一场里氏.级的特大地震昨天时分在中国的四川省爆发，台湾媒体用“半个亚洲”形容这次地壳晃动的波及面，直接有震感的地区远及泰国的曼谷和越南的河内。截止现在为止，死亡人数接近人。 不知道能为灾区的同胞们做点什么，只能继续用英语的形式，给某些想参与救助的朋友提供点帮助吧。下面是一场洪灾过后的两个对话（文字和音频材料），只要将 flood（洪水）换为earthquake（地震），就和我们目前的情形一致了。为灾区的人们祈祷，向所有参与救助的人们致敬！ Larry告诉李华他想报名参加救灾，帮助灾民。李华今天会学到两个常用语： get-go和on board。 【情景一】： LL: Li Hua，there was a news report about families whose homes were damaged in a flood and they are not far from where my parents live. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to go help these people. LH: 对，我今天早上听到这条新闻，说有不少房屋被洪水冲垮了。你要去帮助救灾那当然好咯。不过你刚才说 from the get-go I wanted to go help these people。From the get-go是什么意思呀？ LL: From the get-go means from the beginning. I knew from the beginning, from the get-go, that I wanted to do something to help out. LH: 原来from the get-go就是一开始的时候。 也就是，你一听到这新闻就想去救灾。我虽然没有想到要去救灾，不过我听到这消息后就马上为灾民的遭遇感到难过。From the get-go, I felt sorry for those people . LL: From the get-go, I felt the same way. So, this afternoon I am going to go to the American Red Cross to volunteer. LH: 你今天下午就要去红十字会去做义工呀？这太好了。 LL: The Red Cross is a wonderful organization. In any disaster, they are always ready to help, ensuring that the victims have food, water, medicine and shelter from the get-go. LH: 可不是嘛。红十字会是有名的，一有灾情，他们一般都是首先赶到，向灾民提供救济。Larry，你到红十字会打算作些什么呢？ LL: Well, my plan from the get-go has been to stop by the Red Cross and see what kind of help they need. Depending on what they need, I will take a couple days off work and drive to the town hit by the flood to help out. LH: 对，是要根据他们的需要。你还要向公司请假，开车到灾区去？ Larry. 我好佩服你。我从一认识你， from the get-go，就知道你是个好人。 LL: Thanks, Li Hua. That is really nice of you to say. You have been a good friend from the get go, too. LH: 谁都喜欢和你这样的人作朋友。Larry, 你去红十字会之前，我们先去吃午饭，怎么样？ LL: That would be good. Today I have been hungry from the get-go. Where do you want to go? LH: 你早就饿啦，那我们就在附近找个地方吧。你看马路对面的这家pizza店怎么样？ LL: Great! That place has been so popular from the get-go! 【情景二】： (Restaurant sounds) LL: (To waiter) I'll have two slices of cheese pizza please. So, Li Hua, I was wondering if I could convince you to get on board this volunteering effort. LH: Get on board? 你的意思是让我也参加救灾？ LL: Yes, when I asked you to get on board, I meant would you join me and help out. LH: 我这两天正好不用教课，所以跟你去一两天没问题。 LL: That would be great! The people at the Red Cross will be so happy to have you on board. LH: 那我们怎么去呢？ LL: Well, I was thinking we would drive. I was wondering if you would be on board with the idea of renting a van for the trip. LH: 租个面包车？ 租车不是很贵吗？ LL: It is a little expensive. But don't worry, Li Hua, I will pay for renting the van. I'd rather have you on board to help out. LH: 那好啊， 如果你出钱，我没意见。 . LL: And since we have a van, I am wondering if we can get anyone else on board. We will have room to take some other people. LH: 那也是，车里还有好几个空位呢，我的一些学生可能也愿意去灾区服务。 LL: You should ask them, Li Hua, the more people we can get on board to help with the relief effort, the better. LH: Larry, 我们现在就去红十字会报名吧。让他们知道我们要参加救灾， let them know we are on board. LL: Good idea, but I really want to finish this pizza first.　 LH: I am definitely on board with that! Let's eat! 今天李华学到了两个常用语。一个是from the get-go，意思是从一开始。还有一个是on board,, 意思是赞成、 愿意参加。还有“disaster relief”指的就是救灾，两个词中间用横线连起来（disaster-relief）是它的形容词形式。其它经常与“relief”一起出现的词还有 “poverty relief”（扶贫）。