VOA流行美语之：ASAP

Larry在学校的电脑室里见到了李华。李华今天要学会两个常用语ASAP和crank out。

LL: Hey Li Hua! What are you working on? A paper?
LH: 不是，我在写申请威廉森中国历史奖学金的申请书。

LL: What? But that\'s due tomorrow! You\'d better finish that ASAP.
LH: 我知道明天是申请的最后期限，所以我在赶呐。ASAP, 那是什么意思啊？

LL: ASAP means "as soon as possible". You need to finish that application as soon as possible!
LH: 噢，原来ASAP就是尽快 - as soon as possible 的缩写。 Larry，那你为什么不说as soon as possible而是说ASAP呢？

LL: Well, people say "as soon as possible", but if you are in a hurry, it\'s easier to just say ASAP.
LH: 匆忙的时候说ASAP，这能节省多少时间呢， 顶多半秒钟吧。

LL: Well, it also sounds more forceful. For instance, if your boss tells you, "Li Hua, I need you to get this done ASAP!" you know that he is in a hurry!
LH: 那倒是。ASAP听起来比较干脆，比较有力。

LL: Or if your mechanic tells you that you car is leaking oil, and that you need to have it fixed ASAP, you\'d better take his word for it.
LH: 你别举这种让我倒霉的例子。不过，要是我的车漏油了，我当然得尽快修理。I need to have it fixed ASAP。

LL: Wait, Li Hua, you promised me yesterday that you would proofread my Chinese composition. Have you done that yet? I need to hand it in ASAP!
LH: 天啊， 昨天我答应帮你修改中文作文，我怎么把这件事给忘了呢？真的好对不起。那你今天下午交还来得及吗？

LL: I need to go to work ASAP, so I need to hand this in before I go.
LH: (Sighs) 如果你一定要在上班之前把作业交上去， 那我现在就帮你看吧。

LL: Thank you so much, Li Hua. You\'re such a good friend.

******

(Larry returns to the computer lab later in the day.)

LL: Hey Li Hua! I am back from work. Are you still working on that statement?
LH: 是啊， 我还在写申请。哎，Larry, 写申请有什么窍门吗？你怎么每次都写得那么快呢？

LL: Oh, I don\'t know. I guess because I have written so many of them, now it\'s easy for me to crank them out.
LH: Crank them out? 这是什么意思呀？