20090427 -- Shortcut to Friendship ( 1)

Shortcut to Friendship

A bad hair day

Little lambs romped in the grassy field.
"Come play waith us," Lambchop called to another lamb.
"We're cutting up and having fun."
But Fluff tossed her curly head and turned the other way.
"Dont' be bashful," Lambchop called. "Join us."

"I'm not bashful," Fluff replied.
"But, why play with you? You're plain and ordinary."
Fluff brushed the curls out of her eyes.
"And as you can see, I'm cut out for something special. Not like you."

Lambchop was cut to the quick, but he tried not to show it.
"Oh," he smiled "Maybe we can play another time."

"Don't feel bad," said a nearby lamb.
"Fluff is always cutting others down.
She's bad. She thinks she's a cut above everyone else. But really..."

Suddenly their talk was cut short. "Shh," cried yet another lamb.

"Sorry to cut you off, but listen. I hear something!"
Just then, the young farmer came whistling up the lane.
He was carrying an empty sack.
"Wonderful news!" he spoke as though the lambs understood every word.
"My wife and I are going to have a baby! But since we don't have much money,
we'll have to cut down on expenses," he explained.
"We're cutting corners wherever we can." He smiled.
"And so I need your help."
"A baby!" sighed Lambchop. "What can we do to help?"
"Well," said the farmer, as though the lambs understood every word.
"The baby will need a warm wool blanket.
Since they're expensive to buy, we'll make one ourselves.
That way, we can cut costs, and we won't have to use our savings.
So, I'm looking for some wool."



shortcut n. 捷徑
eg: Learning English takes time and effort. There are no shortcuts.
eg: I took a shortcut through the park on my way through home to my school.
eg: There are actually no shortcuts to learning languages.

curly adj. 捲的
eg: Is your hair curly or straight?

bashful adj. 害羞的/難為情的
-> easily embrassed
be bashful about something 對某事感到不好意思
eg: That baby is really bashful. He won't say hello because he's shy.
eg: He suddenly became bashful the minute the girl he liked showed up.
eg: He's not at all bashful about showing off his wealth.

cut short (idiom) 打斷

cut off (phr v.) 中斷
-> interrupt

cut down on (idiom) 減少




cut up (phr v) 嬉鬧

cut out for (idiom) 天生適合於/勝任(某工作)
-> have quality to do something

cut to the quick (idiom) 刺痛某人的心
eg: Bobby was really cut to the quick by his brother's joke about his height.
eg: I was cut to the quick when she insulted me.

cut down (phr v) 貶低(某人)

cut above (idiom) 高人一等

cut corners (idiom) 一切從簡地做事/節約


Lamb -> young sheep

A bad hair day
-> Everything seems going wrong.

sack
wool blanket


//== Chat room ==//

My wife and I are going to have a baby. 快要有小孩了

have a baby = give birth 生小孩
eg: Where are you going to have the baby?
eg: His wife had a baby boy. 他的太太生了一個男嬰


have a baby 懷孕
= be pregnant
= be expecting

Is she having a baby?
Is she pregnant ?
= Is she expecting ?