Larry准备在公司汇报工作。事先想请李华帮他听听，看报告内容能不能吸引人。

LL: Thanks for agreeing to listen to my presentation, Li Hua. I really don't want it to be a dud.

LH: Larry, 什么是 "dud" 呀 ?

LL: Oh, A dud D-U-D is something or someone that doesn't live up to expectations and is a disappointment.

LH: Dud就是让人失望的意思。你是不是想让我帮你听听，你的报告能不能吸引人啊？

LL: Right! I want my presentation to be lively and interesting. If it is boring and difficult to understand, it will be a dud.

LH: 愿意为您效劳！不过Larry, 你这人这么幽默，不用听我就知道，你的报告肯定不会枯燥无味的。

LL: You never know. I once worked with a woman who I thought was really funny, and at work we really got along. But then we went on a date, and it was a real dud.

LH: 你们约会的问题出在哪里呢？

LL: It turns out that we didn't have much in common except work.

LH: 噢，我知道了，你们俩这叫缺少共同语言。That date really does sound like a dud.

LL: What about you Li Hua? Have you every gone out with a guy who was a real dud?

LH: Dud也能指人啊。那要这么说，我可是遇到过真正的dud。

LL: How was this guy a dud, Li Hua?

LH: 他长得特别帅，可是我们俩出去吃饭，他从头到尾都在没完没了地讲他自己，根本不问问我喜欢些什么。That date was a real dud。更多信息请访问：http://www.idenglish.cn/

LL: Kind of like a firecracker that doesn't go off! We also call fireworks that don't go off "duds."

LH: 没错，我们管不响的爆竹叫"哑炮"。我最喜欢放炮了，特别是春节的时候。Larry, 你干嘛呢？

LL: I am trying to get the slide projector to work. It looks like the light bulb is a dud!

LH: 那就别摆弄幻灯了。我光听就行了。

LL: Okay, let's get started. Please be honest, Li Hua, and don't be afraid to tell me if you think my presentation is a dud.

LH: 你放心，我一定怎么想就怎么说。