美国之音《流行美语》 387 green thumb

　　今天李华穿着沾满泥土的裙子来找Larry。Larry觉得奇怪，问李华为什么今天裙子这么脏。 李华会学到两个常用语：green thumb和go off the deep end。
LL: Li Hua, why is there dirt all over your dress?
(Li Hua looks down at her dress)
LH: 咦? 怎么这么脏! 噢, 一定是今天早上帮妈妈整理花园，沾到泥土了都没发现。
LL: You were helping¹ out with the garden? I didn't know you could be helpful.
LH: 你可别这么说，别看我照顾不好自己，但整理花园我倒是很在行呢！
LL: Really?! Are you saying you have a green thumb?
LH: 你真会开玩笑，虽然我很会整理花园，但还没到手指变绿的地步。
LL: Haha. Don't take everything so literally², Li Hua. To have a green thumb means to have a special talent for gardening, the ability to make anything grow.
LH: 喔，是吗...那你是在夸奖我喽！真不好意思。
LL: You're welcome. Do you work in the garden often?
LH: 嗯，也还好。只是最近妈妈想把花园改成跟英国皇室的花园一样，所以每天早上都要我帮忙。
LL: Your mom wants to build a garden just like that of Britain's royal family? She must be going off the deep end!
LH: Deep? 这你就不懂了吧，园艺关键不是挖得多深，而是设计得有多好。
LL: I meant your mom is going way too far if she wants to rebuild the Royal Family's garden in her own backyard. That's just too much.
LH: 喔? 不过你刚不是说什么go off... 什么deep end...
LL: To go off the deep end?
LH: 对呀！就是那个，那是什么意思呢？
LL: To go off the deep end is to go too far with something or to do something crazy.
LH: 所以你说my mom is going off the deep end是指我妈想得太美，不切实际啦!
LL: Yes. That's what I meant to say.
LH: 其实我也这样觉得。No matter how many green thumbs she has, she can only do so much with a garden in our backyard.
LL: Right. So how is this going to work out?
LH: 其实我也不知道这花园能做得多成功，不过我妈是下定了决心要做一个皇室花园了。
LL: Wow, I definitely want to see how it's going to turn out.
LH: 不过Larry, go off the deep end说一个人做得过头，你能再举个例子吗？
LL: For example, my mom really likes to buy clothes. But during last week's sale, she bought 10 pairs of shoes. She really went off the deep end there!
LH: 喔，我懂了，就好像Larry really goes off the deep end when it comes to using American slang³. 你每次都用一些我听不懂的英文俚语，太过了啦。
LL: Haha. That's a good sentence. But how will you ever learn American slang if I don't use it all the time? You should thank me for going off the deep end.
LH: 是啊，都是托你的福，我才知道自己有green thumb"绿拇指"呢，哈哈。
LL: So, what are you going to do when you get home today?
LH: 今天回家得好好读书了，再过几天就是期末考了。
LL: John and I are going to the Katy Perry concert tonight, do you want to come?
LH: Katy Perry的演唱会?! 是今天晚上吗? 可是...
LL: It's okay. You should relax a bit before you go off the deep end with studying.
LH: 可是...
LL: I mean, finals are in five days. You have plenty of time. And I know you already study a lot everyday. There should be no problem.
LH: 可是今天晚上还要帮我妈装她新买的喷泉...可能真的去不了。
LL: Your mom is putting a fountain in your backyard?! Wow, she really wants a replica⁴ of the Royal Family's garden huh...
LH: 是啊，真希望我妈didn't have to go off the deep end. 害我现在分身乏术！
LL: Well, you're missing out on your favorite singer's concert. Oh! I have to go, see you tomorrow Li Hua!
今天李华从 Larry 那儿学到两个常用语。一个是 green thumb, 表示一个人“精于园艺”。另一个是 go off the deep end, 是说一个人做事太过分，到了疯狂的地步。

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

3 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

4 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。