Larry 和李華一起去Larry 的老板家，參加公司同事派對(duì)。他們會(huì)用到兩個(gè)
常用語(yǔ)：out of place和show your true colors.

    Larry ： Lihua， are you feeling OK ？ You're so quiet tonight.

    LH：哦，我沒事兒。不過，和這么多辦公室白領(lǐng)在一起，有點(diǎn)不自在。

    Larry ： Ah ， I see. You're always surrounded by young students when
you're on campus. I can see why you feel a little out of place here.

    LH： Out of place ，是什么意思？

    Larry ： "Out of place" - It's an English phrase. If you're feeling
out of place， you don't feel like you belong. You're not used to your
current surroundings.

    LH： Out of place ，就是覺得和周圍的環(huán)境格格不入，不自在。我現(xiàn)在的
確感覺out of place，因?yàn)槲移綍r(shí)都是和同學(xué)在一起，現(xiàn)在突然和這些上班族在
一起，不知道該和他們聊些什么。

    Larry ： It's OK， Lihua. It's a natural reaction. Everyone feels
that way when in unfamiliar places.

    LH：是嘛？你也會(huì)覺得out of place -不自在？

    Larry ： No ， I work with these people every day ， so I'm pretty
comfortable in this kind of setting. But， there are some places where
I do feel out of place - like when I go to parties with your friends on
campus.

    LH：啊？ You feel out of place at student parties ？你參加我同學(xué)的
派對(duì)時(shí)覺得不自在？你才畢業(yè)沒多久啊！已經(jīng)不習(xí)慣校園生活了么？

    Larry ： I was a student……a couple years ago. To be honest， whenever
I go back to campus now ， I feel really old - and all the students look
so young！ I hate to admit it ， but I feel out of place when I'm surrounded
by students.

    LH：原來，你一回學(xué)校就覺得自己老，哈哈，沒關(guān)系，你看，現(xiàn)在這一屋子
的人里，除了我，你是最年輕的了！不過，你和這些中年人在一起倒不感覺feel
out of place，真奇怪！我可是渾身不自在！ I feel so out of place ！

    Larry ： I'm not used to seeing you acting so shy. You're usually
so outgoing and friendly. Don't be afraid to show your true colors.

    LH： Show my true colors？給他們點(diǎn)顏色看看？！

    Larry ：（Chuckle ） No ！ To show your true colors means to be how
you truly are. You know ， to just be your normal self.

    LH： To show my true colors ，就是作我自己，本色流露。你剛才說，我
自自然然作自己，是個(gè)非常outgoing -外向的人？

    Larry ： Sure ！ I'm always amazed by how easily you can make new
friends at a party. When you are relaxed and your true colors are showing，
you are very friendly - and fun ！

    LH：呵呵，你夸得我真不好意思！不過，和你的這些同事在一塊兒，我不知
說些什么好。我擔(dān)心，my true colors -我的本色，會(huì)讓他們不喜歡。

    Larry ： Lihua， eventually you will be out in the work force ， too.
Maybe if you try interacting with these people now， you won't feel so
out of place later after you get a real job. Just show your true colors
and be your friendly self.

    LH：你說得對(duì)。我早晚要參加工作，所以現(xiàn)在就應(yīng)該試著和上班族相處。我
應(yīng)該輕松地和他們聊天。

    Larry ： Right！ Just follow my lead. I will introduce you to my colleague
Annie over there. And when you get the chance ， ask her something about
her job - like how long she has been working here and what she does.

    LH：?jiǎn)枂朅nnie 在這個(gè)公司工作了多久，都干些什么。好！沒問題！

    Larry ： See？ I think you're feeling less out of place already.

    LH：是啊，我沒有剛才那么不自在了。我覺得，我已經(jīng)開始放松，作自己了！
I'm already showing my true colors！

    Larry ： Great. Let's go！ Oh ！ One more thing. Don't ask her age，
her income or how much she paid for her clothes. Oh ， and don't ask if
that's her real hair color， either.

    LH：啊？不能問年齡，收入，衣服的價(jià)錢，也不能問她有沒有染發(fā)？這么多
地雷，我又開始覺得緊張了！

    Larry ： Just relax. You'll do fine ！ Just show your true colors
……without any offensive questions.

    今天李華學(xué)了兩個(gè)常用語(yǔ)，一個(gè)是out of place，意思是“格格不入，不自
在”。另一個(gè)是show your true colors ，意思是“流露本色，作自己”。