“之后”的任何一天都有可能，当然也可能暗指“没有这一天”。比如说，---I should hear something back from the company any day now. ---Well, good luck. ---公司应该随时会给我回音。---嗯，祝你好运。

3. Jack不明白为什么Lisa不停地追问灭火器的事情。Lisa说他们在学校一直在学习防火安全的知识，如果他们老师发现家里没有灭火器的话，她就会罚Jack留校察看，不让他回家。detention表示“放学后不准回家，留校察看”。比如说，He was given two hours' detention yesterday.他昨天被罚留校两个小时。detention 还可以表示“滞留，拘留”。Jack很庆幸自己已经不在学校念书了，老师管的还真严。

Dialogue Script 2  对话原文 2 

Lisa: This is serious, Daddy. We could all die!
Jack: So what exactly did your teacher say about fire safety?
Lisa: We should have smoke detectors and sprinklers in every room. Fire extinguishers, too.
Jack: Aren't you getting a little carried away?
Lisa: You don't care if we all die in a big scary fire?
Jack: Of course I do. I just think you're worrying a little bit too much.
Lisa: I'm going to tell my teacher on you!

讲解：

1. Lisa让爸爸严肃一点，火灾的事情可不是拿来开玩笑的，处理不好的话，他们都有可能在火灾中丧生的。Jack觉得很好奇，到底学校的老师说什么了，他们到底该怎么做呢？

2. Lisa说他们应该在每个房间安装烟雾探测器和洒水器，就是smoke detector和sprinkler。Jack觉得Lisa是不是有点走火入魔了？carry away这个词组表示“深受影响，失去理智”。我们来举个例子，比如说，He always gets carried away when watching basketball on TV.他一看电视中的篮球比赛就兴奋不已。

3. Lisa觉得认真一点没有什么不好，难道Jack不怕全家人在可怕的大火中丧生吗？Jack当然会很小心，他只是觉得Lisa有点担心过度了。

4. Lisa觉得Jack还是真么心不在焉，就威胁他说要去跟老师告状。tell sb on sb else 表示“跟某人告别人的状，揭发某人”，比如说，Peter caught his brother smoking and told mom on him. Peter发现他哥哥吸烟，就告诉了妈妈。