原文作者：佚名

sonny： hey mom， i’m glad you called. i really miss you.
　　mom： aw， i miss you too. ①sorry i’ve been so busy lately， but there’s been a lot on my plate. you know you’ll always be my baby boy， no matter how old you are.
 　　sonny： you really mean that， mom？
　　mom： of course， honey.
　　sonny： that’s comforting to know.
　　mom： what’s wrong， sonny？ ②you sound a bit out of sorts.
　　sonny： nothing…
　　mom： ③c’mon， spill it. ④i’m your mother， and i know when something’s up with you.
 　　sonny： it’s just that…i don’t know how to tell you.
　　mom： now i’m starting to worry. are you ok？ are you sick？  [论文网]
　　sonny： it’s not that. i just…i don’t know where to start.
　　mom： you can tell me anything， you know. i’m never gonna stop loving you， no matter what.
 　　sonny： ⑤well， my life is pretty much in shambles right now， and i’ve dug myself a hole that i don’t think i can dig out of. i mean school， friends， girls， games； it’s all going to hell in a handbasket， and there’s nothing i can do about it.
 　　mom： it’s alright. just start at the beginning.
　　sonny： i started playing this new game called “worlds of warships”and got really into it.
 　　mom： ok.
　　sonny： and to advance in the game， i had to play more and more，so i’d be strong enough to compete with all the other players.
 　　mom： so how often do you play these wars of worshippers on the interweb？
　　sonny： first of all， it’s the internet or the web， not the interweb. and it’s not called wars of worshippers！ that’d be like israel versus palestine or something. it’s worlds of warships， an online role-playing game that takes place in a fantasy land.
 　　mom： so， if it’s all fantasy， then why do you play it so much？
　　sonny： i don’t know. it’s an escape， i guess， from all the pressures of school and real life.
 　　mom： wait. how many hours a week do you play this game？
　　sonny： umm…probably around， i don’t know， 70 or 80…
　　mom： have you lost your mind？？？ this is the education i’ve been paying for all these years？ what did your professors say？
 　　sonny： that i have to repeat the whole semester…
　　mom： how many classes？
　　sonny： a bunch.
　　mom： i don’t get it. all this for a game？
　　sonny： it gets worse. i spent all my money on accessories and attribute 1）boosters in the game， so now i’m flat broke. and peach said she never wants to see me again. ⑥so basically i’m up a creek without a paddle…

mom： i don’t know what to say i’m…
　　sonny： disappointed. i know.
　　mom： yes， i’m disappointed. and i’m at a loss as far as what to do. i love you too much to watch you flush you life down drain like this. you need to get your 2）priorities straight.
 　　sonny： i’m so sorry mom. i’ll cut down on my gaming， i swear！
　　mom： i want to believe you son， but act

ions speak louder than words.
　　smart sentences① sorry i’ve been so busy lately， but there’s been a lot on my plate.对不起，我最近很忙，有很多事情要做。
 　　a lot on one’s plate： having a lot of work to do（有很多事情要做）。例如：
　　i still have a lot on my plate before my vacation.
　　我在度假前还有很多事情要做。
　　② you sound a bit out of sorts. 你听起来不太高兴。
　　out of sorts： feel slightly discontented， or different（心情不佳，不太正常）。例如：he’s out of sorts because his girlfriend hung up on him.
 　　他的心情不好，因为他女朋友挂了他的电话。
　　③ c’mon， spill it. 来吧，快说。
　　spill it： used to urge the other person to say what he/she intends to say（催促对方说想说的话）。例如：
 　　—i saw jack and jenney. do you know why they disappeared last month？
　　我看到杰克和简妮了，你知道他们上个月为什么消失了吗？
　　—spill it. i’ve been wondering about that.
　　快说，我一直都想知道呢。
　　④ i’m your mother， and i know when something’s up with you. 我是你妈，我知道你肯定有事。
　　sth. is up with sb.： sb. has encountered some problems（某人遇到问题）。例如：
　　jay has hardly talked for the last three days. something must be up with him.
　　杰三天都没怎么说话，他肯定遇到什么事。
　　⑤ well， my life is pretty much in shambles right now， and i’ve dug myself a hole that i don’t think i can dig out of. 好吧，我的生活现在一团糟，我这是自作自受。
 　　in shambles： in a messy state（一塌糊涂，乱七八糟）。例如：
　　after the flood， the town lay in shambles.
　　洪水过后，城里乱糟糟的。
　　dig oneself a hole that one can’t dig out of： create a situation that one can’t resolve； have only oneself to thank for his/her troubles（自作自受，自找麻烦）。例如：
 　　—i think i want to volunteer to help babysit my nephew.
　　我想自告奋勇去照顾我外甥。
　　—are you nuts？ don’t dig yourself a hole that you can’t dig out of. your sister never trusts anyone but herself.
 　　你疯了吗？别自找麻烦，你姐除了自己谁也不相信。
　　⑥ so basically i’m up a creek without a paddle… 所以基本上我是没救了……
　　up a creek without a paddle： without necessary resources to finish a job（划无桨之船，没有完成工作必要的工具）。例如：
 　　i am supposed to fix the ac， but without any tools， i’m up a creek without a paddle.
 　　我得修好这部空调，可我什么工具都没有，这是在划无桨之船嘛。