三段对话均选自电影Sleepless in Seattle（《西雅图不眠夜》），由汤姆·汉克斯和梅格·瑞恩主演。

 

第一段中谈到Sam要去约会,他向请来的babysitter交代发生意外时该如何处理。他的儿子Jonah读到一封Annie给他父亲的求爱信，觉得是个好兆头，因为She (Annie) thinks Brook Robinson's the greatest! It's a sign.而他父亲说的“ I'll show you a sign.”和“Now that's a sign.”都是反话。反话（sarcasm）是十分生动的表达方法，应注意学习运用。

第二段中，Annie 在接到Walter 送给她的“ring”时，夸张地赞美了一番，但同时也流露出一切都在她意料之中，她和Walter之间的感情已无任何“惊喜”可言。

第三段儿子和父亲谈到了一些文化点滴，如Sam告诉儿子不应该看“Geraldo” 与“Nightmare on Elm Street 12”等成人电视节目。西方电视节目中会有明确提示，指导观众哪些节目少儿不宜看或需大人陪同观看。再有就是最后一段Sam提到他getting laid(having sex)和大学有过几次性体验的话语，这些事情中国家长是绝对不会跟一个小孩子说的。而在西方，孩子和父母的对话要相对开放一些。

下面这三段对白中有很多地道的表达法，读者朋友们可以留意学习。

(Sam is telling Clarise what to do in case of an emergency. Jonah tries to convince his Dad that Annie is the right woman for him, doesn't agree.)

1. 8:30 if disaster strikes: Sam is telling the babysitter that he will be back home early (8:30) if his date does not go well.

2. I left... I'm going to be at: Sam is giving the babysitter the telephone number where he can be reached if there is an emergency at home.

3. pediatrician: a medical doctor that specializes in treating children (儿科医生).

4. Epicach: a substance used to promote vomitting.

5. trying too hard: making too much effort.

6. I was going to... I just got a haircut.: Sam is worried about making a good impression on his date; he wants to look good for his date, but does not want to seem desperate and too excited by rushing to get a new haircut.

7. grotesque: ugly; repulsive; very unattractive; annoying.

8. blah, blah, blah: nonsense words used when avoiding or skipping over details. Sam is not reading parts of the letter that are not important or interesting to him.

9. as long as...best third baseman ever: This is part of the letter written by Annie. Brooks Robinson was a Major League Baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, from 1955 to 1977.

10. It's a sign.: It means something more. (这是个征兆。)

11. I'll show you a sign.: Sam is showing Jonah the distance between Seattle and Baltimore on a map.

12. Now that's a sign.: Sam's comment means that he and Annie are not meant to be together because they live so far apart.

13. size it down: make it smaller.

14. It's exactly... to choose from.: Annie is suggesting how predictable Walter is as well as their relation-ship; there are no surprises in their relationship. She knew what kind of wedding ring he would give her.

15. No siree. = No Sir.

16.Surprises are highly overrated.: Surprises are very overestimated/exaggerated.; Annie is trying to convince herself that they are not very important.

17. first thing in the morning: early tomorrow morning.

18. "Geraldo" : a reference to former talk show host and journalist Geraldo Rivera; the television talk show called "Geraldo".

19."Nightmare on Elm Street 12": a horror movie.

20. go rolling in poison ivy: go do something on purpose, like rolling in poison ivy, to get attention.（poison ivy: 毒漆，气根毒藤。)

21. do anything that needs stitches: injure yourself on purpose to try to get attention.

22. If your finger falls off, it's staying off.: Sam is telling Jonah that under no circumstances, even if he loses a finger, is Sam going to change his plans.

23. pack it on ice and take you to the hospital: wrap the severed finger in ice and take you to the hospital.

24. a breakthrough in laser surgery: a medical miracle in laser surgery.

25. getting laid: having sex.