M: Yes, I'm supposed to be in class right now. But I didn't read the assignment for class today, and I just didn't feel like going, so I decided to play hooky.

L：你真够呛，没看今天上课的材料就不想去上课，还想在家玩什么游戏！什么是hooky呀？

M: No, to play hooky means to skip class.

L：噢，原来to play hooky是指逃学，旷课。我还以为是玩什么游戏呢！Michael, 你要进来坐会儿吗？

M: Actually, I was going to the student center to hang out and have lunch. I was wondering if you would like to come with me.

L：你要到学生中心那儿去看看，然后再吃午饭呀？我跟你一起去，我本来就要去吃午饭。不过，我只有一个小时的时间，下午我得去工作。

M: It seems like you have been working a lot lately. I have an idea! Why don't you call in to work and tell them you're sick! You can also play hooky from work.

L：我最近工作是很忙。Michael，你的意思是让我打电话给工作的地方说我生病，这样就可以不去上班？这也可以说是to play hooky?

M: Yes, you can play hooky from school or from work.

L：你可真能出馊主意！自己逃学还不算，还要我装病不去工作。不行，我工作的地方星期一总是很忙的，而且上星期我真的生病，请了两天假。I don't want to play hooky from work. 我说得对不对，Michael？

M: Yes, very good. I guess you'd better go to work then. It's too bad I can't spend more time with you. Well, if you have only one hour for lunch, we'd better hurry.

L：别着急，一个小时来得及。等我拿件大衣。

L：Michael，你很幸运，没有象我那么多的压力。我得自己赚钱付学费，还要养活自己。你可以随便play hooky，我可不行。

M: Hey, I may play hooky once in a while, but I usually study hard. Do you think I don't feel any pressure to get good grades? If I don't do well, I won't get a good job later on.

L：哟，哪儿来那么大的火气呀！我知道你不是经常逃学，你学习很努力，争取得到好分数，将来找一份好工作。你不用发那么大的脾气嘛！

M: I'm sorry, Li Hua. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that right now I'm so stressed. That's part of the reason why I didn't go to class today.

L：没关系，我知道你最近压力很大。你说“I didn't mean to snap at you"，那是什么意思呀？是不是指你很生气地跟我说话？

M: Yeah, to snap, s-n-a-p. To snap at someone means to yell at someone or talk to them in an angry way.

L：to snap at someone就是对某人大声嚷嚷，或者很生气地和某人说话。Michael，你一般不对人那么讲话的。我想可能是你最近压力太大了。

M: Yeah, but that's no excuse for snapping at you. I know you didn't mean to make me angry.

L：我是没有让你生气的意思。没关系，每个人都有情绪不好的时候嘛！Michael，我以前好象听到别人用过to snap at someone，可不太清楚它的意思。有一次，一个小孩说他打破了什么东西……

M: His mother must have snapped at him when he broke something at home.

L：对，他是说他妈妈骂他因为他打破了一个花瓶。可是，Michael，这里的snap是过去时，那该怎么拼呢？

M: Past tense for snap is s-n-a-p-p-e-d. I can say, "I snapped at you but I apologized."

L：得了，不用道歉了。啊呀，不好了，时间到了，我得去上班了。See you later, Michael!

M: Bye, Li Hua!

　　今天李华又从Michael那儿学到两个常用语，to play hooky就是逃学，或者装病不去上班；to snap就是对某人嚷嚷，很生气地对某人说话。