李华是一个中国学生，她在纽约上大学，还在大学的中文系当助教。今天她要去和系主任谈话，要求增加助教的工资。李华的美国同学Michael陪她一起去。李华会学到两个常用语：wimp和guts。
L：Michael，我很紧张。我不敢去和系主任谈话……我看就算了吧，我不要去要求加工资了。
M: What? Don't be such a wimp, Li Hua! You have to talk to her, if you want to get a raise.
L：你刚才说什么？Don't be什么？
M: I said don't be a wimp. A wimp is a weak person, a coward, or someone who can't take pain. If you don't talk to your boss, then you are a wimp!
L：噢，wimp就是软弱的人，胆小鬼，或者是怕痛的人。所以，你说要是我不和系主任谈，我就是胆小鬼。 哎，你这么说我太不公平了。你才是a wimp。上星期你去捐血，针还没有碰到你，你就哇哇大叫，你不是wimp是什么？
M: I was not! You were a wimp when you crashed your bicycle. You cried because you hurt your arm!
L：我那次骑自行车摔倒，受伤可严重了。不管怎么样，女孩子哭并不意味着她是一个软弱的人。
M: But you are a wimp! Remember yesterday, you couldn't open a bag of potato chips, because you're so weak!
L：我昨天打不开一包土豆片，我没有力气，这也算是wimp？我才不是呐！有一次，我们从学校走回你的家，一共三公里，你至少在当中休息了两次。这才是软弱的表现呢！
M: All right, all right, stop goofing around. You need to go talk to your boss. If you don't go in there, you'll be a wimp with no money.
L：对，我要不进去谈就加不了工资，人家肯定会说我没有骨气。看来，我别无选择，我就得进去要求系主任给我们加工资。
（李华和系主任谈完话以后）
M: Well, Li Hua, how did it go?
L：一点问题都没有。系主任同意我们应该增加工资。她说她会去争取足够的资金给我们提高工资到每小时十二点五美元。
M: Wow! That's not bad Li Hua. It took a lot of guts to go in there like that.
L：Guts? 进去谈要许多什么？你说我什么嘛？你可别说我坏话……
M: No, no, when I say it took a lot of guts, I mean you had to be brave to do that!
L：噢，guts就是勇气。Guts不就是动物的内脏吗？是这个字吗？
M: That's right! You can say someone has a lot of guts. That means he is brave.
L：嗯，a lot of guts就是有勇气。你刚才说it took a lot of guts to go in there。所以，it takes guts to do something就是要做某件事一定要有勇气。
M: That's right. For instance: It took a lot of guts for you to #e to the U.S. by yourself.
L：对，我一个人独自到美国来是要有勇气才行的。你上回在我朋友家唱卡拉OK，这也是要有勇气的呀！
M: You are right. Americans usually don't like to sing in public if they can't sing very well.
L：好多中国人也不喜欢在大庭广众唱歌呀。这确实是要有勇气的。你那天是因为喝了酒才敢唱。否则，你就是个wimp!
M: So are you! You only had enough guts today because I was here to support you. Usually you are a wimp!
L：对，你陪我一起来给我壮胆，所以我才有勇气找系主任谈话。不过呢，我至少没有在走回家的路上喘不过气来。You are a wimp!
M: I guess we both are!
今天Michael教李华学会用两个常用语，一个是：wimp，意思是软弱，没骨气；另一个是：guts，这是指有勇气。
