李华打电话问Larry今天下午要不要一块儿去打网球。今天李华会学到两个常用语：Bum和ticker.

(Telephone rings)

LH: 嘿！Larry, 你今天下午有空吗？想不想和我去打网球？今天天气真好！

LL: I'm sorry, Li Hua, but my bum knee is bothering me. I don't think it's a good idea to play tennis right now.

LH: 你的膝盖怎么啦？Bum knee, 那是什么毛病啊？

LL: I have a bum knee means that there is something permanently wrong with my knee.

LH： 原来 a bum knee就是一个膝盖以前受了伤而落下了毛病，也就是老毛病。Larry， 你什么时候受的伤，我怎么不知道哪？

LL：I tore a tendon playing soccer several years ago, and now my knee hurts once in a while and it doesn't always bend well.

LH：噢，你几年前踢足球的时候受的伤，所以不时会感到痛，还不能弯。我爷爷年轻时腿也受过伤，现在只要一下雨，他的腿就会发作。

LL: Yes, having a bum knee or leg is very common, particularly among former professional athletes.

LH: 就是啊，这种伤害对职业运动员来说都是常见的。我倒是很惊讶那些美式足球队员，打起球来横冲直撞，居然还能走路。

LL: Yes, well many of them do suffer from a bum leg, a bum knee, or a bum shoulder.

LH: 嗯，他们的工资非常高，据说有的年薪都上百万呢！ 筋骨受伤大概只是个小小的代价吧！

LL: That's true, but not all of them make that much money and they still suffer injuries that leave them with a bum joint.

LH: 当然不是每个球员工资都那么高的。工资低的也经常会受伤的。

LL: Li Hua. I would play with you if I could. Try to find someone who can play with you. If you can't, give me a call and we can watch a movie or something.

LH: 我要是找不到打球的伴再给你打电话。看个电影也挺好。

******

LH: Larry, 我找不着人和我打网球。你还想去看电影吗？

LL: I'm sorry, I can't. My mom just called to tell me that my uncle is in the hospital because he has a bum ticker. I should go and visit him.

LH: 你要去医院看望你叔叔，他怎么啦？Larry，你说你叔叔得了什么病，bum ticker? 什么是ticker?

LL: He has a bum ticker. Ticker is slang for one's heart because your heartbeats similar to the way in which a clock ticks. My uncle has a bad heart.

LH: 噢，原来ticker是指心脏啊！对，心脏是像钟表那样滴滴答答地跳动。Larry，你叔叔心脏病发作呀？

LL: No, he just had some pains in his chest. He knows that he has a bum ticker, so he went to the hospital to have it checked out.

LH: 原来他是因为胸口痛才住院。希望他没事。我爸爸的心脏也不好，所以医生特别叮咛他要小心，避免压力太大。

LL: Well, we've warned my uncle to take care of his old ticker, but he doesn't listen. He still eats junk food and he has a very stressful job.

LH: 看来你叔叔不是个听话的病人。心脏不好的人应该要避免吃垃圾食物。或许你叔叔这次出院后，能意识到要好好照顾自己的心脏了。

LL: I hope so, but he has already had a heart attack and surgery, so I doubt he'll change his habits because of a few chest pains.

LH: 他已经发作过心脏病，还动过手术！那看来胸口痛是不会促使他改变饮食习惯了。得了，你还是赶快上医院去吧，我明天再跟你聊喽！

LL: Okay, bye.

今天李华学到两个常用语。第一个是bum，指的是有毛病的，通常是老毛病。另一个常用语是ticker，是指心脏。这是很口语的说法，因为心脏就象钟表一样滴滴答答跳动。