英语对话1：
paul和sara夫妇俩人跟老朋友jesse和miika 一起吃饭，jesse刚失业，打算回去完成硕士学位。
p: but that's gonna take you at least two years to finish!
j: actually, i can do it in 10 months by online correspondence course.
m: you know...distance learning. it used to be sort of dodgy, but in the last couple of years even the big-name schools are getting in on the act.
jesse说，通过网上教学，online correspondence course十个月就能拿到硕士文凭。miika说，远程教学原来好象不可靠dodgy, 但是最近几年，even the big-name schools are getting in on the act. 就连很多名牌大学都加入了进来。 big-name schools名牌学校。get in on the act. 加入进来。
s: yeah. i've done some research into online distance learning myself. i'm thinking i should get a nursing degree. all the career-guidance web sites say nursing is a field that's definitely growing. they say millions more qualified nurses are going to be needed over the next 20 years.
sara说，她正在考虑去学护理，因为nursing is a field that's definitely growing. 护理绝对是一个正在成长的领域。今后二十年需要数百万合格的护理人员。
p: but just getting by on miika's income isn't going to be enough, no?
j: no, you're right. i'm going to bite the bullet and take a part-time job with miika's dad. in tough times, pride is not a virtue.
s: especially when you have a family to feed. paul and i worry everyday that his firm might get into trouble.
英语对话2：
光靠miika一个人的收入肯定不够。 to get by是勉强过日子的意思 。jesse准备bite the bullet忍辱负重，去给老丈人打工，因为in tough times, pride is not a virtue. 困难时期，骄傲可不是什么优点。
s: well, i'm not worried about you. i think you both have exactly the right attitude and have made exactly the right plans to make it through these troubles.
j: yeah! i'm pretty optimistic about things.
p: what's that saying? whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger?
m: that's the one!
s: let's do this again next month
j: it's a date!
分手前，sara说jesse和miika一定能渡过难关，make it through these troubles. paul补充说， what's that saying? 那句话是怎么说的来着？ whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger杀你不死者会让你变得更强壮，类似中文里说的，大难不死必有后福。sara建议下个月再聚。 jesse说it's a date. 一言为定。