L：Michael，我真烦死了，我们那个经济学教授非要我们分成小组来完成一个项目，可小组里一个同学嘛一声不啃，另一个我说什么他都反对。

M: If I were you, I would have told him to take a hike.

L：你要对他说什么？Take a hike？是什么意思啊？

M: Take a hike is to tell someone to leave, or to tell someone to leave you alone.

L：Take a hike就是叫谁走开，或者是告诉某人不要来打搅我。对吗？

M: That's correct. In fact, you told me there's that one guy who always bothers you in the study hall. You should tell him to take a hike.

L：我知道你在说谁。我在自修室里念书的时候，那个人经老是要来跟我说话。可是他往往很不客气。

M: Why don't you tell him to take a hike?

L：我不好意思对别人说这种话。那样很不礼貌，是不是？

M: Sometimes you can use "take a hike" in a joking manner. For instance, when my friend kept teasing me about the way I dressed the other day, I told him to take a hike.

L：我那天是听见你那朋友在笑话你穿的衣服，可是，当时你说take a hike，我不知道是什么意思。现在想起来，你好象是用开玩笑的口气说的。

M: Li Hua, give me an example. I want to see if you know how to use it.

L：哼，你要考我！Michael，你经常跟我开玩笑，说我老买衣服，下次你再要这样，我就要对你说：Take a hike。

M: Yes, Li Hua, I suppose you could.

L：Michael，你昨晚上不是说好要跟Bob去看电影吗？你怎么一个晚上都呆在家里呢？

M: Bob and I did make plans to go out last night. But he blew me off. He decided to go out with his girlfriend. It wasn't the first time he blew me off.

L：原来说好去看电影，到最后一分钟打电话给你说要和女朋友出去玩。Michael，你刚才说了两遍blew me off？是不是取消原定约会的意思？

M: Yes, to blow off means to break off plans you had with someone.

L：也就是说你和Bob约好去看电影，可是他为了跟女朋友玩而把你给甩了。

M: You're right.

L：To blow off还能用在什么场合呢？

M: If someone has been friendly to you in the past, but he suddenly seems to ignore you, you can say that person blew you off.

L：噢，to blow off还可以指某人突然对你很冷淡。

M: Yes. For instance, when I was at a party last weekend, Nancy acted like she didn't even know who I was. I can say Nancy blew me off.

L：Nancy上个周末在聚会上看见你好象不认识你？这不可能，她不是跟你很好的吗？

M: Yes, but that's ok. Li Hua, you can also use this phrase to talk about things you blow off, such as something you don't want to do.

L：我不想做什么事，也可以用to blow off。我不是告诉你我不想参加那经济学的小组吗？可是，要是我blow it off，我这门课就会不及格。

M: Yeah, there are some things in life you just shouldn't blow off.

L：唉，生活中有些事是非得做的，就象和你一起吃午饭一样。

M: Oh, Li Hua, take a hike.

　　在今天的对话中，Michael教了李华两个常用语，一个是：take a hike，意思是叫某人走开；另一个是to blow off，这是指取消约会，或者是不做自己不想做的事。