L：嗨，Michael. 我在这儿！
M: Hey, Li Hua. Oh, the elephant house, let's go in and take a look.
L：噢，那是大象馆啊？好，进来看看。不可以，不可以，这儿太臭了。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：我了解你有不少功课，但你在筹备考试的时候也总得休息休息嘛。我听说这次考试会非常难。你刚刚说 all-nighter 是否开夜车的意思呀？
M: Yeah, that's what I meant. Li Hua, you're smart!
L：我是猜出来的，all的意思是整个，全部，nighter和night 非常像。我想一个人要整夜学习，那不就是开夜车吗？但，有一点我不太懂，你说：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，就是迫使自己整夜读书，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 百度竞价推广ester, I haven't been.
L：这你可说对了。我无需开夜车，由于我整个一学期都在学习。你要开夜车，由于你平常不学习。
M: I know, I know, you're a better student than I am.
L：Michael, 我真喜欢纽约的秋季，空气非常清爽。你如果能跟我一块玩，不需要回去读书，那该多好啊！
M: I don't want to go study either, but I should.
L：对啊，你如果上星期多花点时间读书不就好了嘛。目前你得临时抱佛脚了。
M: I perform better on tests when I cram1.
L：Cram? Cram是把什么东西塞进来的意思，跟学习有哪些关系呢？
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就是大家中文里说的填鸭式办法，就是硬把食品塞给鸭子吃，如此鸭子就长得肥。北京烤鸭 就是用这种鸭子做的。你说的cram是临时抱佛脚，在考试前猛记猛背，把常识往脑子里塞。你还觉得这是好方法？
M: Well, everyone's different. Cramming2 works for me.
L：你觉得临时抱佛脚对你来讲行得通。可是，Michael，想把半学期的内容在一个晚上记住，如此做可真傻。
M: STOP being my mother, Li Hua!
L：我才不想当你妈呢，你不听我的话，那不再计较。Michael，cram这个词是不是还可以用在别的场所呢？
M: Not really. It's only used to describe studying for a test, usually college or high-school level.
L：噢，只能指大学生或中学生在考试前开夜车，临时抱佛脚。
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，我明天早上给你打电话。
M: No, don't worry about me, I'm sure I will still be cramming.
L：哟，你还筹备开夜车开到天亮呐？Ok, well, good luck!
今天李华向Michael学了两个常用语，一个是：all-nighter，意思是开夜车；另一个是：cram，这是指中学生或大学生在考试前临时抱佛脚。