Larry 和李華打算乘火車去Larry 家玩。Larry 家住在紐約郊區(qū)。 Larry和
李華還打算去紐約市旅游。李華會(huì)學(xué)到兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)：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(shí)間，24小時(shí)乘以4 等于96個(gè)
小時(shí) .我們總共有96個(gè)小時(shí)。

    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(lái)你說(shuō)"do the math" ，意思是考慮一下，不是真的要我算。Larry ，
是你請(qǐng)我到你家去，還要到紐約玩，你應(yīng)該考慮呀 - You should do the math.
另外，去紐約玩要花多少錢(qián)呢？我這個(gè)當(dāng)老師的可沒(méi)有很多錢(qián)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(qián)。 Larry，你知道我是窮學(xué)生，
凡事都要精打細(xì)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(xué)習(xí)？我有什么好學(xué)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(jué)得自己很有錢(qián)，要搬出去住。他肯定
沒(méi)想到房租那么貴。你弟弟現(xiàn)在怎么樣了？

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

    LH：我也聽(tīng)說(shuō)餐館服務(wù)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(shí)服務(wù)十桌客人，每桌客人給5 塊或是10塊美元的小費(fèi)。喲，你弟
弟一個(gè)小時(shí)就能掙50到100 美元�？磥�(lái)，我也改行作服務(wù)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(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)看，我以后會(huì)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(shuō)： 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(dāng)然知道怎么坐
紐約地鐵了。先要買(mǎi)票，然后把票放進(jìn)自動(dòng)檢票機(jī)，否則就進(jìn)不去。對(duì)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(méi)有在紐約打過(guò)的，我是隨時(shí)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(xué)學(xué)。我在紐約人生地不熟的。沒(méi)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(shí)心里是很不安。我剛來(lái)的時(shí)候不知道怎么乘
公共汽車，有一次差點(diǎn)走丟了。

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

    LH：當(dāng)然了，不過(guò)我也不是什么都知道，還要向你多多請(qǐng)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(duì)，到紐約來(lái)玩的人都是去這幾個(gè)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(huì)點(diǎn)菜，我來(lái)點(diǎn)。 I know the drill .

    今天李華學(xué)到了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)。一個(gè)是do the math ，意思是考慮、算計(jì)一下。
另一個(gè)是know the drill，也就是說(shuō)知道怎么作某件事情。