Ned: For example?
Becky: Well, last week I invited her over to dinner. My husband and I had no problem with the food, but if you listened to her, then it would seem like I fed her old meat and rotten11 vegetables. There's just nothing can please her.
Ned: No, I can't see that happening. I know you're a good cook and nothing like that would ever happen.
Becky: It's not just that. She also criticizes how we raise the kids.
Ned: My mother-in-law used to do the same thing to us. If it wasn't disciplining12 them enough, then we were disciplining them too much. She also complained about the food we fed them, the schools we sent them too, and everything else under the sun13.
Becky: You said she used to? How did you stop her?
Ned: We basically sat her down and told her how we felt about her constant14 criticizing, and how we welcomed her advice but hoped she'd let us do our things. She understood, and now everything is a lot more peaceful.
Becky: That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try that.
Additional Information：
Nowadays wives seldom live with their mother in laws. So this doesn’t happen often.
现在妻子很少和他们的婆婆住在一起。所以这类事很少出现。
【译文】
——嗨，贝基，有什么事吗？
——没什么，只是我婆婆让我气愤。
——怎么啦？
——她喜欢吹毛求疵，批评我做的每件事情。当她在边上时，我什么事都做不好。
——举个例子？
——比如，上周我邀请她过来吃饭。我丈夫和我对饭菜都觉得没什么不好，但如果你听了她说的话，那就似乎是我给她吃臭肉、烂菜。简直没有一件事能让她高兴。
——不，我看不出会发生这种事。我知道你是个手艺不错的厨师，像那样的事决不会发生。
——事情还不止那样。她还批评我怎么抚养小孩。
——我岳母娘过去也常对我们这样。如果不是对他们管得太严，就是对他们约束太多。她还抱怨我们给他们做的饭菜，我们所选的学校，以及世上的一切事情。
——你是说她过去也这样？你怎么阻止她的？
——我们主要是让她坐下来，然后告诉她我们对她时刻不停地批评有什么感受，我们怎样欢迎她提建议，但希望她能让我们做我们的事。她理解了，现在一切都平静多了。
——听起来是个好主意。我得试一试。
4. Indiscretion.
Janice: What's the matter, Lisa? You don't look too good.
Lisa: I just found out that my husband is cheating on15 me.
Janice: You mean Mark? He seems like such an honest guy.
Lisa: That's what I thought. It seems that he's been seeing someone else for about two months.
Janice: Two months? How did you find out?
Lisa: I asked for leave and was at home when the telephone rang. I picked it up and a girl asked to talk to Mark. She then asked if I was his sister, and I said no, I was his wife. She hung up immediately.
Janice: So you asked him about the girl who called?
Lisa: Yeah, he first said it was someone from work. He gave me a lame16 excuse, and so I pressed him on it.
Janice: What'd he do?
Lisa: He kept trying to make stupid excuses, and then broke down17 and admitted to a small indiscretion18.
Janice: Indiscretion? How can an indiscretion last two months? I mean, you two have been married for two years! How can he do that to you?
Lisa: I told him I would divorce him if he wouldn’t tell me the truth or end the relationship with her.
Janice: Good. I totally agree with what you did.
【译文】
——什么事，丽莎？你看上去不高兴。
——我刚发现我丈夫对我不忠。
——你是说马克？他看上去像一个很诚实的男人。
——我过去也是那样想。他好像已经和别人约会了近两个月。
——两个月？你怎么发现的？
——我请了假在家, 电话响了。我拿起电话，一个女孩说找马克。然后她问我是否是马克的姊妹，我说不是，我是他妻子。她立即挂了电话。
——然后你问他打电话的那个女孩是谁？
——是的，起先他说是同事。他找了一个根本就站不住脚的借口，所以我逼他说。
——他怎么做？
——他不断地找些愚蠢的借口，然后又说不是，承认有点言行失检。
——言行失检？言行失检怎么能持续两个月？我是说，你们两个已经结婚两年了！他怎么能那样对你？
——我说如果他不告诉我真相并和她断离关系，我就和他离婚。
——很好。我完全赞成你的做法。
4 Words and Expressions
1. groom 新郎
2. ceremony 仪式, 典礼
3. vow 誓,誓言,誓约
4. birdseed 鸟食, 鸟饵
5. bouquet 花束, 一束花
6. ballistic 弹道的
7. mildly 温和地, 和善地
8. compatible 能共处的; 可并立的
9. drive up the wall 使...大怒
10. nit-pick 挑剔;吹毛求疵
12. discipline 惩戒，训导
13. under the sun 世界上
14. constant 不停的,接连不断的,持续的
15. cheat on (夫或妻)表现不忠,不贞
16. lame 站不住
