larry和李华正在课间休息的时候聊天，李华会学到两个常用语：to push one's luck和crackpot。

lh: larry, 我已经好久都没有为我的论文做研究了。我想今天不去上wilkins教授的课而去图书馆。

ll: i dunno, li hua. you'll really be pushing your luck if you miss class again.

lh: pushing-my-luck? pushing是推的意思，luck是运气，我不懂耶！pushing my luck是什么意思。

ll: i said you will be pushing your luck. "to push your luck" means to take a chance when you've already done something risky.

lh: 噢，pushing-your-luck就是已经做了冒风险的事，可是啊！还想再进一步碰碰运气，是这个意思吗？

ll: that's right. the first two times, the professor didn't give you any trouble. but every time you miss a class, you are taking an even bigger risk. you are pushing your luck.

lh: 对噢，那两次没去上课，教授没说什么。要是我今天再不去上课，万一教授不高兴，我不就麻烦了吗？ larry，你不也是这样吗？你那台车，煞车都坏了，你还到处开，不也是碰运气，希望它不出事吗？

ll: that's right. one day, i was almost in a car wreck, so i decided to stop pushing my luck and have the brakes fixed. i was so stupid.

lh: 我还不知道你差一点出车祸呢！哎呀，你看，你非要push your luck，非要到差一点出车祸的时候才去修车。真危险！ larry，这么说，to push one's luck只能指冒风险，碰运气吗？

ll: generally yes. but sometimes, if someone keeps asking you for favors, you might tell them "don't push your luck!"

lh: 我最近就碰到这么一个人，我帮了她一点忙，她就没完没了了，要求一个接一个。下回我就可以对她说：don't push your luck! 对了，larry，我还真想要你帮个忙，我能再借你的电脑用吗？这不算是push my luck吧？

ll: no, of course not. you're welcome to use my computer.

lh: 谢谢，larry，你总是那么大方。我今天下午能借你的车吗？

ll: yeah, ok... i guess...

lh: 那我能不能把你的电脑搬回家用一个礼拜呢？

ll: you're pushing your luck, li hua!

lh: 哈哈... 跟你开玩笑嘛！

******

lh: 哎哟，老天爷， wilkins教授真是怪。他在上课的时候花了最后二十分钟给我们讲他每天吃多少维他命，为什么要吃这些维他命。

ll: what? (laughs) don't worry about it, li hua. everyone knows professor wilkins is a crackpot.

lh: 他是什么？你是说他吸毒吗？

ll: no, of course not... i said that he's a crackpot. a crackpot is a crazy person. or maybe just someone who holds very strong, crazy opinions and ideas.

lh: 噢，crackpot是一个很怪的人，有稀奇古怪想法的人。嗨，larry，有名的人是不是也是很怪的？

ll: let me think... you know, most real crackpots don't become famous. but in his time, a lot of people thought that christopher columbus was a crackpot.

lh: 没错，真正怪的人一般是不会成名的。可是哥伦布的情况就不一样了。当时人们认为他很怪，有神经病，因为他说航行可以围绕地球转，但是事实证明他是对的，所以他是聪敏，不能算是crackpot。

ll: i wonder if i or other students should talk to professor wilkins, and ask him to not talk about off-topic subjects in class. would we be pushing our luck?

lh: 你和其他学生去跟wilkins教授说别在上课时讲那些离题的内容？我想他不会在意的啦！

ll: what if we just told him to stop talking about his crackpot ideas in class.

lh: 你说什么？叫他别在课堂上讲他的那些神神道道的想法！now that would be pushing your luck!

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是：to push one's luck。意思是已经做了有点风险的事，还想进一步碰碰运气。李华学到的另一个 常用语是：crackpot。这是指那种想法很奇怪的人