L：嗨，Michael. 我在這兒！
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look.
L：噢，那是大象館啊？好，進來看看。不可以，不可以，這兒太臭了。走吧！
M: Oh, yeah. Let's get out of here. In fact, I've got a lot of studying to do. I'm going to need to pull an all-nighter.
L：我了解你有不少功課，但你在籌備考試的時候也總得休息休息嘛。我聽說這次考試會非常難。你剛剛說 all-nighter 是否開夜車的意思呀？
M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!
L：我是猜出來的，all的意思是整個，全部，nighter和night 非常像。我想一個人要整夜學習，那不就是開夜車嗎？但，有一點我不太懂，你說：to pull an all-nighter，什么是pull ?
M: Pull means to get yourself through a difficult time.
L：噢，pull an all-nighter，就是迫使自己整夜讀書，由于要如此做是非常辛苦的。
M: Yep. You wouldn't have to pull an all-nighter because you have been studying all 百度競價推廣ester, I haven't been.
L：這你可說對了。我無需開夜車，由于我整個一學期都在學習。你要開夜車，由于你平常不學習。
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.
L：Michael, 我真喜歡紐約的秋季，空氣非常清爽。你如果能跟我一塊玩，不需要回去讀書，那該多好啊！
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should.
L：對啊，你如果上星期多花點時間讀書不就好了嘛。目前你得臨時抱佛腳了。
M: I perform better on tests when I cram1.
L：Cram? Cram是把什么東西塞進來的意思，跟學習有哪些關系呢？
M: Well, it's sort of the same meaning. I'm going to do a lot of studying at the last minute, that's what it means to cram.
L：意思差不多？噢，我了解了！Cram就是大家中文里說的填鴨式辦法，就是硬把食品塞給鴨子吃，如此鴨子就長得肥。北京烤鴨 就是用這種鴨子做的。你說的cram是臨時抱佛腳，在考試前猛記猛背，把常識往腦子里塞。你還覺得這是好方法？
M: Well, everyone's different. Cramming2 works for me.
L：你覺得臨時抱佛腳對你來講行得通。可是，Michael，想把半學期的內容在一個晚上記住，如此做可真傻。
M: STOP being my mother, Li Hua!
L：我才不想當你媽呢，你不聽我的話，那不再計較。Michael，cram這個詞是不是還可以用在別的場所呢？
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level.
L：噢，只能指大學生或中學生在考試前開夜車，臨時抱佛腳。
M: And that's what I need to do, right now. It's getting late and I know I will have to pull an all-nighter.
L：好吧，我明天早上給你打電話。
M: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.
L：喲，你還籌備開夜車開到天亮吶？Ok, well, good luck!
今天李華向Michael學了兩個常用語，一個是：all-nighter，意思是開夜車；另一個是：cram，這是指中學生或大學生在考試前臨時抱佛腳。