Larry 和李華在公園里散步，今天我們要學兩個常用語： on the bright side
和no-brainer.

    LH： Larry，周末在公園里走走，真舒服啊！

    L ： Normally I would agree with you Lihua， but when it's 100 degrees
out like it is today， I might prefer my air-conditioned apartment.

    LH：天是夠熱的。不過你知足吧，起碼今天公園里人不多，難得這么清靜！

    L ： That's true. It may be hot ， but if we look on the bright side，
the park isn't crowded at all.

    LH： Look on the bright side？這是什么意思？

    L ： Lihua， when you look on the bright side ， you try to see something
good in a bad situation.

    LH：哦，on the bright side就是從好的方面講。你是說，雖然今天天氣很
熱，但是從好的方面看，正因為天熱，人們都不愿意出來，所以公園里才會這么
清靜。

    L ： Right！ Here is another example. There is supposed to be a big
rain storm later today， but looking on the bright side ， that will help
cool down the weather.

    LH：哦，今天晚上可能會下大雨，可是從好的方面看，這可以讓氣溫降下來，
天氣能涼快些！

    L ： You got it ！

    LH：對了，Larry ，天這么熱，你干嘛穿長衣長褲啊？

    L ： Yeah ， I am pretty hot in these clothes. But on the bright side，
I won't get a sunburn.

    LH：老土！你不知道世界上有種東西叫防曬霜么？

    L ： Very funny. Yes I do ， but on the bright side ， I can save
a little money by wearing long clothes instead.

    LH：可是Larry ，你們美國人不是喜歡把皮膚曬得黑黑的么？你干嘛要把自
己捂起來呢？

    L ： Yes， lots of Americans like to get a tan in the summer， but
there is a really big downside： skin cancer.

    LH： A downside ？

    L ： That's right. If you want to point out something bad about a
situation ， you can tell people to consider the downside.

    LH：明白了，downside就是“缺點”，不好的方面。和the bright side 正
好相反。Larry ，你看那只小狗，正在和主人玩兒接飛盤的游戲，真好玩兒！我
真希望自己也有條小狗！

    L ： Yeah ， dogs are a lot of fun， but there is a big downside：
you have to spend lots of time and money taking care of them.

    LH：那倒是，那養只貓咪怎么樣？

    L ： Well ， I don't think cats are as much fun to play with as dogs.
But on the bright side， they are much more independent.

    ******

    LH： Larry，我們今天除了散步還要干點什么呢？玩兒扔飛盤怎么樣？

    L ： Lihua， if I do any running around in the sun today， you're
going to have to take me to the hospital with heat stroke.

    LH：這倒也是。這么大熱的天，我們還是不要跑跑跳跳的了。

    L ： Yeah ， that's a no-brainer.

    LH： A no-brainer ？什么意思啊？

    L ： When you think something is really obvious ， you can say that
it's a no-brainer.

    LH：哦，no-brainer就是不用動腦子就知道的事，也就是明擺著的事情。你
是說，天氣這么熱，明擺著，咱們不能跑跑跳跳。

    L ： Exactly！ Here is another example. Some people don't like to
buckle their seatbelt in the car， but to me， that's a no brainer.

    LH：是啊，坐車系安全帶，這是一定要的啊。就跟在戶外要防曬一樣。沒什
么可說的。

    L ： Yeah ， you would have to be really stupid to risk getting skin
cancer.

    LH：哎， Larry，看樣子馬上就會下雨了，咱們趕快走吧，省得挨澆。

    L ： Of course， Lihua， that's a no-brainer. We definitely wouldn't
want to stay outside in a thunderstorm！

    今天李華學了兩個常用語。一個是on the bright side表示“從好的方面講”。

    另一是no-brainer，意思是“明擺著的事情”。