TED GOES OUT FOR THE EVENING
Ted leaves to go visit his girlfriend Amber. Ted's mother Susan says she doesn't really like Amber. She wishes him a good time anyway.
Ted 去看望他的女朋友Amber。Ted的母亲Susan说她不太喜欢Amber, 但她祝他玩得开心。
Ted: See you later, Mom! 妈，待会见。
Susan: Where are you going, Ted? 你要去哪啊？
Ted: I told Amber I'd drop by. 我告Amber我去找她
Susan: What are you two going to do? 你俩干啥去？
Ted: Maybe go to the movies or to a party. Our plans are still up in the air. 可能去看个电影，也可能去个party。我们也没计划好了。
Susan: Why don't you invite her over here? 你为什么不把她邀请到这儿来？
Ted: I don't want to hang around here. Dad is really down in the dumps. 我不想在这附近溜达，爸爸心情不好。
Susan: Is Amber the girl with the nose ring and the purple hair? Amber是那个带着鼻环紫色头发的那个女孩吗？
Ted: Yeah. I'm crazy about her! 是了，我很喜欢她。
Susan: Don't take this the wrong way, but she's not exactly my cup of tea. 没别的意思，但是我不太喜欢她。
Ted: Take it easy, Mom. We're not about to get married. We just enjoy hanging out together. 放轻松，我俩又不是要结婚了。就是在一块儿玩得来。
Susan: I guess there's no accounting for taste. Have a good time. 我只能说人各有所好吧。玩得开心。
Ted: Don't worry. We'll have a blast! 别担心，我们会很开心的。
Susan: (under her breath) That's what I'm afraid of! (心里说）我就是担心这个！
about to
→ ready to; on the verge of
正要去做某事
️Example 1: It's a good thing Bob left the furniture store when he did. Peter was so angry, he was about to throw a dining room chair at him.
️Example 2: I'm glad you're finally home. I was just about to have dinner without you.
(to be) crazy about
→ to like very much
非常喜欢
️EXAMPLE 1: Amy is so crazy about golf, she'd like to play every day.
️EXAMPLE 2: I'm sure Katie will agree to go out on a date with Sam. She's crazy about him!
cup of tea
→ the type of person or thing that one generally likes
一个人喜欢的一类人或事
️EXAMPLE 1: Hockey isn't Alan's cup of tea. He prefers soccer.
️EXAMPLE 2: I know Joy is nice, but she's simply not my cup of tea.
NOTE: This expression is almost always used in the negative. She's not my cup of tea. 通常用于否定句中
(to be) down in the dumps
→ to feel sad; to be depressed
情绪低落，心情不好
️EXAMPLE 1: It's not surprising that Lisa is down in the dumps. Paws, the cat she had for 20 years, just died.
️EXAMPLE 2: It's easy to feel down in the dumps when it's raining outside.
(to) drop by
→ to pay a short, often unannounced visit
顺便拜访，顺便去
️EXAMPLE 1: If we have time before the movie, let's drop by Bill's house.
️EXAMPLE 2: "Hi, I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd drop by!"
(to) hang around
→ to spend time idly; to linger
闲逛，溜达
️EXAMPLE 1: We had to hang around the airport for an extra six hours because our flight was delayed.
️EXAMPLE 2: Nina's boyfriend Boris is coming over soon. She hopes her parents aren't planning on hanging around the house.
(to) hang out
→ to spend time (often doing nothing)
打发时间
️EXAMPLE 1: Ted spent all of last summer hanging out by his friend's pool.
️EXAMPLE 2: Kathy and her friends like to hang out at the mall.
NOTE: "Hang out with" means to keep company with someone.
(to) have a blast
→ to enjoy oneself very much
玩得开心
️EXAMPLE 1: Last summer, Nicole had a blast backpacking through Europe with some friends.
️EXAMPLE 2: Heather spent her spring break in Fort Lauderdale with millions of other college students. She had a blast!
(to) have a good time
→ to enjoy oneself
玩得开心
️EXAMPLE 1: Marcy and Jose had a good time salsa dancing at Babalu, a nightclub in Manhattan.
️EXAMPLE 2: Nora and Jake had a good time on their honeymoon in Maui.
take it easy
→ relax; don't worry
放轻松，别着急
️EXAMPLE 1: You lost your keys? Take it easy, I'm sure you'll find them.
️EXAMPLE 2: Stop yelling and take it easy. I'm sure there's a good explanation for why Joe borrowed your car without asking first.
(to) take something the wrong way
→ to take offense
感觉冒犯
️EXAMPLE 1: Don't take this the wrong way, but I liked your hair better before you got it cut.
️EXAMPLE 2: Jessica is offended. I guess she took it the wrong way when I told her she should exercise more.
NOTE: This expression is often used in the negative form: "Don't take this the wrong way, but..." 通常用于否定句
there's no accounting for taste
→ it's impossible to explain individual likes and dislikes
每个人喜好不同，萝卜青菜各有所爱
EXAMPLE 1: Ted likes to put sugar on his spaghetti. I guess there's no accounting for taste.
️EXAMPLE 2: Tiffany has a tattoo of a squirrel on her leg. There's no accounting for taste.
under one's breath
→ quietly; in a whisper
小声说，心里说
️EXAMPLE 1: "Amber is strange," muttered Nicole under her breath, as Ted was leaving the room.
️EXAMPLE 2: Mike agreed to take out the garbage, saying under his breath, "I always do the dirty work around here."
(to be) up in the air
→ not yet determined; uncertain
不确定，没有决定
️EXAMPLE 1: It might rain later, so our plans for the picnic are up in the air.
️EXAMPLE 2: Our trip to Russia is up in the air. We aren't sure we'll get our visas in time.