M: What's in the news today, Li Hua? (sound of newspaper rustling)

L：有些什么新闻啊？噢，我没有在看新闻。我在看招聘人的广告，想找个临时工，赚点钱。

M: Hmm, let me take a look. Hey, check this one out!

L：等等，让我看看。（read slowly）招聘辅导两个孩子，要母语是中文的家庭教师。对了，Michael, 你刚才说什么：check this one out，你是叫我把这报纸借出去啊？这儿又不是图书馆，而且，这报纸是我自己买的！

M: No, I said "Check this one out!" "To check something out" means "to look at something closely".

L：噢，check something out就是“仔细看一看”的意思！那不就是“从图书馆里借书”的意思吗？

M: Well, that 's the formal meaning of "to check something out." However, the informal meaning is to have a look at something.

L：原来to check something out可以指从图书馆借书，可是在不正式的场合就是“仔细看一看”的意思。那，这大概是非常口语的说法，对不对？

M: Right! Ok, check this advertisement out.

L：看这个广告呀？Hmmm，不行，不行，他们要找的家庭教师必须住在他们的地下室，还得要带孩子。算了算了吧！

M: You know, Li Hua, you can also use "check it out" when you want someone to notice something, or pay attention. It pretty much means, "Whoa, look at that!"

L：噢，所以，你要让人注意什么事的时候也可以用check it out。是不是就象我们中文里说的：“你看哪！你看哪”的意思啊？

M: That's right. Whoa, check it out, Li Hua! That building across the street is on fire.

M: 什么？马路对面哪栋楼着火啦？哎，对呀，你看，那儿来了三辆救火车。哎哟，但愿没有人在那房子里。

M: Hey, check this out! Oh, I call this one!

L：让我看看！（sound of paper rustling）招聘一位研究生，带几个孩子去参观纽约的博物馆和参加文艺活动。报酬优厚！嗨，这个工作太好了！

M: No way, Li Hua! I already called this job!

L：Michael，你说什么？你已经给他们打过电话啦？

M: No, that's not what I mean. I said, "I call this job." Whoever says "I call something" first has the first claim on whatever they called.

L：噢，Call something就是谁先说要这样东西，那这样东西就归谁？你先说你要这份工作，所以这工作就是你的！嗨，Michael，你可别忘了，你是在帮我找工作！

M: Actually, no one can call this job. We can both apply and see who gets it.

L：就是嘛，没有人可以call this job。谁都能申请这份工作的！

M: I know, I was just teasing you.

L：哎，好了，Michael，你再给我举一个to call something的例子好不好？

M: Heheh, Ok. When I was little, before my family went somewhere in the car, I would always yell, "I call the front seat!" My brother and I would always fight over who got to sit in the front seat.

L：啊，你小时候还和你弟弟抢汽车座位呀！你呀，要是call the front seat，你就可以坐在前面。吓，你还真好意思呢！

　　今天李华又从Michael那儿学到两个常用语。一个是to check something out，在非常口语的情况下，to check something out是“仔细看看”的意思；另一个是to call something，意思是：“谁先说，谁就有优先权得到某样东西”。