73. Don't Be a Fish out of Water

第73课 不要觉得别扭
Do you sometimes have a hard time understanding what Americans are talking about among themselves?
你是否有时难以了解美国人彼此之间在说些什么？
Do you want to know why?
你想要知道为什么吗？
The answer is, Americans are crazy about using slang.
答案是美国人非常喜欢使用俚语。
They tend to over do it, though.
然而，他们往往会用得过火。
Otherwise, slang is fun to use. You should try it.
否则的话，使用俚语是很有趣的。你应该试试看。
And some slang is easy to understand.
而有些俚语很容易了解。
For example, if someone is "off the hook," it means that he is no longer in trouble.
例如，如果说某人“脱离鱼钩”，那表示他已脱离困境。
The "hook" is a fish hook.
“钩”在这里指的是鱼钩。
If a fish is on the hook, of course, it is in trouble.
如果鱼儿上钩，它就当然有了麻烦；
If it is "off the hook," then it is out of danger.
若鱼儿脱离了鱼钩，那它就脱离了危险。
Didn't we tell you slang is fun?
我们不是告诉过你俚语很有趣吗？
Besides, it should at least help you feel more at home and not like a fish out of water when you speak to Americans.
此外，当你和美国佬交谈时，用俚语至少会让你感到比较自在而不觉得别扭。